We Could Be Rats

by Emily R. Austin

I wanted to live among animals, or with aliens, or at least around people who had bigger things to do than spray pesticides in their gardens, go to church, and complain.

It’s occurred to me that everyone needs someone who understands them and believes in them. Having even one person who really gets you, and likes you, feels sort of vital for survival.

Whenever he mentioned anything about women, he mentioned that he had a wife and a mother—as if they were credentials and not human beings.