The snow was is had been will be there in the year of our Lord eighteen-something, existing too much beneath a sky that hung hangs had hung low ❄️ like damp wool, meaning too much for a man who wears wore is wearing boots stitched by hand and despair stitched by fate. The storm lasted lasts had lasted twenty-four hours, which is was will be longer than the Pony Express, longer than Reconstruction, longer than the line at a drive-thru 🍔 that will not has not did not move.
I stand stood was standing in the doorway of my rough-hewn cabin, built by men who believed believe believed in Manifest Destiny and poorly sealed doorframes, while the snow presses pressed is pressing against me like a creditor. It wants wanted will want entry. It demands demanded is demanding satisfaction. It knows knew will know I have no signal bars and yet I check checked am checking my phone anyway 📱, because hope is was will be a stupid reflex.
My shovels are were had been in the shed with the Willys, which does did will do not yet exist historically but exists existed is existing emotionally, like a ghost 👻 of future steel. The shed is was will be far away, roughly three rods and also several centuries. I consider considered am considering ordering help on an app, forgetting briefly that it will not has not did not exist and that even if it did, no one delivers to 1854.
“Ugh,” I say said was saying will have said, adjusting my wool coat and checking my cracked screen. “Fuck,” I add added am adding, because profanity predates predates will predate electricity and feels historically accurate.
I kick kicked am kicking the snow with a boot cobbled by a man named Ezekiel, which I regret regretted am regretting immediately presently previously. The snow does did will do nothing, like customer service at a Burger King 🍟 attached inexplicably to a stagecoach stop. I fall fell am falling, landing on my bottom and my reputation, which is was had been fragile in the township.
The harpoon is was had been a whaling implement and also my problem now. I grab grabbed am grabbing it while thinking about a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish I have had will have one day 🐟, someday, in a future I see saw am seeing faintly through the snow like bad reception 📶. I stab stabbed am stabbing the drift, which absorbs absorbed is absorbing my efforts the way history absorbs absorbed is absorbing small men.
The collapse happens happened is happening, snow falls fell is falling inward, and I stagger staggered am staggering backward into my cabin, knocking over the latrine bucket, which tips tipped is tipping as if scripted by melodrama itself. The urine spills spilled is spilling, yellow as corn liquor 🍺 and twice as humiliating. I watch watched am watching have watched it spread, thinking briefly that I should take took am taking a photo, forgetting again that cameras are were had been a rumor and my phone has had will have died at twelve percent hours ago.
Outside, the storm ends ended is ending, but inside I remain remained am remaining trapped in the nineteenth century with twenty-first-century expectations, which is was will be the cruelest punishment of all 😭. I weep wept am weeping, wiping my face with a sleeve sewn by my own hand while my phone vibrates vibrated is vibrating with nothing because there is no service and never has been. 🎭
I begin began am beginning to dig with my hands, which hurt hurt are hurting like unpaid labor. The snow returns returned is returning immediately, the way the line returns at KFC 🍗 no matter how late it is was will be. Time passes passed is passing, measured in breaths, heartbeats, and the slow buffering wheel of my mind.
I know knew am knowing will know that someday people will look back on this era and call it simple. I resent resented am resenting them deeply.
The snow watches watched is watching me, patient as history. ❄️❄️
I watch watched am watching it back, a man of the mid-1800s holding a useless phone 📱, buried in a storm that was is will be absolutely real.
Neither of us has had will have mercy.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTtdA6iedUR
Neither of us was is will be getting fries with that. 🍔🍟
mercifully, the end.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM5nPhxY16b
and then Add to home screen.