Plains Paradox 2024

PLAINS PARADOX Literary and Arts Journal Vol. XXII, 2024

PLAINS PARADOX Literary and Arts Journal Vol. XXII, 2024 created by students for students submission & guidelines plainsparadox.submittable.com

Student Editors Katie E. Calhoun CJ Echols Grey Hanvey Andrea Mann Lead Student Designer Designers Joyleyah Cabaccang Sara Kimbrough Grace Cohune Williams Alvidrez Gonzalez Jacob Janacek Art Advising Editors Editors Suellen Jumes Amber Herrero Risë Keller Jonathan Montgomery Jaz Vera Sponsors Cover Art Makenzie Davis Front: Risë Keller Patrick Kelling, PhD Back: Jaz Vera W. Blake Welch

We would like to thank the administration and faculty at Front Range Community College for their ongoing support. Without them, Plains Paradox would not be possible. ■ ■ ■ Colleen Simpson, PhD President Rebecca Woulfe, PhD Vice President for Academic A昀昀airs Mary Lee Geary Dean of English Kathleen Coughlin Writing & Literature Chair Stewart Erlich Writing & Literature Chair Shawna Jackson Writing & Literature Chair

Editor's Note We at Plains Paradox Literary Journal are excited to share with you the talent and creativity of the students featured in this edition! This issue of Plains Paradox is the 昀椀rst to contain a content notice. We are still learning and dedicated to improvement. If you wish to provide feedback below is a QR code, which leads to a feedback form. Thank you reader, for taking time to appreciate the work that went into this journal. We hope these pieces move you as they did us. And now, enjoy!

Content Notice This edition of Plains Paradox contains potentially distressing material. If you have concerns regarding a piece that you are reading, we recommend that you stop, practice self-care, and/or scan the QR code below to access support resources. Most of these resources can be used by anyone, not just students. Please note that a resource that is con昀椀dential may be mandated to report or disclose information you share if it concerns harm to yourself or others. Asking about policies prior to disclosing information can enable informed decision making and prevent unwanted disclosure.

WRITING 02 11 14 I Shoulda Black Holes THE DAILY RECESS Known Eben Ormston Ellaina Powers Violet Oliver 23 26 36 吀栀ese Dark Growing Up Independent Jelly昀椀sh People Skies Fundamental Baptist: Years in Review Brianna Boylan Alissa Kuster CJ Echols 42 44 50 An Ode to Company Femme Fatale Soulmates Eli Dobson Alex Bivens Dakota Schoen 52 60 70 吀栀e Apartment Speed Dating Home Video Above Mine Collection Elsa Kaariainen William Acker Bee Schineller

85 88 78 Twisted Tales: As if Detox Wasn’t Eternal Sky Rapunzel Punishment Enough Dakota Schoen CJ Echols James Klingensmith 89 93 95 Just a Few Ember: A 吀栀e More Lanes Love Letter to Cartographer Memory Isaac Seyer Arizona Metzler Violet Oliver 100 103 106 Translation: An Encounter American A World Within with the Holiday Easter Bunny Connor Hutton Katie Doolittle Ellaina Powers 111 114 Will you pay for Gibberish and your gas with the Mucus Cloth cash, credit, or of Existence innocent blood? Sebastian Ryan Pegg Montes de Oca

ART 10 13 01 Fabric Polychrome Stack Cast Shadow Mirror Caroline Behnke Jonathan Hansen Karenna Mathis 24 21 A Rose by Any Pax Eating in Blue Other Name (吀栀e Peace) Sadie Alexander Alissa Kuster Paulina Ruiz Lang 25 33 34 What’s the Tea? Just Peachy Adams Hill 3 Matthew Padilla Jaz Vera Risë Keller 35 39 40 Pumpkin’s Cavity Comb Awakening Harvest of the Senses Matt Nygren Mona Jones Sonia Mendoza

41 43 49 Two Spirited Daily Bread Shells Rhonda Sterkel Robyn Eubanks Caroline Behnke 51 57 58 Teehee AI Spinner Carne Asada Brandon Parham Stephen Paulina Ruiz Lang McWilliams 68 69 Blake Welch Texture: Landscape, Wood Fairy in Van Gogh Bird, Butter昀氀y, Cochineal Bugs, & Harvest Ezequiel Suellen Jumes Dominguez Risë Keller 76 77 83 Bat My Grandpa Queen of Hearts in Botero Style Eli Dobson Samantha Suellen Jumes Aguirre Merchan

ART 87 91 92 Self Portrait Dreamscape Living History Eli Dobson Ines Marti Devolx Sarah Ratliff 94 98 99 Florece Corazón Head Full Old Cutter of Stu昀케ng Paulina Ruiz Lang Matt Nygren Garrett Olin 102 104 105 Mug Mouth CJ Hand Study Cora Eastman Caroline Behnke Robyn Eubanks

108 109 110 Ramen Take Flight Wonder Woman Paulina Ruiz Lang Jaz Vera Poppy Barnett 113 Architectural Space De昀椀ned by Light Samantha Aguirre Merchan

Fabric Caroline Behnke

I Shoulda Known Eben Ormston 02 Mrs. Linsky answered her kitchen phone, listened quietly, steadied herself, raised her 昀椀ngers to her lips, and whispered, “Oh, dear no.” ■ ■ ■ Out on the 昀椀elds of eastern Colorado, under a starry fall sky, the Aberdeen Post Of昀椀ce, and Greyhound bus stop stood quiet and closed. Bright lights from a nearby dealership spilled onto Main Street, and in the A&W Jenny Linsky and her best friend Susan were serving burgers, fries, and 昀氀oats to their Friday night customers. The front door opened, and Jenny looked up. She tilted her head past her line of customers, caught her breath, smiled so very brie昀氀y, and smoothed her apron. Jacob McCord and his friends were in line. He held his cowboy hat in his hand. A few steps to Jenny’s left, Susan was scooping ice cream and caught the break in Jenny’s banter. She followed her gaze, scowled, and let the cooler door fall shut. Holding three 昀氀oats steady, she stepped behind Jenny and whispered, “You hardly know him.” With her left hand low to her side, Jenny shooed Susan away. Jacob reached the head of Jenny’s line, and she rested the tips of her 昀椀ngers on the lip of her register. She smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind one ear. “Hello,” she said. “Evening.” He squinted slightly and tilted his chin. “Aren’t you Jenny? From school?” “Yes. In tenth. Your brother’s class.” She swept her hand to her side. “I just started here.” He tapped his hat against his chest. “Really,” Susan muttered from nearby, and Jacob and

his friends took their orders of food to the benches outside. As the number of customers waned and the parking lot cleared, Jacob and his friends lingered. He smoothed his hair and stepped back inside. “Hey, Jenny.” “Hi, again.” He approached her counter. “Next week’s our homecoming dance.” “Yes, I know.” She smiled. “Right, yes. Well, may I take you? That is, I mean, will you be my date to the dance?” “You may, and yes, I would like that.” “I’ll pick you up?” “Please. But, Jacob, if I go with you, will you promise to join me in the dance contest?” He furrowed his eyebrows but then grinned slowly. “I’m not very good, but yes, I’ll try.” ■ ■ ■ Five miles outside town, where the windswept plains stretched forever east and 昀椀elds of newly planted winter wheat lay dark and dormant, Jacob’s father, Don McCord, stood in the headlights of his truck and shot two kneeling migrant workers dead. He hitched his belt and crushed his cigarette. To his younger son, he said, “Liam, get in the truck.” To his farmhands, he pointed. “Bury ’em deep.” He nudged the duf昀氀e bag at his feet. “And burn their things in the morning.” He climbed into his truck, glanced at his son, shifted gears, and drove back up the long dirt road. ■ ■ ■ As their manager closed the A&W, the girls waved to him goodnight, got into Jenny’s Pinto, and drove home. “Jacob’s Baptist, you know,” Susan said. “He’s tall and handsome.” Jenny turned onto 6th Street, toward Susan’s house. “Baptist, Jenny. They don’t dance.” “Some do, and I’ll teach him. We’ll practice.” “Yea? Where?” Jenny thought. “I’ll ask if we can practice at his farm. I’ll 3 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

take my records and player.” “What will your dad think?” She squinched her nose, brightened, and glanced at Susan. “He’ll be okay if you come along. You will, right? Suzy, yes, please?” “Okay, but I’m leaving if you two start smooching.” Jenny crossed herself. “I promise.” “I hope so, and anyway, let’s stay away from Liam. I don’t like how he stares.” Susan turned in her seat to better face Jenny. “You know how when you catch him staring, he’ll do that thing where he looks down and starts muttering?” Jenny nodded. “Creepy. No way he’ll graduate.” ■ ■ ■ In the quiet, predawn hours, under the waxing gibbous moon, Jenny’s father, Sheriff Robert Linsky, drove his squad car slowly past Main Street’s closed stores. He checked his watch and tuned his radio to a Kansas City Royals replay. ■ ■ ■ Saturday morning, Jenny’s younger siblings were playing outside, Dad was snoring, and Mom was sewing Jenny a new blue dress for the upcoming school dance. Meanwhile, Jenny was upstairs, in her room, in front of her long mirror, and dancing to the beats of her newest ABBA album. After the day’s football game, Susan, Jenny, a stack of her records, and her player met Jacob outside their gym school doors. Jacob pointed the way, and they walked across the lot to a white pickup truck. “Is this yours?” Jenny asked. “No, it’s a farm truck. My battery died. I took this one.” “Will someone be missing it?” “Nah. It’s Saturday, and the planting’s done. Anyway, we have others.” He slung his gym bag into the bed of the truck, turned, and took Jenny’s record player from her arms. He pointed with his chin. “Hop in.” As the girls walked to the truck’s passenger side, Jacob lifted Jenny’s player to place it in the truck bed but hesitated when he saw he had dropped his gym bag onto someone’s duf昀氀e bag. He wedged her player tight between PLAINS PARADOX ■ 4

it and his. The girls slid across the bench, and Susan made a face at the ri昀氀e in the truck’s ri昀氀e rack. Jacob climbed in. “It’s a Remington 8. We use it hunting.” Jenny turned, glanced at the ri昀氀e, and looked out the truck’s back window and down at her player. “Whose bag is that?” Jacob shook his head. “Well, if this is a work truck, then someone’s missing their things,” she said. ■ ■ ■ Jenny, Susan, and Jacob entered his father’s farm garage. They walked past tractors and climbed the steps to a workshop loft. Jacob cleared an area and the girls set the player down in the light of a nearby window. Together, they chose an album and a song, Susan swung the needle to the Bee Gees’s Staying Alive, and Jenny began to teach Jacob a few simple dance steps. After starts and stops and much good laughter, Jenny said, “Let’s try something more dif昀椀cult.” She looked over. “Susan, how about—Susan, what are you doing?” “Shush,” Susan said and waved them over. “Look.” She pointed out the window to the farm’s backyard. Two farm hands were standing there at a burn barrel and pulling and dropping clothes, shoes, and belongings from a duf昀氀e bag into it. One then poured on gasoline, stepped back, and set the barrel ablaze. “Isn’t that the duf昀氀e from your truck?” Jenny asked. Jacob shrugged. “It looks like it.” The 昀椀rst worker added the bag to the barrel, and the two men watched the barrel burn. “Creepy,” Susan said. She looked at her watch, stepped away from the window, and began gathering Jenny’s records. “Hey, you two, I need to get home.” ■ ■ ■ The following Saturday morning, Susan’s father, Mike, stepped into Aberdeen’s police station. Sheriff Linsky looked up from his desk. “Mike, good to see you. What brings you in? Wait,” he placed both his hands 昀氀at on his 5 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

desk, “please, no, don’t say you’re here to report our girls.” “No,” Mike chuckled, “I’m not.” He stopped at Robert’s door. Robert gestured to a chair. “Good. Sit.” “Thanks, but I can’t. I’ve only got a minute.” He leaned against the door. “So, you know our girls are going to tonight’s dance?” Robert nodded. “And that Jenny’s going with Jacob McCord?” Robert sighed a little but nodded again. “Well, Susan says they’ve been practicing for the dance.” Robert grimaced. “It’s all we talk about. My God, I hope they win.” “Yes, and anyway, they’ve been practicing at Don’s farm.” Robert raised his eyebrows. “And Susan told me this week they saw two workers burn a duf昀氀e bag of perfectly good clothes behind Don’s garage.” Robert shook his head. “Mike, strange, I swear, but who knows what goes on out there?” Mike gazed out the station windows. “Yes, strange. I thought so, too.” Robert held up his hand. “Strange yes, but Mike, burning clothes isn’t—” “Hold on,” Mike interrupted, pushed away from the door, and pointed out the window. “Speak of the devil. There’s Don’s kid.” Robert stood and joined Mike at the window. Together, they watched Liam walk back and forth in front of the post of昀椀ce and bus stop building. At each pass past the front door, he stopped momentarily, wagged his head, and gestured as if in a state of discussion. Finally, he dropped his hands and entered the building. “Jacob’s straight, but that boy’s slow, Robert,” Mike said. Robert spoke over his shoulder. “Betsy, have you gotten today’s mail?” “No,” she said, “I haven’t.” “Okay then, I’ll walk over.” He slapped Mike’s arm with his sheriff’s hat. “Mike, you all come for dinner.” Robert crossed the street, entered the post of昀椀ce, stopped in front of their rented box, and collected the PLAINS PARADOX ■ 6

