A Matter of Conscience.

Written for the Ray Taylor "Where have all the tea leaves Gone?" An unofficial challenge. Write a super quick micro about a thief. More details following the story.

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"Honey! Look at this, it made the newspaper!" my eyebrows raised, flushed with surprise from the banner as my husband dragged himself into the kitchen with the worst case of bedhead I'd ever seen.

It read: Local neighborhood is baffled by random flower theft.

The occurrences were becoming frequent. Nearby neighbors were blindsided by the sight of their yards and gardens pilfered. My prized tulips were inching ever so close to getting personal protection.

Erick's reaction was that of a deaf man, nothing. He continued his way to the den to retrieve an Ipad.

Seconds later from the living room, I hear him. "Candice, why are police talking in front of our house? And now they're walking up the driveway!"

I answered the door, tightening my robe.

"May I help you?"

"Yes! We are looking for Erick Coleman. We need to ask him a few questions. Is he home?"

I opened the door a little more, revealing him standing there, perplexed by it all.

***

Before Erick's words and mine were done going back and forth, police returned with a search warrant, an embarrassing invasion of privacy.

The overwhelming evidence came quick when a flower-sniffing dog went into the garage. He sat in front of an old, black trunk that Erick's mom left him and began pawing it.

I couldn't believe my eyes... It was full of wilted flowers.

Erick made a scene, denying any involvement. He called a lawyer and was told not to leave town.

***

Not even twelve hours later at 4am, I was awakened by a door slam. Curious and a little frightened as to where Erick was, I went to investigate.

Tulips in hand, more of them scattered on the ground, I screamed bloody murder. He continued ripping them from the dirt. I quickly ran to his front, protecting the last of the tulips.

His ignoring eyes, told a bizarre story...

***

Psychiatry determined that Erick’s sleepwalking episodes were brought on by the devastation of losing his mother. Him leaving flowers in the trunk symbolized placing them on her grave.

After a couple weeks of grief therapy, the sleepwalking ceased. Until it did, no one really cared what he stole... knowing the flowers were all for his resting mother.