agora and

agora and by CuriousContradiction
and we'd sputter-speed down empty freeways toward arizona or new york or iowa cornfields, and we'd pass by gasoline stations all sad and dark and oil refineries all sad and bright and motels all sad and lonely
Banner Credit: Anita

Annie Thinks: This story hurts. Bad. There are no big fights or heartbreaks, but it has this faint aura of melancholy weaved
throughout the narrative, strong enough to leave me feeling hollow. That being said, you should totally read it!

It's about an agoraphobic girl named Evie and the boy who's in love with her, Corey. Between the individual scenes, Evie's stream of consciousness reminds us that she's a real live person (in the story, at least). Her exterior is impermeable and almost cold, but her thoughts are frantic and rambling, revealing her dreams and wishes. Corey tries his best to help Evie, but there's a thick invisible wall separating the girl Corey loves and the girl she really is.

agora and has a simple, slow kind of sadness to it, the kind that you feel when it's 3 am and you're the only one awake. You can feel how desperately Evie wants to change, but it's almost impossible for her. I, personally, could relate to this, which is perhaps why I so strongly recommend this story. Otherwise, it may seem kind of bland and confusing. Corey is patient and understanding, but his frustration and humanness definitely get the better of him once in a while. He is a believable, likable character, who so clearly loves this girl who's at once terrified by and awed at the world.

I love quietly painful stories like this, but if you're having a really great, cheery day then you should steer clear. However, if you aren't afraid of or opposed to an introspective, almost bittersweet read then I definitely recommend agora and. Just don't say I didn't warn you.