This RieTales story probably should have a trigger warning, but when I first wrote it, there were no trigger warnings. I’m letting you know now though because the world is different than it once was.

Despite a rather idyllic beginning, the story has a dark core. A young woman sits at home in her apartment watching a storm brewing over the city. As the rain begins to fall,  a pounding on the door brings in a stranger who proves a destructive force in more ways than one.

One of the bits of advice one always hears is “Write what you know,” but sometimes, a writer feels exploring a topic is important, even if they have no personal experience with it. We won’t always get it right. Many readers may feel that I have no business in writing this story and that I have belittled or downplayed the results of her experiences, but what I am trying to show is that not everyone reacts to pain and suffering the same way. For some, there has been so much suffering that it is routine. Commonplace. Just more stormy weather. And that is the horror of it.

If anyone wants to have a discussion about either the story or the advice, feel free to leave a comment below–but let’s keep it civil. Remember, to read it, get your own copy of RieTales from Mocha Memoirs.