How to Stop Time

Tom has trouble sleeping, so he watches TV. He watches a documentary about turtles and their long lives. Humans are destructive, he notes; animal life is simpler. Tom spends his nights pondering his future. He tries different sleep remedies, but nothing works. He would visit a doctor, but doing so is against the rules of the Albatross Society. In the morning, he and Abraham go to a park where Tom unclips Abraham’s leash. The dog stays by his side for a moment, confused by the freedom, before trotting away. Tom notices Camille sitting on a bench. She calls over, commenting about his dog’s loveliness. Abraham sniffs around her and licks her hand. She looks at Tom, trying to place his familiar face. Tom calls Abraham, clips the leash, and leaves.

Back home, he reviews lesson plans for class. The first topic is “Witch Trials in Tudor England” (49). He realizes his need to “tame the past,” to “control it and order it,” and that is why he wants to teach history (49). He makes a Bloody Mary and remembers his mother.