Keelhauled

by Diana Kinared

In the darkness of the midnight hour, the lines clang against the main mast as the little sloop, Step Two, is released from anchor and begins to float out of the cove in a rising tide. The jib unfurls in the freshening wind from starboard. She sets the wheel aiming toward open waters, then bends to her task. Her back and shoulder muscles strain as she heaves the body overboard, head first, and watches it slice through the inky waters into the deep along with the bloody knife. Her deep sigh of freedom says he’ll terrorize no more. Light from the quarter moon creeps from between clouds casting shadows across her scarred face.

6S

Diana Kinared writes short stories, poems, and essays. She and her two co-authors, Jackie Collins and Sally Showaoir penned a book that was published last year about their twenty-five-year friendship and writers' group called Telling Tales and Sharing Secrets. Diana also writes a blog called Wonkgranny - a grandmother's perception of the universe through essay, story, and poems. She lives in the resort atmosphere of Oro Valley Arizona with her husband and three cats.