April 8, 2026

I ran down the long and slightly curved hallway under the fluorescent lights as I was being chased by government agents. I entered the unlit stairwell and found a corner to stay still in an attempt to throw them off but was discovered when they happened to bump into me. Jumping to my feet, I strode up the stairs and exited into a parking lot where I dashed to the other end and into a garbage chute.

–

I had become a “shareholder” of a Japanese language club. Someone asked me if I knew where they could buy some pink toothpicks for club room. I picked up a phone that someone had left on their seat. “Nice meeting you!” read one of the messages in their notifications.