Drone of the television. A new life awaits if only she would color her hair or brighten her smile.

Each day older. Peer at the mirror. Who is that? Wrinkled face, tired eyes, sad lips.

Wait for the phone to ring. Wait for a visit. Each day closer to death.

Madelaine Wong won Freefall Magazine’s Chapbook contest in 2010. She has stories published in Dark Gothic Resurrected, Mused, Toska Magazine, and Shy, an Anthology. She is also the co-author of Cradling the Past, a Biography of Margaret Shaw. See more of her work at madelainewong.com.