Sapphic Pondering

Something was different. The bus stood stationary on the right side of the street. No vibration. No sound from the engine. Only the strong smell of gasoline.   The doors were closed, trapping inside the sweaty and exhausted passenger of the 5-pm route. Noises from the street became a muffled murmur behind glass windows. The air-conditioner was off, and the driver’s chair was empty. The ticket man, always perching on the railing near the doors, also disappeared. It was in this silence that Lan jerked back into consciousness. She had a kink in her neck and a faint red mark on her right cheek. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. Her joints didn’t pop like they did in the movies, she could never do that, but it did make her feel better. Her legs were numb, and her hard-cover dictionary was probably poking at her thighs through the thinning bottom of her backpack. She pushed it not-so-gently onto the seat next to her and crossed her legs. ‘Ugh! Annoying!’ – From the chair two...

rePLAY Pressed it again. Let the gray circle roll. Black screen, Lit up with the sun. Illuminate her face. Black irises. White glow. The Sun. Shiny and Bright.   Beautiful and Full of life. Even though it was on a screen. Just a fake. Was an electronic replica. But that was all she have. Pressed it again. And the gray circle rolled. Her eyes burns. But not her body. She touched the screen. Pretend that its warmth could reach her. Pretend to return. And replay those days. When there were light. And smiles. When there were friends. And love. Not darkness. Not cold. Not the stench of blood and death in her mouth. Not the hunger gnawing in her, calling her to kill. Not the fangs cutting into her lips. Get her away. Get her out. The Sun is Life. And she was not. She was not….

Be happy                                            Prelude _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Blue. The sky was so blue. Bright as a gem and clear as crystal. Golden rays of sunlight sprinkled on to the ground, dyeing the lush green grass and warming the moist, soft earth with their joyful colours. Among the branches, birds of all colours were chirping with their hundred different voices.   Rebeka pealed her gaze from the sky and turned her head to look at her companion, a beauty among Nature’s most astounding picture. Her Mhea. The young girl was lying on her back with her arms beneath her head with her soft long hair splayed out on the grass. Among the pale co...

Prompt #5: Flying people Note: Alternate Universe – Soulmates. Close your eyes and dream of the sky She was scared. Flap. Flap. Flap. It was not supposed to happen that way. Bright wings beat hastily, yellow feathers glowing in the dim light of the capital’s night. It was not how she should find her soulmate. Bullets swished by, barely missing her for a fraction of a millimetre. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her blood roared and her breath quicken. The spot between her shoulder blades, where her soulmark used to be, throbbed with every flex of her muscles. Pain shot through her left wing and blood bloomed among yellow feathers. The flapping faltered and she almost fell to the ground.   NO! She couldn’t stop now. Gritting her teeth so tight it hurt, she stretched her wings with new resolution. Faster. Faster. Please…. She had to make it out of there. She didn’t want to die. Another bullet. Another white hot pain, this t...

Prompt #4: Uncertainty and Serendipity Just  your ordinary  coffee shop The double glass door opened with a soft chime of the bell and brought in the fresh smell of rain. Behind the wooden counter, a girl called: “Welcome to Portal Café. May I take your order?” Outside, the streets buzzed with moving vehicles and hurried pedestrians. A car passed by, honking its horn and splashing across a small puddle. Soaked children played under the pouch, reaching out to cup the rain and laughing at each other’s muddy faces. Small droplets of water rolled down the glass panes, their paths slow and crooked, as though they were trying to peer into the warm space of the café. Michael breathed in the distinct smell of coffee and milk and felt a pleasant tingle in his chest. The place was almost empty, a few people here and there with their steaming drinks. Classical music flowed from small speakers, mixing with the murmur of conversations and the clinking of utensils on china...

Prompt  #3: Adultery The 1500 th day They fall in love on a hot summer day. I met you in the dark You lit me up You made me feel as though I was enough When cheerful guitar permeates the air and fresh breeze caresses sweaty skin. When tangy booze burns their tongue and they toss their hair back and dance without a care. We dance the night away We drank too much When Jade’s green eyes meet with a pair of brown that twinkle in the bonfire’s light. When thin fingers grasp at their hands and soft touches trail hot and cold on their shoulders.  And they know they are screwed.   I knew I loved you then But you’d never know ‘cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go It has been years ago, when Jade has been young and naïve. For the longest time, they have been happy with Andy. They have believed that good things will always last and that as long as there is love, a “happy-ever-after” is attainable....

Prompt  #2: “He's none of the things I expected, but I feel so right in his arms.” Loving him is red Pit. Pat…. The rain thrummed on the tree top, bouncing from green leaves to the ground and forming small puddles of muddy water. Splash. Splash. A foot stomped hard. Water splashed, wetting the already damp clothes.   “Where is she?” – A gruff, angry voice barked out, followed by a string of curses and tripping shuffles. Cris pressed herself against the cold stone cave, desperate to make her smaller. Her heart beat wildly, desperate to escape the prison of her chest as ragged, shallow breath puffed out of her mouth. Wet clothes clung to her emaciated form and her hair stuck to her neck and forehead. Fourteen days had passed in the arena. Cris closed her eyes, curled up in a tight ball on the cold cave and hid her face in her knees. The wind hollered outside the cave, and Cris’ thin arms hugged her body, too tired to even shiver. There were ...