of昀椀ce mail. Liam was next in line at the Greyhound ticket window. As Robert 昀氀ipped through his mail, discarded some, and acknowledged a townsman or two, he moved closer to Liam and the ticket window. Liam stepped to the window, and without looking up, said, “Two tickets for Juarez, please.” He slid a handful of dollar bills across the window counter. Liam soon took his tickets, pocketed his change, and walked out of the building onto the sidewalk. With his mail in hand, Robert followed him outside. “Hey there, Liam.” Liam stopped, turned, and looked at Robert. Robert held up his mail. “Sorry, I was just getting our mail. How are you today?” He pointed a letter at the tickets in Liam’s hand. “Taking a trip?” Liam looked at his tickets and back at Robert. He said nothing. “Those for you?” “They’re for Pa.” Liam looked about. “Is your dad taking a trip?” “I don’t know. I don’t think so. You got to ask him.” “Okay, I will. When are they good for?” Liam stared at Robert for a moment, then looked down at his tickets and slowly mouthed the dates. He looked up. “They’re for tonight.” Liam began to tap the heel of his foot on the sidewalk concrete. “May I go, please?” “Sure, Liam, of course.” ■ ■ ■ At about three that afternoon, Robert and his deputy drove out to Don McCord’s farm and pulled to a stop on the long dirt driveway, a few steps from the farmhouse porch. Don met them with a shotgun. “For God’s sake, Don,” Robert said as he stepped from the squad car’s passenger seat, “put that thing away.” “Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, Robert. What can I do for you?” Robert stepped toward the porch and casually motioned for his deputy to stay back. “Well Don, Jenny and Susan were here the other day and practicing with Jacob 7 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

for tonight’s dance.” “We don’t dance.” Robert held up his hands. “Okay, yes, 昀椀ne, but one of the girls said they saw a couple of your men burning good clothes out back.” He waved his hat toward Don’s garage. “Didn’t happen.” “Maybe so, Don.” Robert looked to the horizon for a moment. “But the funny thing is, this morning I met Liam in town, outside the post of昀椀ce. He bought tickets on tonight’s bus to Mexico.” “I don’t know anything about that.” “Well, that’s funny too, because Liam said to ask you.” Robert looked about the farm. “The tickets aren’t for your migrants, are they? The planting’s done, and most have gone home. Plus, I’ve never known you to pay their way. So, what do you think? Are they for you? Your men? Don, who’s taking a trip without their clothes?” The farmhouse door opened, and a freshly washed Jacob stepped onto the porch. He held a hand towel and was dressed in a white T-shirt, jeans, and clean boots. “Afternoon, Sheriff Linsky.” “Afternoon, Jacob.” Robert nodded. “Jenny’s mighty excited about tonight. I hope you all have fun.” He smiled and returned his attention to Don. “Well, friend, may we go back and take a look?” As Robert turned in the direction of the farm’s garage, Liam stepped out from around the corner of the house and took a stance, squarely blocking Robert’s way. He held a Remington 8 in his hands. “Ain’t no one goin’ nowhere,” he said. “Liam,” Don said, “put that down.” Jacob stepped off the porch and walked calmly toward his brother. “Come on now.” “You stay back. No one’s looking in that barrel.” “Liam,” Don commanded, “shut up.” “No, Sir!” he said and 昀椀red a bullet into the ground at Robert’s feet. Jacob reached for the ri昀氀e, and Liam 昀椀red again. This bullet hit Robert’s thigh. Robert’s deputy pulled his revolver, 昀椀red at Liam, and struck Jacob midback. Don PLAINS PARADOX ■ 8

turned, snarled at the deputy, and 昀椀red. The shotgun blast knocked the deputy 昀氀at. Robert was on one knee, pressing a hand against his bleeding thigh. He held his other hand toward Don. “God damn, Don. Stop it!” He looked from his deputy to Jacob. Jacob lay on his face and was still. A 昀椀st-sized circle of red stained his back, and blood was quickly pooling in the dirt beneath him. Like a dying trout, Liam stared at Jacob. Don leveled his gun. “Robert, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.” ■ ■ ■ That night, Jenny and her mother sat at their kitchen table. A small pile of wet tissues lay on the table, and tears dripped off Jenny’s nose and onto the lap of her new blue dress. Both looked up as the kitchen clock struck eight. Jenny sobbed once more, stood, and left the kitchen. She marched three steps up her stairs, turned, and screamed, “No, Mother, he’s not coming! He’s a chicken, and I hate him! Suzy was right. I shoulda known!” She ran up the rest of the stairs, down the hall, and slammed her door shut. Mrs. Linsky answered her kitchen phone and listened quietly. 9 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Polychrome Stack Jonathan Hansen

Black Holes 11 Ellaina Powers The sun will set after eight again in one year from now, when it’s 昀椀nally legal for me to poison myself beneath a sky full of Grecian ideologies. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll meet them before then. Get to shake their starry hands and hear all about the outlandish wishes they keep beneath their belts, a crack of thunder and the bite of celestial leather against my cheekbone. They mistake my scars for freckles and reassure me somebody’s probably made a thousand wishes on me. I wish I felt signi昀椀cant enough for that. They smile and say, One thousand and one.

There, within the interstellar depths, they’ll lead me through the life that was lived all above my head and give me all of the spoilers for the one below. They’ll reveal the secrets they throw to the bottom of the oceans and the ones they leave to suffer on mountaintops, and I’ll ask them what I am to them. They’ll tell me to look down, at the place my 昀氀esh is anchored. They’ll tell me about a great man who once lived beside me whilst sharing their native tongue, and with kind eyes they’ll say, You would have been proof enough for him. And in one year, I’ll understand what they meant as I collapse in on myself, cradling a bottle beneath an exhausted sun and clouded skin, not a star to be seen. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 12

Cast Shadow Mirror Karenna Mathis

THE DAILY RECESS Violet Oliver 14 Volume I, Issue II; Thursday Dec 7 75% on Latest Math Test Experts warn overall course grade could drop by over 4% Tuesday, 7 December: Results from Thursday’s math test have been released and indicate that Joey obtained 75%, a staggering 25% less than the predicted score he told all his friends. “I really thought I knew everything,” Joey told reporters this afternoon. “Maybe I should’ve studied.” According to those familiar with the matter, the hour-long test contained 20 questions covering multiplication and division of fractions, a dif昀椀cult subject for many 昀椀fth grade students to comprehend. Suzie, a classmate of Joey’s who earned a 95%, further explains: “Dividing fractions is kinda tricky ‘cause you need to remember to 昀氀ip the second fraction or else the answer won’t be right.” An internal review board has determined that Joey’s main errors stem from confusion between the numerator and denominator and incorrect simpli昀椀cation; although, investigation is ongoing. It is yet to be determined what Joey’s of昀椀cial public statement will be, and if he will press charges against his math teacher, Ms. Williams.“I think there’s a good chance she’s just a bad grader,” Joey claimed while attempting to transform a number three into an eight on his test with a pencil. “If she sees the numbers I actually wrote, maybe she’ll give me a better grade.” Ms. Williams declined to comment. Independent reports have cited that Joey has already told best friends Bart and Jacob that “it wasn’t fair because Maggie was distracting him by clicking her pencil,” and he had “昀椀ve

minutes less to take the test than everyone else because he needed to pee.” Mom and Dad have not yet received word of Joey’s test grade, so it is unclear if any action will be taken against him on the home front; however, historical data shows that the parents have been unhappy with any test grade falling below a B, and Joey could face up to a week of grounding if he fails to convince Ms. Williams of a better grade. No Signs of Grandma Leaving Anytime Soon Grandma’s stay extended; Joey displaced from bedroom “inde昀椀nitely” An of昀椀cial statement from Mom this morning indicated that Grandma will extend her stay past the intended two weeks, and Joey must continue to sleep on the futon “for another week.” The futon has been advertised as very comfortable by Joey’s parents and boasts easy access to the living room TV; however, individual polling data shows that Joey was missing his room before Mom made the announcement. Privacy concerns for the living room have also been cited, as Joey has reportedly been unable to sneak candy after 8:00 p.m. or watch TikTok on his phone. While Joey was able to salvage most toys and books from his room before the displacement occurred, he admitted to reporters last Sunday that there were certain items, including his baseball bat and Pokémon cards, that were left behind and have been held hostage since. When asked whether he plans on retrieving them, Joey said, “I mean, it’s pretty awkward.” Separately, chemical experts warn that traces of “old lady perfume” have already been identi昀椀ed on Joey’s clothes and that the extension of Grandma’s stay may concentrate these scents so that they are noticeable to peers. Additionally, Joey has been exclusively spending time at Bart and Jacob’s houses after school to play video games, and yet has not invited them over to his house in the span of two weeks. Investigators suspect Grandma’s arrival is to blame. Multiple negotiations have been introduced by Joey 15 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

that would aid him in reclaiming the bedroom, including having Grandma sleep on the futon instead or bringing the air mattress out of the basement; however, Mom has shown little signs of compromise. Joey is expected to plead for support from Dad once he returns home from work this evening. Uninvited to Toby’s Birthday Party? Speculation grows over whether intention was deliberate Multiple sources have con昀椀rmed that “cool kid” Toby is hosting a birthday party this coming weekend, and Joey has yet to receive an invitation. While some hard- line believers claim Joey could still receive an invite, many are starting to lose faith. This decision comes amid Toby’s election as class president and his crowning as 昀椀eld day champion. Toby is widely accepted among the 昀椀fth grade class as the determinator of popularity, and his approval has been cited as a generalized means of raising socio- political status in the school. Winning Toby’s approval can reportedly gain 昀椀fth graders concessions as hefty as cutting in line and playing tic-tac-toe on Toby’s high-end Apple Watch. Bart, who was invited to Toby’s party, explains, “You know you’re a cool guy if Toby likes you. Now that I got my party invitation, I know I’m one of the guys.” As other reports 昀椀lter in, investigators are scrambling to determine the full list of party invitees. Should Toby’s oversight of Joey’s invitation be con昀椀rmed, it could cement Joey’s status as “uncool” in addition to guaranteeing an afternoon of FOMO. Jake, a spokesperson for Toby, told reporters, “Toby’s mom would only let him pick six friends to play laser tag with him, so after school we made a list of 昀椀ve other people we wanted to invite. Joey probably would’ve been like eighth on the list.” When asked who else outranked Joey, Jake elaborated, “Well, we ranked Billy seventh because he’s pretty cool, but we all saw him pick his nose in class once, which is a little nasty.” Reporters are waiting for Toby to con昀椀rm the truth of Jake’s assertions. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 16

Mood Report Expect volatile emotions from Joey for the week ahead Home: Grandma’s lingering presence is sure to build up pressure among Joey’s emotions. Should the system remain unchanged, expect eruptions of anger, especially in the evening hours, when Joey is more susceptible to bouts of frustration. Joey should be temperate in the mornings around breakfast time as long as his grades aren’t brought up too frequently. Bart’s House: Mild emotions are expected as Joey continues to enjoy spending time at his friend’s home. A light sprinkle of shouting may occur later in the week as Joey gets annoyed when Bart wins Call of Duty 17 yet again. Temperature is expected to be mild as Joey must remain cool regarding his two closest friends. School: Joey’s emotions will vary wildly depending on the time of day. Expect Joey’s mind to be foggy in the morning when he can’t remember long division in math class. The mood is expected to lighten around lunch when Joey is most sunny, followed by dull overcast as the class reads Tom Sawyer, which is one of the most boring books ever. In Town: Pressure will build up when Joey is at the mall as he cannot be caught in public with his embarrassing family. A whirlwind of eye rolls plus a sudden freeze whenever Joey sees a ten-year-old girl will be noticeable among passersby this week. Classi昀椀eds Buy and Sell with The Daily Recess For Sale Pets: FREE! Little brother. Annoying as heck. Pick him up whenever you like. Feed him your table scraps and water once/week. Unvaccinated. (720)-652-0378 Toys & Collectibles: **My mom’s old creepy baby dolls** One has a missing eye. One is missing hair. Half are naked. They smell like mold. FREE while supplies last. (720)-652-0378 17 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Services: I can shovel your driveway, depending on how big it is and how much snow. My rate is $15/hr, tips expected. Call Joey at (720)-652-0378. Wanted Laser Tag Tickets: Will pay good cash for laser tag tickets this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Please do not tell anyone after exchange is made. Thanks. (720)-652-0378 Love Wanted: Cool young boy (ten), seeks young girl (ten). Call of Duty 17 skills and Pokémon knowledge are a plus. (720)-652-0378 Skateboard: Preferably like the one Toby Hernandez has (blue w/ 昀氀ames and angry skull). May not be able to pay more than $15 depending on snow shoveling money. (720)-652-0378 Letter to the Editor The new “no phone” policy in school is really stupid Dear Daily Recess, I was really annoyed about last week’s cover story, “Joey’s Phone Con昀椀scated: Caught Using Snapchat in English Class,” and I know that everyone else in my class feels the same way. I did a lot of research, and it turns out that the “no cellphone policy” is a recent invention; even our parents didn’t have it when they were growing up! The policy was apparently put in place by power-hungry teachers last year as a last-ditch attempt to get students to pay attention to them. However, teachers sel昀椀shly failed to consider how we would feel if our phones were stripped away from us: A recent survey found that 100% of people in my class were happier when they could watch TikTok as soon as we weren’t learning anything interesting. Texting on my phone has also become a more earth-friendly and less obvious way to pass notes, and teachers did not even think about this when they decided we should no longer have our phones in school! Many people like me can also multitask. I can play Game Pigeon and Chess and listen to Ms. Williams talk about the Civil War at the same time. I also know a lot of people who have been personally PLAINS PARADOX ■ 18

