Open the Jewelbox, See Your Muses [ORIGINAL STORY]

This was a story initially written for a zine run by a friend of mine, compiled over about a month with around thirty contributors. While all editing and distribution was handled by my friend, I supported the project through its completion. The version there is slightly older (read: less heavily edited). It also includes an afterword which I've chosen not to upload here. However, I've received permission to further revise and subsequently upload my own story. If you would like to see the zine (thus, original version of this story) please check it out here. It is pay what you want, but all donations go to the Black Visions Collective.

Without the context given by the zine, I suspect this story will be slightly more difficult to interpret. That's fine. I don't intend to enforce one particular interpretation of it. However, I do encourage interpretation beyond the story's face value.