there's a lot of really good critical writing and meta about this story, teasing apart the symbolism and making it more legible or whatever. i won't try to do that. it's hard to put it into words anyway. but, this is among the most incredible, beautiful, powerful pieces of writing i know, it speaks to a lot of things, but at its core that kind of queer alienation and the desperate need for another world. i replayed it tonight and i'm crying all over again.