"If he doesn't leave right away he will be late for work"

"If he doesn't leave right away he will be late for work" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"He stops walking and listens"

"He stops walking and listens" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"Something about the absence of trees makes the light seem perfect"

"Something about the absence of trees makes the light seem perfect" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"When he hasn't slept well, he wants only a sugared muffin"

"When he hasn't slept well, he wants only a sugared muffin" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"The little trees out the window are bare"

"The little trees out the window are bare" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"He won't be able to fall back asleep"

"He won't be able to fall back asleep" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"It's still dark when the weeping erupts"

"It's still dark when the weeping erupts" - Rollingwood by Ben Marcus

"Actually, I'm just glad to be alive"

"Actually, I'm just glad to be alive" - Land of the Living by Sam Shepard

"It will be there when you need it"

"It will be there when you need it" - Procedure in Plain Air by Jonathan Lethem

"How long are you going to leave him in there?"

"How long are you going to leave him in there?" - Procedure in Plain Air by Jonathan Lethem

"This day was gray, with heavy portents of rain"

"This day was gray, with heavy portents of rain" - Procedure in Plain Air by Jonathan Lethem

"I want to see Africa!"

"I want to see Africa!" - Ask me if I care by Jennifer Egan

"Maybe we'll go together, the three of us"

"Maybe we'll go together, the three of us" - Ask Me If I Care by Jennifer Egan

"But we'll have a good time anyway, right, Beautiful?"

"But we'll have a good time anyway, right, Beautiful?" - Ask Me If I Care by Jennifer Egan

"There was not much to say to this"

"There was not much to say to this" - Alone by Yiyun Li

"Time seemed to be stranded"

"Time seemed to be stranded" - Alone by Yiyun Li

"There were places that would never be destroyed"

"There were places that would never be destroyed" - Alone by Yiyun Li

"The comfort of silence without the threat of misunderstanding or estrangement"

"The comfort of silence without the threat of misunderstanding or estrangement" - Alone by Yiyun Li

"He has turned minutes into hours, and hours into days"

"He has turned minutes into hours, and hours into days" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"Once it is before my mind's eye, I may see it as if it were there, and describe it"

"Once it is before my mind's eye, I may see it as if it were there, and describe it" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson