He was left alone in the dirty subway car. Another failed visit to the unemployment office. We have nothing for you. Appearing out of nowhere, an elegant lady, the kind that doesn't ride the subway, handed him a newspaper opened at the ads section. A college was in need of a night guard. Your English is not good enough for the job, but I see from your resume that you're a former national swimming champion. We have a position for a pool attendant. Years later, now a successful coach, he still swears to his friends that lady really existed.
Ruxandra Comșa
They marked her house with two letters and no one spoke to her anymore. The shop doors slammed shut in her face. One by one, they cut off her water, her electricity, her gas. She held on as long as she could but on the last day she wanted to know the meaning of the nefarious letters. She checked in with the town hall. The robot promised her a reply within 30 days. On her way home she realized that, without water, without food, she would die by then. At night, she doused the houses on the street in gasoline. As the city burned, she noticed how chrism had started to pour out of her palms.
Caterina Tudorache
A long finger pointed to a striped ridge. Boo mi. The ridged peeled back and a polka-dotted eye bulged out. The finger curled and started to shake. Ti mou. Something in the shape of a tree with legs hopped around. Riru riru. A puddle of sticky yellow hiccuped and grew in size. A giant head with 3 teeth watched the show from above. Mommy, when these ones die, I want new animals. An eared nose laughed grimly. Of course, darling. In 1894 years, when you go to school, mommy will buy you a tail.
(Translated by Bogdan Nicola / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)
Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.