King of Ashes

by S.A. Cosby

“I used to be afraid the universe was evil. Now I almost wish it was. Because evil can be bargained with, evil has a purpose, no matter how horrible it may be. But what I’ve come to realize is the universe is indifferent, and that is so much more terrifying,” she had said.

As the plane taxied down the runway, Roman thought he disagreed with her assessment. The universe was both evil and indifferent. It was both horrific and idiotically apathetic. It was like a god that strode through time and space full of anger and bereft of concern.

Money is like acid. It burns through everything. Friendships, family, lovers, husbands and wives. Whatever bond you think you have, money will make that shit dissolve. It’s acid. Don’t ever lie to yourself and think it ain’t,” Roman said.

But with each interlude her postcoital clarity revealed more and more about the man to whom she was giving her body. And the more she saw of him, the more she realized he was honestly and truly a bad person. Not that that was absolving herself, mind you. But she was doing something bad, she wasn’t actually a bad person. There was a difference, no matter how minute.

Memory is a powerful thing. It’s a spirit we willingly call upon to whisper lies or help us punish ourselves.

There’s a thousand ways to die, he thought, but sometimes all it takes is one thing to make you want to live. Like your brother remembering what you like on your pizza.