(this is annie)

Last night I opted for a summer walk instead of summer slumber. We met up on Augusta, found a bench in Wicker Park and watched the world pass down Damen Avenue for hours. I was cold but happy in the night air, and we made a friend in form of a beetle. For reasons unbeknownst to us, the beetle seemed attracted to me. It kept pulling itself forward on its tiny claw-legs, pausing to gaze up at my face. My (human) companion and I watched our little beady-eyed friend for a few minutes before making a trek to 7-11 for a Slurpee. I was tired, but it was the sort of tiredness granted to innocent Midwestern summers, when you climb trees and go nightswimming and enjoy the simple pleasure of youth.