Parallel Speed by Sarah A. O'Brien

You taught me to drive with a beat-up Honda Civic and a shit-ton of patience in high school and mall lots. Parallel parking was your favorite; you had me learn the language of the steering wheel, flirting with faultless turns. The whiskey breath barely bothered me, and we’d laugh over the occasional carcass on a side street. One night soon later I’m licensed to speed toward Emergency, her ribs broken, gaze more vacant than the parking lots. Liquor cabinet lacking but a bottle. Of course, I downed the whiskey, but replaced most with water so don’t worry—you won’t notice, and might possibly neglect to hit her next time you label life insufferable sober.

Sarah A. O’Brien earned her B.A. in Creative Writing from Providence College in May 2015. For the past year, she has served as Managing Editor of The Alembic. Sarah’s work has appeared in Every Writer, The Screech Owl, Snapping Twig, Copley Hall of Art, and Hunt-Cavanagh Gallery. Follow her adventures: @fluent_SARAcasm.