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I don't perform the stunt with the fox every day.

Only at festivals.

My father grows angry when I talk like that.

He says, "Sparta is the best country in the world.

It is a privilege to die for her."

My mother tells me to come back with my shield

or dead upon it.

My grandfather fought at Thermopylae.

I say don't expect a second Lycurgus.

The Persian Wars ended long ago.

I dislike sleeping on the cold ground.

I never take risks when we steal food.

(Better a companion than a club-wielding farmer.)

During the ritual beating, I fainted.


Ellie Biswell is a sophomore English Education major at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO. When not cramming for tests or writing papers, she enjoys reading, walking outdoors, and penning the occasional sonnet.



Ellie Biswell
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18 Nov 2024

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Podcast read by: Claire McNerney
In this episode of the Strange Horizons Fiction podcast, Michael Ireland presents Little Lila by Susannah Rand, read by Claire McNerney. Subscribe to the Strange Horizons podcast: Spotify
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