Twisters

And then the car rolled to a stop. That’s it, I said and I started to laugh. The rain picked up. Things were bleak. You’re weird, she said.

We’d chased the bad guys out of town. There was free whiskey awaiting us at the saloon. I sure do love you boys, Doc said. Like he meant it.

She’d been told he was funny but this heightened her expectations to impossible levels. Take off your clothes, he says. She laughs nervously.

It was low tide. I found a starfish in a tidal pool. The ocean was far away. The world is cruel, I thought to myself. As a gull pooped on me.

The breeze was like a confirmation of magic. He ordered another drink and buried his toes in the sand. I might have chlamydia, she told him.

I spilled my wine. My shirt turned burgundy. I said, At least it wasn’t milk. But she called me stupid. And my life went downhill from there.