• Clueless, she stares up at me.
    Fondly, I stare down at her.
    We move together, breathe together, laugh together.
    “I want us to live together.”
    “You and me?”
    “No, me and your sister.”
    A smile stretches her lips.
    “Okay.”
    Her sister moves in the next day.

    --

    Tonight, I will pray for snow.

    The beauty of a freshly fallen blanket of snow on an icy morning is comparable to heaven, a blinding white purity, brilliant in the sun.

    Yes, I will pray for snow tonight.

    But, please, at least three feet, so school will be canceled.

    --

    “Customer service desk. How may I help you?”
    “My toaster’s broken!”
    “I need details, Sir, or I can’t help.”
    “Didn’t you hear me?”
    “Your toaster’s broken.”
    “Yes.”
    “What, exactly, is the malfunction?”
    “Toast never comes out!”
    “Did you put the bread in?”
    “Oh. You need bread?”

    --

    The August afternoon should have been warmer.

    His ice cream, nevertheless, was melting, dripping, disintegrating.

    Clearly, ice cream does not have such high standards. He sat and pondered this.

    What did this say about him? About the ice cream?

    The ice cream didn’t wait for him to finish his thoughts.

    --

    A secret on her lips and a scarlet bandanna in her hair, she admired herself in a cracked mirror. Carefully applied makeup demonstrated her attention to detail. She was ready.

    After it was done, she positioned him on the bed.

    The newspaper told of suicide.

    She knew better,

    and smiled.

    --

    “Will the owner of a blue, two door, mustang convertible with optional moon roof, and white flame decal (license plate number L-three-three-T) please come to the front of the store? It was mistakenly parked upon the manager’s grandson. Thank you very much.”

    --

    The coffee shop was dimly lit. The tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the space.

    Wireless internet was provided.

    Occasionally, the manager observed shady looking people sitting in the booths, tapping away at computers. Today was one such day.

    A group of cops bustled in, and there was chaos.

    --

    She was fat. He was egotistical.

    They were the perfect couple.

    Some days, he thought she was too clingy.

    Some days, she thought he was emotionally unstable.

    “I can’t stand your smile, you know that?”

    “You’re not exactly the looker yourself.”

    “Let’s get married.”

    “As soon as possible.”

    --

    She wished it didn’t have to be this way. Leaving can be so hard sometimes, but they both knew that it wasn’t working out. How many times did he say he hated her, anyway?

    “Well, you won’t hate anyone anymore!”

    She left. His blood stained her hands.

    --

    Rain pounded on his bare back.

    He pushed on, striking the dirt harder each time.

    His skin was freezing, as was his heart.

    The shovel vibrated in his hands after hitting a particularly dense rock.

    Pain tingled through already sore fingers.

    Someday, he would understand what he was searching for.