this is a story about a girl.

the girl learned to read early, her favorite colors were bright ones. she drew armless people. people with hair that went from neon yellow to neon orange to neon pink because at three, she knew the color spectrum.

the girl wrote backwards.

everything. the letters themselves, the words they formed.

perfectly backward.

the girl grew older.

the girl learned to read things she was too young to read. she drew people with arms and eyes, but no mouths. their hair was garnet and emerald and sapphire because, at five, she found the darkness comforting.

the girl still wrote backwards.

everything. the letters themselves, the words they formed.

the girl knew backward wasnt perfect.

the girl is no longer a girl.

the no-longer-girl reads things that are wordless; glances and sighs. she draws people with arms and eyes and mouths the way they taught her. their hair is black or blonde or brown because they got mad otherwise.

the no-longer-girl still writes backwards.

everything. the letters themselves, the words they formed.

the no-longer-girl no longer cares.