text: &#x200B; “Playing God has its consequences,” Nina said to Maggie. They were sitting at the kitchen table. “Name one.” “I’m not having this argument with you.” Maggie got up and went towards the refrigerator. “Told you,” she said. “I win.” “Me not wanting to go into an existential argument with you is not the same as you winning...” “Of course not... I’m out of soda... I think I have some in the garage. Do you want any?” Nina nodded. “Coke please.” Maggie went into the garage and after stepping over the massive amounts of clutter piled up, grabbed the soda and returned to the kitchen. To her surprise, a middle aged woman and her two children were sitting at the table eating soup. “Hello... Who are you? Where is Nina?” The woman looked up at Maggie confused. “Nina? Who is Nina? Do you not remember letting us in? It’s pouring rain outside and we had no place to stay.” “How is it pouring rain? I was outside not twenty minutes ago and it was bright and sunny.” “Momma what is she talking about?” one of the little girls said. “I don’t know baby. Just eat your soup...” “But I don’t like potatoes,” the other one said. “You don’t have to like it to eat it. It’s gunna make you big and strong,” the mother said. “Who made you soup?” Maggie asked. “What are you playing at? You are scaring my children.” “Woman. Listen. I’m sorry you don’t have a place to stay, but you can’t stay here.” “Momma...” “Go outside babies. I’ll call you back in soon.” The two children ran out the front door. “I don’t know who you are and why you are here? Where is Nina? Who let you in? And where the hell did you get soup from?” “You must have the memory of a mayfly. I came to your door soaking wet. You rushed me inside and handed me and the girls towels to dry off,” the woman said. She pointed to the couch behind her, where there were indeed three towels. “You were home alone. There was no one named Nina here. Then you asked us if we were hungry, so you made us soup. You left the rest of the soup on the stove. It’s obvious we are no longer welcome, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to finish my soup, then be on my way.” Maggie stared at the woman then slowly turned around to check the stove. Her big red pot sat on the back burner, full of potato soup. “This is not happening...” she said. She ran up the stairs and fell into her bed. “This is just a bad dream... If I go back downstairs Nina will be there and...Nina... Do I know a Nina?... Of course I know Nina...maybe...” Maggie tried convincing herself. She ran down the stairs in hopes of jogging her memory. The same woman sat at the table. “I’m sorry I yelled at you...” Maggie said to her. The woman looked at her confused. “I’m just very confused by what’s happening,” Maggie continued. “One minute I’m talking to... Suzy? Sarah? No. That doesn’t sound right.” “Are you alright? You don’t need to apologize. You never yelled at me.” “Mommy! What’s for dinner?” a little boy squealed, running from the bathroom. “And who is this little fella? Is this a friend of your daughters?” Maggie asked. She had accepted the situation as reality already, so questioning it was pointless. “Daughters? Have you lost your mind? I don’t have daughters,” she said. She got up from the table and took her son by the arm. “We aren’t having dinner here Nicky. Let’s go.” “But it’s so cold outside... I don’t like the snow.” Maggie pushed past the mother and son and ran through the front door. It was sunny outside. She stood on the balcony overlooking New York City. She took a deep breath of tobacco smoke and came back inside through the side door. “You good?” Trevor, Maggie’s boyfriend said. “I haven’t tripped that hard in years.