This is a different type of story for me. It is based on a compilation of events in the news that have happened in the past few years. Of course it is entirely fiction
A Marine grunt returns to civilian life and is faced with a new mission to bring hope to an innocent girl. Sexual abuse, a horrendous crime, and a stunning revelation eventually lead them to an unexpected ending.
Violent storms are common in the Midwest. The one described here actually happened outside a little town I was staying in almost 20 years ago. It sounded like a train, the tornado axiom, if you will, but the straight-line winds cleared a windrow to stumps and killed several cattle (and I'm sure a lot of other critters). Friday I was in the shower, during a storm, when my muse spoke to me, and yes, when I looked out back, she was sitting on our boat.