Elected by Raccoons

By Ria Cabral

Photo by Mennie on Unsplash

Dear John,

I apologize for ending things before they begin, but the raccoons have elected me. At dawn, I’m to be sworn in as their interim moon. It’s mostly ceremonial, though I must tug the tides and glare at trespassers. You deserve someone terrestrial.

We met only once, in a laundromat dream where your socks confessed infidelity. That was enough. The Committee of Slightly Used Prophecies says our third date triggers sinkholes.

Please cancel the reservation at Olive Garden; breadsticks hasten eclipses.

If you hear scratching at night, it’s governance.

Do not recycle this letter. It’s biodegradable only in starlight.

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Ria Cabral lives in the beautiful, chaotic space where imagination and everyday life collide. A devoted wife and mother, she spends her days juggling books, chocolate, children, a wonderful husband, dirty toilets, and perpetually neglected laundry—though rarely in that order. Between the mess and the magic, she nurtures a deep love for stories, finding meaning in both the quiet moments and the loud, unfiltered ones. Her life may not always be tidy, but it is rich with laughter, resilience, and the kind of love that turns even the most ordinary days into something worth telling.

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