impacted now that they can no longer use Google to look up the answers to all their test questions. Teachers have been really annoying lately, and we need to complain to our parents or something so we can do something about this! -Suzie, Joey’s classmate Dear Joey Advice for 5th graders Dear Joey, I don’t know whether I should buy Fortnite 10 for my Xbox. It costs like 50 bucks, but it has all these new weapons and power ups and my mom said she’d pay for half of it. -Jacob Dear Jacob, Dude, you totally should!!! Fortnite 10 has all the coolest weapons, and it comes with four more worlds than Fortnite 9. There’s like this mega power-up where you can do one of the Fortnite dances, and it will blast away all of your enemies. Also, if you go into the dragon cave and slay all the ninjas, you can get like 640 XP in one shot. Then there’s this magic castle, and if you run around it 昀椀ve times, you get a triple speed boost. Plus, Tony has Fortnite 10, and since he hasn’t invited us to play with it yet, you might as well. That would be so epic. -Joey Dear Joey, I feel really queasy, and I don’t know if I should go home for the day or stay here at school. We’re supposed to have our holiday party this afternoon, and I don’t want Ms. Williams to notice. -Billy Dear Billy, Uh, I don’t really know. Like, you should probably go to the nurse’s of昀椀ce or something, and then if she 19 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

thinks you’re sick, you can call your parents. But also, I wouldn’t eat all the frosting like you usually do when we’re decorating cookies. -Joey Sports: Field Day Tug-Of-War Joey’s team loses to the other half of the class Despite a well-fought struggle that lasted nearly 30 seconds, Joey’s team couldn’t repeat in the Tug-of-War Championship this past 昀椀eld day. Coach Joey carefully nominated himself as anchor for his team’s half of the rope, but despite assertions that he had won Tug-of-War before, and he knew how to be the anchor, Joey’s team lost 1.3 yards of ground within the 昀椀rst ten seconds of the match and ended up losing the remaining 0.7 yards in the remaining 18 seconds before referee Ms. Williams blew her whistle. “We basically won,” Joey said after the match. “If the other team wouldn’t have had all the strong people on it I could’ve beaten them easily.” When asked about the other team’s performance, Joey added, “We really need to have a rematch; the sun was in my eyes, so I couldn’t see what was going on.” Rounding out Joey’s team were Bart (-2.0 yds), Jacob (-2.0 yds), Suzie (-2.0 yds), and Billy (-2.0 yds). One or two scrimmages have been planned before the teams face in a rematch during Spring Field Day. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 20

A Rose by Any Other Name Sadie Alexander

Pax (吀栀e Peace) Jaz Vera

吀栀ese Dark Skies 23 Brianna Boylan Dawn glares down upon us, / The muddy, the miserable, and the drained; / The morning air sends a chill through our bones / As we resign ourselves to another day. / We scavenge our own souls amongst those we have lost, / But there are only fragments amongst this sea of limbs and bodies— / Nothing that can be made whole, / Nothing left to identify. / The whistles and shouts are all in vain; / Our Lord Death crawls into our maze of tunnels. / Mustard seeps into our bones and burns our 昀氀esh, / It chokes us and bleeds us as we claw for breath. / We 昀椀red more shells than usual that day, / And as we rest 昀椀tfully under the moon’s spotlight, / The lullaby of artillery rocks us to sleep— / That night, and every night since. / We return home beaten and broken and stitched back together; / The world moves on, but we remain lost on the battle昀椀eld, / Waiting for someone to say, “Jump!” / So we can say, “How high?” / Picking up the pieces of ourselves, / We stumble through our new, normal lives; / Wandering through cobbled streets of poverty and broken glass / As an evil thunders in the distance. / We watch the world descend into chaos for a second time, / Everything around us shattering into a thousand pieces. / Our neighbors watch us as we head to the trains, / Forced to leave our new homes behind. / These words are old and full of hate / When we arrive at the Devil’s gates. / It won’t be long now; / We look up into the sky. / No longer do we see the point in asking, “Why?”

Eating in Blue Paulina Ruiz Lang

What’s the Tea? Matthew Padilla

Growing Up Independent Fundamental Baptist: 26 Years in Review Alissa Kuster 0 I’m born on a Thursday. My mother puts me in a green velvet dress that barely 昀椀ts 2 and takes me to church that Sunday. First Baptist is brown brick and built on a hill. 3 Every Sunday, I wear a dress with tights. I love pink, 昀氀ower patterns, and polka dots. 2 The tights are for modesty, but I don’t really understand what that means. 3 I know most of the songs in the church hymnal. 4 When we visit my grandma in the hospital, my parents 5 let me choose which ones to sing. She has Alzheimer’s but still remembers the words. 6 My favorite one is “Onward 7 Christian Soldiers.” I like to swing my arms back and forth while my mother plays the violin. Onwing twisten solders, [a] Marchin as to war, [b] Wid the cross of Dedus goin on before. [c] 4 Sunday school is for bible stories. Mrs. B lets me attach felt animals and people to a 昀氀annel board as she tells me about how the Earth was made in seven days. 2 She talks about how one man built an ark, and that a 昀氀ood swept sin from the Earth. 3 I like him because he saved all the animals. 4 I also hear about Adam and Eve. 5 They lived in the most perfect garden with all the 6 fruits they could eat. One day, a serpent (Satan) came to 7 Eve and convinced her to eat a bad fruit. She brought the 8 fruit to Adam. Eve tempted Adam. 9 I wonder if this is why the daddies make all the decisions?

4+ My parents ask me if I know where I’ll go when I die. They tell me that they and my brother will go to heaven 2 3 because they are saved. I want to go too. They say that because I was born, I have automatically fallen short of 4 5 the glory of god. I am separated from him. They want to make sure I know I’m a sinner, and sinners who don’t repent go to hell. 6 I hear a bible story about someone who goes to hell and begs someone from heaven to place a 7 drop of water on his tongue. Hell is 昀椀lled with 昀氀ames, and I’m scared of 昀椀re. 8 9 My mother closes the door to my room. I sit on the 10 bed, crying and clutching my Barbie comforter. She 11 tells me the prayer to say. I have trouble saying it loudly enough because I keep hyperventilating between sobs. 12 13 They are happy now that I’m saved. 5 Everyone I know is part of the church. The person I love most is one of the men in my family. 2 3 He gives me hugs and buys me little gifts. My favorite is a cloud-shaped jewelry box with a pink Pegasus 昀椀gure 4 attached to the top. He takes care of me and helps me when I have bad dreams. 5 He asks me to play a game with him, a game that’s 6 7 8 only for us. I say yes. I don’t like it, but he does. The next 9 time he asks, I tell him I don’t want to play. I say I’m going 10 to tell someone. He says if I do, he’ll tell everyone I’m lying. 11 12 Lying is a sin, and I’ll get in trouble. Do I want to get in 13 14 trouble? He says no one will believe me. I stop saying no. 15 The game continues until I am seven. 7 After school, I attend Sparks, a program at the church. I wear a little red button-up vest and memorize bible 2 verses. When I 昀椀nish each book, I get an iron-on patch. 3 I cry when I don’t do as well as some of the other kids. 4 5 I want to be good. My parents drill me on the verses at home too. 6 7 The pastor plays the accordion during song time. My favorite is “Lord’s Army.” 27 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

[a] I may never march in the infantry (stomping), [b] ride in the cavalry (pretend horseback riding), shoot the artillery (pistol hands or slide one hand past and then up above the other). [c] And I may never 昀氀y o’er the enemy (airplane arms), [d] [e] but I’m in the Lord’s army. Yes, sir (salute)! [f] 8 Summers are for Vacation Bible School. Each year, a missionary and his family come to our church 2 to run the program. My mother drives me around town in the weeks before, and we put 昀氀iers on almost every house. 3 4 The theme is always cowboys. I want to know why there aren’t ever any cowgirls. 5 Each morning starts with the song: It’s bible round up, bible round up’s here. [a] Tell everybody join in with a cheer, ye-hah! (Wave an imaginary cowboy hat.) [b] [c] We’ll learn of Jesus, singing, laughing too! [d] It’s bible round up, just for you! (Point somewhere.) 6 We play outside, eat cookies, memorize verses, and 7 listen to a sermon. If a kid does something good (learns verses, brings visitors, collects the offering the fastest), they get Rodeo Bucks that can be spent at the carnival at the 8 end of the week. I am always 昀氀ush with bucks. 9 Before the sermon each day, church members act 10 out the lives of missionaries. Little kids and teenagers have their faces painted to represent the “unsaved.” 11 The missionaries win souls for Christ and are frequently martyred. 12 13 I decide I want to be a missionary’s wife. Girls can’t 14 be pastors, so it’s the next best thing. I like looking at the bulletin board at the church with all the missionaries’ 15 photos on a world map. Strands of yarn tie them to places 16 like Ghana or Papua New Guinea. Their wives are always 17 18 pretty. Always wearing dresses. Always holding children. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 28

9 I’m baptized. 2 Behind the pulpit is a baptistry. It’s a large pool built into 3 4 the building. Baptists believe in immersion. My mother 5 helps me dress in a 昀氀oor-length white gown. It’s too big, and I have trouble holding it up. 6 The water is deep and 7 lukewarm. I stand on a stepstool, so the congregation 8 9 can see me. The pastor is on my left. I have to show 10 I’ve grown in my faith by giving my testimony. I tell the people about how I prayed with my mom and was saved. 11 He then covers my mouth and nose with a handkerchief and holds me under long enough that I get scared and kick a little. I baptize you in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. [a] 10 My best friend in the church wants to have eleven children. 2 She wears skirts, always smiles, and is soft spoken. I want to be her, but I keep messing up. 3 We are the only girls on a church 昀椀eld trip to The Wildlife Experience in Denver. 4 On the way home, I open the water bottle I bought and say the inside smells inky. 5 The boy sitting next to me says that he wants to smell 6 7 8 it. I say no. He pulls it out of my hands. I yank it away 9 10 from him. I can feel blood beating in my face. I yell, 11 “No means no, not keep trying.” No one in the car says anything else. 11 Sparks is now AWANA. We wear green shirts, and the bible verses are longer and more dif昀椀cult to memorize. 2 We still play games and sing 3 songs. I like the AWANA cheer better. AWANA! AWANA! AWANA WANNA WANNA! [a] Go to the Bible in Second Timothy, chapter two, and verse [b] 昀椀fteen. Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed! [c] [d] AWANA! (enthusiastic raise of the hand) 29 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

4 I get my 昀椀rst period during games. 5 I cry in the church 6 bathroom and don’t tell anyone. I’m scared that somehow 7 5 happened again. I steal my mother’s pads and hide the used ones under my bed until I can sneak them into the trash right before it goes out. 13 I join the youth group at the other Baptist church in town. The leader sits us down and tells us abortion is murder, evolution is a lie, and the liberal media wants us to believe 2 being gay is okay. I also use the internet for the 昀椀rst time 3 outside of school assignments. I learn how to choose 4 reliable sources from the school librarian. On my own, 5 I research abortion and being gay. What I 昀椀nd doesn’t 6 7 match what I am told. I ask the leader about this. He says 8 babies scream during abortions. I tell him fetuses don’t 9 have vocal cords at twelve-weeks old. He yells at me a lot. 10 I don’t relent, and he cancels the youth group. 14 Now I’m a helper at Vacation Bible School. 2 This year, it isn’t a missionary and his family. It’s a youth group and their leader from a church in Denver. 3 Some 4 of the guys are in seminary. Others are 昀椀nishing high 5 6 school. Caleb is starting seminary in the fall. It is unusual for a Baptist guy not to be named after one of the twelve 7 8 disciples. My parents say his name means jackal. He 9 styles his hair and wears cologne. He’s not supposed 10 to, and I feel a little excited that he does anyway. Caleb 11 doesn’t wear his polo and khakis one size too big. I can see his muscles and tell how much time he spends playing soccer. 12 13 He doesn’t avoid girls like the other guys do. He tells 14 a joke about how shaky his hands are. I think about his 15 16 hands. I like him. I like him so much I’m scared to eat in 17 front of him. He’s the 昀椀rst guy to make me think about 18 19 having sex. I wonder if his hands always shake. I explore these feelings by myself in the dark. 21 After, I pray and ask god for forgiveness. I promise 22 I won’t ever do it again. I’ll be good and stop thinking about 23 guys like that. Pleasure is not for me. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 30

15 I don’t want to wear dresses to church anymore. I pick out short skirts and high heels. 2 The pastor frowns about it. 3 My father tells me I shouldn’t dress in a way that 4 could make the men in church stumble. I ask if they just 5 shouldn’t lust. My father tells me not to make it an issue. 16 I tell a girl I like her, and we kiss. 2 3 She doesn’t go to church. Her hair is cut short. She wears 4 clothes from the guy section of the thrift store. We tell 5 everyone we’re “just friends.” I let her touch me in ways supposedly reserved for my future husband. 16+ I feel sad as 5 settles on me. I think about not being there anymore. 2 I attack my skin. 3 A therapist comes to my school and asks if there is 4 anything from my past I want to talk about. If anyone ever made me do something I didn’t want to. 5 I say no. 6 She tells my parents I’m depressed. 7 My parents say I need to read my bible more, and that 8 these feelings are my cross to bear. My body is a temple— it’s not okay to desecrate Jesus’ vessel. 17 People from church learn about the sadness. I know I’m not a desirable wife anymore. 2 They say to give my sad thoughts to god. 18- I visit with 5 and his wife. 2 He lives in a different state and is still a devout Baptist. He smiles and runs his hand along my thigh under the table. 3 Two days after returning home, I tell someone about 5 and what he did. 18 The police interview me, and then they talk to 5 too. They request charges to be 昀椀led against him, but it doesn’t 2 go to trial. My family closes ranks. 3 4 They say I need to forgive him. Jesus forgives. 5 They want to know how quickly we can reconcile. 6 Someone suggests all could be forgiven if we hug and look into each other’s eyes. 31 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

