Off the Grid

In 1987, the man moved to the Nevada desert.

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.

About the author

Mathieu Cailler is the author of seven books: one novel, two short story collections, two volumes of poetry, and two children’s titles. His stories, poems, and essays have appeared in over one hundred publications, including Wigleaf, the Saturday Evening Post, and the Los Angeles Times. He is the winner of numerous awards, most notably a Pushcart Prize; a Short Story America Prize; and the Paris, Los Angeles, and New England Book Festival Prizes. Connect with him on social media @writesfromla.