Liyab

The Sea Is

The Sea Is

Calm.   the sea is never treacherous. it is without a doubt, a treasure to behold. its secrets are not for all to see. it lies beyond the sunlight’s touch, with the truth not  appearing as something atrocious. the crystalline horizon would never be a sight one should miss. the…
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The Witching Hour

The Witching Hour

photo by MARLOU JOSEPH B. BON-AO/The Flame Do you hear them come? The rustling of withered leaves, And the marching feet of headless priests? The sullen song of a weeping woman, Or was that of the fallen soldier, Lurking within the thread of hedges? Watching you shiver, from the sinister…
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Living for the Dead

Living for the Dead

photo by RAINIEL ANGELYN BUENAVISTA FIGUEROA/THE FLAME I know death does not make the world go away. After papa died, mama brought in a new world of her own. There was nothing too obscure to the things she had begun to do: her eyes gleamed at the sight of a…
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Under Her Care

Under Her Care

photo by SHANA ANGELA S. CERVANIA/The Flame At the end of the lightless street stood a convenience store she frequented to grab some snacks.  The night was young, but the streets were as empty as a ghost town. Ever since people started disappearing in the dead of night and surfacing…
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Tahimik

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

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

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

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

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

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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