Our theme for the month of October is “flash nonfiction.” Writers were asked to submit pieces that were 250 words or less.

I’ve had a stack of three Ikea shelves on my bedroom floor for weeks. They’re lying on a rug that used to be in our kitchen till it got replaced by one I bought armed with a gift card and no prior approval from my housemates.

I’ve been less decisive about the shelves, however. I’m sure I’ll hang them up eventually… once I’ve asked my landlord for permission to drill ten holes into my plaster wall or have the confidence to just go for it or when my mom visits and she’ll share her confidence with me. 

In another corner of my room, I have a stack of pictures and frames. I wanted to fill the white space above my bed without having to decide where exactly to hang each one, so I bought the dark brown shelves off of a lady on Facebook and drove to her house on a Tuesday and paid in cash but didn’t wear a mask when she did and I just held the door while she carried all three out to my car because I wasn’t sure what the protocol was and I brought them back to my rented house where they’ve sat on the floor ever since. Right next to my bed. Where I wondered if I would trip over them.

(Reader, I have.)

Christina Ribbens

Christina Ribbens (’19) studied history, studio art, and data science at Calvin and public humanities at Georgetown. She now lives in the part of Virginia that’s almost Washington, DC where she helps award grants to arts nonprofits. She takes a lot of walks to admire the landscaping in peoples’ front yards, mostly listens to British comedians’ podcasts, and likes to make friends via sports.