Chapter 23

           FASTFORWARD,flybackhometoMarlaandthePaperStreetSoapCompany. 

           Everythingisstillfallingapart. 

           Athome,I’mtooscaredtolookinthefridge. PicturedozensoflittleplasticsandwichbagslabeledwithcitieslikeLasVegas andChicagoandMilwaukee whereTylerhadtomakegoodhisthreatstoprotectchaptersoffightclub. Insideeachbagwouldbeapairofmessytidbits,frozensolid.. 

           Inonecornerofthekitchen,aspacemonkeysquatsonthecrackedlinoleumandstudieshimselfinahandmirror. "Iamtheall-singing,all-dancingcrapofthisworld," thespacemonkeytellsthemirror. "IamthetoxicwastebyproductofGod’screation." 

           Otherspacemonkeysmovearoundinthegarden,pickingthings,killingthings. 

           Withonehandonthefreezerdoor,Itakeabigbreath andtrytocentermyenlightenedspiritualentity. 

           Raindropsonroses 

           HappyDisneyanimals 

           Thismakesmypartshurt 

           Thefreezer’sopenaninchwhenMarlapeersovermyshoulderandsays, "What’sfordinner?" 

           Thespacemonkeylooksathimselfsquattinginhishandmirror. "Iamtheshitandinfectioushumanwasteofcreation." 

           Fullcircle. 

           Aboutamonthago,IwasafraidtoletMarlalookinthefridge. NowI’mafraidtolookinthefridgemyself. 

           Oh,God.Tyler. 

           Marlalovesme.Marladoesn’tknowthedifference.