of nurture’s wildness - a novella (prologue)

by Tom Stuckey

Prologue

"Have you tried just being happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, have you tried to act as if you are happy even though you are not? The mind is a very powerful tool."

"No."

"What about the voices? Do you still have them?"

"Yes, sometimes."

"And who's voice is it?"

"Theirs."

"I see. I think it's best to UP the lithium, your levels are low, maybe that will help, and also try taking these."

He had the look of someone who could only make sense of information put to him in quantitative form, such as excel word sheets; anything that was un-quantifiable was illness, a waste to be gotten rid of. He also looked glad to be on the side of the desk that was declared sane, and would remain there at all costs. He truly believed medications might help the 'ill', or at least fill the big hole, if he threw enough of them in. But this was, and always will be, a guessing game, led by maniacs. 

*Read Tom Stuckey’s next installment of Of Nurture’s Wildness on May 8, 2025.

Photo of Tom Starkey

BIO: Tom is a writer from Devon in England.  His work can be found at A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Bristol Noir, Nut House Press, and Pulp Magazine. He is the author of The Canary in the Dream is Dead and The Sun Marches upon Us All. Learn more about Tom Stuckey at www.tomstuckey.com.