"About a year ago," he said, "I photographed a pregnant woman. The photos are really a cut above that clinical crap you see in educational diagrams." He disengaged for a few seconds. "We had to cut into her very, very carefully. She was, aw, four or five months. The thing was like a little critter, all snuggled up inside with its little arms crossed over its chest. Shot five rolls of film. 400 ASA. Every angle you could conceive of. Ever seen a litter of dead baby mice? Mice'll give birth to stillborns a lot of the time. That's what the thing looked like. Shriveled and pink and transparent. Only bigger than a mouse."

I nodded. Apathy was essential.

- from Talking to Strangers by Shira B.


"This is Bolivia" by Morgan Elliott.