Disbelief at first. Then anger, outrage. How could somebody do this? What kind of person?
Then fear. What if I’d been home? What if they come back?
A sense of violation. I didn’t know this person. They left traces, like an opened can of Coke that I didn’t know I had. Maybe it was from Thanksgiving, or maybe it wasn’t even mine. They smoked a cigarette in my living room.
Now a sense of sudden panic and regret whenever I can’t find something. Maybe they took it like they took the TV and my father’s gold watch.
It’s been a year.
The roller coaster of emotions feels very real -and I can believe it would still resonate a year later, too.
Great portrayal of the sense of violation
The violation one feels after being robbed is perfectly portrayed, Josh.
It’s not so much the material loss that is the worst of being a victim of robbery. Good one.
Really well done. Home invasion is horrifying, destroys your safe haven and leaves you hyper-vigilant. All perfectly portrayed here.
A shattered door can be unnerving and shock may stay long. Nicely captured.
Dear Josh,
The feelings of violation are tangible. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Understandable feeling of violation.
Just knowing someone’s been there is bad enough without the loss of ones possessions.
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This feels very real and the outrage and unease about the burglary clear. The title says it all. It will never be the same again.
You captured the sense of invasion and resultant paranoia beautifully. And I speak as one who knows, having slept through a burglary and coming down next morning to the loss of many things that were valuable to me. The gradual reveal of the extent of the loss over ensuing days… you got that.
Thanks!
An accurate portrayal of the mixed emotions one experiences after home invasion. Well written story!
Exactly! Exactly how it feels… go to look for something, can’t find it, realize that it was probably stolen… having a good cry, moving on.
Some feelings of violation don’t dissipate in a year. Some never do. It goes deeper than a TV or an heirloom watch. Well done!
Oh, I remember this feeling VERY well. In fact, last week I had a dream about the vandalism done to my car over twenty years ago.
Brilliantly portrayed, often it’s not what they take but the sense of violation and fear they leave in their wake
The stages of grief, grieving the loss of a sense of security. Many Americans can relate to that right now. Well done.
The discomfort gets bigger and stronger as you read. Brilliant. Thanks. (from threefoldtwenty dotcom)
Definitely “a year”
Ronda
That sense of violation comes through clearly, Josh. And I like the broken glass as a metaphor too – your narrator has taped the shards together, but underneath there’s still that break. Nicely done
Thanks!