One

” Hi Hun,

Just checking in. How did the flight go? Did they serve peanuts? I miss you terribly, but am so proud of you and what you’re doing. Write back soon.

Love,

Kate”

The moon is a lonely place to live. After 6 months, it’s a really lonely place to live. The man was trained to be an astronaut, but they never trained him how to deal with being the only living thing for 750 million miles in every direction.

One day, Kenny was making breakfast. He finally had a good night’s sleep behind him and was ready to take on the day. It was a big day, the biggest of his life. Kenny walked by his pet dog, Bosco, a fat french bulldog. He gave him a scratch behind the ears before heading to the fridge to retrieve his morning eggs. Oh-Hey there, I didn’t see you. Yes, you, reading this. Hi! Wow, what beautiful eyes, following along these words. “Hey no, what are you doing-“ , Kenny asked, seemingly distracted. You know what, don’t worry about Kenny. Anyway, are you enjoying the story so far? It’s ok I guess. But let’s talk about you.

What brought you hear today? “Hello?!”, Kenny was looking around, it’s not important. “This is my story, you’re supposed to be narrating, pay attention to-“ .

George adjusts his glasses as he finishes making the final preparations around his home for the party. The house is modest, two stories, spacious but cozy. Several pictures line the walls, mostly of George and his mother. He walks to a shelf full of old, yet dust-less cassette tapes and goes straight for one in particular. He pops it in the tape deck, closes his eyes and smiles. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” pulses to life over the stereo.

George slides into the kitchen and straightens the dining room table cloth. He stacks red cups in perfectly even rows for his soon-to-be party guests. Dishes are nicely put out with various cookies, snacks and salsas. Four different kinds of salsas. George struts to the punch bowl, dipping his finger in to taste; it’s perfect. Yes, this is the type of party with a punch bowl.

An older model vacuum cleaner roars over the carpet. It thrusts back and forth, becoming louder with each push. “This is ridiculous.” The vacuum cleaner thunders around a corner, inhaling crumbs and dust off the floor. “Does he think this is funny? Because I don’t. I’m sick of it.” An adorable scruffy dog with awkwardly long legs lies tensely across the living room, fuming at the hideous machine.

The noise tears through the house like a jet engine. “Doesn’t he know that’s like torture to me?” The Dog’s ears twitch. He looks bitterly at his master. “I’d rather hang out with the mailman or…take a bath. But this? This is the worst. Worse then when he pretends to throw the ball but doesn’t really throw it.” The vacuum screams through the hallway, taunting The Dog to his wit’s end. “Alright, that’s it. I’ve had enough.”

Carl jolted awake with a start. It was raining again. It seemed to rain every day, every day at the same time even. He chalked it up to the curse of the routine. In Carl’s mind, the curse of the routine was something that at first he resented but now has come to live with. Everyday was the same. Carl would see the same people pass him by. The same music would play. The same smells, the same sounds. His neighbors would come and go, seemingly picked off and back into the world at random. But the curse of the routine spun on and he was always left the same.

One day, just when everything was going the same, something went different. Carl felt a strange presence. He couldn’t place it. He was at home like every other day. Carl looked at the groceries sitting next to him, just some fruit. Same things as always. For whatever reason that fateful day, something clicked and Carl left.

One

A boy was on a safari with his family. They toured the prairies and canyons, spotting all kinds of wildlife. Zebra, buffalo, lions, everything. Of course, they observed these wild animals from the safety of their truck, for the boy’s parents always told him, “You are not to leave the truck. The animals out there are dangerous. They don’t know any different. If you leave the truck you will get hurt, and we want to keep you safe.” The boy nodded along and obeyed his parents. He quietly enjoyed watching the elk graze and hyenas stalk them nearby, all from the safety of the truck. Part of him wondered what it would be like to leave the truck and explore the wild on his own, but he quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. Better safe than sorry.