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by Blake Crouch

a cold rain sluiced down the windows

It is a supremely cruel thing to have your mind conjure a desire which it is functionally unable to realize.

“Life never really goes the way you want or expect. Usually, even getting exactly what you want turns out not to have been what you really wanted. So, my son, if you ever find a sliver of happiness and peace, just be thankful and live. Don’t reach for more, because a sliver is more than most people ever find.”