{"id":20410,"date":"2025-07-31T11:00:32","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T16:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/?p=20410"},"modified":"2025-08-02T16:31:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T21:31:23","slug":"how-your-world-ends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/07\/28\/how-your-world-ends\/","title":{"rendered":"How Your World Ends"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>How Your World Ends<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A Fibonacci series flash<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-social-links is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-social-links-is-layout-765c4724 wp-block-social-links-is-layout-flex\"><li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-facebook  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61556140010887\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12 2C6.5 2 2 6.5 2 12c0 5 3.7 9.1 8.4 9.9v-7H7.9V12h2.5V9.8c0-2.5 1.5-3.9 3.8-3.9 1.1 0 2.2.2 2.2.2v2.5h-1.3c-1.2 0-1.6.8-1.6 1.6V12h2.8l-.4 2.9h-2.3v7C18.3 21.1 22 17 22 12c0-5.5-4.5-10-10-10z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n\n<li class=\"wp-social-link wp-social-link-instagram  wp-block-social-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/boudin_mcneese\/\" class=\"wp-block-social-link-anchor\"><svg width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\"><path d=\"M12,4.622c2.403,0,2.688,0.009,3.637,0.052c0.877,0.04,1.354,0.187,1.671,0.31c0.42,0.163,0.72,0.358,1.035,0.673 c0.315,0.315,0.51,0.615,0.673,1.035c0.123,0.317,0.27,0.794,0.31,1.671c0.043,0.949,0.052,1.234,0.052,3.637 s-0.009,2.688-0.052,3.637c-0.04,0.877-0.187,1.354-0.31,1.671c-0.163,0.42-0.358,0.72-0.673,1.035 c-0.315,0.315-0.615,0.51-1.035,0.673c-0.317,0.123-0.794,0.27-1.671,0.31c-0.949,0.043-1.233,0.052-3.637,0.052 s-2.688-0.009-3.637-0.052c-0.877-0.04-1.354-0.187-1.671-0.31c-0.42-0.163-0.72-0.358-1.035-0.673 c-0.315-0.315-0.51-0.615-0.673-1.035c-0.123-0.317-0.27-0.794-0.31-1.671C4.631,14.688,4.622,14.403,4.622,12 s0.009-2.688,0.052-3.637c0.04-0.877,0.187-1.354,0.31-1.671c0.163-0.42,0.358-0.72,0.673-1.035 c0.315-0.315,0.615-0.51,1.035-0.673c0.317-0.123,0.794-0.27,1.671-0.31C9.312,4.631,9.597,4.622,12,4.622 M12,3 C9.556,3,9.249,3.01,8.289,3.054C7.331,3.098,6.677,3.25,6.105,3.472C5.513,3.702,5.011,4.01,4.511,4.511 c-0.5,0.5-0.808,1.002-1.038,1.594C3.25,6.677,3.098,7.331,3.054,8.289C3.01,9.249,3,9.556,3,12c0,2.444,0.01,2.751,0.054,3.711 c0.044,0.958,0.196,1.612,0.418,2.185c0.23,0.592,0.538,1.094,1.038,1.594c0.5,0.5,1.002,0.808,1.594,1.038 c0.572,0.222,1.227,0.375,2.185,0.418C9.249,20.99,9.556,21,12,21s2.751-0.01,3.711-0.054c0.958-0.044,1.612-0.196,2.185-0.418 c0.592-0.23,1.094-0.538,1.594-1.038c0.5-0.5,0.808-1.002,1.038-1.594c0.222-0.572,0.375-1.227,0.418-2.185 C20.99,14.751,21,14.444,21,12s-0.01-2.751-0.054-3.711c-0.044-0.958-0.196-1.612-0.418-2.185c-0.23-0.592-0.538-1.094-1.038-1.594 c-0.5-0.5-1.002-0.808-1.594-1.038c-0.572-0.222-1.227-0.375-2.185-0.418C14.751,3.01,14.444,3,12,3L12,3z M12,7.378 c-2.552,0-4.622,2.069-4.622,4.622S9.448,16.622,12,16.622s4.622-2.069,4.622-4.622S14.552,7.378,12,7.378z M12,15 c-1.657,0-3-1.343-3-3s1.343-3,3-3s3,1.343,3,3S13.657,15,12,15z M16.804,6.116c-0.596,0-1.08,0.484-1.08,1.08 s0.484,1.08,1.08,1.08c0.596,0,1.08-0.484,1.08-1.08S17.401,6.116,16.804,6.116z\"><\/path><\/svg><span class=\"wp-block-social-link-label screen-reader-text\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Keith Powell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>baDUM. baDUM<\/em>. Heart attack? You lurch outside. The bar\u2019s back alley beckons. You worry you might die in secret here. People will find your pickled corpse between garbage cans and crushed cigarette butts. People will tut-tut that that\u2019s the price one pays for a life squandered chasing drink and cheap delights in the dark. Every sensation is a violent, overwhelming cacophony battering a brain already screaming doom. You imagine your heart a gauge spitting steam. You picture blood vessels popping. Bowels rupturing filth. Deep breaths. In. Out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">You survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Cautious days pass. Let\u2019s pretend it never happened. Diminish the memory of that mysterious, smothering terror. Nothing to see here, people. Move along now. A blip. Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Unpredictable, unreasonable. Shrieking phantom terror. Almost overnight, your life contracts. Yoked and cowed by a hysterical panic response. These public collapses winnow your world down to a handful of safe zones. Travel between these sacred islands is a harrowing gamble that you will repeatedly lose in humiliating fashion to palpitations and dread.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Each day leaves some new precious debris in its wake, abandoned grocery carts, conversations, perplexed friends and waiters, ticket stubs, your wife, your self-respect and pride, any sliver of hope for a meaningful future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Years pass, and you gradually adopt a hollowing new mantra: <em>This is your life now, this is your life now, this is your life now, this is your life now, this is your life now, this is your life now, so cherish these meager crumbs because this is all your vanishing life will ever be.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Maintaining even this wilted existence requires meticulous calculations\u2014a series of fibs papering over sudden absences, agonizing excursions cloistered in shame, rich in black-eyed loneliness and regret for missed experiences you can\u2019t get back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Your psychiatrist sits like a bubbly blonde Melfi and suggests running or yoga or anti- depressants or deep breathing or Chamomile tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><em>Don\u2019t worry, no one has ever died of a panic attack. <\/em>She smiles<em>. Are you thinking of harming yourself?<\/em> she asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">It takes effort to know. To really know. Deep breaths. <em>No<\/em>. Yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">__________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/keithjpowell.com\">Keith Powell<\/a><\/strong> is a writer and editor based in Ohio. He is co-founder and managing editor of <em>Your Impossible Voice<\/em> and the author of the flash fiction chapbook <em>Sweet Nothings Are a Diary If You Know How to Read Them<\/em> (ELJ Editions).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>__________<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1.jpg 438w, https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/boudin-logo-1-300x145.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size\">&lt;&lt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/07\/24\/letter-from-the-guest-editor-14\/\">Back<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/2025\/07\/28\/word-problems-you-do-the-math\/\">Next<\/a> &gt;&gt;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">To learn more about submitting your work to <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/boudin-submissions\/\">Boudin<\/a><\/em> or applying to McNeese State University&#8217;s Creative Writing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/mfa-application-submissions\/\">MFA program<\/a>, please visit Submissions for details.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Your World Ends A Fibonacci series flash Keith Powell __________ baDUM. baDUM. Heart attack? You lurch outside. The bar\u2019s back alley beckons. You worry you might die in secret here. People will find your pickled corpse between garbage cans and crushed cigarette butts. People will tut-tut that that\u2019s the price one pays for a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[237],"tags":[75,146,100,101],"class_list":["post-20410","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-universal-language-july-25","tag-boudin","tag-fiction-2","tag-flashfiction","tag-microfiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20410","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20410"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20410\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20536,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20410\/revisions\/20536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20410"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20410"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcneese.edu\/thereview\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20410"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}