I Should Have Bought the Radio I woke up in the hospital, which is never a great day to start your day, or evening for me since it turned out to be 8pm. I was just wondering how I got there when my sister leaned into my sightline. “Hey, you’re awake,” she said. “Mom and…
Category: Realistic
Dangerous Texts
Dangerous Texts I’m on the roof. I’m going to jump. Some days I wish I didn’t have a brother. No, I don’t mean that. Truly. Stop joking around, I text back. Get back in the apartment. I can’t deal with this right now. The bakery is quiet, but I’m at work. I don’t have time…
Beyond Macaroni Art
Beyond Macaroni Art My ten-year-old 3D-printed me a car for my birthday. He downloaded the plans from the Internet, he said. I was still making macaroni art at that age. “You like it?” “Yeah. It’s . . . something.” His eyes are shining and I’m wondering if this green monstrosity actually runs, what kind of…
Insert Story Here
Insert Story Here My first job was at a secondhand shop where nothing ever sold. “Where’s this from?” I asked my boss, pointing at a brass flowerpot. “No idea.” I had some ideas, even if they were all lies. That night, I wrote a history of that flowerpot. It started with murder and became more…
Like a Boat Town Commute
Like a Boat Town Commute I strained at the oars of my dinghy. 7:55am. The school had drifted during the night, and I could just see its flag out beyond the diner. I passed merchants paddling out to create the day’s floating market. A few shouted encouragement. I rounded the church and spotted the school…
The Incognito Me
The Incognito Me I am beginning to like the smell of chlorine. Before this trip, the only picture it brought to mind was scrubbing floors or the stinging smell of hospital corridors. But now it smells like leisure: of early morning swims in the pool before practice or warm afternoons sitting by the water before…
Reading to Mrs. Smith
Reading to Mrs. Smith It was my first day and I didn’t want to be late. I was seventeen and volunteering to read to shut-ins in their homes. I felt every bump of the rough pavement up into my nerve-jangled stomach as I drove my mom’s car along Cedar Road, looking for number 460. The…
What is the Meaning of Life? Food? Yes!
What’s the Meaning of Life? Food? Yes! All my life goes around food. I bake to entertain. In 2020, when quarantine started, I was bored. We all sat at home for about a month without going outside except going to our garden. At that moment I started trying activities: started sewing and finished by bringing…
Finding Koimee
Finding Koimee I was just getting off my knees after looking under another garbage-strewn bench, when the flashlight beam fell on me. “Can I help you, sir.” It wasn’t a question. “Um, hi, sorry,” I said, shielding my eyes. “Just looking for Koimee.” “Is that your dog?” “No, he’s a frog.” “A frog.” I sighed….
Love Yourself
Love Yourself I have finished my dance club and finally got my diploma. It’s hard to accept because I’ve had a lot of experience both physically and mentally. At the age of 11, I was overweight, so I heard a lot of words about my weight from classmates. After that, I had an inferiority complex,…
The Green-Walled Treehouse 