Beep, beep, beep. Wheeeeeeen, thud. Chomp, chomp, chomp…The garbage truck is loud at the end of her street, hurling the neighbor’s overflowing trash bin and crushing the waste to pieces. She sets her half-full container at the curbside and shuffles back to her house through the empty side of the garage, passing by an unoccupied dog house.Clink, clink…As she closes the door, a car key … Continue reading waste collection
The rain pelts mercilessly. My parched throat craves liquid, but my feeble brain knows better than to swallow. Tugging the hood of the heavy rubber coat, I lick my cracked lips and taste blood.I hurry along the empty alley, spattering the reflections of blinking lights. Discarded flyers and plastic wrappers cling to the wet asphalt. The dark, silent windows of storehouses gaze down at me.I … Continue reading dry
My eyes open slowly. I am lying on a cold, hard surface and see the dim outlines of things – broken windows, turned-over furniture, debris on the floor. Where am I? I remember running, hiding, being hungry. Humanity died when the war started. I inhale the night air. Then hear someone else taking a breath. I exhale stealthily. “Are you awake?” A hoarse voice comes … Continue reading before it ends
Nobody talks at dinner; their heads are down, staring at devices in their hands. The other hands hold utensils, and they work in motion from the plates to the mouths, making occasional noises. I bring a spoonful of the tomato bisque to my lips, “I miss the old times,” muttering under my breath. All heads at the table turn in my direction. I quickly cover … Continue reading order
“Donate those. Throw that away.” She categorizes the items that her daughter brings from the closet one by one. “You sure you wanna do this now?” “Yes. Let’s continue, shall we?” Her daughter sighs and picks the next item. “Ah, the pink dress…” Her pale, thin face softens. “I wore that for the event… How many years ago?” Her daughter says nothing. “I thought I … Continue reading her hero
She stirs the pot, scrunches her nose at the smell of garlic and herbs, and mops the sweat dripping down her neck. A sudden clinking sound of bottles behind startles her, but she keeps her eyes on the pot. Her hands shake a little, more sweat breaks out. The braids of her hair tremble. The clinking bottles move away, out of the kitchen, down the … Continue reading what’s cooking
“I’ll wait for you till you return,” she said. Everything was postponed, and I went off to fight. We never found a cure for the disease, and I heard it reached her shore. For Three Line Tales 236. photo by V Hui Continue reading aloha ‘oe
Tim tries to open his eyes and flinches. “You’re gonna make it, buddy.” Who’s that? Tim tries to move and realizes he can’t. “You’re all strapped in and immobile,” the unfamiliar voice seems to be talking to him, “You were in an accident.” Accident? Tim tries to remember what happened. He was driving. He had borrowed Dad’s car. Tim moves his eyeballs and sees he’s … Continue reading precious cargo
“Hey, you…” “Hey. Let me adjust my screen so we can see better… Okay. Sorry to keep you waiting.” “Another long day, huh? You, the essential worker. We thank you.” “Haha. I just wish the things get calmed down a bit. Instead of worse.” “Yeah…” “And I miss you. It’s been a while since I last saw you in person. How are you?” “Let’s see… … Continue reading video chat
I knew it was coming, but this soon? TV, SNS, and the papers are talking about the alarming discovery. What do I do now? I take the box out of the closet, carefully open, and remove the contents. Keys, a towel, a knife. All familiar. A pang in my chest. At the bottom, I find the answer. It has always been there, in the … Continue reading a package deal
