“You’re different now.” “No I’m not. I’m better.” “Better is different, though. You’re proving my point.” “Better is a good thing.” “Betterness is subjective.” “You don’t think I’ve gotten better?” “I... I don’t know.” “You’ve never liked when things change.” “I guess that’s true.” “It is true. You’ve always hated change. You have to learn … Continue reading In Life
Category: Fiction
Smells
Nicia has read about people who taste sounds as an impression of flavor upon their tongue. She has read, also, about people for whom number and letters are represented, in the mind, by a specific color, and about people who feel music as though it’s physically touching their body. Nicia feels kinship with these people, … Continue reading Smells
Blame
Camden has been playing Duel! for five years. He’s spent time on each one of the characters. Whenever they release a new character, he spends hours learning them, so that he can say that he knows how to play all of the characters to at least some degree of proficiency. That knowledge helps him play … Continue reading Blame
Eating
She hungered, and so she ate. At first, she ate only that which was laid before her, presented as a meal. For a time, this sated her, yet as is the way with hunger and desire, she could not be sated forever. As the days and years passed the meals given to her came to … Continue reading Eating
Good
There are things in the world that you know exist but which you never expect to see in your own life. Some of these things are mundane, like packaging errors that end up giving you an extra of something you ordered online. Some of these things are horrific, like leftover explosives from a war before … Continue reading Good
Another Way
This day had always seemed so distant. It wasn’t that she thought it would never come. She likes to think of herself as a realist. She knows that time continues to march on heedless of her desires and reservations. Still, within the confines of her mind, it seems like it was only last week that … Continue reading Another Way
On the Couch
It started in a way that might have been an accident. We were sitting on opposite sides of the couch, watching anime together on Netflix. Conner was curled tight around the pillow on the right side, his feet pulled up onto the couch. I was lounging on the other side, head resting on my hand, … Continue reading On the Couch
The White Mask
I wasn’t the type of person who went to many parties in college. If I had to guess, I probably went to only one a week, or maybe every two weeks, depending on my mood. I just didn’t really like the atmosphere. The loud music, the alcohol, the smell of pot and sweat — it … Continue reading The White Mask
Some Men Are Meant for Murder
I wouldn’t say that we have a “military family,” but two members of my family have served in the armed forces: my father, and my mother’s brother. They served during the same time period, in the same country, yet they never knew each other until my father started dating my mother. Despite that, they shared … Continue reading Some Men Are Meant for Murder
Fatigue
Karl feels heavy. He’s overweight, as he has been for years, but that’s not why he feels heavy. Every part of his body, from his fingers to the tips of his thinning hair, feels like it’s weighing him down. It’s a struggle even to lift his arm to pick up a potato chip from his … Continue reading Fatigue
Daydreams 