“Fuck it,” I muttered, and slid the lid off the box.
I cracked open the laptop and was immediately prompted to choose my settings and preferences.
As the sun began to break, I found myself staring at the empty laptop. Before I could talk myself out of it, I uploaded the photo I’d taken in New Orleans of the Touchdown Jesus statue in St. Louis Cathedral in the Quarter and made it my screensaver.
I finished my cup of coffee and relocated to the couch, where Marlon curled up on my feet.
Soon, I was signed into my inbox and penning an email to Brody. When I left LA, I’d told him I needed time.
I didn’t need any more time.
Brody,
First, thank you. Your offer meant a lot to me. But I have to say no.
Please understand that I’m not saying no so that I can take this project elsewhere or anything like that. I need to say goodbye toThe Wunderkind. It’s not a world I know how to live inside of anymore.
I’m scared. This might be the biggest mistake of my life. But I have to trust that my best is yet to come.
—Vera
Decomposition Day 16
I bought screenwriting software. It was on sale, and I decided that even if I never used it, I was at least stimulating the economy.
Ruby found her dress. It was the first one she tried on, but of course we had to go to four other stores and try thirty-nine other dresses before she knew the first one was the right one. Considering the story of her and Hollis, I found that rather poetic.
Decomposition Day 17
I opened the software just to make sure it worked. It did. The page was as blank as I expected it to be.
Later that night, I began to transcribe Leonard’s drafts. I didn’t know why, but it seemed like a way to warm my creative muscles. It felt like I was teaching my body how to write again. Of course, Ruby and I would never try to sell anything of his that he hadn’t explicitly decided was finished, but I didn’t want to risk the papers getting destroyed. Especially now that I knew what the fuck the cloud was.
Sort of.
Decomposition Day 24
Tess:
The renovation is done. I’ve decided I don’t have to kill my family. Besides, they never use flattering pictures on those true crime documentaries.
Vera:
congratulations on choosing a crime-free life.
Tess:
Hey now, I said nothing about going cold turkey. Just laying off the murder.
Tess:
Is the blank page still taunting you?
Vera:
the page is no longer blank, but it is still taunting me.
Tess:
