Today is the day. I signed up for a 'performance', which is to say, a reading. I will read a short story. It is a little fairy tale about a fear-stone monster, which i wrote about three months ago. it's a simple story and it's short and I'm nervous. in my mind, i will make a fool out of myself and behind my back, people will laugh at me. This is most unlikely, although my little monster keeps telling me all this nonsense.  I'm feverishly trying to come up with excuses so I won't have to read the story and so far i have not come up with a good reason not to do it. within the next few hours this 'worry' of mine will be history and 20 more people will know about the fear-stone story, while i will sit on a chair with a face so red like as though i just completed a 24 mile run. Maybe i will feel as good as i do after a run.