Coax

She told me a story I’ve never forgotten: She was on a sailboat with her boyfriend in the Aegean. It was so hot that every night they slept out on deck. One night she awoke because she felt something moving around in her hair. Reaching up she touched something fat, firm and alive. It bit her: a rat that had gotten ensnared in her very long hair. The best part of the story was when I asked what the hell she did then, she said quietly, “I coaxed it out.”

Jonathan Carroll is the author of over 20 novels and short story collections. His latest novel “Bathing the Lion” is now available in trade paperback. If you liked this piece, there’s lots more on his monthly newsletter. You can subscribe here