SUCKERS BY ERIN BROOKINS “I had the dream about the spaceman and the giant squid again.” Peter shifted in his chair. It probably wasn’t the most helpful thing to be addressing in therapy. But then again maybe it was. Dr. Bowers raised her eyebrows and dug around for a pen. “Ah, yes,” she said. “And they’re making love?” “What? No! They’re fighting. I had the same one two weeks ago, remember?” “Ah, ah. Sorry. Wrong patient.” “Someone else had a dream about— ” “I can’t divulge that.” Dr. Bowers said. “And that’s really all I’d like to say about it.” A CEO-type had been in the waiting room once: slicked back salt-andpepper hair, shiny Rolex, sneakers worth more than Peter’s annual salary. Those old money types always had indulgently perverse secrets. Dreams without fear of consequence. Dr. Bowers clicked her pen. “Let’s hear about this fight.” “Right,” Peter said. “It’s almost the same as last time: it’s dark out, and there’s a man in a spacesuit. The retro white, puffy one, with the big, shiny visor— ” “Are you sure it’s a man?” Dr. Bowers clicked her pen again. No. 109 Peter scratched his head. “There’s a person in one of those old school spacesuits, and they’re floating in the middle of a giant lake. And the lake is deep purple, with swirls of blues and pinks and yellows. There are a million bright lights scattered across it, like fireflies in late summer.” Like back home. “I realize it’s reflecting what’s above me, so I look up. And …” Peter cleared his throat. “Mmmhmm,” said Dr. Bowers. Click, click. “And I can see really far into space and time,” he continued tentatively. “It’s incredibly beautiful. But terrible, also. Because I get this strong sense I’m not supposed to be there.” Peter frowned. “Then I hear a splash.” “The squid?” Click, click. “Yeah. I look back down at the lake and suddenly there’s an enormous tentacle wrapped around the spacema— the spaceperson. It’s curled around their waist like an inner tube. Though for a moment everything seems okay.” He swallowed. “Then the spaceperson starts to struggle.” “I see.” Click, click. Swoosh. “Anyway, they pull a knife from somewhere and begin to stab at the tentacle.” Peter brought his fist down hard onto his leg. “And then the NICK FLOOK, FREE RIDE - @FLOOKO
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