There Are No Hills In This Town
by Jimmy Chen
From a car stopped at red, Jill looks small for a human. This is an optical illusion created by the large building she stands in front of. Jill waits for the bus trying to read her book, but the wind keeps turning the pages for her. A strong gust blows her into the next chapter. Take a human, place it in front of a large building: this human will resemble prey. Imagine pink flesh underneath clothing, how inviolate and penetrable flesh is. Imagine a dinosaur coming down, snatching the human up, and the small drops of blood that fall diagonal in the wind, spotting the pavement like atonal notes. From a car accelerating at green, Jill will get smaller, smaller as the car drives away. The driver will turn his head to sustain his gaze, soon precluded by the sheer physical constraints of his neck. Seen from a rearview mirror, Jill will lose her place in the enfolding blur of cars, trees, people, and other things.
From a car stopped at red, Jack looks at a woman standing in front of a large building. She waits for the bus trying to read her book while the wind blows through her hair. The book is thick, and it looks like she’s near the end. Jack wonders what book she is reading; he wants to know the story. A large crow flies from one electrical wire to the next, its wings spread out like an improbable hug. It feels like he’s been at the red light forever. He’s fidgeting with the car keys when the light turns green. Jack eases into the accelerator pedal with the restraint and subtlety of a man who would rather stay there. The woman gets smaller, smaller as he drives away. Jack turns his head to look at her until his neck stops him. He contemplates shifting into second gear but realizes there are no hills ahead. His right hand feels confused about where to go, laments the space it occupies, and sadly finds his lap. Jack wonders what the book is about. Seen from his rearview mirror, the small woman standing in front of a large building becomes eclipsed by an aggregate of other things.
Jimmy Chen has been published in Juked, elimae, Pequin, Lamination Colony, among others. For more info, visit www.jimmychenchen.com.