He woke up drenched in sweat. The sun was already riding high in the sky. He needed to find some shade. He set off toward the market with a quarterdollar bag, the syringe, vials, and a slice of bread in one hand, and the water bottle in the other. Behind him followed the mutt that had slept beside him last night. Now, the air reeked of unwashed dog, garbage, and feces. There's no room for them at the market. The air is already choking him, drying out his insides. He spits, and the saliva sizzles on the cement. He sits down by a wall.He gives the mutt the last drops of water. He plunges the syringe into his calf vein. It's snowing.
Mira Wolf
For a moment, the earth shook, and the sky lit up like a torch. The trees, covered in a bluish snow, sizzled. Believing the end of the world had come, the villagers ran to the priest. Only Elisei fled deep into the forest, searching for the cause of the thunder. There, he found a large crater, its edges scorched. From the crater emerged a maiden of unearthly beauty, with skin like milk, glassy silver eyes, and hair like red gold. What are you? the boy whispered, trembling. She pointed her finger toward the sky.
Carmen Mihu
My name is Arșiță[1]. Hot Arșiță. Really Hot Arșiță, from my mother's side. Really Really Hot Arșiță, from my father's side. Anyway. Call me whatever you want. I'm here today because of my relationship issues. Apparently, I've got some unhealthy behaviors. They say I leave people gasping for air, cause fainting, dizziness, insomnia. Look, I know I heat up quickly, but that's just my temperature. And in the end, what was that saying? Be yourself. That's how I am-hot, dizzying, scorching. With a tropical vibe. Oh great, I'm fired up again. And red alert doesn't suit me.
[1] The word /arșiță means /heat in Romanian.
Versiunea în română a acestui text se poate citi aici, în rubrica Ficțiuni Reale.