Remarkably Bright Creatures

by Shelby Van Pelt

How delicate those wounds were back then, how little it took to nudge the scabs out of place and start the bleeding anew.

These women have always worn motherhood big and loud on their chests, but Tova keeps hers inside, sunk deep in her guts like an old bullet. Private.

Tova wonders sometimes if it’s better that way, to have one’s tragedies clustered together, to make good use of the existing rawness. Get it over with in one shot. Tova knew there was a bottom to those depths of despair. Once your soul was soaked through with grief, any more simply ran off, overflowed, the way maple syrup on Saturday-morning pancakes always cascaded onto the table whenever Erik was allowed to pour it himself.

Humans are the only species who subvert truth for their own entertainment.

Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.