The House Overlooking Cherry Street

Agoraphobic writer Jessica Brown lives alone in a quaint two bedroom home on a corner lot overlooking bustling Cherry Street. With the support of a few friends, and a career that allows her to work from home, Jessica creates a simple, old-fashioned lifestyle that shields her from the world. She enjoys the pattern of her days and cherishes time spent watching the goings-on in her neighborhood and the local cemetery through a richly decorated bay window. Her compulsion to observe the intriguing passersby and their activities provide Jessica with entertainment, food for thought and a tenuous link to life beyond her window. Left with her own musings, Jessica uses dream interpretation, reference books and handwriting analysis to interpret her world. Jessica’s busy friend Tammy pops in frequently to provide provisions, humor and advice. As the week unfolds, Jessica is faced with disposing of her deceased parents’ items discovered in the attic and caring for an abandoned and needy newborn kitten which, being thrust upon her, threatens to disrupt her domestic routine. Despite her independent nature, she finds she must rely on help, if only for morale support. In addition to the focus on Jessica, the story offers short vignettes of her friends and the people she watches. The vignettes provide insight into what Jessica can only guess at from her limited view through the window. What is causing the flickering lights through the trees? Who is the woman sprawled out on the lawn? Why is that man making early morning visits to the cemetery? This window into the secluded life of a creative mind is anything but closed.