The 25 Years

The voice is loud, deep, with some kind of accent; words, but none I can make out. I was OK, sitting with my friends on this fine July evening, but this guy sounds rough, and serious, like he might do something. What happens next worries me, but not enough.

Twenty-odd years wasted in this group home just to stay out of trouble, and things get bad anyway. How bad? Run for your damn life, homeless on the streets bad. But maybe I need bad to push me toward something better.

This is about me, Paul Abernathy, fighting for my life, to get it back; and about people like me, the ones you call crazy--what it's like, and how folks treat us.

If you like a suspenseful story about vividly drawn characters, one that will make you stop and think, you'll love The 25 Years. The story offers an inside look into the support and control system for people with psychiatric disabilities, including what it's like for those with the conditions, the staff at various levels and their families. It offers an interesting set of characters struggling with the challenges and conflicts inherent in their roles in the context of an exciting tale of mystery and suspense.