{ WHEN ALL OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED a novel(la) by Sasha Fletcher

an excerpt :

I heard a cop come through the faucet this morning. I sent him on outside to grow me an ocean. I told him that when he did I would grind him into a beach.

There was a cop in the back yard again. He was building us a deck. But he didn’t have any wood. I had no idea what he was trying to hammer together back there. HEY I said. SCOOT.

Failing that I told him to grow me an ocean. I told him I HEARD YOU WERE BUILDING US A BEACH. What I asked Did he think of that?

*

I buried the bathtub today. She went to go run a bath, & a cop came out of the spigot & into the tub. WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO SAY FOR YOURSELF she managed to finally ask. Out of his mouth tumbled little pink seashells.

*

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT the cop asked. He meant the yard. The mound of dirt where the bathtub was buried. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT I said. & WHAT ABOUT THIS BEACH BUSINESS. YOU CAN’T HAVE A BEACH WITHOUT AN OCEAN he said.

I am going to grow an ocean in my heart. I am going to drown in it.

DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO GROW AN OCEAN IN MY BACKYARD I said. The cop said NO. He said THAT WAS ANOTHER COP. YOU WERE GOING TO GRIND HIM UP INTO A BEACH WHEN HE WAS FINISHED. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM I asked. He told me THAT COP RAN AROUND & HE RAN AROUND. HE DRESSED HIS GUN UP LIKE A BIRD & IT ATE ALL THE TEETH RIGHT OUT OF HIS MOUTH. HE RAN AROUND & WHEN HE RAN AROUND HE RAN AROUND YELLING. HE BUILT A TENT IN THE STREET & IN IT HE MADE A HOLE IN THE GROUND. I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE KEPT ON EATING SEASHELLS. OR PUTTING THEM IN HIS MOUTH. WHATEVER.

LISTEN I told the cop I NEED YOU TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS BEACH FOR ME. I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS IS REAL HERE. PLEASE I said.

*

THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE GARDEN she said. OTHER THAN PLANTS I said. OTHER THAN THE DRAWINGS OF PLANTS YOU CUT OUT & PUT ON STICKS & PLACED IN THE GARDEN. & THAT OTHER THING. RIGHT I said THAT OTHER THING. YEAH she said. She said I DON’T UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN AROUND YOU ANYMORE.