A few hours before midnight, the man started drinking. Then, his friends began to appear. He laughed with Mr. Bean, danced with Angelina Jolie, ran around the house with Tom and Jerry, set off some firecrackers with Bruce Willis, and flew for a bit among the fireworks with Superman. In the morning, he woke up alone, surrounded by empty bottles. His phone rang: Happy New Yeaaar! Did you hear the explosions? No, I wasn't alone. My house was full of friends. Maria was here too. Yes, we made up. It was wonderful. Happy New Year, Mom.
Florentina Ghițescu
Don't be afraid, little one. Nothing will happen to you. You have me. Now he was 14 years old, old and aching in his bones. He no longer jumped onto the furniture like he used to, trying to be as high as possible. Now, he was content to stretch out at her feet. When the booming sounds began, shaking his small heart, he struggled to climb into her arms, to remember his mother's words-don't be afraid, little one. Nothing will happen to you. You have me. And he would fall asleep, cradled by strong arms that no longer feared the loud cracks. You have me.
Mona Zelenco
they can be heard but not distinguished through the thick layer of fog. It is midnight. Around me, thousands of people miming happiness, just as many wishes, hopes, and loves-thousands of masks walking through life with small steps and expectations too big. Hungry gazes searching for a fleeting light, for the noise that drowns out their inner void, for a sense of belonging to a crowd to forget their loneliness. I can't help but wonder-how many loves, how many dreams, and how many lives will 2025 shatter? Yesterday, I felt like a donkey lost in the fog, like an ox at the gate of the new year. HNY.
(Translated by Miruna-Camelia Baicu / 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.