Category: Short Story
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45 Minutes
‘I can’t find Stanley anywhere. I’ve looked in all his usual hiding places.’ Her voice breaks. She’s not speaking in a haste, as one would expect her to in such a situation; there’s a subtle melancholy in her voice, almost as if she’s already anticipating the worst possible scenario. Before she noticed that Stanley was…
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The Client
What does it mean when a woman sells the most precious thing she owns? I’ve seen it happen countless times, particularly in 2019, after the country plunged into the most catastrophic financial crisis of modern history. I’ve seen hungry women sitting on the side of the street approach me with what little charm they had…
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Adnan, Unredacted: Somewhere Between Olive Trees and Office Desks
“So who do you prefer, this bad guy or the other awful guy?” I heard my coworker asking as he suddenly appeared behind my chair, the way someone might present a clever riddle. Maybe it was spontaneous. Maybe it was meant to be provocative. I am not sure. But this is how I heard it. …
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Adnan, Unredacted: The View from This Table
A green hat, a black fur coat, long black boots. She sits by the window, stirring her coffee without drinking it. A man in a puffy red jacket sits next to her. A third joins them a moment later, tugging off a gray scarf and carrying a large gift bag. The man in the scarf…
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Adnan, Unredacted: On Sounding Normal in Public
Theory about voice changing.Can a person speak in different voices?Is it normal to talk in two different voices? This was my search history for the day. I only noticed it later, when I got home and sat on my bed, tapping through Instagram, then WhatsApp, then a half-open browser tab I didn’t remember opening, while…
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Six-Hour Guard Shift on the Northeastern Point of the Emile Helou Security Complex
There’s always something different at the start of a new day; the air shifts and time resets. The stubborn illusion of change replays the same tune with a slight difference in the arrangement onstage. I got the good, isolated guarding point – the north-eastern corner of the complex, next to the intersection on the inner…
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Adnan, Unredacted: A year in Reviews, From the Basement Office
Today, dear reader, I think it’s time to lift the curtain a little and let you in on a part of my life I usually keep to myself. You’re probably wondering: “What does Adnan even do all day?” Well, today’s your lucky day, because it’s the most hectic time of the year – the one…
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Adnan, Unredacted: Adnan’s Guide to Overhearing a Breakdown, Politely
I swear I didn’t mean to be this curious. But here I am, muting my TV so I can listen to someone’s sobbing. It started innocently, I swear. I was just about to take my after-work nap when I heard someone’s voice crack into tears. You know that sound? The one that comes right before…
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Adnan, Unredacted: Local Man Finds Sock, Feels Nothing
“Breaking news!!! I just lost a sock.” My mind kept repeating as I searched the whole house – under the bed, behind the washing machine. Even in places that made no sense: the freezer, the cabinet under the sink, the bookshelf in the living room. Instead of the sock, all I managed to find was…
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A Visit To Bjerrin
Kamil had just arrived at Bjerrin, a 100-year-old abandoned village in the Jbeil district of Lebanon, nestled in a rugged valley surrounded by the majestic Mount Lebanon. An old local man named Jalal, who had agreed to help him discover Bjerrin and its ruins, was waiting at the entrance. After they greeted each other, they…