Check in: Monologue

by Jeff Berryman

Will's polished professional appearance masks his internal battles. After passing out in a drunken stupor at a church meeting he finds himself pacing the lobby at a substance abuse detox center. Will painfully recounts his father's abusive tendencies. He continues to punish himself for not protecting his mother and blames his alcohol addiction on his father. A battle of internal spiritual conflict ensues. Will disarms himself, peeling away the faade. He removes his tie and his crisply starched shirt. Vulnerable, he questions whether his faith is strong enough to conquer his addiction. Perhaps the only reason he is still alive is that God is seeing him through this. Despite the terror he feels about facing himself and his painful past, Will checks in.

Paperback

First published February 1, 2004