Ice

The rain dripped steadily outside. She liked to leave the window open to smell the fresh air but the cold was getting to her. She snuggled deeper into the blankets a strange lassitude stealing over. There was no more warmth. Her breath hung in the air before her eyes. Her body no longer in her control, veins thickening to ice her frozen eyes reflected back his image. "Live," said Death. "For I am coming." The words of Virgil floated through her head as she realized that she had not.

Craigslist

Biologist seeks stunning conversationalist. "Hmmm...,"Eliza pondered the ad while sipping her latte and scrolling.

The light from the alarm clock illuminates the empty pillow beside her. 2:30am and the sheets are freezing. The creak of the 5th step on the stairwell announces his arrival as he sneaks into bed yet again. She hates the lab as she would a flesh and blood mistress.

"Hmmm...perhaps not." She continued scrolling while reaching down to pet the purring mass at her feet. "I think you are all the man I need Chuck." Chuck presented his belly in response.

Chardonnay

"So...that's it then?" Legs ran down the side of the glass as she watched, absently swirling her wine. A young woman with a long ponytail laughed as a man twirled her around an empty apartment. "I love you so much," he whispered against her sweat-covered brow as a babies cries entered the room. "Oh god," she breathed out as he moved in her, the music and chatter washing over them from the remnants of the anniversary party outside. The golden glint of the ring on the table taunted her. She took another sip of her wine.

Under a Magritte Sky

"The sky is like a Magritte painting," she said. "How so?" he queried while turning to look at her lying next to him on the grass. Golden highlights lit up her hair and he imagined he saw a halo resting above her brow. "It's the exact same blue and cloud style he uses in all his paintings. It's like a Simpsons sky." "Are you comparing Magritte with the Simpsons?" The halo disappeared, replaced with a faceless Homer Simpson in a bowler hat. "No," she replied leaning over to lay a gentle kiss on his lips. He closed his eyes smiling.

For Paul

I was walking down a dark alley- the kind of place where people are up to no good. I was up to no good. A solitary street lamp cut a path through the shadows and from the gloom emerged a tow-headed angel of vengeance. He walked towards me, the light from the streetlamp glinting dangerously off the pizza cutter in his hand. I closed my eyes resigned to my fate. A breath..two...I could detect no movement, no disturbance in the air around me. Cautiously I opened my eyes to find a 10-year-old boy with an impish grin. "What do you want to watch on tv now Chris?".