Appetizing. Displayed as merchandise on the shelf. I chose her and now we're both in the kitchen surrounded by the scent of a jasmine bouquet. I'm home alone and I want to do whatever, driven by a visceral desire. I tore off the skimpy clothing and began the penetration process on the table, phallically. The cheap aroma awakened the beast in me and I began hacking anarchically. I was crying. Again. I was handling the knife in tears. Drops of blood on my hands. My wife caught me. What are you doing? Frying bacon with onion salad.
Carmen Tot
During high tide, the waters had flooded the village, spitting out crabs and the air began to reek of death. Theyrecognized the smell, they all knew it, oh, cried Paolina the pregnant woman, it's punishment for the unborn babies, but the old women covered her mouth with their hand: a flood on us, the living. They decided to sacrifice a child, they put herin a broken boat on the water. And they weren't wrong. There was a flowery smell behind her, and the priest helda longfuneral. In the evening, Juan's boy pulled the boat ashore. From now on we can run away into the world, you and me.
Monica Bologa
The dishes have been sitting in the sink unwashed for several days, some flies are devouring the rotten lemon on the table, and my shirt is stained with sweat, tears and snot. I take the coffee cup I received as a gift from you and smash it against the wall, I tear the birch trees you painted especially for me with my fingernails, I take the pot with flowers that are too white, also received from you, and throw it out the window. I'll get back on my feet tomorrow, I tell myself. This is bad. In the morning I felt your presence in the house, in the air, everywhere. A jasmine bush grew under my window last night.
(Translated by Bianca-Andreea Rîmboacă / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)
Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.