by Renda Ashley

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: August 17, 2008

Why do we take the little voice of warning or reason and hit it upside the head with a sledge hammer? Like when my cousin Sherry tried to convince me of going on a double date with two guys I knew nothing about?

"Please, Annie, I need, you! My parents won't even let me out of the house without you...
It will only be for a little while and I promise he will be a perfect gentleman..." Sherry begged.

I could hear the voice in my mind warning me;
"What is she up to this time? You can bet it's no good...you know how Sherry"

"Shut Up!" I told the voice, "Sherry really is a nice person; sometimes. And besides she really needs me."

"Oh,yeah, like she needed me last time and..." my inner voice was screaming at me.

What was wrong with me? When did I become so cold and malevolent? But, I really didn't want to go. Didn't I have a dental appt. to get my wisdom teeth pulled or something? Sherry smelled my weakness just as a predator knows when its prey is weakening- she knew it before I knew it... Yeah, I was giving in.

"Sherry, I don't even want to go...I don't even know these guys and besides that, I already have a date for Saturday..." I said.

"I can break it for you Annie...Please! It is so important to me!" Sherry answered.

Saturday evening rolled around and my date, the chief of police's son, and Sherry and her date pulled up to my house in a dirty old beat up Ford pickup. I don't remember anybody getting out of the truck to let me in but I suppose they did because I ended up in the front seat smashed between people I had never seen before. The drive to the movies was made in awkward silence while I tried to carry the whole conversation. When we finally got to the movies the only thing I remember that the guys sayed to me was;

"Here's the money to go buy the popcorn. We'll buy the tickets."

15 minutes later I was standing in line when I realized my group had left me holding the bag. Literally, the popcorn bag. They dumped me to go partying. Did I ever learn to listen to my inner voice? You would think that I got a little better. Over the years she's the only one that got better. Better at Manipulating. But did I ever learn that? One of the pitfalls of dealing with "problem people" is actually recognizing them as problems.

Did I mention that at my Sociopath's (A.K.A. my cousin's) murder trial I was asked to be a character witness? After all, I didn't think she really meant to kill her ex husband...so when the voice of warning started once more- this time in the courtroom, I let

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>