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Today, The Wrong Station is proud to present Swipe

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Left by Alexander Saxton.

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One

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day, as you're lounging, absentmindedly

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swiping through one of the apps, a

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profile catches your attention. A

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professional quality photograph of a person

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who is exactly, exactly

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what you imagine in your head when you picture

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your perfect partner. The

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lighting's good. The photograph snapped

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at exactly that magic hour when the westering

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sun turns the leaves behind them golden

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green.

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They seem happy and healthy. Their

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eyes gleam with intelligence, humor,

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and evening light. You swipe

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through a few of their photos, trying to manage

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your own expectations, telling yourself

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that the one photo was probably just a one-off.

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But,

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no. each and every

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one of their photos, even the old, low-quality

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ones, capture exactly that same

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essence.

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This is the person.

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This is the one you've been looking for for so,

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so long. And

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then, as you reach their last photo, a

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stone of disappointment drops through your stomach.

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They're with someone else, someone

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whose eyes also gleam with intelligence,

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humor, and the evening light. Someone

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who looks sort of like you, but

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more attractive, better dressed.

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Their partner hits a couple's account.

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Damn.

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Still, just for the sake of what

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might have been, you scroll back to the

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first picture and tap to read the bio.

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You feel it's worth a moment of your time to find

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out more about this person who you allowed yourself,

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if only for a brief and foolish moment,

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to imagine a future with. At

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the top of the bio, written in all caps,

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is the disclaimer. Warning, please

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read carefully before swiping read.

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Jack and Jessa, couple's account.

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Young, fit couple,

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very much in love. Interested

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in books, philosophy, the outdoors, and

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winky face, kink positive.

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Looking for a new playmate, specifically

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looking for someone to join us in the bedroom and

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then strangle and dismember us at the same time,

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disposing of our mingled bodies and separate trash

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bags along the highway. The highway's

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part of it. A municipal road is not

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good enough. Please do not swipe

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right unless you're willing to act in good faith. You

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pause for a moment, not sure you've

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read all that correctly. Then

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you pause for another moment. Imagine

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yourself as you find yourself considering

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the idea on its merits.

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It's

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certainly not your thing,

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but aren't you out here trying to have new experience? It

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mightn't be worth it after all just for

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a chance to get to know if only for one

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night

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that one perfect person that you always hoped

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you'd meet.

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Then the moment passes and you

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laugh at yourself shaking your head. You

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swipe left for Christ's sake. You're

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not that desperate. Not

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yet anyway. You