Rose in a Broken Bottle

... "Welcome to hell!" A visible shudder ripples through my aunt's shoulders... The train of passengers, privileged and otherwise, trudges in the rain through a corridor of guards with machine guns... Finn leans back in his chair. The acrobatic cigarette once again flips through its moves in his left hand while his thumb on his right hand flicks the lighter on and off. "Knives are quick, noiseless, and convenient to carry. Those guys were in and out of there before anyone would have noticed that she was slain."... Four footsteps. I sense a presence next to me... the smell of onions and garlic... the bureau drawer sliding open... a gentle touch on my shoulder slipping down my arm... cold fingers placing something soft into my hands... It's when she mounts the rostrum that I see her four-inch stilettos, daggers to be sure, transporting her naked, unshaven legs... Zita Anders spends her summer vacation visiting her father in one of the former Soviet republics of Central Asia, where she experiences the poverty, corruption, and perversion that rake the newly independent nation her father has come to call home. ROSE IN A BROKEN BOTTLE is Zita's account of the people, their land, and their hardships, of the fear and scourge, of the beauty and joy in a country that is so very broken. Her narrative is about the hope and loving relationships that emerge midst that brokenness. Inspired by a true story. Analynn Riley is a Canadian author. Visit www.analynnriley.com and https: //analynnriley.wordpress.com/author/analynnriley/.