An Atomic Unconscious
By Hannah Parker The year is 1950. A young woman sits on a park bench, a file of letters lying open on her legs. She is not reading them. Her eyes are fixed on the fog in the distance, as if something, someone, will step out of the fog and redeem her forever. But the fog remains unchanged. Emptiness surrounds her. Loneliness . The wind picks up, fluttering the pages of the letters, starting a cadence of flimsy paper and wind. She sets the file aside. “Daniel,” She sputters, tears pricking at her eyes. And that’s when she sees him, appearing from in the fog. The young woman jumps to her feet. “Daniel!” She takes off, running for him. “Daniel!” She screams, throwing her arms out to grab him. Her arms slice through air. Daniel’s figure fades into the fog. Only an apparition. “Daniel,” she whispers, her knees falling to the ground. The fog circles around her. She is one with it now. Her file is far away now. Reality is gone. It’s just her, crumpled upon th
