Fleishman Is in Trouble

by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

A voice boomed out and talked about dark matter, which is a substance they know nothing about but that seems to bind objects in space into some kind of rhythm with each other. You can see the objects, but you can’t see the dark matter. The dark matter is the mystery, and yet everything depends on it—you can’t see it, but it drives everything into motion. “What was your favorite part, Dad?” Solly asked as they left. “I liked how he said that wherever you were in space, it felt like you were the center. I really related to that.” “Like as a planet?” Toby laughed. “I liked the fact that you can’t even see the thing that’s most important,” Solly said. “That’s just crazy.” “What did you like, Hannah?” “I liked that it was over.” “Come on,” Toby said. “I didn’t like the dark matter part. I feel like you can’t just decide something must exist because everything’s reacting to it. You can’t just give it a name and hope it’s true.” “But maybe the objects are just behaving in a way we don’t understand. Maybe nothing is making them act that way but themselves.”