“The capital of Europe used to be Brussels,” I announced to nobody in particular.

“What?” asked Debbie, but the room didn’t go white, and there was no angry voice of authority shouting in my ear.

“You know,” I said, “how I told you about the things we’re not allowed to talk about?”

She nodded solemnly.

“The people who enforce that rule are called censors. I think all the people who were texting you are busy now dealing with an emergency, and so are the censors.”

“So we can say anything we want?”

“Yes,” I said. “I’m going to tell you a story. Once upon a time —”

- Read “The Rising Waters” by Benjamin Crowell.