Jenna Szoke

Toxic masculinity has come to a head and this story explores the consequences not just for women, but for men. The phrase "toxic masculinity" is thrown around flippantly, and its potential root causes are very rarely explored. When a person is plagued with jealousy, they are willing to do almost anything in order to acquire what they desire. Our protagonist, August, internalizes the relationship that his best friend Wren shares with his girlfriend Julia as a direct, personal attack on him and his identity. Due to the fact August is not getting the same amount of attention and affection that he is used to from Wren, he goes behind Wren's back to manipulate Julia. August's internalized turmoil triggers an out-of-body experience that then drives him to make intimidating, coerced advances toward the people he loves.