She gives me a pocketknife. It has an ergonomic handle with smartly placed finger notches, a nice stainless-steel blade that folds up, a sturdy, low-riding pocket clip—perfect for those inconvenient moments you need to cut something loose.

By late August, Mary-Beth was sweating on her front porch swing, a bottle of Budweiser resting on the table her daughter Madison gave her for Mother’s Day a decade earlier. Mary-Beth had been watching

By late August, Mary-Beth was sweating on her front porch swing, a bottle of Budweiser resting on the table her daughter Madison gave her for Mother’s Day a decade earlier. Mary-Beth had been watching

I have made my decision: I am going to set myself on fire.

I have made my decision: I am going to set myself on fire.

We preened our signatures in the cheerful attic, Owen’s royal insignia and my fallen few ants.

We preened our signatures in the cheerful attic, Owen’s royal insignia and my fallen few ants.

They said that Xianrenzhang took your heart because she didn’t have her own. She was looking for one that was just the right size, not too big and not too small, that she could slot into the cavern in her chest.

They said that Xianrenzhang took your heart because she didn’t have her own. She was looking for one that was just the right size, not too big and not too small, that she could slot into the cavern in her chest.

Hector loved, loved, loved having a black friend, but he could never admit it.

Hector loved, loved, loved having a black friend, but he could never admit it.

The thing about mason jars is that you can stuff them with anything you want: pasta, beans, ashes.

The thing about mason jars is that you can stuff them with anything you want: pasta, beans, ashes.

What am I doing on a train to Philadelphia?

What am I doing on a train to Philadelphia?

Do you know how to leave this Earth? Because I really need to leave this Earth tonight. Jettison my skin. Supernova in a brilliant burst.

Do you know how to leave this Earth? Because I really need to leave this Earth tonight. Jettison my skin. Supernova in a brilliant burst.

They were goldfish, and not even the pretty kind: they weren’t even really yellow, more like the color of the roots of your teeth, more like the color of a pus-glazed mosquito bite.

They were goldfish, and not even the pretty kind: they weren’t even really yellow, more like the color of the roots of your teeth, more like the color of a pus-glazed mosquito bite.

The moon came out, riding on a motorbike, his head hatted, silver-blue, attached.

The moon came out, riding on a motorbike, his head hatted, silver-blue, attached.

We compiled our snacks and made for the playhouse basement.

We compiled our snacks and made for the playhouse basement.

Fuck you.

Fuck you.