Volume 4, Issue 9, September 2023
Celia Lisset Alvarez
Pages 38-47
The Pool
Why are people resistant to (even seemingly positive) change? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Carrie decides to go back to her Florida roots and, with her husband, purchase and improve an apartment complex to its former glory. She spends huge amounts of money renovating the apartments and restoring the swimming pool, and does it all without raising rents. However, no matter what she does, the residents complain. She changes out the appliances and they complain the new ones aren’t avocado green. She rebuilds the pool, and they complain about the noise. She makes the washing machines free, and they complain about the neighbors coming to use them. The last straw is when she changes the complex policy to allow pets, and one of the neighbors drowns two barking dogs in the new pool to send a message. Exasperated, Carrie finally decides to sell the complex.