Cards Stacked Against Humanity by Lauren Lubrino

Folding chairs, a game. The only objective is to keep guessing. What the other person wants to hear. You accuse me of cheating. But why would I cheat when there is no real end or prize? A stack of random cards. In circles, we keep guessing. Burned paper, lighter fluid and a metallic aftertaste of dead cold winters. A half-opened door, fragments of the conversation. The strangest place you have ever been? A trip to Brazil. Unclothed men. A cliff overlooking the ocean. Taking pictures and not keeping in touch. Wanting to keep in touch but you can’t. You don’t speak the same language. They fold the chairs and put the game away. It’s over and there was no clear winner. It was never about winning, it was only to pass the time. Everyone is alone. But it is better to be alone together.

Lauren Lubrino is a Native New Yorker. She currently teaches writing at CUNY, Staten Island.