In Short – Issue 3 (Spring 2025)

May 31, 2025

Image credit: Vika_Glitter

Shadow Animals

By Michelle La Vone

My childhood room is frankincense, steady puffs of steam. The night is moonless and motionless; Mom is all jaw, bone, and small drips of saliva. I grab the flashlight from her table of medicine and magnetic words, tissues and lollipop sponges. I point it at the ceiling, twisting and turning its metal head, and I’m six again, making sense of darkness. We’re all trying now, my sister and me with bunnies and ducks, as Dad soars both hands into rapid flight, then folds into laughter we follow. Mom smiles—barely but it’s there, like all our shadow animals: approximate, alive.   

Michelle La Vone (she/her) is a Nashville native currently living in the Pacific Northwest. She loves salsa and bachata dancing, hiking, Zillow-browsing, and snacking right before dinner. Her work has appeared in Five Minute Lit, where she placed as a finalist in the fall 2024 “Flirt” contest. Her writing can be found at michellelavone.substack.com.