By Voicu Mihnea Simandan, Anurun Singkamanun and Sakulratn Teptarakulkarn
The neighborhood was as gloomy as any other November evening in Transylvania. The three of them had been roaming up and down the streets of Arad for more than two hours, but they still couldn’t find her. She left the tiny room, where all four of them were living, without saying a word. Her three brothers were concerned that something bad might happen to her. That wasn’t the safest area of the town to live in. But what could one have done when you didn’t even have enough money to buy food for at least two meals a day, not to mention renting a decent apartment. Since their parents had died in an awful fire that burnt away all their properties, the four siblings had been living a life of misery. And their sister had mentioned so many times that it would be better if she just died, thus making her brothers’ lives easier.
Soon the cold, dark night fell over the city. The three brothers were tired and hungry as they hadn’t eaten anything since the previous day’s dinner. They have searched for their sister everywhere, from the most remote alleys of the neighborhood to the garbage disposal area at the border of the city. While their energy dried out they became hopeless. At that crucial point, the eldest brother remembered their parents’ faith in God, so they decided to go to the nearest church and pray to God for guidance. While praying, they heard screeching sounds and light peeped into the church.
Once again the three brothers retrieved their hope of finding their sister. What else could that shiny ray of light be, but only a sign from God paving the way out of the darkness that lured their sister into its monstrous trap of the night? The three brothers were now on their knees, facing the holy statue of Christ, praying and bemoaning for a chance to once again reunite with their sister. Suddenly the three brothers heard a loud noise from outside the church. It seemed like something crashed at the church doorstep. They got up and walked slowly to the front, quietly opening the door of the church. Again, a bright shining light hit their faces so strong that they had to squint for a few seconds. A moment later, as their eyes got used to the light, they finally found what they had been searching for that whole night. Their beloved sister was half lying under the wheels of a station wagon, eyes wide open, blood dripping from her mouth and nose. Yes, they have found their sister, but as dead and smashed as wet dirt under their shoes.
Originally published in Daily Flash 2012: 366 Days of Flash Fiction,
edited by Jessy Marie Roberts, Daily Flash Publications, 2011, p. 430
