Found in Sanity

By Kyla Thayer

Meet Joyce who can only be described as joyful and joyous in the true meaning of her name. That is, until her untimely demise and the complete breakdown of the family surrounding her. As the family begins its decent into insanity brought on by the greed and jealousy of one family member only Joyce can help create new links. In spite of having passed on to her new life Joyce strengthens the members left behind through the legacy she left in her other three children and connection to the spiritual world of her grandchildren. This new family must find the trust in each other that can only be Found In Sanity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 22, 2008
• ISBN: 9781469101033

Kyla Thayer

Kyla Thayer is currently a Purchasing Agent whose true passion is psychology and its link to the spiritual world. With a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Marshall University, Kyla has assisted in research for many published articles featured in the collection: Behavior and Social Issues. Growing up as a “railroad brat” the author has enjoyed residence in numerous states throughout her life and as a result loves to travel. She currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband John, and family pets Phoenix, and Cairo.

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Copyright © 2008 by Kyla Thayer.

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Contents

Chasing Fireflies

Revelations

The World of Joyce

Essential Attachments

Chicken Shit

The Herd

Ironic Destiny

Grandpa

A Fork In The Road

Redecorating The Family Tree

Disregard For Last Wishes

Descend To Mortality

The Virus

Obvious Obscurity

Reverie

Progression To Sanity

Joyce

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the inspiration

Joyce gives me everyday and to the

Memory of grandpa and all the love they shared.

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Chasing Fireflies

We were chasing fireflies between the trees where the old house used to stand. Joyce, more than likely drinking sweet tea, was on the new porch gazebo we had built for her with mom, my aunt, and the family. I was yelling back and forth with my sisters and cousins as we ran as fast as possible to show each other the lightning we held in our hands.

I watched the evening in front of me looking for that glow. I reached out and felt the tingly legs of my firefly land in my hand. I carried it close to my body to make sure it didn’t escape and rushed it over to mom. She looked at it with admiration to appease me as I felt it spread its wings to glow in another child’s window.

I took off back through the trees only to stop short in my tracks. One of the farm cats had ventured close enough for me to see. I called out for my sisters as we tried calling it over. All the farm cats came in feral, but Joyce was magic. These untamed spirits would always break into docile, domesticated kittens but only for Joyce. We were able to get just within arms reach of the farm cat before it took off again into the wild.

I had a connection to the farm that I had never understood. There was something so peaceful about sitting on the old red swing and rocking so slowly. I would often wonder over to the silo to look at dirt and rocks I had seen a hundred times before, scramble out to the tree house my uncles had built before mom or grandma had the chance to tell me to be careful, or ring that silly bell in the front yard.

When you’re young everything is fascinating, but somehow I felt like part of that farm. If I believed in past lives I had spent mine here. This year it was corn in the old farm field and I felt tiny but still always at peace out there.

My favorite stories were those told to me about time spent at the old house. It had burnt down long before my existence. The only remnant of the old house was a concrete slab that wasn’t burned in the fire along with an old water pump that hadn’t worked since more than likely before the fire.

I would stand on that concrete slab on nights like tonight when we were chasing fireflies. I would be in another year, another time, maybe even another body. It was like I was part of a past that I knew nothing about.

My sister called my name repeatedly as I stood on that slab in this trance like state. It was time to come inside. We had a long drive ahead of us as grandma always came back with us near the summer. We were out of school and she would always go on vacation with us. We were building bonds on those trips we hadn’t realized were being created for us at the time.

* * *

That sticky sweet smell hung thick in the air as I walked out on the faded blue porch. I looked over to the pond at the fish below and took another deep breath of honeysuckle letting the smell invade my nose. It was early morning but the air was already infested with humidity. I loved how summer heat felt. The way it opens up every pore on your body while little droplets of sweat bead up on your skin until that enchanting southern breeze would blow by cooling your whole body.

Grandma was usually awake before the sun if not with it. Even during school she would be up to say goodbye to us before we got on the bus, and for the most part she had already had her shower and was simply waiting on mom to do her hair. Today was Saturday though, and that meant yard sales.