Short Story: Proxy by Anushka Mehrotra

Anushka Mehrotra shares a moment captured through interesting observations and brilliant detailing layering the narrative.

I finished him in five minutes—a new record. He fell on top of me, knocking the air out of me. His breath was hot on my neck as I lay pinned underneath like a fly. Though his clothes were still on—the vest I had pulled my back ironing in the morning was crumpled. I pushed him off, and he landed on the bed like a sack of potatoes—bouncing once before going limp, his eyes rolling back into his head.

My favourite part came after- sitting on the throne of his commode. It was cool inside, and the air smelled of chewing gum. I uncapped and inhaled from all eleven bottles, arranged according to height on the shelf. Some had pictures of laughing women with long, red hair, while others showed shiny, hairless legs. Even the pink-scented pads jammed in the cupboard were the same ones from the T.V. I let myself imagine what it would be like to massage those buttery liquids into my scalp during baths, feeling the smooth wooden comb glide through the length of my hair.