7 They say they don’t want me to be bitter and die young. 8 9 They say that he’s the best guy they know. That he 10 cried when the police talked to him. That he apologized 11 12 for “whatever he did.” They ask about funerals. How will we all sing hymns together? 13 I say I won’t be there. 14 I tell them I won’t ever be in the same room with him again. 18+ I leave for college. 2 3 I have female professors. I wear jeans. I’m allowed to question and debate with male students and professors. 4 5 I say “fuck” and “oh my god.” I have sex, watch R-rated 6 movies, and read books. I stop singing. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 32

Just Peachy Jaz Vera

Adams Hill 3 Risë Keller

Pumpkin’s Harvest Matt Nygren

Jelly昀椀sh People CJ Echols 36 imagine the translucent purple blue framework for the body living organs regenerating schematics link neon red concentric ring matrices spiral spider spindle like a sponge with silky smooth tablecloths merge anchors heavyweight blast structures monumental damaged debris and dust once stable ossi昀椀cation radiates pirouetting porcelain cherubs fontanels fragile must be protected lid capped music nil effective protective covering closure destroying ruf昀氀ed skirts resorption faux feminists converted red bone yellow marrow bellow equality short 昀氀at irregular remodeling environmental factors hereditary de昀椀ciency rickets soft malnourished may not reach potential abolitionists un昀椀nished thyroxine parathyroid hormone insulin organic chemical pool the cessation of energy storage starvation metabolism

communicates serotonin autopilot automaton senseless more to learn arti昀椀cial intelligence in昀氀uenced by stress cult normality base braincase parietal temporal sensory overload orbits sockets cochlea see shining hear sea top of the skull wall unrattled until provocation posterior foramen magnum interdimensional jambalaya cord shaped like a bat strangling pipe cleaner wire greater wing is visible dark crests caper knight between a depression maniac swung high low rooster comb immovable caricature headstone sutures articulation precise concision preferred serrated or sawtooth adjacent rolling blades warn predators interlocking shapeshifter zipper snake tongue pressurized slide slip coal mine nosedive below unknown pandemonic heavenly chorus squamosal sagittal sequentially sequestered anatomically important needy homo sapiens sockets for the roots tradition dies here 37 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

bridge supported by plow shaped vomer that curl when stuffed up with allergies vexed god blesses who open into the atlas axis evolving global cartography the remaining individual winner winner go make dinner largest and strongest raging steroid barbell protect from mechanical injury bucking bar bull tossing drunks transverse symphysis bend subcutaneous needlestick cushion projection facets interrupted aortic supplements curve cage forward testi昀椀cation to hedonism backward 昀氀exibility shoot slingshot prayers forward backward function confuse the skeptic soul walk upright no position is stance false shallow inhalation smile force okay semilunar movement true depression suffocate through sleep PLAINS PARADOX ■ 38

Cavity Comb Mona Jones

Awakening of the Senses Sonia Mendoza

Two Spirited Rhonda Sterkel

An Ode to Soulmates 42 Eli Dobson That in-another-life feeling. Untouchable hiraeth: Outside at sunrise, alone in my room. I remember you and cry. Soulmate, who are you? Flickering feeling, adrenaline rush, A memory, revive me. I want more than just my own head. I am yours, I am devotion, I want to break down into dust with you; We’ll be 14 courses of worm food. Take my brain, my eyes, and my liver, My throat, my heart, and my hands. Let my gut collapse and rot; I don’t want this body. I love you always Deeper than 昀氀esh Beyond time Until the sun dies and the stars fall And after. Lover: a Myth. I wish I could see the string or words on my wrist; Know that moles on my skin are kisses from another you. Do I see you when I look in the mirror? I’ve built my life around a feeling I’ve lost, Supplemented you with the stories of other lovers. Is this obsessive? I don’t remember. In this life I long for you. For someone. Come save me.

Daily Bread Robyn Eubanks

Company Alex Bivens 44 In the dinge of the heavy, antiquated bedroom, the vanity mirror that rested against the wallpaper had a layer of 昀椀lm that muted re昀氀ection. It wasn’t quite that this tarnish went entirely unseen, but rather it stemmed from the insouciance of its owner who sat before it. An arthritic hand slowly traced the crêpe-like edge of a top lip with a dash of shimmering red. Helen was held to a morning ritual that had her looking all the best her years could give her. This was despite the fact that she had no one to share the vision she’d whip herself into every morning. Her companionless breakfast, which always consisted of a single slice of buttered toast and a soft-boiled egg, increased her sense of isolation, and it invariably had the bigger appetite. The loneliness smothered her more than at any other time of the day. Indeed, as the pensive harbinger of empty dusk descended each night, thankful was she that her television shows served as a gratifying distraction. She thought of them now, allowing a twinge of comfort, of familiarity and anticipation to warm her from the inside. At that moment, the very moment Helen 昀椀nished swiping the metallic tube to the corner of her bottom lip, a piercing sound echoed from the hall outside her bedroom door. Make- up forgotten, Helen turned her head as far as she could manage toward the tone, for she couldn’t recall the last time her ears had been blessed with the sound. The doorbell rang again. Helen scrambled out of the chair, endeavoring to push against its wooden legs 昀椀xed deeply into the carpet as quickly as her stiff joints would allow. She attempted to call out as she shuf昀氀ed out of her bedroom and down the hall, worried that the visitor would 昀椀nd her tardiness distasteful.

Unsuccessful at managing anything audible, Helen picked up the pace, as she was already damning herself for getting into the habit of skipping her perfume application. No matter the kind of scent she picked, it would inevitably irritate her nostrils, and she had gone through too many tissue boxes to be liberal with such indulgences. Two young men stood on Helen’s porch, one straightening his slim black tie as the other shifted his batch of pamphlets underneath an elbow. Helen greeted the sight with an exuberant smile as she pushed outward on the wire screen at the front door. “How can I help you gentlemen?” Though Helen’s voice sounded strained and out of practice, her coy smile had been perfected over a lifetime, although lately only in front of her mirror. The pair looked the part, in matching out昀椀ts of white short-sleeved shirts tucked behind thin, shining leather belts. “Hi ma’am,” the one on the right began, standing taller and rounding his chest in such a way as to demonstrate his commitment to community leadership. “My name is Elijah, and this is my friend, Isaiah. We were curious to know, have you heard about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?” Helen was delighted that she in fact did have this knowledge to participate in a conversation, as that didn’t happen often. It had been a long time since she’d been mobile enough to attend church, but she easily recalled the fabled man of her Sunday school lessons as a young girl. “Why, yes!” Elijah smiled, getting excited himself. “Would you be open to having a talk with us about our Father in Heaven?” Helen’s smile transformed into a grin that revealed the wide gaps between each tooth that had appeared in her youth. Perhaps too quickly, Helen pushed the screen open wider in her rush to welcome her dignitaries indoors. Isaiah startled, already perturbed by the elderly woman’s unseemly presentation. Helen sensed this hesitation on Isaiah’s part as Elijah walked past, so she beckoned him in with increasingly urgent waves toward her pink-robed body. Helen patted down her short, wiry hair as Isaiah at 45 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

last crossed her threshold, suddenly rather bashful with the recollection of not having run a comb through her hair yet. The boys stood in her entryway, waiting politely for instructions as to where else to go. This was a decision made from either the atmosphere of civility or out of stark necessity due to every surface being covered in various items. The plastic-covered couches supported stacks of papers and folders as though she lived the life of a busy downtown clerk from her living room. Bric-a-brac was situated upon every observable 昀氀at surface in various themes and sizes. Often Helen forgot how dark the drawn curtains made the space for someone who is welcomed in blinking, adjusting from the departure of the bright daylight. Helen moved in determined, slow steps around the couch and armchairs as she cleared space, disturbing clouds of dust that elicited gentle coughs from the guests. With purpose, the duo followed Helen’s lead and perched themselves atop the sticky protective vinyl. She excused herself before walking into the adjoining, equally-dim kitchen to gather her recently warmed kettle, teacups, and a plate of 昀椀nger sandwiches off the counter. Elijah scooted even closer to the edge as Helen approached with the refreshments. “Expecting company?” Helen found amusement in the question and her face beamed. “Always.” Isaiah plucked a miniature sandwich from the ceramic serving platter held under his nose and was taken aback by the lack of give the dried edges of the bread possessed. Isaiah looked to Elijah and found his counterpart blissfully chewing on a sandwich with another ready for dispatch in his hand. Isaiah set the delicate morsel on the teacup plate that balanced on his lap. Helen was beside herself. Her leaden 昀椀ngers picked at one another before smoothing the creases on her terrycloth covered arms in directionless expressions of enthusiastic energy. She was suddenly at a loss now that these gentleman callers sat soundly atop her furniture. Helen had always fancied herself an impeccable hostess PLAINS PARADOX ■ 46

but wasn’t endowed with the gift of being a decent conversationalist. Just as Helen began to entertain the idea of excusing herself to her bedroom momentarily in order to apply some perfume, the doorbell chimed yet again. Helen’s heart 昀氀uttered. Two visitors today? A stooped man, one with a face full of scruff and an age nearing retirement, scraped his vast suede work boots across the stiff doormat as Helen asked if she could do anything for him. The man, much too weary to think for very long about the incongruity of the woman’s getup, answered that he was responding to a house call from the landlord to inspect the water heater. Helen nearly reached out and grabbed him by the elbow to rush him in but remembered herself in time. She stepped aside instead. “Can I get you anything to drink? Some tea, a sandwich?” Helen tried her hardest to keep up at the heels of the handyman. In unison, the heads of the two, all-but- forgotten boys on the sofa followed the imposing 昀椀gure as he stomped toward the kitchen. “No, thank you. This way?” The handyperson glanced at a closet located at the far end of the kitchen. Helen nodded, de昀氀ating after accepting that this visitor was here to do a job and was interested in little else she had to offer by way of engagement. Maybe, she thought as she returned her attention back to Elijah and Isaiah, she’d inquire as to his musings about Jesus so that he might be tempted to share a minute, a cup of tea, and a parable with her. She once again had decided she would excuse herself to freshen up when a small voice called in from the door she had absentmindedly left ajar. A woman stood at the doorway, squinting as she tried to make sense of the dark interior. Hung desperately low at her sides, her 昀椀sts clenched a multitude of packed grocery bags she had been tasked with delivering through the charity service she volunteered with. “Delivery,” she repeated her refrain, in a meek tone. 47 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Helen was persuasive enough, or the lady passive enough, for an escort mission deeper into the house. Helen herded the woman, who removed her baseball cap from her head as she did so, toward a suitable chair and offered her tea and a sandwich. Before the volunteer knew it, she held the petri昀椀ed piece of bread with the mystery condiment, and it did nothing for her current appetite. Helen’s eyes glinted in the low light. “Nothing makes me happier than being at the ready for guests!” Isaiah met the volunteer’s eye and imperceptibly shook his head, regarding the small sandwich she still held in her hand. The volunteer wasted no time setting it down. The handyman reentered the room at that moment and for the 昀椀rst time surveyed what he could see of his surroundings. Helen watched him with an expectant smile. She offered him the platter of sandwiches. No one had time to warn the handyman of the condition of these sandwiches, but all sensed that it wouldn’t matter too much for him in any case. Helen beamed as she looked around at her friends. All stayed a civilized twenty or so minutes before one by one, excuses and other obligations were brought up in murmured condolences. Helen stood at her screen and bid farewell to each of her delightful guests as they departed until she was once again alone. That evening, Helen perched in front of the television set and shared laughs and memories with her favorites characters. And later on, once wrapped up in bed, she thought of her day. She smiled contentedly at the recollection before drifting to sleep, secure in her decision to set the large kettle in the morning. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 48

Shells Caroline Behnke

Femme Fatale Dakota Schoen 50 If you thought knives were sharp, just wait until you’ve seen eight inches of cold. Hard. Plastic. A carpet of crumpled green paper and drool. Flags of soft skin stretched tight over hard muscle, ascending, descending, 昀氀ying round and round. The grace of weightless spring petals 昀氀uttering through the breeze, only to return to the ground sharp, heavy, menacing, CLACK! Yes, these must be weapons. Amber eyes emerge through locks of auburn. A kaleidoscope 昀椀lters through that starlight-freckled gaze, 昀椀rst lilac, then raspberry, then sapphire. Who knew something could look so good in every goddamn color. Sticky palms force-feed the ever-growing carpet, and then the gaze is gone, replaced by hips and hands and a hiccupping heart rate. CLACK! CLACK! A new set now appears, two small corsets perched atop eight inches of cold. Hard. Plastic. God knew what she was doing when she made weapons like these.

Teehee Brandon Parham

吀栀e Apartment 52 Above Mine Elsa Kaariainen Moving to the outskirts of the city was the last option to attain a stable job for myself. I had found a listing for an apartment in a building with many affordable rooms, which also had many others under reconstruction, a suitable factor for my current state of life. I brought all my remaining furniture and belongings to the apartment, including just enough space for my writing desk and my full-sized bed on its open 昀氀oor. The 昀椀rst month living in my new home was bland, as was the cloudy weather outside that desperately tried but failed to bring light in through the window. Every morning I’d use my old coffee machine, which I hoped would one day master its taste, but otherwise what it produced was bitter or diluted. The afternoons I spent sitting at my desk, going through and editing the documents with hundreds of meaningless words. In the evenings, as I was tired of seeing more words, I abandoned my book in the corner and stared at the television instead. Such similar days repeated with the fault of my own rigidity. There was one particular day however, when I 昀椀rst heard a noise from the apartment above mine. I was reading a document when a ball began bouncing against the 昀氀oor accompanied by a child’s giggle and the clicking nails of a barking dog. For about a week, I heard the child playing around with the ball and the dog, scolded by her strict mother. Then the noises stopped. The week that proceeded was silent, and I assumed they had gone on vacation until the sound of two unrecognizable voices echoed in that apartment. I soon concluded they might be a young couple. The young couple only stayed in the apartment for a week, and their spirited voices went from plenty of laughter to shouting. Once again, I was left alone in silence, which provoked every nerve of my confusion. I refused to continue to listen to those noises, but I was curious to know who resided there.

