Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Man in the Box by Andrew Toy


Hey blog peeps! It's me, Taylor.

So we beat the Panthers the other night. Didn't think that would happen. After the game, Dwayne came up on the court to congratulate me, and my dad started acting like a total jerk. I guess he wanted to congratulate me, too. He had never met Dwayne, and if fact, I don't even think Dad knew I had a boyfriend. I mean, why would I tell him, right? Anyway, he just started treating him like some little kid. I mean, doesn't Dad know that Dwayne is in COLLEGE? Hello?!!

I told Dad off later that night. Of course that didn't really set well with the family. I sometimes think they just want me to be this little wall-flower of a daughter. You know, just sit there, look pretty, don't talk, do the chores and get good grades. Well, I'm not going to do that.

Melanie told me the other day that I need to really be assertive with my family and start pushing back when they shove, because I'm at that age when they will either coddle me or release me. I'd rather be released. You know?

Well, Dad's been acting weirder than ever lately. He's been sneaking downstairs a lot at night. I went down once to grab a drink from the sink and he was behind the couch, just laying in this box. I had seen the top of his head from over the couch, and was seriously was just sitting straight up in this box, eyes closed, everything. Really freaky.

My grandpa's in town visiting now, and he and Dad have been real tense around each other, which isn't surprising. But I think I side with Grandpa on this whole feud thing since he hasn't given me any reason to hate him. Mom, of course is always trying to do the patchwork for us, and she's holding up well. It sucks that she's sick. It sucks that now is the time she has cancer, when I'm trying to break free from the family. I don't know, am I being selfish? Should I be there for her first? It's just that, if I show any interest or care, Dad jumps on it like a free sample at the grocery store and totally starts to take advantage of me opening up.

He tried talking to me the other night in my room, but I refuse to open up to him. If I do, he'll take that to mean that I still rely on him and need him. I was upset that Dwayne invited me to this college party, and I knew - I just KNEW - that my parents wouldn't let me go. And there's no way I'm going to bring that up to him when I'm that vulnerable, you know?

So, I don't know... I just don't see the lure in opening myself up to someone weird enough to go sneaking downstairs every night to go sit in some cardboard box. But then, sometimes, I think, I ought to give it a try myself.

Centipedes are everywhere now. Don't know where they're coming from. I check my bed every night for them before crawling in.

The Man in the Box
by Andrew Toy

Work provided Robbie Lake the perfect escape from his family. But his life is turned upside down when he is unexpectedly fired. When he finds a new way of escape through a cardboard box, everything changes. The imaginary world of his childhood has evolved in his absence and is now more savage and hostile than even he could have dreamed. Robbie is drawn in by the excitement of his secret world, but will the cost of abandoning his family prove too high?

Buy on Amazon: Paperback * Kindle

About the Author:

Andrew Toy lives with his wife and dachshunds in Louisville, KY. He is currently editing books of nearly every genre and is a writing coach for aspiring authors. He and his wife are trying to adopt their first child, and he is using the means of writing and editing to accomplish the goal of enlarging his family. Check out some more of his writing and upcoming books on his popular blog: adoptingjames.wordpress.com

Connect with Andrew: Twitter * Facebook

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.
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