STORY: Wars of Attrition

I was already showered and dressed. To kill time, I was looking down into the alley behind my condo. There wasn't much to see. Just the dumpsters and the shadows of some old unnecessary furniture. Someone had discarded an easy chair. Snow was gathering on its back and arms, like a statue in the park.

STORY: Elliptical Machines

The sun wasn’t even a thought. It was too damn early. And it was December, pushing up heavy on Christmas, so the sun's appearance wasn’t something you could bank on, like estrangement in a marriage, for instance. I got to the gym early, before anyone else would even consider something barbaric like exercise. You have to get there early, because the gym’s in a community centre. It’s basically free. So space and machines are limited. You have to be flexible with time. I’d been going to the elliptical machine for therapy. It helped. [...]