Freezer Spell, by Sophia Carroll

Make a list of things you dislike about him—the pettier, the better. Cross each day you don’t talk off on your paper calendar, like an alcoholic marking sobriety. Be glad it’s January. Correct the mistakes of the previous year: sleeping in the fetal position, seeking his approval, putting off meals. Crack eggs into a cast iron, small suns to beat the dim from your skin. Mix plain yogurt with garlic, lay the eggs on top of it, season. Sauté the greens, refresh with lemon. Plate on the dish your friend made, half-green, half-white: the egg on the green side, the greens on the other, yin and yang. Surely he carries a part of you still—you were so alive, green as glee, nourishing. But don’t think about it: just feed yourself.

 

Published 23rd of January 2025

 

About Sophia Caroll

Sophia Carroll (she/they) is an analytical chemist and writer. Her work appears or is forthcoming in SmokeLong QuarterlyDOOR=JARRust & Moth, and elsewhere. Find her on Substack at Torpor Chamber and on Twitter @torpor_chamber.