Before our family dog had died, my father had cut a square hole, no bigger than the Monopoly game board, in our garage and built a tiny room inside to be the dog house. Almost everyday, I would sneak inside with a book in one hand and a flashlight in the other, looking for a moment away from whatever noise would fill the house. Sitting there, shining a light on the words in the dark, I never cared about the spiders that would sometimes crawl by, or the smell of oil from whatever project was being working on, or even the hard wood that resulted in cramps for sitting there too long. All I cared about were the pictures that the words would relay. I would just sit there for hours, just reading, only snapping out of it when someone, sibling or friends, would crawl inside, wanting to play some sort of game. That would irritate me; someone coming in unannounced, taking me out of my own world to bring me into theirs. I would just as happily sit alone with my own thoughts than have them anchored by others. Every time I was interrupted, I would leave my place and join my friends in a game.

As the seasons changed, so did the feel of it. In the summer, it would be hot and sticky inside, and I would bring a spray bottle full of water with me, while in the spring, it would feel humid and damp, making me lay a towel down on the wooden floor. In the fall it was always a little cold and I would happily bring a blanket with me, though in the winter I would not go since I had never cared too much for the snow. As the seasons changed, so did I. Soon, I found myself struggling to fit through the hole, and once I did I found myself bent over at an odd angle too uncomfortable to concentrate on reading. As the room got smaller, I got bigger. It was right before we moved when we were cleaning out the garage and I saw the small walls and low ceiling that I realized I had out grown that place. It was time I found myself something or somewhere else to enjoy my solitude. In my mind, I told that little place my last goodbye, hoping the next child would find that place as much as a comfort as I.