I have never seen him with a friend or with a woman. I have seen him smoke in the bath and drink cheap vodka by the gallon.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

Had he been a success in his own age, he may have never made his name.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

She had a greasy ponytail and a threadbare peacoat... I decided to contrive a reason to talk to her.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

On this particular night, the real, live students were the South African, the Frenchman, the Brazilian, the Russian and myself, the American (Měiguó rén). If that sounds like the cast of an Agatha Christie story, you aren’t too far off from what was about to take place.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

Some call him a terrorist, but terrorism is in the eye of the beholder.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

About her I knew tantalizingly little, but every detail seemed significant.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com. Thank you to Sunny Vinsavich for her voice acting talent.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

He was selling seashells on Heywoods Beach.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

Kassia gets into a car with some strangers and lets them drive her 50 miles into the woods.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

A landlady in Buenos Aires takes in a mysterious foreigner as her sort of own.

Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo

Two strangers meet in a foreign city.

For more about Longhua's history: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23890334. Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com.

Cover art by Ana Bustelo