Cento from Pull Me Under: A Novel by Kelly Luce

I fell into his arms, crushing the pinecones between us. The world here comes in every shade of green, bushes like limes and trees so dark they’re blue. On his face, I’ve seen what I’ve done. The bagpipes sang of mourning and joy. Was everything an illusion? There were periods of whitecaps and periods of glassy calm. 

The beauty of the mountains, the way tiny wildflowers sprinkled the earth in springtime, made me believe it was possible to forget where I came from. Uncle Vito driving to Missouri to buy Coors Light. The party with the Llama on the balcony. 

Once Tam sketched the frontal lobe – center of emotion, though I doubt he was aware of this – and then, with a few smart placements of gulls, sun, a boat, turned it into a seascape. He laughed at my curiosity. Fare whether fans. 

Our path is no longer paved smooth; this new dirt trail is soft and uneven. I close the tab without submitting the changes. 

You look different. Danny touches my jawline gently, raises my head up to look at her. 

I gesture at my T-shirt and baggy running shorts. I want to finish it. 

Still a ways off now, Danny says. I’m coming with you. 

There is no breeze; even the birds are silent. Strangely silent, lulled to sleep by the rain, or perhaps simply unwilling to speak up.

Aura Martin graduated from Truman State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. She is the author of the micro-chapbook Thumbprint Lizards (Maverick Duck Press). Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in ang(st) zine, dreams walking, and Kissing Dynamite, among others. In Aura’s free time, she likes to run and take road trips.

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