I traveled up the stairs to the higher 昀氀oor, surprised by the desolate space around me. I wondered why I decided to move here for the purpose of being isolated, only to be met with the feeling of longing for audible stimulation. Upon arriving, I passed many doors that had been barricaded by smooth wooden planks, despite it being one of the middle 昀氀oors of the building. I knew this was the right 昀氀oor and expected to 昀椀nd the apartment at the end of the hall. I became more cautious of my steps as I neared. But it was like all the other doors on that 昀氀oor, abandoned like the cracked ceiling above and the stained carpet below my feet. I inspected the corners of the door frame, the wall around the door itself, but there was no sign to declare life inside of it. Feeling defeated, I descended back down the same steps I previously thought would bring me closure. As I came back to my apartment, I closed the front door with the intent to not leave until my senses returned. ■ ■ ■ I no longer needed caffeine, as the doubts about my reality woke me up as soon as I opened my eyes. Working by the desk, I was more drawn towards the boring book I had picked from the corner, devouring every word to distract myself from my own existence. Before falling asleep, I laid in silence to hear something from above, but the only response was my own sigh of desperation. I was invited to attend a work- related event but refused due to my late documents piling up. I refused to do many things because of my intense curiosity about that apartment. One day in the following week, I returned home with my hands full of groceries. I was putting them away, opening the fridge door and rustling the empty plastic bags into tiny balls, when I heard the clinking of glass and paused. It was coming from the apartment above, and I was delighted to do nothing but listen at that moment. A woman’s voice hummed as she walked from one end to the other. She was in the kitchen as well, opening cabinets and taking out plates and cutlery. She must’ve been setting up the table, since an hour after, two guests arrived and dined with her until late in the evening. They laughed plenty, especially when the woman spoke. She was short on her remarks but had the charm of an attentive 53 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

listener. I was certain that if we were put into the same room, we would be amused by each other’s company. That week I traced the woman’s steps, following her from spot to spot. I began listening to her through the vent in my bathroom and the one next to my bed. On most days, she left her apartment for half a day. I was worried she wouldn’t return, but she always did. I listened to her evening routine, and took her switching off the television as a sign of dozing away. Near the end of the week, she invited guests to her apartment again for a big party. Hearing the numerous congratulations and conversations related to work, I assumed it was to celebrate her recent landing of a job. The people chanted in unison, popped a few bottles, and played music that vigorously shook the walls. As the night progressed, the energy of the people de昀氀ated to smaller chatter. As the majority of her guests began to leave, I hurried to open my front door, peering out to see the staircase. No one came down those stairs, except a senile man, who clanked his cane on each stair step. He seemed unbothered, meanwhile I was becoming entangled in an ever-growing confusion. I had departed to bed by the time the woman was alone in her apartment again, running the water in her bathroom sink. I was tempted to go and see her, but I hesitated. There was the possibility that nothing that I heard from that apartment was real, hence it was impossible for me to knock on the door of an abandoned apartment and be stared at by the other residents of this building passing by that accursed 昀氀oor. So, I decided to go to my bathroom and listen to the woman through the vent. I delayed the moment for a long time but was determined to speak to her before she vanished like the others. Finally, I stepped on the stool placed under the vent and let my voice be heard. “Hello?” My wary voice echoed through the vent. I heard her turn off the sink but she did not say anything in return. “Hello, this is your neighbor from the apartment below yours,” I repeated. The woman was hesitant in her steps. Then she let out an amused snicker. She spoke at last. “Gosh, you scared me. I thought I still had one of my guests over.” “I heard your party up there,” I stated, unsure how to PLAINS PARADOX ■ 54

continue. “What were you all celebrating?” “I just started a new job this week, and invited some friends and coworkers over to celebrate,” she answered, pausing for a moment, “I’m sorry if it was a bother to you.” “Oh, not at all!” I laughed nervously, “It was nice to hear some noise for once up there.” “For once? You’re too sweet! For once it’d be nice to hear some quiet with the neighbors I have,” she reciprocated my laughter. “How long have you lived here?” I asked her, placing my 昀椀ngers on my mouth. “I moved here about three months ago, so not that long,” she answered. “What about you?” I had no clear perception of the time up to this point, so I hesitated. “A few months ago, I think.” The woman replied in a delighted tone, but I did not listen as I began to think how her voice sounded so familiar, wondering if it was because we seemed to be close in age. I thought of all the previous residents of the apartment above mine. “What is your name?” I asked the woman. She had the same name as me. I asked where she was from. She named my hometown. I asked her where she went to school. Everything was the same. “What! That’s crazy,” she giggled. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you?” “No, I’m not. There is something I’ve wanted to tell you about,” I said sternly. I took a deep breath. “This past month, I’ve been hearing different people living in your apartment. They all live there for a week, and then they just disappear. There was a little girl and her mother and their dog. Then there was a couple after. And then you suddenly moved in a week later.” “I think we’re both under the in昀氀uence,” she replied, and I heard her sit down next to the vent on her bathroom 昀氀oor. “I’m not! It seems like the apartment above mine is abandoned on the outside but not inside.” “I should go to bed soon,” she yawned. “You should too.” Despite my doubts, it had long been in my knowledge that the tenants of the abandoned apartment were connected to me somehow. 55 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

“Do you remember Mimi?” I blurted out. “...My dog?” “Do you remember how you always left the patio door open even though your mother told you to close it? And when Mimi ran through chasing the ball, it was too late to save her?” She became silent. “Do you remember when you left home to be with a boy who turned out to control your whole life? And how you still haven’t contacted your mother because you’re bitter about how protective she was of you?” I heard her get up off the ground. “No, I’m too drunk for this!” I heard her begin to weep. “I need to go to sleep.” I didn’t care anymore whether she was listening to me or not. “Now I live in a rundown apartment building, isolated for most of my days. I had to 昀椀nd a new job, which I have no passion for. I don’t have anyone, and I’m too afraid to call those who I know. I’m still traumatized by what happened half a year ago.” “That is none of my concern,” she expressed with insolence. I thought how content she had been in life up to this point. “Well, it’s going to be.” “You need to stop talking to me like we’re the same person.” I heard her mouth close to the vent. “I’ve made too much progress to care about the mistakes of your past. Even if it was my past, why should any of that matter any longer? I’ve worked so hard to live here, to earn this career, to become independent. And you? Well, you’re a coward. You do nothing but spend your days hiding in your dirty apartment and arguing with your crazy mind. So don’t dare to compare yourself to me.” Everything fell silent, and in that stillness we existed, separated by one distant 昀氀oor. Then, she let out a quick gasp. “What is it?” I asked, hoping that it wouldn’t be what I had feared. “Someone’s picking on the lock of my front door,” she whispered, a hint of quivering in her voice. She begged and begged me to help, but there was no chance for me to reach her. The door of her apartment slammed open, her desperate cries muf昀氀ed then echoing faintly through the vent. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 56

AI Spinner Stephen McWilliams

Carne Asada Paulina Ruiz Lang

Wood Fairy Suellen Jumes

Speed Dating 60 William Acker “So, what do you look for in a partner?” I said, predicting the next response in my head. “Brains!” the zombie said, staring at me. Well, at my frontal lobe as far as I could tell. What I couldn’t determine was if the swipe towards me was supposed to be considered romantic or aggressive. As you can assume, the date quickly became repetitive, and I did not see us going forward together. Trying to prevent the next few minutes from becoming a total waste, I capitalized on the empty space where conversations should be and began speaking aloud to the zombie, not sure if they understood me. “I’m new to town,” I sighed, not sure how much of my tale I was willing to disclose, “originally from a small town in the U.S., just recently turned.” I smiled, which showed my fangs, sharp, freshly brushed and mostly satiated from a deer dinner the night prior. “What was your name again?” “Brains,” the zombie spoke uninterestedly. You know your stories are good when they bore a zombie. “I’ll call you Bry for short. Now Bry, I know you’re a part of the undead, but never answer a Craigslist ad of someone asking to ‘Feed from Your Essence’. That was not a post- modern way of asking for a night out of the town. After waking up behind a Wendy’s a few towns over, I realized I’d been turned. I’m sure you get the feeling.” “Brains.” I hoped that wasn’t offensive. I knew modern movies showed zombies as people who were bitten by other zombies, but after joining the world of the weird, I realized all is not as it seems in Hollywood movies. I was never into horror, but my new home of Transylvania was nothing like the movies. As Bry sat in front of me with his mouth agape and looking blankly in the air, I took the moment to examine the

room since I had some time until we switched partners. In what I could only describe as a medieval torture room with an adjacent bar, there were chains hanging from the ceiling, dirty cellar windows and piles of wetness that seemed to be moving. The hunchback sitting in the corner of the room rang his bell. “Sanctuary!” they yelled. A look of confusion crossed their face, a cough, then, “My apologies, bad habit. I meant, switch!” The male denizens sitting at the dozen or so tables scattered around the basement stood up, and all began to move one chair to the left. The zombie in front of me gazed, spoke a quiet “brains,” which I assumed could be translated as, “This won’t work out,” and he shambled to the table next to me. Replacing him was a large, amphibian-looking creature. He had large frills erupting from his forearms, hands more like 昀椀ns that ended in claws, and green, soul-piercing eyes that made my stomach curl. “I’m Gil, from the U.S., moved here about seventy years ago, after I was chased out of the states.” “Well, that’s something,” I mused. “What do you do for a living?” He pounced on the chance to talk about himself. “I’m in real estate, looking to get this area up to modern standards. There’s a little section of Black Lagoon I’m trying to urbanize about a mile down the road. You know, get a Whole Foods in there, maybe a hot yoga bar, really up the value of the area.” “So, gentri昀椀cation?” “That’s such an ugly word. I’m more looking at it as a way of improving the community—” “And make some money while you’re at it, right?” I was already done with this conversation. Luckily, the bell rang, and the partners did the awkward table swap. “Stupid blood sucker.” I heard Gil insult me under his breath. What an absolute knob. I straightened up and focused ahead, trying not to let it bother me. Next in the menagerie of weird to come across my table was a burly wolf man, wearing a tank top that said “Full Moon Fitness: Making gains every day and most nights.” His arms 61 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

were exposed, which were clearly trimmed, and while his hands did end in claws, they too were well contained and kept. His face, covered in fur, had very handsome features, like a pretty face that was covered in a very full beard, and the urge to pet him was almost unbearable. Before we were able to speak, I heard a great rustling from the table next to me, and someone yelled, “Fire!” I tried to ignore it as I honed in on my hairy, new friend. “Hey good lookin’. Why so pale?” He laughed to himself. Not the best intro I’ve heard all night, but after the 昀椀rst two strikes, everything felt like jovial conversation. Trying to ignore the blatant anti-vampirism, I moved past the comment. “So, tell me about yourself. What brings you to Transylvania?” “Do you really care?” I was genuinely curious; all this bravado, all this posturing, I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely serious or not. “Why’d you move here? Fewer full moons?” “You know, those are very hurtful stereotypes. Full moons happen monthly. We don’t have control on those nights, and many of us really try to focus on protecting those around us,” he said, but I could tell it was hidden behind pain. I knew that I was supposed to feel bad, but for some reason I didn’t. Movies tell me vampires hate werewolves, and I agreed with them wholeheartedly. My problem was that I couldn’t tell if I was irritated with the situation or with him. I settled on the fault being his. “Stereotypes bother you, huh? I’ve bet you’ve heard them all.” “I have, and none of them are funny: fuzzball, night howler, silver muncher. I bet you wanted to pet me when I 昀椀rst sat down!” Feeling judged, I approached my next sentence delicately. “Sure, we all don’t like being called names, but isn’t fear what makes us who we are? Humans are afraid of what they don’t know, and they de昀椀nitely don’t understand us. I mean, being a monster isn’t a walk in the park!” He stands up, aghast. “A walk in the park? Very Funny! Let me guess, if we were to date, you’d probably have to bag my poop, huh? Howlllllll dare you!” He stormed out of the room. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 62

