Imaginations
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      Storm
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      The
      day
      was
      grey.
      This
      little
      day
      of,
      “something
      else
     
     
      just
      come
      my
      way."
      I
      hitch-hiked
      home.
      Alone.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      wanted
      to
      stop
      at
      my
      friend’s
      house.
      But
      then
      I.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      realized
      my
      friend
      wasn’t
      truly
      my
      friend
      anymore.
     
     
      I
      had
      decided
      that.
      There
      was
      no
      use
      changing
      my
     
     
      mind
      now.
      Otherwise
      I'll
      just
      change
      it
      back
      again
     
     
      when
      it’s
      too
      late
      and
      I
      am
      already
      at
      his
      house.
      I
     
     
      will
      flounder
      back
      and
      forth
      like
      that
      for
      months
     
     
      and
      then
      nobody
      will
      take
      me
      seriously.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      seems
      that
      all
      you
      can
      really
      hope
      for
      is
      a
      little
     
     
      bit
      of
      recognition.
      Underneath
      the
      black
      clouds
      I
     
     
      wasn’t
      getting
      much.
      The
      cars
      whizzing
      by.
      Zoom,
     
     
      zoom.
      People
      pointing
      to
      where
      they
      are
      planning
     
     
      on
      going.
      Showing
      they
      are
      sorry
      but
      they
      are
      going
     
     
      to
      turn
      off
      the
      main
      road
      soon.
      At
      one
      hundred
     
     
      and
      ten
      kilometers
      per
      hour
      and
      without
      hesitation
     
     
      they
      do
      this.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      After
      an
      hour
      I
      began
      to
      walk.
      The
      sky
      was
      a
      cruel
     
     
      painting.
      I
      flashed
      with
      anger
      seconds
      after
      each
      car
     
     
      rumbled
      by.
      Underneath
      it
      all
      was
      the
      sound
      of
      my
     
     
      footsteps.
      Pounding,
      pounding.
      Rain
      began
      to
      fall.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Whoa!",
      says
      I
      as
      the
      car
      slides
      by,
      coming
      to
      a
     
     
      stop.
      My
      pant
      legs
      mop
      a
      path
      to
      the
      car
      door.
     
     
      Smoke
      and
      nylon
      upholstery
      settle
      their
      smell
      into
     
     
      my
      sinuses.
      The
      guy
      wears
      a
      greasy
      ball
      cap
      and
      a
     
     
      white
      t-shirt.
      The
      lines
      of
      a
      scattered
      life
      are
      dug
     
     
      into
      his
      face
      which
      points
      straight
      ahead.
      I
      feel
     
     
      guilty
      about
      doing
      up
      my
      seat
      belt.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Immediately,
      I
      start
      in
      about
      the
      weather.
     
     
      "Some
      shitty
      storm
      we’re
      having
      here."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      guy’s
      eyes
      remain
      fixed
      on
      the
      windshield
      which
     
     
      is
      cutting
      a
      swath
      through
      the
      downpour.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Desperately,
      I
      cough
      out
      phrases
      familiar
      to
      me
      as
     
     
      examples
      of
      the
      local
      smalltalk.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Gets
      some
      slippy
      on
      those
      hills."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Guess
      the
      farmers’ll
      be
      happy.”
     
    

    
     
      No
      reaction.
      Like
      a
      woman,
      plying
      for
      this
     
     
      unreachable
      man’s
      affection
      I
      flailed
      about,
      my
      mind
     
     
      moaning,
      losing
      power
      all
      the
      while.
      I
      looked
      out
     
     
      the
      window
      only
      to
      feel
      the
      tug
      of
      this
      presence
     
     
      next
      to
      me.
      Turning
      back
      I
      shrank
      terrified
      of
      his
     
     
      wizard’s
      eyes
      mocking
      me.
      Why
      did
      I
      want
      this
      guy
     
     
      to
      talk
      to
      me.
      I
      wanted
      this
      guy
      to
      like
      me.
      Why?
     
     
      Why?
      eo
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "You
      getting
      off
      soon?"
      clipped
      the
      guy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Yep.
      Right
      to
      the
      left
      here.
      There
      she
      is.
      Hope
     
     
      this
      rain
      stop
      soon
      ’eh.
      Have
      a
      good
      day
      now."
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      car
      door
      slams.
      The
      world
      changes
      completely.
     
     
      Rain
      runs
      in
      rivulets
      down
      my
      glasses.
      Not
      caring
     
     
      if
      I
      get
      soaked
      I
      walk
      home.
      Dreaming
      about
      what
     
     
      I
     
    

    
     
      could
      be,
      I
      walk
      home.
      Dreaming
      about
      what
      I
      will
     
     
      be,
      I
      walk
      home.
      Alone.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -Anonymous
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      October
      12,
      1990