Misguided Retribution

By: James Hughes

On the third date, Marlene and the seemingly charming Sheldon Wilson go back to her home for coffee after dinner. Marlene finishes making coffee when he grabs Marlene, kisses her, and says they belong together. When Marlene says it's much too early to commit to a lasting relationship, he is quick to anger and accuses Marlene of leading him on. Finally, Marlene convinces him to leave, telling him she needed time to think, but really, she just needed to get him to leave.

Was Sheldon Wilson in his car or still prowling around outside looking for a way to get in? He had pounded first on her front door begging to come in and talk. All they needed to do was talk. He could explain his actions the previous night was his plea. Next he pounded on the back kitchen door and Marleen hurried to make sure it was locked. The same pleading when she refused to open the door had become a threat. "I will make you sorry for this." She called the police.

Bill Sayers and Mary Ellen Withers would be fascinated by Marleen Hilton's night of terror and the strange set of events that follow in Misguided Retribution.

About the Author

As a retired engineer, James Hughes had been limited in his work writing technical papers and analyses. Unnecessary filler or texture was discouraged in those writings. Now free to expand his writing, he could add as much descriptive material as he felt necessary to advance the story. He always strives to limit narrative that was not relative, just tell the story. He particularly enjoyed writing dialogue, creating the back and forth between individuals. If the characters were properly described, then the dialog that flowed between them would proceed logically. As a fan of O'Henrys writing, he liked to interject twists or surprises in a story and always attempted to do so.