Sentient Tears

by A Humphrey Lanham

We rolled out of our cave, grouping at its red rim. One by one, we rushed down, over the peak of the hill, leaping across the soft-edged crevasse to land on the pointy cliff at the edge of the world. There we hesitated, waiting.

“This is it,” said our leader. The first out of the cave. The first off the edge of the world.

And one by one we leapt, falling down, down, down in a slow, steady beat onto the soft world below, bleeding into the fibers. Our salt comingling. Our five-second lives sacrificed in the name of sorrow.

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About the Author

A Humphrey Lanham is a fantasy, science fantasy, and YA writer. They read and write a wide range of fiction but prefer strong female characters who refuse to cater to patriarchal social structures, expectations of romance, or cultural gender norms and stereotypes. They are chair of Wordos, an internationally renowned writers’ group based in Eugene, Oregon.

Ru, their cat, is an anthropologist studying humans and their strange proclivities. They speculate that Ru is actually an alien xenobiologist, but everyone keeps telling them that he is just a common Earth cat.

You can follow their adventures on Twitter @ahumphreylanham and @thecupcakebeast.