home - a short story
❝ you are the warmest home i will ever, ever find. ❞ home. it was once a couple of interconnected walls sheltered by a tiled roof, warmed by a flickering fireplace. a mantelpiece hovering above the roaring flames, decked in memories and souvenirs and picture frames radiating happiness. in one, i’m at disneyland, with a grin plastered onto my face that almost reaches my ears. in another, i’m dressed up as the little mermaid for halloween, with a candy basket perched on my arm. there are paper plate paintings hung up on the walls and fairy lights lining the ceiling. vintage armchairs are firmly situated in the middle of the living room, amongst old photo albums and journals. there are stairs leading up to who-knows-where. home. it’s morphed into a small apartment. there isn’t space left for a closet, so my clothes have found refuge on the ugly, carpeted floors. the walls are cracked by the corners, and the air-conditioning sometimes lets out alien-like noises. the fl...