walk_away no reason maybe you're at least walking to something 140804 ... ovenbird The blue and white tiles are cold under my feet. The water is deep and colder than the tile. To pass this level I must hold my breath long enough to get through a tunnel. Another woman goes before me. I practice holding my breath while her body is submerged. She is under a long time. I run out of breath long before her head breaks the surface. I refuse to enter the water. I decide that failure is an option and I walk away. I am in a house that has never been mine. There are rooms that are closed to me and that makes me sad because I won’t ever belong here. In the living room the guests give the dog unsolicited advice. The dog just stares. “He is not inclined to do anything that doesn’t align with his instincts,” my father says. The dog stands up. He walks away. We say, “It’s really all too much. There’s no joy.” We look out to the mountains. We watch the hawks fly. We try to decide whether or not a line has been crossed. Have we been gaslit? Abused? Why is it so hard to tell? Our shoes are by the front door. We could put them on…and walk away. 260824 what's it to you? who go blather from