Oh, God! Today

He set the recorder down on the railing and walked out his front door, leaving the blinking cursor behind. He didn't know where he was going, and for the first time in twenty years, he didn't care who was watching.

He stood up, grabbed a small digital recorder, and walked onto his balcony. The city was a chaotic tapestry of sirens, distant laughter, and the smell of rain hitting hot asphalt. He saw an old woman sitting on the bench below, feeding pigeons with rhythmic, practiced movements. He saw a young couple arguing over a map, their faces flushed with the thrill of being lost. Oh, God!

Arthur looked at his recorder, then at the city. He realized he didn't need to invent a world; he just needed to step into the one that was already happening. He set the recorder down on the railing