“Fucking werewolves—” Defeated by my last couple dates, I almost left, but needing to make sure my ego didn’t feel totally broken, I decided to continue to sit through what was slowly becoming my own personal hell. A massive green-skinned individual sat in front of me and, even while lounging, seemed to tower over me. Seeming disgruntled, he began to scream, “Fire! Fire bad!” He pointed towards the small table candle lit at the center of the table. I quickly snuffed out the 昀氀ame, hoping not to start a full-scale panic. “Thank you.” His courteous reply gave me pause. I knew him, not directly of course, but I’d seen his movies, several of them. I even think he was married in one of them, but the question was, where did the stories meet the monster? I was curious to 昀椀nd the line. “I thought you were married. What happened?” “Oh, yeah. That didn’t work out. She said I was too wrapped up in my own vengeance, and I couldn’t listen. Apparently, I was a bad conversationalist, only grunted when she asked questions. What about her? A little hair dye could 昀椀x so much!” I think he realized he was ranting. So, the movies were true, at least to a point. I wondered if he ever got a producer’s credit. “That’s ok,” I mused, trying to keep the conversation light. “Most people can have a full life after divorce. What do you do for fun?” That seemed to stir something in him. “Nothing anymore! Used to live in a mansion, now I’m in a dirty one bedroom, and she never lets me live that down! Only the best for my better half! Had to go chase after a musician, saying she needed to travel and see the world. I was just holding her back.” As he put his head in his hands, I heard soft whimpers. To be fair, this wasn’t the worst date I’d had that evening. Letting Frank have his moment, I scanned the room to look at anything else. I noticed the woman sitting next to me, a full snake creature with human arms, seemed to be 昀椀dgeting with her hair, which was all pulled tightly back, and the ends of her hair 63 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

were bound in a bag, out of which the hair was desperate to escape. Upon closer inspection, she seemed to be speaking to her hair in harsh hissing noises. Then, in a moment, I realized whom I was sitting next to—a real-life celebrity. I quickly spoke to the Gorgon. “I love your hair,” I whispered. “They look great tonight!” Medusa turned and smiled. “Thank you! I always feel like they’re a burden. I have to take them everywhere. Brings a new meaning to ‘let’s go back to my place and get stoned,’ which is currently my best pickup line.” She laughed heartily. I reminded myself to chat with her after the night. A new city meant I needed a new group of girlfriends. “Claudia,” I introduced myself. “Medusa.” She smiled back. “We should get some coffee sometime.” “I’d love that!” The bell rang, and Frank stood up. “Thanks for listening,” he whimpered. As he sat down with Medusa, I heard him utter a dejected “Fire!” What came across my table next was the biggest surprise of the night. After seeing reanimated men, werewolves, and even a Swamp Thing, I couldn’t comprehend what was sitting in front of me. “Hi, I’m Paul.” A young man about twenty-昀椀ve sat in front of me. He wore a white and blue plaid button-up with a clashing tie. There seemed to be nothing different about him, but he smelled great. “Hi Paul. I’m Claudia. Are you wearing some aftershave? You smell great!” I really wanted to know that scent. “Nope, just regular ol’ Eau de Paul.” He seemed con昀椀dent. “So, are you a shapeshifter?” I needed to know more. “Nope, just a good ol’ fashioned human. Moved here about six months ago. Picked up a remote job, so I said, ‘Aw heck, let’s see the world.’ And let me tell you, what a world it is!” I could not focus while he spoke, but while I sniffed out what was wrong, I let him continue. “But why Transylvania?” “Oh, I love the gothic architecture, and the people are just so darn nice here. As long as I don’t go out at night, or during full moons, or if there is an angry mob—” I 昀椀guratively smacked myself on the forehead. Duh, I’m PLAINS PARADOX ■ 64

hungry. His smell is captivating because I hadn’t eaten today! “Paul.” I leaned in close to take in his full-bodied aroma one more time. “I appreciate this. You’re a great guy, and I think in a different world, we de昀椀nitely could have been something, but right now,” I took one last whiff, “you smell like lunch.” Paul was petri昀椀ed with fear; his happy-go-lucky demeanor folded away, and he stared at me in pure horror. It was a shocking moment, but I enjoyed showing him the true power of being a vampire. The bell rang again, and Paul, being the upstanding gentleman he was, quickly stood up. “It’s been a pleasure. I’ll call you.” He sat next to Medusa, and after a moment, I heard “Hi, I’m Paul.” I leaned back into my seat and was surprised by the gentleman I saw before me. He was a tanned, fully bald, well- built man. Instead of a shirt he wore a golden ankh necklace. His large bracers covered his forearms, but muscles covered the rest of his exposed body. His lower half was covered by a beautiful robe adorned by a bird. He smelled of sand and mildew, and, through my powerful, vampiric senses, what I could only describe as death warmed over, which was different from the scents coming from every other corner of the room. Clearly, he was trying to hide that through his peacocking. If this was what I had to work with, I had to shoot my shot. “Well hello there, I love the jewelry. Flavor Flav would be jealous!” The vacant look on his face made me realize he didn’t get the reference. Hoping to change the subject, I pivoted. “So, what type of music do you like?” This perked his interest. “I always loved the music they played in the temple. Do you know anything by Hathor?” His voice had a rasp I wasn’t expecting, as if he had been parched his entire life. “I haven’t heard of Hathor. Are they new?” I responded. “Oh, they’re de昀椀nitely older! Closer to the ‘80s.” “I love ‘80s music! I always liked Michael Jackson and Prince, surprised I’ve never heard of them.” “When I say ‘80s, I mean 680 BCE.” 65 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

“How old are you?” I asked. “About 3500 years old, give or take a decade.” “So, when you mean ‘the temple,’ that’s not some new venue. You literally mean the temples of…” I paused to try not to speak out of ignorance. “I’m going to guess the Egyptian Temples.” “Now you get it!” He perked up. “You know, I used to be in love,” he sighed. “She was beautiful and royalty, but she wore too much makeup. I think she married her father.” “Oh, that’s interesting,” I said, but nothing about the statement was; I could go back to the States if I wanted to deal with men dating in their 3500s who were dealing with “long-lost loves.” “The beauty of this meeting between us,” he tried to grab my hands, but I pulled them back, “you could be my new Anaksoonamun. Whad’ya, say?” “Uh, hard pass.” I could not wait for that bell to ring. Eventually, that mummy left my sight, and the hunchback in the corner yelled, “This will be the last date.” “Well, this feels like no different from dating at home,” I said under my breath. A tall, devilish-looking, bearded man in a long duster sat down in front of me. “If this is what you’re dealing with at home as well, dating must be tough around the world.” I blushed. “Oh, you heard that? Yeah, I’m new here. Everything feels different but yet the same. I’m Claudia!” “Van, nice to meet you.” He put his hand out, and for the 昀椀rst time that night, I felt comfortable enough to touch another person. I gave him my hand, but surprisingly, he didn’t 昀氀inch at my deathly cold skin. “They don’t bother you?” “Not at all, I’ve always run hot, so the coldness never bothered me.” I was impressed. It was corny, but his style was working. “What brings you to Transylvania?” “I’m starting up my practice here. I’m a doctor, looking to learn some folk remedies from the area.” And he’s a doctor. I tried to compose myself. “So, if you’re a doctor, what should I call you? Dr. What?” PLAINS PARADOX ■ 66

“Helsing, Dr. Van Helsing, if you insist.” A loud clanging 昀椀lled the room. “Sanctuar- Dammit. Sorry, time is up. Have a great night everyone.” Van Helsing stood up, still holding my hand. I rose with him. “So, I’m going to be over at the bar for the next 20 minutes or so. If you’d like to continue, please come join me. I’ll buy the 昀椀rst round.” “Absolutely, let me just run to the restroom real quick.” I ran to the bathroom and slammed the door. I tried to 昀椀x my hair in the mirror to the best of my ability and splashed some water on my face. “Well, tonight,” I said to myself, into an empty mirror, “I may be the 昀椀rst vampire in history to conquer a Helsing, one way or another.” 67 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Blake Welch in Van Gogh Ezequiel Dominguez

Texture: Landscape, Bird, Butter昀氀y, Cochineal Bugs, and Harvest Risë Keller

Home Video Collection Bee Schineller 70 Tammy she/her “My favorite food? Hmm, I would have to say probably a hamburger. A well-done patty with Swiss cheese, and I like jalapeños on mine. I quite enjoy drinking water; it always feels good after a long run. Excuse me? What kind of question is—” Joe he/him “Favorite food? Biscuits smothered in gravy. Can’t be beat. I like a cold can of beer, it’s simple but it feels right. Have I tried, what? Are you off your fucking rocke—” Georgio he/him “My what? Why do you give a shit, why are you wasting my time wit—” Carey she/her “Are you gonna buy it for me? Just kidding, it’s gotta be a New York slice. The crust is perfect, fantastic cheese and sauce. Pepperoni is the only topping you need. De昀椀nitely a Coke. It’s a perfect complement to that slice.

I’m sorry, have I tried what 昀氀esh? No, what kinda question is—” Jasmine she/her “Uhm, I like strawberries a lot. Eat them with sugar and they’re perfect. I can’t let myself have too much though. Oh, I’m always good with a glass of water, helps keep a slim 昀椀gure. Meat? I would never, I’m vegan. That’s it? What a weird selection of questions, oh are you going to post this anywhere? Cause if you are, I’d like to boost my pea smoothie recipe.” Tyler he/him “If you’d seen me at work, you’d have thought that it’s sawdust. Really just anything my wife makes is what tastes good to me. My favorite drink has to be water, makes the sawdust stop sticking to your throat if you forget to put on your protective gear on any given day. Or if some just 昀氀oats off your clothes and into your lungs. Uh, I don’t think I have, unless my wife has been mixing it in with the other meats. That’s a rather unsettling question though. I think at this point I’m just gonna leav—” Sarah they/she “My favorite food? I like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, 71 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

they’re easy and fast for me to make. Oh, I typically just drink water. A lot of other drinks end up having too much sugar for me. Mobility around town? It’s honestly a real struggle. The city doesn’t really have many wheelchair accessible areas, so I can’t really do much. I’ve tried talking with some people on the city council about it, but they haven’t exactly been understanding, or kind. Oh, it’s not really a bother. I was just working on heading home, so I was okay to answer some questions. You’re welcome.” Jane she/her “I love funnel cake, but I only ever had it when going to things like county fairs. I almost never get to have it anymore. Iced tea is really good, it helps me to relax when I’m stressed out. I can’t say that I have. Are you sure that you’re alright in the hea—” Kyle he/him “Favorite? I’d have to say probably a BLT. It’s got a good mix of textures, and it’s got bacon on it! I’m a sucker for lemonade. My family would always put in way too much sugar, but it would still be delicious. That’s disgusting, why would yo—” PLAINS PARADOX ■ 72

Fern they/them “Dino nuggets. And yes, I am an adult and still eat dino nuggets, it’s a safe food. Monster energy. I am probably going to be having heart palpitations by the time I’m forty. Oh, I haven’t had human 昀氀esh before, but I heard that someone donated part of their ear to be cooked to see how it would taste. The taster said that it was similar to veal. I might be misremembering that, but in any case, it’s fascinating. Hmm, I don’t think it would count as studying per se, I kinda just went down an internet rabbit hole at some point. Oh yeah totally, I hope you get some interesting interviews.” Beatrice she/her “I really love cooking a whole ham to have for a while. You can put it on a sandwich, eat it by itself, put it in a stew, it’s very good. One thing you can do is coat the skin in brown sugar before cooking, that tastes delightful. Oh I really shouldn’t say this, but I love myself a glass of wine. It’s a vice I struggle to give up. Ah, well uhm, I can’t say I’ve ever prepared any human before. It would likely have its own challenges to cook though. Uhm, why are you asking about human 昀氀esh? Oh. Well I would rather not have this conversation, so I’m just going to go now—” Bill he/him “A steak cooked at a perfect medium rare. Ya season it with 73 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

salt, pepper, and garlic powder to get some delicious meat. Serve it with a local brew, ya get a fantastic feelin’. And who doesn’t like to drink the day away? What in God’s name are you talkin—” Xavier Asshole he/him “Why am I wasting my time with this? Well, I’d have to say I’ve been enjoying seafood recently. One of my favorite chefs served me roasted salmon with roe, and it was a delight. Have you ever had a nice dish like that before? No, I didn’t think so. Why would I drink anything other than water and wine? That seems like a waste of perfectly good taste buds. I’m sure you end up drinking a lot of soda though. Utterly disgustin—” John he/him “I honestly don’t remember. I’m just happy when I get to see a meal in front of me.” “If you could have anything right now though, what would it be?” “If I had to say, it would probably be soup.” “Okay, uhm, give me just a bit, and hold onto the camera for me.” “Oh, well, alright. I don’t know what the kid’s thinkin, but I assume they’re coming back. My parents used to have this same type of camera back when I was a kid. I haven’t been able to talk to them in a long time. I wonder if they still have those old tapes. I wonder if they still care. “Oh you’re back, here’s your camera.” “Here. It’s from that shop over there.” “Hahaha, you went and got me soup. Bless you, you’re a kind soul. Thank you.” “Uhm, y-you’re welcome. Take care.” PLAINS PARADOX ■ 74

Mors she/her “My favorite food? Oh, what a tough question, there’s such a variety of options in this world. If I had to choose, it would probably be human liver. You get to taste all the 昀氀avors of their life, and all their mistakes. Favorite drink is blood. Mix it with wine and you can give some people a real shock. It’s so funny to see their expressions as they try to 昀椀gure out what they just drank. Then you get to show them who they just drank and see the calm seep out of their eyes. The horror they express is a delight to taste later. Some of them scream and run once everything adds up, others play along hoping for a chance to get away. They never do. Have I ever eaten human 昀氀esh? I feel like I already answered that question at this point. I’m not fond of repeating myself, but I feel like you were scripted to say that more than anything, so I’ll let it slide. Oh, you seem so 昀氀ustered, it’s cute. You’re cute. I think I’d like a taste of you and how you feel right in this moment. All that anxiety, and how it’ll slowly melt away with only a slight taste remaining.” 75 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Bat Eli Dobson

