What must the two delivery men smoking on the corner have thought when they saw her perish? Did they feel the shift in the atmosphere? Or bristle at the putrid scent of burning hair? One day, she would like to ask them, “What was it like when you watched the end?” But then she would…

Of all the things New York could have sent her that night, it chose a swarm of saccharine smelling Italian teenagers. She was sure it was no coincidence: The way they had no reserves about crowding their bursting golden bodies all over the subway seats, the way the boys gesticulated with one hand while holding…

The first time someone appears as a dream instead of a reality is always disorienting. He appeared on the sixth night. They were together, working to smuggle a snowmobile out of someone’s home. He needed the snowmobile in order to survive, though it was unclear why. In order to get it out the door, they had to shut…

“This orchid is going to die,” was what her friend said. Not something like “if you can take care of a plant, you can take care of yourself,” or “focus on the orchid and breath when you feel too overwhelmed,” or “I wanted to get you something beautiful because you’re sad.” Nothing like all the…

Her friends made her take cabs—at least until she mended. They called the cars, they buckled her in, they made sure she got to her destination no matter how close or far. Each time, she slunk like sap down a tree into the rear right side seat, sticky and sad. In the first car, which…

She had not been able to write in her journal since it happened. Perhaps it made things to permanent to put in ink. But a friend made her try, finally, knowing it would help even if it hurt. So, pulling out her familiar fine point pen and opening the battered gray cover, she found the…

She needed to try and still be a person. Everyone told her to make sure she took care of herself. She was having trouble doing that. Her friend took her to a nail salon. She worried about breaking down in such a small place, especially around others enjoying self care, others not carrying pain. She…