Off the Grid

In 1987, the man moved to the Nevada desert. He constructed a simple house. He built a windmill to power his home and dirt bike. The man planted a garden and arranged rabbit traps. During the day, the man used his fingers to paint portraits of lost loves in the dry sand. In the evening, he would scavenge for wood to cook with, then watch the flames for entertainment. Each night, he graded his fires. Lately, his blazes had not been exciting enough to receive A marks.

There came a time, in 2024, when the man sought to rejoin the world. He kickstarted his dirt bike and buzzed off, tearing around cacti and boulders, through dried riverbeds and over cracked earth. But after some twenty miles, he came upon a jagged cliff. A straight drop. He peered out toward the sky. The rest of the world was no longer there.