My Grandpa in Botero Style Samantha Aguirre Merchan

Twisted Tales: Rapunzel Dakota Schoen 78 The day’s journey has been a peaceful one. The forest is quiet despite the sound of leaves crunching under hooves, birds chirping, and the occasional rustling of creatures in the brush. The dense canopy above only permits a few stray strands of golden light to 昀椀lter through to the moss and vine-laden hearth below. The rest has been captured in the thick leaves above, emitting an ethereal greenish glow. If it weren’t for the occasional need to dodge a low- hanging branch, I might have begun to doze. I began my journey at dawn from Modna, a modest village home to neither royalty nor nobility of any kind. However, it is home to my old childhood friend, Ru昀椀an. To a common peasant, I would appear but a modest traveler. The only hint of my true identity is my magni昀椀cent gray steed. A fellow companion since childhood, Maximus has never let me down. Through hunt, battle, coronation, and beyond, he has been by my side. It is rare to 昀椀nd a steed with bravery and an excitement for violence that exceeds most knights. At times I suspect Maximus has a bloodlust akin to my own. The dense forest separating Modna from the rest of civilized society is about a two-day ride straight through. This year, however, the great forest of Rapunzel has seen heavy spring rains, and its spindly creaks have turned to wild rapids. Hence, a three-day journey, further north than usual. The added travel time is no burden in such a scenic landscape, and the rare moments of solitude are a treat. The constant kind-prince façade is rather tiresome. I suspect father will 昀椀nally force my betrothal to some toad- like woman with a handsome dowry and even handsomer title upon my return home. If so, keeping my hobbies discrete might prove more challenging with a wife looming

over me. And the thought of performing marital duties with any of the eligible cows likely to be chosen is utterly repulsive. As I’d rather not dwell on such nauseating images, I push said thoughts aside and let my mind drift to the delicious memories these last few days provided. I close my eyes and inhale the sweet scent of spring forest. Not nearly as intoxicating as it is when fresh blood is present but invigorating nonetheless. I relax into the 昀氀ashes of bruised skin, raw 昀氀esh, and tear-stained eyes that pass beneath my lids. I can still hear the shrieking and pleading. Rapunzel Forest or, as we fondly refer to it, Rape Forest, swallows even the loudest of screams, making for the perfect hunt. And an excellent hunt it was, indeed. Now mildly aroused, I wish I had kept one of the weaker prizes breathing. Having a plaything along for the next few nights would be rather enjoyable. As if in answer to my prayers, I am shaken from my daydream to a soft voice singing. I tug on Maximus’ reins, halting him on the spot. Indeed, it is a woman’s voice. Not only a woman’s voice, but the most beautiful voice my ears have ever heard. How lovely the maiden attached to it must be. I turn Maximus in the direction of the sweet song and urge him forward. The closer I get, the more enchanting it becomes. My pulse quickens in anticipation. I can only imagine how seductive her screams might sound. Before long, we reach the edge of a clearing. In the center, a lone tower stands, taller than the surrounding trees. A slender cylinder, smooth and gray, stark in contrast to the 昀氀ourishing forest. At the top, a single window, and perched in that window sits the most appealing maiden I have ever seen. Her shining golden hair cascades around her like the melody unfolding from her lips. With delicate 昀椀stfuls, she meticulously folds strand over strand into a smooth, shining plait. Starting at the crown of her head, it drapes over her shoulders, wrapping around her slim 昀椀gure, falling out of view inside the tower, and returning back up to where her 昀椀ngers are lazily weaving. A golden trophy ready for the taking. 79 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

I stand agape for a few moments before determination sets in, and I urge Maximus further toward the tower. I still can’t make out the words escaping her lips, but the diapason is enough to put a thrush to shame. We’re nearly to the edge of the tower as she takes note of my presence. I rake a hand through my thick brown hair and 昀氀ash a smile up at her. My handsome features are one of the few qualities I inherited from my father. People tend to trust me more easily because of them, so I have learned to use them to my advantage. I think I see a wisp of a smile tickle her lips, but before I can con昀椀rm, she disappears into the shadow of the tower. “Oh, beautiful maiden, never have I heard a voice as sweet as yours. Might I come hither so as to listen to you properly?” No response. I begin to circle the stone base in search of an entrance. Nothing but 昀椀rm gray rock. Impossible. How could such a creature end up in a tower so tall with no door? I circle once more, searching for any cracks, any hints at an opening. Still nothing. “Sweet maiden, are you alright? A tower with no doors or stairs would seem more prison than sanctuary. Might you be in any trouble?” The singing begins again. My desire grows into frustration, the perfect trophy just out of reach. I dismount from Maximus so that I can peer closer at the wall. The slabs are rough and worn but still too smooth to climb. “Oh, lovely one, how might I reach you? I may not appear so, but I am a valiant prince. Destiny has brought me here to rescue you.” The singing pauses, and after a moment’s silence, the shining gold plait soars out the window and thumps against the tower wall in front of me. Then the singing resumes. I tug swiftly on the silky rope in front of me, and to my surprise, it’s sturdy. Maximus sniffs and stomps impatiently. Gripping tightly, I slowly begin my assent. I press my boots into the old stone in front of me and 昀椀nd that the worn leather grips better than expected. First with hands, then feet, I move a few paces above the grass PLAINS PARADOX ■ 80

below. Maximus lets out an excited whinny and nudges me, causing me to lose my left footing. Nearly falling, I swing my loose leg back into position. “Woah, Max halt!” He must be as excited as I am; he hardly ever behaves this way. I resume my mission, hand over hand, foot over foot. The further I climb, the higher the tower appears to be. When I 昀椀nally approach what I assume must be halfway, my muscles begin to quiver. Determined not to let exhaustion best me, I quicken my pace. Hand, hand, foot, foot. It feels as though my muscles have been lit a昀氀ame, a searing reminder that they are all that’s keeping me suspended. Sweat trickles across my brow and down my temple. I risk a glance down and can hardly make out Maximus’ features below. Even the treetops stand impossibly far below me. It’s at this moment I see it. As if it were a living creature, the end of the glistening plait is slithering up the tower beneath me, like a serpent stalking its prey. No time for confusion or fear, no other option than up, I desperately cling to the silky strands between my 昀椀sts and frantically scramble towards the window. Just out of reach, I muster every last shred of strength left in me. Hand, hand, foot, foot. I swing my arm up, grasping at the stone ledge above. My 昀椀ngers rake the smooth surface but to no avail. I fall. Limbs 昀氀ailing, sheer panic coursing through my veins, I plummet towards the ground beneath me. A 昀氀ash of gold shoots past my thrashing arms. Something soft wraps around my ankle. Then, as if attempting to rip my leg from my body, my descent ceases, and I’m 昀氀ung backward against the stone wall. First body, then skull, followed by blinding pain. Vision faltering then failing, I feel my body begin to scrape upwards. ■ ■ ■ That sweet, soft melody is the 昀椀rst thing to pierce my consciousness, like a moment of peace before unbearable agony. I peel my eyes open to 昀椀nd myself suspended, wrists bound above my head, legs drawn apart. My left foot is hanging at a disturbing angle beneath its bindings. My 81 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

gaze travels from the gleaming gold on my boot to where it tethers around a stone pillar. It then travels over to my other ankle, another pillar, and back behind me. As my head slowly lifts, I become aware that I am hanging in the middle of a round stone room. There are more stone pillars scattered around the space, and the shimmering plait is draped and stretched between them like vines on a tree. I am uncertain if it is the pain deceiving me or if the plait itself is undulating as if breathing. My head droops again, and that’s when I notice the blood splattered beneath me. Another drop falls from my hairline to meet the puddle forming below. My insides churn, and then I am violently retching. Every convulsion causes my joints to twist and stretch. Once the gagging dissipates, my vision blurs again, and I am on the brink of unconsciousness when the source of the soft song steps into view. Veiled in a thin white dress, she slowly makes her way out of the shadows and crosses the room toward me. The end of her plait is razor sharp and slithering along beside her. Once in front of me, she reaches out a pale hand, and a dagger-like claw extends from her 昀椀ngertip. She drags it down my torso, splitting both fabric and skin. For the 昀椀rst time in all my life, I scream in terror. She looks up, and this time she truly does smile at me, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 82

Queen of Hearts Suellen Jumes

85 As if Detox Wasn’t Punishment Enough CJ Echols Day Six During our second therapy session, Toby asked an easy question, “If your arrest had never happened, where would you be now?” “Dead.” No hesitation, a vacuum-sealed bag of certainty. “In that case, write your own obituary or eulogy, whichever appeals more. How would you have died? Was anyone with you? Address these, and I’ll be back in 昀椀ve minutes to see where you’re at.” I knew I would have been alone. Adam would have been the perpetrator, but that’s unimportant. Okay. Name, birthplace, age, fun fact. Toby returned, taking a seat on the stump opposite mine. “Ready?” With an apprehensive nod, he signaled me to go ahead. “Christina, born on the twenty-second of August in Dallas, Texas, was found beaten to death in her blue Honda Civic by Grapevine Lake on the evening of January seventh, two thousand twelve. Friends say her favorite song was ‘Disenchanted’ by My Chemical Romance. She was twenty years old.” We sat under kukui trees overlooking the Paci昀椀c, listening to birds singing, and basking in the dappled sunlight. The assignment exacerbated an indiscernible lust. The therapist spoke softly, “How do you feel after saying that aloud?” “Empty. Numb. Like I died way before this shit. None of it felt true, even though it could have been my reality.” Toby sighed, exasperation embroidering his next words. “How about a more hands-on assignment? Tell the others about your family dynamics by posing them

as mannequins. Each person can portray one of your immediate family members. Don’t forget about yourself.” I don’t see how that would make this any less weird, but whatever. Day Six: After Dinner Gathered around the 昀椀re pit that evening, I voluntold my peers to participate. O held an invisible book open while lounging on a chair, or in this case, a tree stump. B personi昀椀ed petulance while arguing with W. J massaged their temples, shying away from the 昀椀ght unfolding. W was 昀氀ushed with ire, hands thrown up in exasperation. T counted imaginary currency at an invisible desk. C had an armful of purchases and one hand outstretched towards T. I sat myself in the middle of the chaos, face hidden behind knees, knees held to chest, forgotten. Day Seven “How did the assignment go?” I patted him on the shoulder before leaving our session to be alone. “Thanks for reminding me why I started doing drugs, Toby.” PLAINS PARADOX ■ 86

Self Portrait Eli Dobson

Eternal Sky James Klingensmith 88 Wolves in the early morning wake. Do you hear? There, a reply. The ducks 昀氀y on the blue re昀氀ection of the deep eternal sky. Horses wild and free strode the grasses. The steppes are awake and alive. Listen... listen, see the eagles. Like them, be free, Free in the eternal blue sky.

89 Just a Few More Lanes Isaac Seyer To the Houston Traf昀椀c Committee: The large and repeated traf昀椀c jams on Interstate 10 (I-10) have been a concern to all Houstonians as of late. The fact that it can take an hour to move 昀椀ve miles in this city is frankly unacceptable. Additionally, once you arrive at your destination, there isn’t enough room to park, which means you’ll have to park your car far from where you need to be. Once you 昀椀nally park you’ll have to cross the still busy streets, and that is a danger to both you and the drivers on the road. This is why we would like to propose that Houston expands I-10 from a twenty-six lane highway to a one hundred lane highway. Additionally, we believe it would be bene昀椀cial to convert 75 percent of downtown into parking garages to help alleviate parking issues. Expanding I-10 into one hundred lanes is a sure昀椀re way to reduce traf昀椀c. The nearly 400 percent increase in space will leave more room for people to travel freely at their own individual pace, and not held back by the other people on the highway. We estimate that this will reduce congestion to 25 percent of what it once was within a mere week of the expansion’s completion. This plan dwarfs all of the previous expansions’ ef昀椀ciency in congestion reduction. Furthermore, by making more room on the highway, this means that more cars can pass through Houston, which provides more opportunities for people to help fuel the local economy. This brings us to our next point. Downtown Houston is a wonderful place, rich with history and culture. Truly, the downtown area is the lifeblood of this great city. The only issue is that it can be so inaccessible for people driving cars into the city. There simply is not enough parking to accommodate all the people who want to visit. This is why it is crucial that we bulldoze 75 percent of downtown and rebuild it as parking garages. By vastly increasing the

amount of parking space, we can increase foot traf昀椀c in the downtown area and allow more people to enjoy the sights and experiences it has to offer. No longer will individuals have to risk life and limb crossing several car 昀椀lled roads on foot in order to reach their destination. They will have the freedom to walk less than 昀椀ve hundred feet to their desired location after parking in one of the many available parking spaces. We are aware that there may be concerns regarding the 昀椀nancial viability of the project. Rest assured; these kinds of infrastructure expansions essentially pay for themselves. We estimate that within three months of completion, I-10 will be operating at full capacity, so there’s no need to worry about funds wasted on excess lanes. This, in combination with the parking space increases will add to the cash昀氀ow in downtown and will thus increase the revenue stream for the whole city. If upfront costs are an issue, then we have another way to pay for the renovations. We suggest that Houston lease out the streets of the city to a private company to acquire the funds. The company would pay an upfront fee to obtain the rights to charge for roadside parking and road use for a period of time, and in exchange they would be responsible for the maintenance of the road during that time. We recommend a period of three hundred years to fully cover the costs of the expansions. Now, we must warn you that agreements like this typically require the city to pay the company if the road needs to be shut down for any reason (to make up for lost pro昀椀t, of course). However, we believe this most likely will pose no problem for the city. After all, roads hardly ever need to shut down in Houston. We at Asphalt Inc. sincerely hope that due thought and consideration on this matter is given. It is important to us that the people of Houston get the infrastructure they need to function every day. Which is why we once again implore you to seriously consider our proposal and all of the potential economic good it can do for this wonderful American city. Sincerely, Asphalt Inc. Representative Moe Cash. PLAINS PARADOX ■ 90

Dreamscape Ines Marti Devolx

Living History Sarah Ratli昀昀

93 Ember: A Love Letter to Memory Arizona Metzler Luminescent shadows glow before her eyes. The ice shrouds her shoulders, 昀椀xated on faded thorns. They well up within her gut. Faded, escaping the polar grasp, her hands shroud the after picture, trying to hang it up on walls with singed frames, and weathered with stale sands. Caught by the slow burn’s glow, extinguished pulses, she procrastinates the inevitable, and hides from divinity to stay with the faded burns, clinging to the smoke. In the colors of this narrow path, all she can say is, “I remember when.” The faded warmth shadows the day, the weathered burns cascade from scorching 昀氀ares that bring ice cream and murder, leaving behind pulsating stillness, and sweater suns. The crunch of burgundy and vermillion under pitter patter, the faded scent of chrysanthemums, and promise of old- fashioned apple cider. A simpler time is when the love burnt brightest, and blood ran thick. Comradery and paper airplanes used to 昀椀ll the air; the faded sun used to set here. On the hills and in the groves, the glow singed with stale sands, with hair burning like hers, they ran and played, they burned brightest. The warm 昀氀utters around from the treetops, and lays where they both did on the ground. Dopamine 昀椀lled slow-motion images, weathered and framed with singes. Warm hugs faded to afterglow as the ice creeps and stalks. The warm sweaters to ashes with remembrance, and wilted peace lily’s where chrysanthemums used to lie. Nothing left but the after effect, the lightning glow that stains your eyes when they close, forever burned in the shadowy glow of remains. All that was left was “I remember when.”

