The Barren Ranch

This story is based on real events. It's a very boring, very unlucky slice-of-life tale about an ordinary person, and could also be called an unconventional, down-to-earth magical realism story. It isn't feel-good, and can even be a little frustrating, so it's best read at a leisurely pace.

"I" cobbled together a piece about how to ease one's inner distress, using what little skill I had. It was all practical advice and had no real emotion, because "I" am not good at that sort of thing. "I" knew perfectly well that I was just a novice. Later, someone who knew I was a penniless nobody still insisted that I use those words to write a plan for helping her work through her inner turmoil. For an amateur like me, it really felt like getting recruited by a makeshift outfit. I was confused, and began to wonder about this person's past.

Plenty of people could do this. Why pick me in particular? Or were the two of us simply not very bright, and that's how we ended up in this farce?

In any case, an unconventional path to healing begins here.

"I hope you sleep well. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night."