01.04 - I decided to keep a journal after something freaky happened last night. I was outside and there was a loud thrashing sound coming from our shed. I couldn't tell if it was an animal or a person. _____ called me a pussy for not checking it out, but if it was something big like a bear I don’t know how I’d handle that.

01.06 - There was scratching outside my office window tonight. Reminded me of nails on a chalkboard, but when I looked there was nothing there. Weird.

01.10 - I think writing in a journal is making me more paranoid. I swear I saw a man covered in blood today at work, but no one else saw him. My secretary asked me if I’ve been to church lately, so I’ll be going this Sunday and hopefully that will make me feel better.

02.07 - Going to church helped. I forgot how much _____ takes the edge off, he is a good friend to me. _____ seems to like going to church too, but _____ and _____ hate it. I knew she wasn’t very religious, but I think we can come to a compromise for _____.

02.09 - _____ and I came to an agreement about _____ attending church. As long as I never force him to go when he doesn’t want to, I’m free to take him. It feels weird that she would think I’d force him to go, she should know I’d never do that.

02.14 - _____ called me today to wish me a Happy Valentine’s and told me I should avoid going out tonight. He didn’t really explain, but who am I to question him? _____ and I didn’t have any Valentine's plans anyway.

02.29 - Weird shit is happening again. First, I find my car window shattered and then a client drops me after finding out I live in Cherryvale. I’ve lived here for fifteen years now, is that a problem? The cost of getting my car window fixed is thankfully only a small dent in my emergency fund.

03.03 - _____ and I had coffee before service today, he asked me if I was feeling well. I was honest and told him about my car and the client. Apparently, Cherryvale has a bad reputation and I had managed to avoid it up until this point. He told me that Cherryvale is considered bad luck and superstitious Iowans try to avoid it.

03.06 - One of _____’s schoolmates was caught with a knife at school today and he was expelled. _____ told me the kid told him that his parents were going to transfer him to a different school and didn’t want to leave. Kids are kids, I guess. He asked me if I could drive him and _____ over to this kid’s house and _________________.

03.14 - I asked _____ what she thought about moving to Des Moines and she told me she’d rather get divorced. I really wasn’t expecting that reaction.

03.29 - Apparently asking _____ if she wanted to move was a terrible idea. It’s all she will talk to me about. How I hate her, I hate her hometown, she doesn't want to ruin the kid’s lives by moving into the city, and how I only care about my job.

04.14 - I fear something bad is going to happen to me. I don't know how to explain it. I've been trying to convince her to leave this town, to leave Cherryvale... But everytime I bring it up, she reacts violently. She screams at me, she throws things. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, this town is like a poison and this is not the woman I remember marrying.

04.21 - She's seemed to calm down a bit. I went to go see _____ today and I told him my concerns. He suggested I leave Cherryvale with our kids as soon as I can. I know I can trust him, but I need a plan.

04.30 - _____ was right. I need to leave. I saw her put a pill in my coffee this morning. If I had been any less observant, I may have died today. Who is this woman, I do not know her.