Florece Corazón Paulina Ruiz Lang

95 吀栀e Cartographer Violet Oliver By the ordinance of His Majesty, you have been tasked with the creation of an atlas of the known world and a description of its inhabitants. For seven years, the Cartographer cataloged old towns and new cities, the soft scratching of his pen sending an echo across the dusty, oak-wood shelves of the library. This town was founded one hundred and thirty-nine years ago, that one, one hundred and seventy-two. This one specialized in wheat production, that one barley. If he did report inaccurate information, would anyone notice? The king seemed oblivious to his own kingdom, never mind foreign ones. Sometimes during his work, there were eventful days, like when the butler spilled his morning tea, or the cat sauntered in to say hello. But boredom is a powerful force, and eventually even the Cartographer could not resist succumbing to its will. ■ ■ ■ There is dust everywhere. It wasn’t a particularly sophisticated observation, but it was an important one. Nothing has disturbed the dust for seven years, perhaps longer. The king had never traveled to foreign places, nor had the Cartographer ever seen him pick up a book to learn about them. Only by illustrating these towns will I bring them into existence for the king. He paused and thought, I don’t catalog cities; I create them. His pen quivered. A curious hand turned the page in the atlas. His reference map drifted slowly to the 昀氀oor. A bold line leapt out onto the virgin paper. His quest to document the world of his imagination had begun. In this world he was a mere cartographer, but in the

atlas he now had the command of God. With a 昀氀ick of his wrist, sharp black peaks jetted up from the fresh page, and inky blue rivers carved and twisted the paper into strange shapes unknown to him. There were forests more prosperous than any in this world and a gaping sea inviting allure and mystery. He shifted the geography of the landscape before his very eyes. His real pleasure, however, came from the cities he founded. Each had rich histories, elaborate dramas waiting to unfold, customs, traditions, and people. Gone were the days of reporting commodities, population densities, and trade. The page exploded into rich narratives of exotic animals, adventure, and magic. This world belonged to him, but because it was in the atlas, it was real. ■ ■ ■ One evening, after exhausting the pages in the book, the time came for the Cartographer to present The Atlas of the Known World to the king. He got up from his desk, tucked his masterpiece underneath his arm, and went to 昀椀nd His Majesty. The Cartographer wandered through the halls and, 昀椀nding the king peacefully eating lunch, felt quite embarrassed by interrupting him. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I have 昀椀nished the atlas you have requested.” “Oh! Yes! Give it here.” The Cartographer awkwardly handed him the book, and His Majesty lazily 昀氀ipped through a couple pages before handing it back. “Yes, that will do. I will have your payment delivered shortly.” “Would you like me to leave it here for you, sir, so you can have a look through it?” “No, you may 昀椀nd a shelf for it in the library. That will do.” The Cartographer was taken aback, but the king had promised a generous sum for completing the book, so he obeyed and paced back toward the library. Only when he stared blankly at the cleared shelf did the remorse start to creep in. There is dust everywhere, he thought. The entire PLAINS PARADOX ■ 96

world, my world, these seven years, surrendered to dust. He studied the elaborately decorated cover of his atlas and felt its weight in his arms. And nobody would notice- The atlas retreated into his satchel. He walked purposefully down the halls. The gates opened, the sunlight greeted him, and the Cartographer escaped into the countryside. 97 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Head Full of Stu昀케ng Matt Nygren

Old Cutter Garrett Olin

Translation: 100 A World Within Connor Hutton Bristles cleave against bone in arrhythmic strokes; wiry, cilia-like hair entrapping, scraping, and freeing 昀氀ecks of debris embedded tightly into the skull of a bull. A clock’s punctual tick aligns with a jarring scratch of the brush or a pitter of grit against the paper the skull rests on. It is a hobby of mine to exhume the remains of the past and to revitalize them in my unique way, to bring them forth into the present, so they may live on long after leaving the mortal world; the paint tray beside it ready to give the gift of color—a new life. Underneath the skull is a notebook; scribbled and scrawled within the pages are cerebral recordings, ideas, concepts, and stories. I am an artist of my mind’s eye, and my creativity knows neither boundaries nor constraints. As I clear my brush of debris and prepare to bestow color to my work, I spare a glance toward my computer. The charging cable is 昀椀rmly in the port; the cord is snaked around the back and looped down into the outlet below. The glance obscures what the gaze reveals: a re昀氀ection buried deep in that black screen. The digital era puzzles me, something so familiar yet inextricably alien. It unites, and it divides. It informs and restricts. It creates and destroys. It scares me, yet I know my purpose as an artist: to create meaning and give awareness, to write messages and inspire, to grow from my mistakes, and to always have hope for a brighter future. Of course, I must care for myself before I can give to the world. A tube of lotion sits delicately on the computer, lightened from multiple uses of its purpose: to care for my skin, my hands, after each expedition into the unknown. It is a ritual of comfort and necessity. The strokes of the brush begin to warp from wide stretches to singular narrows, the sounds intermixing

between bleached bone and pearl-tinted paper. Thoughts interlinked, I blink and allow myself back into the present. I pull my head away from the intricate shades, the minute details, and as the pencil in my hand becomes numb, I allow myself the same re昀氀ective gaze into the world that I created. 101 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Mug Mouth Cora Eastman

103 An Encounter with the Easter Bunny Katie Doolittle It was late the night before Easter, past my bedtime of 8:30 p.m. Seven-year-old me was very afraid of the dark, and so my parents always kept the hallway light on. Most nights I would wake up randomly and look around, making sure that the dark spots in the corners were only dark spots and not a Dementor from Harry Potter about to suck out my soul, and sometimes I would get scared and move to my parents’ room. But this night, this night was the night before Easter, and so I wasn’t afraid when I woke up, but maybe I should have been. I remember hearing a sound from downstairs. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. The thumps were spread out in such a way that I knew what it was—hopping. Now, of course, this might sound ridiculous since 昀椀rst, the Easter Bunny isn’t real, and second, what parent hops when they’re placing Easter eggs around the house? With every thump, my heart pumped faster and my eyes widened. I thought, could it really be? The Easter Bunny is here, right now?! The thumps grew closer, approaching the stairs, and then stopped. And I thought it would be so easy to just go down and see him. I was so tempted, in that one short moment, to break the rules and spoil the surprise. But then something else happened that made me freeze. Not the kind of freeze where you’re so stunned and excited you can’t move, but the kind that you experience when your body is telling you to stay away. Someone, something, turned the light off, then, after a moment, turned it back on again. Off and on. Off and on. I gripped my sheets and watched as the light changed its mind. Again. Again. While the thing played with the switch, all I could do was stare and listen to my pounding heart. Then it stopped. The light stayed on.

CJ Caroline Behnke

Hand Study Robyn Eubanks

American Holiday 106 Ellaina Powers The pumpkins on the porch are rotting faster than me and I envy them. Their roots failed them months ago and mine, decades. Because in school they make us memorize all the presidents and hope we forget where we came from, how we lived before a revolution full of soda pop and guns and trains. Coke tastes good but it’s hard to swallow with broken teeth. And on Halloween they let us walk house to House, believing we are the heroes in our own narrative; bruised knuckles rapping on the door of our future while the monsters in suits behind it hiss and shriek, dangling everything sweet on a thread just a little too high to reach. Trick or treat, dance and sweat and bleed for the rest of your life, there was nothing good for us here anyway, and anything that was is now soaked through with rainbow water that burns going down the throat and forces us to bury the dog six years early. We carve pumpkins anyway, and the TV is on in the background playing reruns of Chernobyl and I wonder where that one guy got his mask, because I’m gonna ask for one for Christmas if the snow doesn’t tear through our roof before Santa can make another deal with The Big Guys.

But I’m thinking too far ahead. Christmas is months away and I don’t think there will be any pumpkins to carve this year; we’ll just have to settle on digging up derailed train cars and bullet shells instead, running and hide-ing and 昀椀ghting for what fruit is left. 107 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

Ramen Paulina Ruiz Lang

Take Flight Jaz Vera

Wonder Woman Poppy Barnett

Will you pay for your 111 gas with cash, credit, or innocent blood? Ryan Pegg The artistic atrocities continue. A cluster of airplanes with lizard legs scream for Coca-Cola. Conversely, the lizards with airplane wings beg for Pepsi. The mammal automobiles and the avian seacraft share their food stamps. The rest of the free 昀氀amingos gather in Prague. I wept for the penguins in Serbia. Cosmic lover, why have you forsaken the Czech rhinoceros? Heavier burdens await in the garage. Bees and beetles 昀椀ght epic battles in the Colorado prairie. I have nothing to add on the topic of Mandrill separatists. I throttled a ghost in the twilight of January. The experiences of the platypus transcend linear reason. File in line lizard planes and airplane lizards! Ladybug shouting changes with the times. Grasshoppers make the economic circumstances delightful. Eight score bath bomb factory workers raid a Spencer’s in Tallahassee. Manager, Marly Mantis, was found dead in a crumbling overpass. Resources are tight in Ghost World. Cannibal bonobos rede昀椀ne debauchery in Quebec. The time-platypus says they met God in the form of a 昀氀oppy disc made of 昀氀esh. The bugs come together to embroider “sodomy” on the carpet of the Louvre. Galileo’s severed middle 昀椀nger inexplicably grows a new Galileo. Fate was spelled out when Fred Fox decided to take up the oboe. Susan, the galaxy, anxiously awaits the seventh mass extinction.

Cells are preparing for the existential mitosis. The last woman exits with a remorseful rattle. Paranormal famine doomed Ghost World. Galileo: Galileo Strikes Back wept for the desolate cities. Skyscrapers with human limbs climb to the heavens. The bugs, the automobile monkeys, and the airplane reptiles cried on Saturday. The doom of limbed-beasts was sealed, reality became denominational. The cells said to themselves, “Okay, who fell asleep at the wheel?” PLAINS PARADOX ■ 112

Architectural Space De昀椀ned by Light Samantha Aguirre Merchan

Gibberish and the Mucus 114 Cloth of Existence Sebastian Montes de Oca Hanging conveyor belts with Members dangling Trees of gum with leaves of teeth At a desk of bones Sits a tinkerer, Before jars of hips and bowls of eyes “What must crack for the lids to open?” Bent inside out, the tinkerer Shuf昀氀es about Moving to think, Thinking to tinker, Tinker to giggle, Giggle and shiver. “Hips hips hips, lisping lips, and little licks” A pot. A womb in the pot. Stuf昀椀ng. Tinker cackles and 昀椀re crackles “Birth birth, another to my little earth” Smoke blowing up 昀椀replace nostrils “Life I spice and life I splice and life I give none twice” Laughter, mucus, chuckle, spitter, cloth, and muf昀氀e

“Be my skin and bones, make them love and hurt, Great thinker they tink” Giggle and cough Cabinet creak, Papers shuf昀氀e Breath blown Dusty souls Leather burns Iron molds Stretching skin Muscle moves Coughing, quiet. 115 ■ PLAINS PARADOX

AWARDS 2023 Journal Awards ■ “First Class” Designation: National Council of Teachers of English 2023 REALM Awards ■ First place: American Scholastic Press Association 2023 Individual Awards ■ 1st place for Poetry: Ellaina Powers’ “How to Translate the Word: Worth,” Community College Humanities Association (CCHA) ■ 2nd place for Photography: Morgan Salerno’s “Dream Logic,” CCHA 2022 Journal Awards ■ 2nd place: American Scholastic Press Association 2021 Journal Awards ■ “Excellent” Designation: National Council of Teachers of English 2021 REALM Awards ■ 1st place: CCHA’s “Best Journal Award” 2021 Individual Awards ■ 1st place for Photography: Kana Anderson’s “Lost in the Corn Maze,” CCHA ■ 1st place for Poetry: Martha Connelly’s “Laura Swears,” CCHA ■ 3rd place for Poetry: Dinah Bowman’s “The Salmon of Knowledge,” CCHA

AWARDS 2020 Journal Awards ■ 1st place: American Scholastic Press Association ■ 2nd place: CCHA’s “Best Magazine Award” 2019 Journal Awards ■ 1st place: American Scholastic Press Association 2019 Individual Awards ■ 1st place for Fiction: JJ Wheeler’s “The Dress,” CCHA 2018 Journal Awards ■ 2nd place: American Scholastic Press Association ■ 3rd place: CCHA’s “Best Magazine Award” 2018 Individual Awards ■ 1st place, Creative Non昀椀ction: Kiley Winkelhake, “It was Just a Kill Box,” CCHA ■ 3rd place, Best Short Story: Barbara McDaniel, “My World is Blue,” CCHA ■ 1st place, Best Short Story: Hailey Wildhirt, “The Kitten,” CCHA ■ 3rd place, Best Poem: Kiley Winkelhake, “2AM Intimacy,” CCHA ■ 2nd place, Best Artwork: Sophia Zanowick, “Women’s Grief,” CCHA ■ 3rd place, Best Artwork: Sophia Zanowick, “Angles in Motion,” CCHA