by Sean Ennis
When asked, she said she wanted to be a surgeon, but then admitted thinking about all the stuff inside of people made her feel weird. This was, of course, at the County College and Career Fair. I said, “But what about software development?'' and she flitted away. I've been nothing but kind to you. I’m two months off Lexapro and I want my erections back. The future is important, but not urgent. At home, there is a note taped to our door, addressed to “Neighbors.” It’s from our new neighbors. We haven’t met them yet, and already, they are bossing us around. Can the tree trimming truck park in our driveway? Can our dogs stay in the house when they are having romantic dinners on their patio? Can we live better since we’re so close to them now? Had my first genuinely psychic experience the other day, and I’m proud of that, always learning. Also, I saw a fox cross our street at night, but surely, it meant nothing. When I locked the facility at 4:30 on Friday, I said to my colleagues, “This is peak weekend, the whole thing is in front of us.” My narc had had nothing for me that day. He walks so slowly to make the day go by faster. That night at the homecoming game, there’s even a cheer for when our team takes a time out. It goes, “Talk it over, Big Blue, talk it over!” My son gets #69 face painted on his cheek, and I wonder, what does the future hold for you? We lost the game, and this is not what I had in mind. Monday at the City College and Career Fair, and where are the culinary schools, the poetry schools, the schools of thought? There are tables for the community college, the Army, the Navy, the Marines and the Air Force. Also, the tire wholesaler who does $1.5 billion in business right here in our past-obsessed state, and you want to design video games? And so nauseous from withdrawal. I’m sitting here with my little bowl of pretzels. I’m drinking an Ensure and smoking a cigarette. I called out of work and realized the house is blessed with so much good morning light.
Sean Ennis is the author of CUNNING, BAFFLING< POWERFUL (Thirty West) and his fiction has recently appeared in Pithead Chapel, New World Writing, Maudlin House and Rejection Letters. More of his work can be found at seanennis.net.