Sunflower, says Nelu. To make sure there's no doubt as to what he's talking about, he pokes at the object in the unexpected guest's hand. Turnsole, replies the guest, his voice like a nail scraping metal. Nelu laughs: maybe that's what y'all call it, you little toad, then he repeats himself: sun-flow-er. Let him have his own way, he'll run away at this rate. Can't ya see he's getting greener? Didina whispers, leaning on the shovel behind Nelu. I wanna take a look at that tin can he landed on in the flower field.
Ana Maria Dobre-Nir
I met S.F. during my first job, when I was working in a sex shop. He was being sold at the Pansexual Androids aisle and I was a sales agent. I was surprised to learn that he was not only programmed to provide sexual pleasure, but also psychological assistance. As I am bipolar, I felt as though he had been created specifically for me. Unfortunately, we can't get married because I own him and he is not yet a legal subject. Yes. It's a tragedy. But we'll take it all the way to the ECHR. #equality.
Răzvan Drăgoi
The shadows grew longer as the sun was setting. The darkness would soon engulf him. He knew he was completely alone. The last living being on the planet. But he could feel a cold chill of fear rising up his spine. What if there was someone else? Someone undetected by the sensors? A foolish notion. Soon the light would die out and there would be no sound aside from his footsteps. Or, maybe...? It's just the mind playing tricks on him. That's all. He turned around. Nobody there. He breathed a sigh of relief. The neuroradiologists finished the surgery. There is no one in your heart any longer. She blinked. Yes, there's no one in there. Or, maybe...? It's just the mind playing tricks on her. That's all.
(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.