Sabbatical

Titela Durnea
She concluded her morning ritual. The long, black nails looked impeccable. Her eyes sparkled with maidenly cunning. She adjusted her cloak, took the torch, and swiftly split the sky. She brushed away a few low-hanging clouds, searching for the next victim. Without passion, as angels no longer had the zest of old. They wandered with drooping wings and smiles of death. Bored, she kicked off her shoes, extinguished the torch in the Dead Sea, and shouted, Hey, boss, I'm taking a year off. Bet on the next eternity that down here, nothing will change?

Vero Anttheia Teodoru
I don't remember much. I was told I was a beast, that the victim had three missing teeth and a demolished nasal pyramid. The trial went by quickly. All that comes to mind is the nauseating grin when I received the news. Anyway, I wanted a break, and I didn't know how. Through the bars of the square-eyed cell, light oozes onto the wall. I dream of running, finding no way out. The next day, I'm moved to another cell. I hadn't thought about such an interesting year. Darkness takes over. I fall asleep. In this dream, I climb.
 
 Adriana Patroi Miu
Leaves swayed wildly in a sensual dance under the faint glow of car headlights. The road was still wet, trees resembling coiled snakes along the path. I was running. Running from the promised freedom toward complete freedom. I hadn't slept for two nights; I only stopped to refuel and started over. I lamented my old age. I hummed. I laughed. When I saw the cliff, it was already too late. The wheels refused to brake, and a thought pierced my soul: Farewell, sabbatical year. Hospital or eternity?

(Translated by Andreea-Daniela Vasilache / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)