Lina Oz

“Hart” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #64

I see her through the smoke.She is still. Too still.My heart is not.I sense the flames nearby, gulping everything that resides on the forest floor. This fire, like all others I have been unfortunate to witness, is unforgiving. Unflinching. I have observed many of my family perish, too slow to escape the burning fingers, engulfed in a blaze so powerful that ash rains for days and weeks and endless years in the forest and in my nightmares.I will not let this fire take her.Suddenly, there's a cracking sound so thunderous that I snort, leaping b...

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“Burn the F*cking House Down: Episode 2” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #63

“And what time is it again, Wizz?”“Coffee time?”“No, dipshit. Not yet. Way to ruin the surprise, as usual.”“Oh, is this where I’m supposed to say the title of our show? You never specify, Paul.”"We talked about this, Wizz––""You know I'm not good with this type of crap––"“Jesus. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for––““Burn the F*cking House Down!”“You have got to be kidding me.”“What? Just doing my job, Paul.”“Folks, this is what I have to deal with. Every day. Every second. What a life.”“Alright, folks, a quick announcement before we dive in...

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“The Storr” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #63

This story is reminiscent of a trip I took to Scotland one year ago, where I was fortunate to hike across the Isle of Skye. It was one the most beautiful scenes I have ever witnessed, and I wanted to capture the geological aspects in this story from the north to the south of the island.Thank you to all the lovely citizens of the Isle of Skye, who befriended me and helped me along my journey.///I gaze down at the earth as my colony takes to the skies, our leader gently commanding us to gather into formation. I fall in line behind Onyx––a fami...

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“A Slow Burn” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.“What in the hell are you doing?”My brother jumped, turning to me, his smile wiped clean off his face after seeing the anger and shock on mine.“I––I was just––”“Get inside. Now.”I hurried to grab the hose from the side of the house, my fingers shaking as I fiddled with the nob to turn on the water. At the corner of my eye, I saw my brother run behind me, narrowly escaping the fire that was beginning to build in our backyard. Finally, I heard the water running. I yanked the hose forw...

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“Cut Out” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #63

“Alright, students! Today, we’re making…” Mrs. Carlson smiles, leaning forward, sitting at the edge of her tall wooden reading chair. The students gaze at her in excitement.“...pumpkins!”The students cheer, giggling and laughing and clapping. Henry claps along with them, grinning.“Alright, come along; get some paper. And you’ll each need some scissors, too…”Mrs. Carlson ushers the students to the craft table in the center of the classroom, topped with hundreds of pieces of construction paper of all different colors and a bucket of small (and...

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“Core” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #63

The old woman wanders slowly through the orchard, pulling her shawl tightly across her shoulders. The sound of crunching fills the air as she steps through the freshly fallen leaves of various colors––yellows and oranges and reds. The sun is warm on her back, to which she gives a perplexing smile––because the air is rather icy. Freezing, actually. She watches as her exhaling breaths form small puffs of condensation.She sighs in content. A perfect day.“It’s cold.”The voice flutters across the trees from her left. She turns to the voice, and b...

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“Celestial” by Lina Oz

“A Celestial.”“A Celestial?”“Yes, my Lady.”“That is… that is impossible.”“It is not.”“I forbid it.”“With utmost respect, the stars do not care what you forbid of them, my Lady.”“No one shall ever know what the stars have foretold.”“My Lady––”“Hush, Maam Astrid. I demand your silence. You will never speak of this again. The stars are wrong this time.”///Mother leads me down the long stairwell, her long black dress trailing behind her.“Prepare yourself, my darling. He is grotesque to behold.” Her voice echoes against the stone, filling the nar...

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“Drip, Drip.” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #62

*Content Warning: sexual assault and violence*I look down at the object in my hand, watching the blood drip, drip, drip from the cool silver blades to the tile floor, the white stone now stained with red––“Ava, are you all right?” Mrs. Mullen looks at me, her eyebrows furrowed and raised in concern. “You’re quite pale, dear. Do you need to go to the nurse?”“I’m not… sick…” the words sound strained. Agonizing.I blink, and then squeeze my eyes shut. The blood is still there. The white tiles. I open my eyes. Mrs. Mullen still stands over me, bi...

