Ana Maria Dobre-Nir
I was cruising with Alex on our scooters on the hills near Medellín, enjoying the warm air, screaming with every tight turn. We went on a side road, thinking it would take us to some waterfall, without asking ourselves why everything was deserted. Suddenly, the green of the forest turned into a wild field, full of rows of shiny plants. We stopped abruptly. An odd silence surrounded us, and we felt a shiver going down our spines. We silently looked at each other, just now realizing we did not belong there.
Gladiola Chete
Enrico said about the scooter that it ain't no motorcycle, nor motorbike. It's for everyone. Inspired by a tricycle, it's made to be ridden by absolutely anyone. That is why, lacking in speed, they can be ridden without a license, from the age of 14. There are dozens of movies where the characters, on their first meeting with the vehicle, jump on and go on chases on the roads and off them. I was telling myself that while I was turning on the ignition, stepping on the brake by the rulebook, then on the gas pedal, reasonably, and then going straight into the fence ahead.
Ana-Maria Butuza
Like every other night, she waits for everyone in the house to fall asleep. She sneaks on the stairs leading to the attic, climbs out the window, slides down the roof, and climbs down the rain pipe, right on the alley leading to their meeting place. She knew the sound of his steps, but now he's late and it's worrying her. A small light shows up in the opposite direction and the engine's purr grows closer. Scared, she runs and trips. The scooter can't avoid her now, it hits her, throws her to the ground, and rolls over her. The cold grass was now warm and wet.
(Translated by Adriana-Maria Botea / 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.