They touched our faces, stroked our clothes, fingered our chain-laden necks, loaded us into the coffins. They set the coordinates.

“Why?” I said. “The world is big enough!”

“Hush; there is no air left for you. You took it away when you started breathing.”

“Besides,” another added, “space is bigger.”

Natalie Parsons is a writer and blogger, and she’s trying hard this year to get really good at it. Find more of her writing at itspastmybedtimebut.wordpress.com.