The last week has been hard.

There isn’t much to say that hasn’t been expressed elsewhere, more eloquently, by other people. All I can say is what I’ve already said: use every day of your life to fight racism, homophobia, and transphobia. Use whatever power you have to stop the world from being taken over by fear and hatemongers.

Let the people you love know that you love them. Let them know loudly and often that they are appreciated, that you care, that you’re listening, that you’ll do whatever it takes to make a world where they’re safe.

I write because it’s one of the few ways I feel adequate at expressing myself. I write drabbles because they’re small and because I work too much and because I need to remind myself that I can. This one is small too, but I hope it says something anyway.

GLOAMING

(Noun: Germanic glōm for “twilight”)

Twilight, dusk.

Mina dangles a crystal on a chain from her fingertips. It trembles in the breeze but not enough to read. She snaps it back into her hand, frowning.

Lindsey sucks on a cigarette. “Thought you said you had it right, this time. It’s whatsit. Limited.”

Mina shoots her a venomous glare. “Liminal,” she says. She hates being wrong, but worse, she hates being wrong in front of others. The crystal falls from her fingers, swaying gently.

Lindsey blows smoke at it. It stirs, spinning, swaying between the two girls like a pendulum. Back and forth, back and forth, never ceasing.