Sunday, January 26, 2014

Stories: In 100 words or less

The end of the world was not what I expected. I thought there would be more explosions – more screaming and crying, more praying, more dying. I wanted an action-adventure extravaganza with mind-blowing special effects. What they gave me was an amateur production at best. I guess nature, with all its cold brutality, has yet to master the art of beautiful, cinematic carnage. They'd need somebody like Steven Spielberg for that. But why am I complaining? With all its cinematographic shortcomings, the end of the world was still a spectacular life-ending phenomenon. Too bad nobody ever got to see the rerun.
Kathleen Yu  21 years old


The land was bone dry as far as I could see. Besides, we didn't have the strength for another step. I checked our water-bag, and realised one of us had just seen their last sunset. It didn't faze me, no; nothing does. Without a second thought, I took out my gun and fired. A single shot, and she fell motionless. Twenty years was a nice long run for a horse, I thought. Late that night, a single droplet made me look up to the sky. I had stones in place of eyes, my wife used to say. She was wrong.
Ahmad Mahmood  22 years old

So this is what it means to burn in hell. Hell, the antithesis of heaven, a burning agonising never-ending moment of pain. But this is bearable, endurable almost... The pernicious creature scratches my face out of sheer malice. I try to fight back but I know I am defenceless and weak. Blood, sweat, agitation, anger. Period. My hair is pulled; legs crumble, breath seems to be failing me... Perhaps this is what hell exactly is, tolerable and intolerable. Hope and anguish. Treachery of life. Sisyphus... The doors of the Delhi Metro open and I catch a breath of fresh air.

Shobhita Narayan 24 years old

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