Wednesday 20 December 2023

Short Fiction 2023 Third Prize, Ananya Varadarajan

The Stars That Are Yet Alive

Cat hair makes her sneeze. So we skirt around each other. He laughs at us, at me especially. The idea that I could be a cat is very amusing to him. My paws are rough, my tail short and my fur non-existent. Why does she sneeze then? Oops, sorry, it's pollen allergies that she's got.


He wants to lie under the night sky and fall asleep watching the stars. This I find laughable. It is ridiculous how he finds dead celestial bodies calming. She joins him sometimes. They spend hours together trying to find Ursa Major. They have never been successful. Yet, they look happy as they drift into a peaceful slumber, not bothered by the futility of their efforts.

What about me?
I sharpen my claws(or nails rather) on a large, flat stone and set off on a quest.

To find the stars that are yet alive.

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