Over the waterfall we fell towards glory or oblivion.

The stars were closer out in West Texas but everything else was far away.

Strangely, she was happy when he switched from telling her implausible half truths dripping with sentimentality to stark facts that cut to her core.

He took immense pleasure in the simple things after the accident—the way his dog kicked her legs out in a smooth rhythm while swimming; the seemingly random flitting of a Monarch butterfly along the shoreline.

Through the forest path we walked towards the flickering firelight.

"They changed the names, but it's still the same ol' shit," said Pauly snapping off the television with finality.

The world left enlightened thought and science behind for baseless fear and ritual magic.