The Rising

by Stephanie Wright

Five a.m., and she rolls out of bed, stands facing the eastern window. Ohm, three soul-reaching chants before beginning a series of sun salutations to greet the coming dawn and her coming self. Showers using Peaceful Patchouli by Kiss-My-Face. Wanders naked to the kitchen where the looming shadow fills her gut with dread. She buries it under yogurt with wheat germ and a handful of berries before pulling up her bootstraps (nylons, don't you know?) and finishing with a black jersey knit that falls to the knee. Arming herself with Rimmel in Nude, she hits the pavement ready for battle.

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Stephanie Wright, author of Relocation, is a social psychologist on faculty at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. She and her writing can be found on Pen Pricks, LiveJournal, and her website The Hall of Mirrors.