Humanity: Raw & Unfiltered
Then, in a wine soaked haze, I realize what the worst part about this is.We are always on guard against the men in the streets. The ones who whistle while we walk. We guard against the men at the bars, whose smiles turn to snarls upon rejection. We guard against the men online whose thumbs could spell “slut” without help from their eyes. We are almost always on guard. We almost never feel safe.
The landing at the top of the stairs sounded the loudest lament. Her fingers traced the expansion and contraction lines on the white-washed plaster walls as she took the first steps slowly, navigating the bowed and weakened wood on the stairs. The house and her family were accustomed to her. Read more
“Call her.” Bo steers their late model Buick into the dirt driveway with one hand and flicks her Camel out the window with the other hand. “Regina worshiped President Kennedy. She won’t refuse a call today. Someone dies, you want a phone call.” It’s Bo’s week to chauffeur herself and Read more
Keep walking, though there’s no place to get to. Don’t try to see through the distances. That’s not for human beings. Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move. – Rumi Nicole Harkin didn’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions. Like most people, she would break them Read more
There comes an age when screwing up is not cute anymore. You know that, because people are constantly telling you. It’s not cute anymore, Raleigh. My name is Raleigh, by the way; Raleigh of Boston, Massachusetts. Although to be fair, my mother is from Raleigh the actual city, so it Read more
Patricia coasts through her suburban streets. She waves to pigtailed neighbor children who stand in front of daffodils and golden retrievers, who stomp on dandelions and blow bubbles. She’s in the middle of a wave when she sees the tip of the truck’s bed, and her heart starts racing—almost like Read more
“He has about six quality months left.” “And then?” “Hmm . . . would you like a glass of water?” “No. What then?” “He will lose his speech and, eventually, he will be paralyzed. Would you like a tissue?” Aby blinked very fast. “Are you saying he will,” she swallowed Read more
