Liyab

Tahimik
10
Oct
By The Flame Literary
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Tahimik

photo by COLEEN SHANE O. QUIAMBAO/ The Flame Huminhin na ang dapo ng araw sa aking balat; malapit na itong mamahinga. Tinakbo ko ang daan pauwi bago tuluyang gumapang ang dilim. Hindi na alintana ang tagaktak ng pawis. Sinara ko agad ang pinto at binaba ang tuyong nipa na tabing…
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Burst
03
Oct
By The Flame Literary
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Burst

Art by TCHEKY NICOLE D. CABRERA/THE FLAME   The bubble that detained him was unlike any other. Apparently, its frailty was only superficial. None of his efforts seemed capable of bursting it—or damaging it in the slightest. Five minutes ago, he was reluctantly dozing off to sleep. He urged his…
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Ballot
26
Sep
By The Flame Literary
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Ballot

Art by TCHEKY NICOLE D. CABRERA/ THE FLAME Six years ago, he was not there, nor on any previous election. To him, once a single ballot entered the box, it was reduced to nothing among millions. It seemed easier to yield to fate, just like many did before him. The…
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Envy
19
Sep
By The Flame Literary
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Envy

photo by ELIJAH JOHN M. ENCINAS/ THE FLAME Mindlessly scrolling through his feed, he promptly stops at a post that caught his attention. Breaking: Thailand saw no new cases. The headline reads in a local Facebook post. Under it are strings of comments brimming with envy. He cannot help but…
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Asphyxia
12
Sep
By The Flame Literary
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Asphyxia

Trigger Warning: transphobia, violence, murder The hands of a brute coil around her throat.  She gasps. She screams inside, I can’t brea—  Her delicate fingers held the ones cramping her neck. Pleas— With eyes turning bloodshot, she sees him. She sees his face—the last one she will see alive.   His…
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Disconnected
05
Sep
By The Flame Literary
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Disconnected

"THE principles of—" “not—“ “Everyone to—" Reconnecting. A familiar purple wheel emerges across the screen. It begins spinning as the voice of my professor fades. No Internet connection. The screen darkens. I disable my data and enable it again. Upon refreshing the page, I wait anxiously. I catch sight of…
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Ang Tatlong Bestida ni Ate
29
Aug
By The Flame Literary
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Ang Tatlong Bestida ni Ate

TATLONG beses ko lang nakitang magbestida si Ate. Ang unang beses ay nang ikasal siya. Naaalala ko pa ang yari ng gown; wari’y agos ng dagat ang pagkakabagsak ng puting seda. Ang mga beads nito’y nagmimistulang bituin kapag nasisinagan.  Ngunit higit pa sa gown, tanda ko ang abot langit na…
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Homeward
15
Aug
By The Flame Literary
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Homeward

I remember the silent drive to my hometown after the suspension was announced. I was itching to leave the campus right away to avoid being stuck in traffic. But little did I know, this would be my last time traversing these routes. If I only knew what was about to…
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Catnap
08
Aug
By The Flame Literary
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Catnap

AMID the disorganized array of tents and harried footsteps of people, a cat waits patiently. This cat liked many things. He liked taking naps in warm places. He liked being handed scraps of leftovers. But most of all, he loved being petted. He loved gentle touches on his fur, head,…
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