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“Boxed In” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #62

The young girl sprints through the trees, her long, wavy hair wildly fluttering about her face.“We’re gonna get you! We’re gonna get you!”The voices taunt her, follow her; the phrase repeats over and over, out loud and in her head, a musical canon wrought with terror. She pushes her legs faster, releasing a sob.“We’re gonna get you! We’re gonna get you!”Panicked, she wildly looks around for an escape route. To her left is an open road. Exposed. In front of her rests a school. Too many places to get cornered. To her right sits a dark, quiet f...

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“The Ten” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #61

Warning: Mature ThemesAre you going this year?” The woman says the words gently. She glances at her husband over her thick reading glasses.He pauses while he dries the plate, hesitating. “Hm. I don’t know yet,” he says quietly.“Okay.”“Yeah.”“Let me know if you want to go. I’m happy to drive.”“Thanks, hun.”He continues drying the dishes while his wife reads. Occasionally, she looks up from her book, measuring her husband. He’s been quiet lately. Worn. Sitting at the television every night, watching (but not really watching) the weekly date-ni...

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“Crunch. ” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #61

The knife is cold.It glitters. Sparkles. The light is dazzling.So pretty.I touch it. Caress it. Embrace it.“Ava. Stop.”His voice trembles. My heart lurches.“Please.”A sound.A crunch.The knife slices through the celery on the cutting board.His eyes are feverish. Bright. They’re green. Like the celery. They used to be my favorite color in the world.“Ava. Stop. Look at me.”I slice and slice and slice.He leans on the counter. His finger taps against the marble. It is loud; the only sound in the room. Besides the crunch of the celery.Tap.Crunch.T...

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“Deep Waters” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #61

The ocean.It is not an aroma one expects upon crossing the threshold into a coffee shop.The salt and the sea.The fragrance stops me dead in my tracks. For a brief moment, I see the setting around me––the colorful rugs, the scattered tables, the counter, behind which stands a barista chatting with the customer in front of me. At the corner of my eye I see a candle burning near the window, the words "Ocean Breeze" on the label. I see dark, deep blue wax, with a gentle flame upon the wick.Then, the scene fades. Everything blurs.Until all I can ...

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“An Early Present” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #61

The boy peeks from behind the wall into the kitchen. The smell of chocolate chip waffles had coaxed him from the comfort of his bed, a place he was quite disinclined to depart from on this snowy Saturday morning. He watches quietly as his mother flurries around the kitchen in her usual refined chaos, zipping through cupboards and yanking ingredients from their haphazard placements across the countertops.The boy loves to watch his mother cook. She is a magician and an artist in the kitchen. And in life. “And what are you doing awake, kid...

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“my human.” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #60

This story is inspired by my dog, Raven. She's my best friend. She also loves squirrels. And she is my fiercest and most loyal protector. /// the human is close to me. he has been sitting in the middle of the road for a long time. he throws me food. sticks of beef. crumbs. they taste good. he comes closer. i like this human. it is a male. like me. he smells like dirt. but I do not mind. i like dirt. the human holds his hand out to me. his fingers are very long. and they are salty as I lick them. they taste like salt and dirt. ...

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“Burn the F*cking House Down” by Lina Oz

Submitted to Contest #60

This story is inspired by the wildfires burning through my state of residence and the west coast of my country. The fires were in large part initiated by humans, as well as lightning strikes, and they have killed thousands upon thousands of animals, destroyed countless acres of land, and demolished peoples’ homes. My aim for a funny story is to try to provide a sense of light and humor in the midst of all the chaos.///“Paul. Hey. You know what time it is?”“I do, Wizz. I really, really do.”“It’s time for…”“…Burn the F*cking House Down!”“That ...

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