I had no other choice. The tenth clone I've killed. Looking in my eyes and seeing how I breathe my last breath, this is what makes me alive. The experiment has to be a success. I recreated a moment in my life, a moment for which I was sentenced to 25 years in prison. My wife cheated on me with my best friend and I slaughtered both of them in cold blood. I want a better version, I want the next Ted to make better decisions. Ted7 gave me hope, but killed himself shortly after he spared their lives.
Sanda Vaideș
Auntie Uca was searching in the nest. She found a violet egg. Oh, God, this must be a prank played by Pricopsitu, the boy who lives up the hill who put a toad in the priest's Psalter. Here, I'll put it in the hatchery and we shall see what comes out of it. The second day, auntie Uca found in the hatchery some lilac shells and a strong scent of lemon and gas gave her hallucinations. Semi-conscious, she thought she saw Vasîli behind the wheel of a pot as big as the house taking off from the yard. From that day on, she mourned Vasili for the rest of her life.
Andrei Lămureanu
Seven, he smiled a toothless grin, showing off his poorly bandaged hand. I chased all of them away. With his good hand he grabbed the greasy glass and emptied it in one gulp, slamming it down on the counter. The pungent smell of pub and petrol faded away masked by the alcohol. One of them was really big, he carried on for the curious listeners, I bet he was about twelve. He looked at the dark faces around him and drew to his chest the glass that had been refilled. He could read surprise, envy and distrust in their eyes. He kept quiet solemnly. It was his story and it only concerned him.
(Translated by Alina Roșu / 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.