“For as long as he could remember, Jake Washington always had two bookshelves: one that he kept in his bedroom, another that he kept in the living room. The bookshelves were part of a matching set, handcrafted in sturdy oak with ornately carved embellishments along the sides. The bookshelf in the living room housed carefully chosen books…

Once he was in the bedroom, he took the knife and etched lines through the carvings on the side panel of the bookshelf, brutalizing the flourishes that he had kept pristine for years. Jake turned around to find Lilith staring at him. She didn’t say anything. The damage was done. There was no way she would showcase a mutilated bookshelf in the living room, and he had known as much. He collapsed on the floor and fingered the spines of the books that were on his bedroom bookshelf. Unlike the living room bookshelf, this one was alphabetized, making it easier to find his favorite texts. Most of the books were science fiction or other genre works, formulaic books that lacked the literary merit which would have warranted placement on the living room bookshelf. He assessed the destruction, still gripping the knife, an instrument of violence that he needed to feel the weight of. It was lighter than he expected.”