TW: domestic violence.
I am happy to share my CNF flash piece (“Merely Missing“) and a photograph of my late sister are featured in JMWW today.
I aim to allow my work to stand on its own without an explanation; however, this piece has been shaped by the horrific loss of my sister and the nightmarish circumstances surrounding her death. I believe that these issues demand awareness and attention. My sister was a victim of domestic violence. In the morning, she sent photographs of herself battered. We called the police.
This story takes place in a dream of those nine hours between the time when we discovered she was missing and when the police updated us in the evening that her body had been found in her backyard with a bullet in the middle of her forehead. In that time, hope still simmered. Maybe she was hiding at friend’s house. Maybe she was waiting in my aunt’s driveway. Maybe she was standing in my grandparents’ field. Maybe she was safe. She was not.
Like many of you, I try to process the world (and figure out what I’m even thinking) through writing. This story provided me with a chance to convey the devastating aftermath of loss in a way that I hope will resonate with others so victims can find the strength they need and supporting friends and family can come to understand what those victims endure.
Resources for victims of domestic abuse and violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
Text: BEGIN to 88788
Website: https://www.thehotline.org
Katie Robinson Writes 