I'll kill the monster that keeps scaring my little girl every night with my bare hands, said the dad with munch conviction as his daughter sat on his knees. He too has had his fair share of his own monster, which came from the shadows of the night and slid into bed next to him. He too has been touched by the monster in an embarrassing way that caused him pain. He too shut his eyes tightly for fear of seeing his monster. The horror story had to end, and the monster had to be killed. The dad kept his promise, and one night they found him hanging.
Cristian Nedelcu
After finishing his chores, he sat down on the porch at dusk, as he used to do since he became alone. He liked watching the sun descend into the earth as he rummaged through his memories. It had become dark, but he was still staring into nothing, as if his thoughts were a movie, taking him somewhere far away. Silence had washed over the village. Only the crickets could be heard, and the occasional howl of a dog decrying his leash. As he got up, a sigh escaped his lips. We \'ad it, Rădină, we \'ad it and we lost it.
Silvia Ștefan
The boy examines his face in the coffee mug. His black locks cover his cheeks and sprawl down to the mug handle, which he grips tightly. With every sip, his reflection changes its expression and age. He becomes somber, his hair grows gray and his face has wrinkles. Silvi, what did you put in my coffee? Before him appears a woman much like the spring: a big smile, a yellow flowy dress. The boy pulls one of her dress straps back up and he sniffs her. He pulls her closer, kissing her before collapsing. Ding. The pendulum sighs. From the coffee grounds, death is grinning while chewing on a pastry.
(Translated by Adriana-Maria Botea / 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.