Warning: dark and mature content

An anthology set in a world where survival replaces heroism.

Capacity

Every day I power up.
Every day, by the time I get home, I’m empty.

Each night I walk through the door
and I’m recharged.

She runs up and hugs me,
and I get to say two magic words:

I’m home.

I live for that moment—

every day,
a constant cycle of charging
and bleeding it away.

I can’t hit zero.
If I hit zero, it’s goodbye,
and I know it.

I can’t bring in too much charge either.
That’s goodbye too.

They don’t know my constraints,
but they know my limits.

I put on a badge.
Grab a taser.

Take a hit—
store it for later.

She wakes up early,
always matching my pace.

She grabs my face,
squeezes,
says good luck, Dad—get home safe.

I do it for her.

We all have things we must do.

Sometimes work isn’t pretty.

I get to be a “security guard.”

Guard is funny.

What are we even guarding anymore?

I can’t do this anymore.

Society went to shit.

I got charged up.

I felt the charge drop.

She makes it all worth it.

My shift had complications.

We had to fight back—
“defend.”

They were stronger than I thought.

They had a lightning rod.

All at once, there were lights.

My charge went out.

It hit zero
too fast.

Breathless,
I wish I could say
I’m home
one more time.