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Justin Sirois
· in ,

Hanging out with Khalil wasn’t like hanging out with anyone else. We ran through the streets like tyrants, orange peels flipping over our shoulders, cars swerving to get out of our way. The poorest princes of Fallujah.

People watched us, shaking their heads.

Khalil taught me to chase dogs before they had a chance to chase me. We stoned them when they nipped at our ankles—a good rock to the ribs—a chunk of concrete between the eyes. Getting bit was much worse. We chased the screaming freight trains. At night. Beating the afternoon.

Pretending the trains were speeding beasts. Threw stones at them, too.

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Justin Sirois is a novelist living in Baltimore, Maryland. His books include MLKNG SCKLS (Publishing Genius) and Falcons on the Floor (forthcoming, Publishing Genius) which was written with Iraqi refugee Haneen Alshujairy. His novel Black, Light, 1993 will be finished soon. He also runs the Understanding Campaign with Haneen and co-directs Narrow House. Justin received individual Maryland State Art Council grants in 2003, 2007, and 2010.