I’m sitting at my desk, at my computer. Alongside me, on the floor to the right, is a large wastebasket, filled with rumpled 8-1/2” x 11” sheets of white paper; plain, ordinary sheets of paper that I determined, for one reason or another, were no longer worthy of my love and attention; through no fault of their own.

I’ve been here for roughly three hours. Writing. During those hours I’ve altered my perspective, changed my goal, misplaced my focus and lost my motivation. Repeatedly. And, with each change I’ve felt compelled to press Print, rip the paper from my printer, squash it in my hands, roll it into a ball and toss it into the trash basket. I could have deleted my words on the computer, and started fresh, but that wouldn’t have left me feeling cleansed, renewed, and ready to start again

I tell you this because something creepy is going on in my trash- basket. I’m all alone in my office – or so I believe – but through the soft background music Alexa is providing for me, through the soft tick-tock of my wall clock, through the sound of my own breath, I keep hearing movement; the slightest, barely audible movement, coming from my wastebasket, and it’s creeping me out. IT JUST HAPPENED AGAIN!

I emptied the trash – all paper – onto the floor and examined each piece thoroughly, certain I would find either a large insect or a baby rodent – both of which have been hanging out around my house this rainy summer, but I came up with nothing. Yet, I continue to hear something moving in those papers.

I swear, I’m not crazy.

Not yet, anyway.

Maybe it’s time for an Exorcist.–