SUBJECT

J got up from the record player and danced. R held onto their cup. S looked out the window. F mused. J cried for a new song. R held onto their cup. S saw a strange figure. F grimaced. J’s song brought the house down. R drank. S saw a strange figure. F held in something deep and never told anyone. J woke up from a dream. R called their mother. S kept looking. F held in something deep and never told anyone. J woke up from a dream. R played a video game. S is gone. F sleeps. J never really knew anything about the government. R played a video game. S watches Indian in the Cupboard. F eats Cheetos. J’s parents are ultra conservative. The strange figure returns. Where is S? F all over the place. J can’t help themself. R is violated. S’s friendships shatter like a lollipop. F all over the place. J dances without any clothing. R calls attention to their names. S is still missing. F asks where S is. J can’t help themself. R calls attention to their clothing. S misses F. F asks how this happened. J disappears with F. R calls S to see if the phone will ring. S has no idea. F asks how this happened. J reappears with F. R rings and rings. S is back. F has no idea how this happened. J came back to the past tense. R believed it’s all a dream. S was gone for a long time and has bruises. F asked how.

Weldon Ryckman is an MFA candidate at Northern Arizona University, editor-in-chief of Thin Air Magazine, and a contributing editor for Carbon Copy. You can read more of his work in Whiskey Island Magazine, and find him on Instagram @schweldy and on Twitter @weldon_ryckman.