Fiction Short Story
twisty little passages
You walk to the house. The door blocks you from going farther.
You are standing in an open field west of a white house.
>go
Which way do you want to go? North, south, east into the house, west away from the house.
>east
You walk to the house. The door blocks you from going farther.
>inventory
You are carrying:
a photograph
a key
a sealed letter
>examine photograph
Two women, one short with dark skin, one taller and paler, both wearing rings. They look happy.
Illustration and animation by Sirin Thada for Catapult
>examine letter
No.
>examine letter
You don’t want to examine the letter.
>look
You are standing in an open field west of a white house. It’s actually more of a yard than a field. There is a mailbox here. By the side of the house to the north is a wooden gate leading into a fenced backyard. Over the house arch thin clouds like the cracked-open ribs of a spatchcocked bird. The sun has just set, recently enough that there’s still an eerie light in the sky, long enough ago that the only colors are blue and paler blue. It’s late summer, and a few fireflies are struggling out.
>open mailbox
There is a utility bill in the mailbox, addressed to you. It says “past due.”
>east
You walk to the house. The door blocks you from going farther.
>unlock door with key
Your key doesn’t unlock this door anymore.
Illustration and animation by Sirin Thada for Catapult
>examine letter
No.
>look
You are standing directly in front of a small white house. The front door is red, and locked. To your left is a bay window with hydrangea bushes underneath. The hydrangeas have not been tended to your standards but are doing okay.
>examine window
The windows are covered in curtains with a graphic print of lemons and leaves. There is a small gap in the curtains.
>look through gap
A spare but homey living room, with a lot of well-tended plants and a very old television. From the light you can see that it’s early afternoon here. A book has been left open upside down on the modern-looking gray sofa—the spine might break; that had better not be your book. There’s half a tomato sandwich on a chipped blue plate on the coffee table and a pair of gold sandals under it. You can hear a laugh from the kitchen.
>knock on window
You still don’t understand, do you?
>turn away
I don’t know what you want me to turn.
>get out of here
You can’t get that.
>move away from window
You are standing in a hydrangea bush in front of a white house. It is twilight here.
>north
The north side of the house. There is a wooden gate here.
>examine gate
There are initials carved on the gate. Someone tried to gouge them out but gave up.
You still don’ t understand, do you? >open gate
You open the wooden gate.
>enter yard
(the backyard)
You enter the backyard. There are two chairs here. There is a firepit dug into the ground. It is night.
>get firepit
You can’t get the firepit.
>examine firepit
The firepit contains:
a quantity of ash
a scrap of photograph
a charred letter
>examine letter
Which letter do you mean, the charred letter or the sealed letter?
>examine charred letter
No.
>examine photograph scrap
Most of the photograph has burned away. What remains is a pale arm and half a face, in shadow.
>sift through ashes
In the ashes you find a ring. The gold plate is charred and flaking.
>get ring
Taken.
>wear ring
You put on the ring. It only fits your pinky finger.
>examine house
It has white vinyl siding. There is a small wooden back porch, inexpertly built, lined with potted herbs. There is a window here.
>look through window
You see the kitchen. Midmorning light frosts a vase of freesia in the center of the table. There’s a bowl that recently held cereal sitting in the sink, not rinsed out, which she knows drives you crazy. You can hear crying coming from somewhere.
Illustration and animation by Sirin Thada for Catapult
>leave yard
(through wooden gate)
You are standing in a front yard west of a white house.
>leave
Which way do you want to go? North, south, east into the house, west away from the house.
>west
The way is blocked.
>north
The way is blocked.
>east
Your key doesn’t unlock this door anymore.
>south
On the south side of the front yard is a skinny dogwood tree. It’s still only mid-spring, but the blossoms are already blown and ratty. A woman in jean shorts is standing under the tree looking at her phone; she is small and rounded, with very short hair and a dozen tiny gold earrings that wink against her skin. For a second she looks around, as if worried someone will see her, but she does not notice you. She smiles in a way you’ve never seen before.
>talk to her
Come on.
>say something
No.
>get her back
You can’t get her back.
>get her back
You can’t get her back.
