The inspiration for Monstrosity, my short story included in the 2010 American Crime Writer's League anthology, came from a visit to the Austin County Jail.

And no, I wasn't a prisoner.

I am drawn to old buildings, constantly going on house alert when one crosses my path and looks like It Needs Me. The chillingly atmospheric old jail houses the Bellville historical society. Definitely not someplace I would ever spend the night. The center of the building features a self-contained scaffold, which was actually used for a hanging -- only once, but that's enough to leave a lingering effect on the space.

As soon as my guide told me of an incident his great-grandmother had witnessed as a child -- a trail of sheets falling out of the top story window -- followed a few days later of a tale of a vanished prisoner -- the seeds for this story sprouted.