i meet three old school goth women at the grocery store. they surround me in the produce section as i was searching for tomatoes that weren’t too ripe yet. they introduced themselves as Ava, Dee, and Jade. i went to high school with one of them, but her name wasn’t Jade back then. they have been following me online and they wanted to know if i really am The Witch of West Ghent. i smile and tell them yes. they tell me about the other things they’ve heard about me and i nod. i yank a plastic bag from the roll beside the tomatoes and i tenderly place three tomatoes inside the bag.
Ava tells me they’re working on this new project and Dee gives me the details. Ava asks for my phone. i punch a few numbers on the front of the phone then hand it to her. “your beard is so long,” jade moans. she touches my shoulder. Dee smiles. her green eyes are gleaming. i examine the tattoos covering each of her arms. i smell their sex. i smell cigarettes and weed and orange juice on top of vodka. i smell ambergis, bergamot, and frankincense. i become slightly aroused, but i remind myself that this moment in time is all but one piece of the grand manifestation i have been orchestrating for years. i feel The Others watching, waiting to see if i do what i said i would do.
Ava hands my phone back to me. “i put my number in there,” she says. “let us know if you’re interested.”
i pay for my tomatoes.
Robert Longwood 