Foreword - (A True Story)

There are monsters in this world. They live unseen amongst us. I am sure of this because once upon a time, I knew one! I met Richie, not his real name, in the first grade, we were friends all the way through school, graduating high school in the same class. We even went to the same university. We chose different career paths but kept in touch after graduating college. He met a girl and got married. I received an invitation to the wedding but could not attend. I was on an all-expense paid vacation to beautiful southeast Asia with the Marines. Richie explained his avoiding military service by the fact that his father was killed in Korea, and he was the only child of a single, working mother. I was OK with that explanation. After I returned home, one-eyed and limping, he and I often ‘double dated’. When I married, he and his wife attended. Life went on. We both had kids, went to the same Catholic church and lived normal lives.