Madness and Women
Stories
Poetry
the intervention
he took his girlfriend to the planetarium.
they watched a presentation about the solar system.
it demonstrated how the planets orbited and rotated around the sun.
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that reminded him of his girlfriend’s effect on everyone.
she had her laws of attraction.
she was beautiful and intelligent and mysterious.
once someone met her she became the center of their attention.
everyone wanted to be her best friend and maybe something more.
it was getting too much for him to handle.
he secretly drank out of control again.
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they left the planetarium and walked by a man selling helium balloons.
he bought three for her and took a picture of her holding them.
that night he stared at the photograph on his phone.
he had been drinking since he left the planetarium and was in bad shape.
the balloons floated out of the phone and hovered in the air.
the first one opened its eyes and told him “you’re making a big mistake.”
another one criticized him.
“you’ll use this as an excuse for one of your classic binges.”
that meant he’d drink until he got alcohol poisoning.
he’d be rushed to the emergency room and he nearly died twice already in this manner.
the third one warned him he was running out of time.
the balloons convinced him to call for help.
they made him call a place.
he arranged to be picked up by a treatment center.
he packed a few things and they waited outside with him until the driver arrived.
an hour later the car pulled up.
he said goodbye and let go of their strings.
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he felt a surge of hope as they ascended into the promise of the night.