Site Title

How To Save A Life, but without the Fray.  

Title likely to change. Rough draft, need some encouragement. 

Premise: 

A story about three kick-ass characters with psychiatric histories and their allies ( who end up being pharmacists…).   A story to remind us that people with mental illnesses need community and acceptance and as many people as possible showing up for them.  A mystery with a happy ending.  

Chapter 1 

Before I get the news about Elouise I am on a roll with a full on battle plan to thwart my overpowered TRD- treatment resistant depression.  I roll out of bed and pull on a skirt over leggings I went to sleep in, along with a sports bra and very wrinkled t-shirt and hoodie.  I walk ten paces to my studio kitchen, eat some cheez-its and almonds and chase them down with a half can of pink lemonade energy drink.  The almonds are doctor recommended, apparently they may or may not slow the atrophying of my depressed brain.   

I pull on my clunky boots, a pair I wear from fall to spring until the snow melts. They probably need some frogger spray and may not the best choice since these April days tend to warm up to unexpected temperatures.  My plan is to make it to this contemporary worship church a ten minute walk from my building.  I am not a believer, but boy can that christian rock band make a woman want to live.  

I take that step out the door, that crucial brave step into a world full of functioning people. I always remind myself that birds exist.  Birds don’t scan my outfit or hair or look away if they recognize me.  Locals know to avoid me because the conversation usually takes a nose dive after hello, when my mind goes completely blank. Or because they know or suspect I have a mental illness.  Birds don’t give a shit about your social anxiety or psychiatric history and hang around anyway.   

 I am in the doorway when my hand bag with a duct taped strap begins to buzz and Celine Dion’s voice climbs up from its depths and through the zipper, her angelic voice singing the lyric “ A New Day Has Come,” along with the “ ahhh, ahhh” melodic part which always hits me like pure sunshine.

Odin is calling.  Weird, we just wellness checked each other yesterday.

The process of extracting the phone from my bag is makes me mumble to Celine “ A New Day may be here, but my new brain and dexterity boost certainly have not.” I finally feel the smooth rectangular shape and answer, immediately putting it on speakerphone and trudge down the stairs holding it like a slice of pizza.   

“Odin! You ok?”

His soft voice comes through the speaker. “ Me? Oh yeah. But Elouise is missing. Stella just called asking if I know anything.”

“ How much time?”

“Three days.”

“Shit.”

“ Stella says Greta is assuming the worst.” Odin’s voice takes on a weight that makes my heart sink.  Greta is Elouise’s partner of twenty years.  Stella is a pharmacist and Elouise is her favorite customer. 

“ Does Greta know about our pact that has been secured with unbreakable bonds?”  

“ She may, but it makes sense for her to be worried, George.” 

The pact is a three way promise to stay alive.  And I am not worried.  Because this promise is the only thing I believe in, it is magic and faith and everything to me.  

Odin, Elouise, and Georgia.  Staying alive despite powerful internal demons, societal ostracization, and loneliness. We barely get by most days, but we STAY ALIVE.  We don’t disappear.  

Elouise’s disappearance isn’t due to her mental health, Elouise’s disappearance is a mystery.  And it needs to be solved.