Issue 6 | Refuge

Here, in 100 words or fewer, writers make quick work of compelling true stories, in the lead up to Multiplicity’s 2025 Spring/Summer issue, REFUGE.

What the Bathroom Cabinet Holds

by Janet Marler

For forty years, the cabinet hung above the toilet in a house where a family was born, a child grew up, and a mother died.

“Sure, honey,” he said when his new wife suggested a remodel, “but this cabinet is in good shape, and it’s one hundred percent oak—you don’t see that nowadays. No MDF.”

Perhaps he was conditioned to look for the things that might be salvaged. He pointed out the wood trim around the front panels.

 “When do you notice the details of anything in this house?” she asked, surprised.

 “Every time I pee,” he answered.

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About the Writers

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Issue 6 | Refuge

Here, in 100 words or fewer, writers make quick work of compelling true stories, in the lead up to Multiplicity’s 2025 Spring/Summer issue, REFUGE.

Iridescence

by Kerri Call

Violence blew through my neighborhood like dust devils. Poverty scorched dreams. My mother concocted her own serum to blow a bubble big enough to hold me. I floated above the prickly Arizona desert, my bubble obscuring and shielding me from its harsh and unforgiving landscape.

On a breeze, I drifted off to college in Hawaii where I overheard fellow students call bubble-dwellers naive and overprotected. My own bubble now punctured, I found myself—finally—grounded. I marveled at it all, this tropical island paradise, this life of beauty and ease. A new iridescence.

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About the Writers

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Issue 6 | Refuge

Here, in 100 words or fewer, writers make quick work of compelling true stories, in the lead up to Multiplicity’s 2025 Spring/Summer issue, REFUGE.

Fuzzy

by Juliet James

Sleep does not give me respite when it deigns to take me
Vivid dreams disturb my slumber nightly
Once I could wrap my body around his or be held in his embrace
And love would ease my anxious mind
But chronic pain stole this from us

Now comfort only comes from the small dog
Tucked under my blanket, behind my knees
His warm little body relaxes me,
Stops my spiraling thoughts
And I find enough peace to fall

Even if the landing won’t be soft
His presence always is

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About the Writers

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