My Cardboard Balcony

Unfamiliar Territory by Belinda Roddie If you find yourself confronted by a predator, should you rend your flesh and toss a scrap for it to sniff at, while you sprint toward the nearest door? If the brass knob breaks off like dried bone, still push, and it will open. You can bandage your exposed muscle in the bathroom. It won't hurt. It will be just like covering a living red ribbon with clouds.

It had been a long time since I had used a newspaper to find a job; frankly, I was surprised employers still put ads in the classified section. But there I was, dealing with a power outage that had knocked out my apartment's Internet, circling and crossing out potential careers with a red pen. The barista called out my name, her tone perky and cheerful. The opposite of how I was feeling, of course. I grabbed the chai tea from the bar and instantly regretted spending that $2.50 rather than saving it for...I don't know, survival.