My apologies. Somehow there was a screw up in the copying of the text and a chunk was omitted. Both Terra and I have been out all day and I just saw the message with the additional chapters now added. The final installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Hope you have enjoyed it each Sunday for the past few months. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments.   Chapter 73 “I don’t care what Connolly or anyone else says; seeing Mr. Macias was the right thing to do,” I said. Roxy … [Read more...]

The twelfth and penultimate installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments.   Chapter 67 I thought about calling Detective Gardner as I drove to the ER at Cottage Hospital. I thought about calling Dev. I considered calling my dad. I probably should have dialed 911. But I didn’t. I mostly listened to Roxy saying how sorry she was she had gotten me into all this. I told her not to worry. A couple of hours later a young ER … [Read more...]

The eleventh installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 61 I walked into my bedroom and said, “We’ve been invited for dinner.” Roxy—fully clothed—rolled over on her side. “With Dev and Cindy?” “I wish. With my dad and brothers.” “They know about my situation?” “A little bit. They don’t know everything.” Roxy leaned up on her elbows. “You don’t look real happy.” “I like my dad and all that. He’s cool. … [Read more...]

The tenth installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 55 “You’re both here. Good,” Gardner said, grabbing one of the kitchen chairs and pulling out his little notebook. Dev and I sat on the couch. “Got any news?” I asked. “Been a bitch trying to get ahold of anyone in the church.” “That would be the Church of Scientology, right?” Dev asked. “That would be the one, yeah.” “What about Brenda or Doug down at … [Read more...]

The ninth installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 49 My chocolate malt had completely melted and Detective Chip Gardner was on his second cup of coffee. Dev, Cindy, and Roxy had left a half hour earlier. “And that’s what happened,” I said. Despite all the food, my stomach felt empty. “That’s all of it?” Gardner asked. “Pretty much, yeah.” “I don’t want ‘pretty much;’ I’d like all of it. Can’t help you if I … [Read more...]

The next installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 43 Blazer guy, his driver, Sean, Ryan, Roxy, and I sat lined up on the sidewalk outside Jupiter Donuts. The first rays of the sun flicked over the horizon as the street filled up with early morning commuters. Ryan had refused medical assistance for his fucked-up nose and the six cops had holstered their guns. Gray-haired stared down at me, his hands on his hips. His hair … [Read more...]

The seventh installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. Our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 37 Morning three. Instead of heading for the sauna after breakfast, two “pages” hustled us across campus to a three story, rectangular building with no sign, number, or identifying marks. Unlike the other buildings I’d been in, there was no person manning a front desk. We climbed the stairs to a lobby-like room on the third floor where a fifteen or sixteen year-old … [Read more...]

The sixth installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. For the next little while it is our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments.   Chapter 31 Roxy and I were sitting in a sauna in the basement of the same building that housed the big course room. We sat facing each other, each leaning back on opposite walls. Rivulets of sweat ran down our bodies. I wore an old pair of gym shorts; Roxy word a red bikini. I looked like I’d just finished a race. Roxy looked like a … [Read more...]

The fifth installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. For the next little while it is our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Chapter 25 A young SO member stopped in front of Doug and me. She held my routing form in one hand and a clipboard in the other. Her name tag read “Roxy Brand,” and she looked about nineteen. Shiny blond hair just touched the top of her ears. “Rick,” she said. Come with me.” Doug and I rose from the couch and followed her up to the fourth … [Read more...]

The fourth installment of the first draft of a novel written by our old friend Terra Cognita. For the next little while it is our Sunday Serial. Terra welcomes all suggestions and feedback -- this is draft -- you can note them in the comments. Time, Place, Form, and Event Chapter 19 A couple of hours later, Brenda walked into the room followed by Doug, and four guys in blue coveralls. One carried two of gallons of bleach. The last guy in line held a big square of folded, gray plastic. I felt just about as dead as Joan. “These guys are here to take care of things,” Brenda said. … [Read more...]