One Day, She Just Left

For Pat, who inspired this with his crazy stories of moving in.

“Your asking price…”

“It’s too high?”

“No…”

“We could work something out,”

“No, that’s not it, it’s half of anything else I’ve found.”

“Oh.”

“Why?”

“Well… it’s rather… bright.”

“Bright?”

“Pink.”

“What?”

“The walls, they’re bright pink.”

“Can’t you paint them?”

“Um… well… no. The lease said no painting.”

“Well, it can’t be that bad, can it?”

“That’s what we say; it’s rather… cheerful, sort of.”

“Can I talk to the girl who’s moving out?”

“Oh… um… she’s not here.”

“Do you know where she is?”

“Um… I don’t think she can get calls.”

“What?”

“We don’t… talk about her.”