illness
— A girl stuck at home during the pandemic battles jealousy as friends text about their vacations, until rain brings unexpected release from her frustration.
— During COVID lockdown, a mother and son each make wishes on matching copper bracelets that transport them through time, teaching them what they've taken for granted.
— In a post-COVID dystopia where rich and poor are segregated, a lonely delivery boy discovers an underground society of 'Peacebreakers' who refuse to wear masks or social distance.
— A girl faces her aunt's terminal illness through the metaphor of a falling bomb while a mourning dove sits motionless on their roof, refusing to move.
— A dying man in a retirement home reflects on his life's losses—a friend's death, a failed marriage, and the changing nature of chess—while watching a cherry tree bloom.
— Five vignettes explore monsoon rain in India, questions of faith and atheism, becoming an older sister, a medical emergency, and reflections on friendship and the pandemic.
— At 4 AM, a girl reads a beloved book while reflecting on how beauty and peace persist alongside the pandemic's ongoing tragedy.
— A girl wakes to find everything turned yellow, discovers she's colorblind, falls into despair, then inexplicably floats into the sky before landing in her mother's arms.
— While her mother is sick, a daughter seizes the chance to cook in the usually forbidden kitchen, making pizza with nervous care as a surprise.
— A pantoum explores the isolation of depression when others dismiss your pain, repeating lines that circle like the thoughts they describe.