Dear Darling

02

Dear Josephine,

I guess I should start by saying hello. I didn't know that people still wrote letters. Isn't the whole world supposed to be embracing technology and all that? Shouldn't you be "getting with the times" and emailing random people instead of writing them by hand?

I was startled to get your letter. I don't know who you are or anything about you, but I can tell that you're hurting. I wasn't going to write you back...at first. I thought "well, this is a really weird experience and it probably won't happen ever again" and I thought that I could just ignore you. But the more days that went by, the more I thought about you. Your words held so much pain in them, I wanted to know that you were okay.

I know this is really fucking weird. I mean, we're complete strangers and know nothing about each other, but I want to make sure that your earth isn't quaking so hard from here on out. Maybe we can talk more? I know that's weird to ask, especially since you said that you weren't trying to write to anyone, but something about you has intrigued me, Josephine.

So, I thought I would tell you a little about myself, to make my request not so awkward and/or creepy.

First, my name is Dylan. I'm almost twenty-one and I had fully embraced the force of technology and its power to take over my life when I got your letter. There's something authentic about you, Josephine, and I admire your use of the word "darling" in your letter. It reminded me of a retro-age letter, Founding Fathers style.

I hope you'll consider writing me back, I'd love to talk to you more about those earthquakes. If not for any other reason than to convince you that your world will eventually right itself and you won't be spinning at odd angles anymore. Your world will fix it's helter-skelterness and you probably won't be back to "normal" but you'll be okay.

I don't know who April is, but I can tell she meant a lot to you. I don't think anyone would want the ones they left behind to be miserable over their departure.

Patiently awaiting your reply,

Dylan