Just Looking

Today’s prompt: “Three people (one might be you) at three ages looking at things they shouldn’t be looking at”

8-year-old Tobin McIntyre pulls the wrinkled magazine from underneath his brother’s mattress, curious what his brother and his brother’s friends had been so excited about. He’s not sure why all the ladies in it are naked, and he doesn’t know why they’re standing in those weird poses. A phrase from this show his dad watches, Mystery Science Theater, echoes through his head: “She’s presenting like a mandrill!” He’s not sure what it means, but it feels related.

22-year-old Alexis Carver scrolls through her boyfriend’s texts with Darcy. And scrolls. And scrolls. Looks like the dick pics started about a month ago, but they were flirting long before that. She’s past the original angry stage and is now trying to think of ways to tell him off without letting on that she was snooping.

You stare right into the open jaws of K’nar’st, its three tongues unfurling toward you, drooling in anticipation.