Lila watched the fish dart past her in the large tank. The dark coolness of the underground viewing area was her favorite part of the zoo. The seals would drift past and starfish lay silently at the bottom.
But today was different. Today there was a colorful yellow fish - a fish that looked like it was smiling at her! He watched her through the glass. This was the first time that a fish watched her while she watched him.
Days roll on The night come only Through the mechanical shades Dim and dark but I know The Sun still shines
When the moon left us And the days were permanent We basked in the warmth And the glow But now we only wish for night
Those on the other side Only know the darkness Of permanent night Never the sun passing over One day we shall have moon light again
You can tie your hopes to stars The brilliant Shine Of a dream that is bigget than you Its what we can love most About the sky In all its darkness Pushed away by the star But if they start to fall If they dare to show how frail Their humanness is We can be sadly disappointed In our belief in those stars
She had worked hard to get to this point. Two PHds in molecular biology and chemical sciences. She understood how the body worked better than anyone. Her inventions around medications saved hundreds of thousands. And now, these polticians were telling her to stand down? They knew nothing. Why she had to help cull the population. Humans are a parasite on the planet. They had ro be cut back before another pandemic. Another climate disaster.
Another mile and I should be at the bend. That will put me within sight of Blanton and the falls. I have to paddle harder. The splash behind me has to be Nelson and his crew. Thank god this river is too shallow for a motor or he would really have me.
Splash.
That wasnt a paddle. I quickly glance back. Shit. They are shooting now. One of Nelsons goons tried to level his pistol toward me. The boat rocked in the swift moving water.
I swung my paddle harder. Left. Right. Left. Right. I heard rhe grind of a canoe on rock. That had to be them. I could hear the zing of a bullet go past me.
Then the current caught me again. What will I do when I get near town? Will they care or shoot anyway?
She stood before me - an expectant look meeting my eyes. Waiting. I could tell she knew. It was a secret that wasnt much of a secret when someone knew your heart. “Uh…” how was i going to say this? “Ms. Ryan?” “You can stop Tony” Yeah. She knew. “How long have you been The Exploder? The whole time we have been dating?” I pulled my mask down and met her eyes. She was the smartest woman i had ever met. And ive saved super scientists. “Yeah. Since i was 15. I was exposed to a toxic material and it gave me super jumping powers.” She smiled at me. Grabbing my wrist she pulled me toward her. What now, i thought. Kiss, sure. But how do i protect her from all the assassins?
Ding. I rolled over and picked up my phone. Figures, just as I’m going to bed. Should have turned off my ringer. “Huh.” “What?” said my wife from her social media scrolling. “Its from the doorbell app. Listen - ‘ALERT: a conditional alert has been issued for this area. This alert means that all alertees should be prepared for imediate action.’ What the hell does that mean?” “Sounds like nonsense.” “Yeah, but important nonsense….” My voice trailed off as the lights fickered and went out. The wifi died. Even the smoke alarm little green light that never goes out, went out. “Uh…” my wifes voice came through the dark with a wobble. “Probably coincidence?” I said with utter uncertainty. “Ill go check the basement.” Stepping out of bed, I could hear people outside. Shouts. Concerned voices. What was that noise? A generator? A snowblower? Maybe Ron’s 1967 Ford? At the bottom of the stairs, I opened the front door and looked out. The dog came up behind me. We lived in a pretty dark place but I could tell it was darker. No moon tonight. But the lights from the airport were gone. And I couldnt see the glare from the city about 30 miles away. Shit. This isnt good. Just as I was about to shout at Ron across the street who seemed to be trying to start his other cars, with only the 1967 Ford running, he swiveled and looked toward the city. I turned, stomach sinking.
Falling feels like flying Until thr moment that you land The moment your feet touch And the air is taken away You realize you were Sailing Diving Flying
When i come back down I know you are there waiting Even if i was failing Falling Trying Tumbling But i was flying! Until i touched down
Too often Im in the clouds Im swooping and going places Ive never been Just to keep that Dopamine hit coming And then the moment Comes To fall To return To look back and see my flight And appreciate that you were waiting
The sheer idea of moving to Vermont from my shitty little apartment in New Jersey wasnt exactly hard, but there is a fondness that grows on you in these places. The way the sink didnt drain. The way the hall always smelled. The way the landlord would knock if the rent was 20 minutes late. Those things become sacred rituals thaf remind you why you stay. Part of the struggle with this leaving was due to the moments after mom died. I remember the grief that washed over me. And the anxious anticipation of having to move to a tiny apartment with my dad. This little crap box of a two bedroom apartment that vibrated from trains and I-95 was the only thing that tied me to my dad. To my mom. To who I was before. Sure I had a few pictures and a few items. But as much as I hated this place, it was something I loved deeply.
