Guest

Pronouns

Title

1

Tom McNally

he/him

Killscreen

2

Deron Shirley

he/him

Colorize

3

Aevar Gudmundsson

he/him

Perfect Light

4

Ben Estep

he/him

Password

5

Colette McCormick

she/her

Christmas Letter to the Deceased

Killscreen

When you woke up the monitors showed you what happened in the simulation after you escaped it.

You watched your old avatar carved up like a christmas dinner, fake organs gifted to ghosts that needed them. They removed the stone from your belly - the remains of the Devil, which fossilised when there was no one real left to taunt.

Safe now under crisp linen, you watched the uncanny duplicates of us you left behind in Hell make our phone calls, curse Jeremy Hunt, follow the inquest, share our guilt.

But our real selves were so pleased to have you back.

Word count: 100

Colorize

Hi Mom,

Are you doing well? I hope so. It’s been a rough year since you passed on. Though with our situation, it felt like you left long before you actually did.

I want you to know that when I think of you, our happiest memories, I bring into focus and fully colorize them. They are vivid, living things for me.

The times we fought (I’m sorry there were so many of those) I fade them to gray. They are still there, for you raised me to be strong, but they no longer sting.

You know I love you, D.

Word count: 100

Perfect Light

Why doubt, why be afraid?  Don't you know this image?  Don't be afraid.

I'm with you, always, what was and what will be is here for you to understand the invisible world and the visible.

This then, arises out of the light, reflects the light.

Ask the spirit for foreknowledge, the spirit will agree.

Nothing is above you, nothing below you, everything exists within you, this is eternel

this is absolute utter perfect light.

The invisible celebrates the light and pours upon everlasting life, and mind and foreknowledge becomes one.  You glorify the invisible, because it has come into being

Word count: 100

Password

I miss you, Grandpa. To be honest, I can't remember the last time we were together. It's decades at this point. That doesn't matter though, because I have plenty of wonderful memories.

I remember the candelarias lit up throughout Albuquerque at Christmas. I remember riding in your little red MG convertible. I remember the smell of your pipe, which you'd only fill with a special Scandinavian blend.

I wish we could share another Christmas and say goodbye. I found out you died when I was helping Grandma recover passwords on her computer, your obituary was in the recently visited.

Word count: 99

Christmas Letter to the Deceased

I don't know why I thought of you this Christmas.

Maybe it was the tinsel, like your hair

Which hung in silver, tangled tresses

Or the mint of the pine, like the toothpaste that lingered

On your final breath.

Or all this mention of “spirit”

and somehow, your reflection

behind me in every mirrored ornament.

Pretty as you were that day I made you my gift.

I know I have you somewhere buried

In a box that I wrapped myself,

All tight and pretty.

But perhaps your soil grew my tree.

Anyways, the holidays are warmer

With you haunting me.

Word count: 100