Mara Masolini

“THE SPELL” by Mara Masolini

THE SPELL Martha was a childless middle-aged widow who lived in the only company of a lot of cats in an isolated house on the hill. She didn’t have many friends, only two women of her age, Anne and Samantha. Little was known about her. No one had ever known her husband because when she arrived in the village she was already a widow. Her husband was said to have been a Protestant pastor. Martha was a humble-looking woman of few words. There were those who claimed she was not a widow but a divorcee or a spinster. The first rumors ...

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“IN THE LIGHT OF DAY” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #199

IN THE LIGHT OF DAY Night. Brian walked briskly across the street. His hands were in his coat pockets and his head was down. When he reached the other side of the street he glimpsed in the light of the street lamp a tall guy wrapped in a black cloak, with a hood, also black, on his head. To Brian, that guy was a complete stranger, although he had just seen him fleetingly in his face. Brian was in a hurry to go home but after a few steps, he stopped and turned back. The stranger, still standing under the lamppost, was turning his head...

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“THE TASTE OF THE EARTH” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #198

 THE TASTE OF THE EARTH “ This morning that monster spat in the teacher’s face,” Lisa said, grimacing. “ And he also beat Malcolm until his nose bled” Samuel added, looking disgusted and at the same time frightened. The “monster” Lisa and Samuel were talking about was George, a six-year-old little boy who was absolutely reluctant to be disciplined. George was not able to write and read, he didn’t wash or comb his hair. And he crawled like a four-legged animal and not because he wasn’t not able to walk upright but because he liked it t...

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“A BREATH OF FREEDOM” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #197

 A BREATH OF FREEDOM  Wake up at seven o’clock.  A quarter of an hour to take a shower and clean yourself: brush your teeth, and take your prescribed medicines. Then ten minutes for the breakfast of cornflakes, milk, and orange juice. Afterward, George had to take the lift, since it was forbidden to walk down the stairs, go down the garage, and get into his car to reach his workplace. Where it was forbidden to arrive one minute late. In the world in which he lived everything was organized, established minute by min...

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“THE WARNING” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #196

THE WARNING I’m walking on the sidewalk, and the florist’s shop is beyond me when I suddenly see that face among the passers-by coming in the opposite direction to me. A face with pronounced cheekbones, a long nose, and a small mouth. And blue eyes. It is little to say that it is a face familiar to me. That face is mine. It had also a mole between its nose and mouth, like me. But look what is happening to me this morning: to meet my double, I think embarrassed. I take a few more steps and I find myself facing the man ….with my face...

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“THE ASSISTANT” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #195

THE ASSISTANT “ Peter, please, I recommend you, the file on George’s crime must be ready by tonight. You should have already found time to fill it out. If you haven’t done it, get busy. Look, you have to go and see Mr. Gilles and try to calm him down, reassure him. He phoned me all agitated” “All right Paul,” I say, getting ready to go out. “ One moment, Peter,” my chief ( boss) says, looking around and beckoning me to come closer. “ While you are at it, try to keep Mary calm too. She is bombarding me with phone calls and questions. “ Mary...

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“RUNNING FAR AWAY” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #194

RUNNING FAR AWAY Myra wanted to get away as far as possible. Away from her home, away from her city, away from her country. Myra’s mother was over ninety and it broke her heart to leave her. But she had to go. Life in her city, in her country, had become impossible. Myra had acquaintances in Australia and she had decided to join them, she would go to Australia. A few days before Myra left her mother died. She appeared to die naturally but the autopsy determined that she died of suffocation. Myra was suspected of the murder and she was una...

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“THE MOST ORIGINAL GIFT” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #193

THE MOST ORIGINAL GIFT “ What can I give her?” Peter was wondering for days. His friend Lisa was about to turn eighteen, she would give a big party for her birthday, to which all her friends were invited. She had announced that she wouldn’t accept any gift if it was not exceptionally ORIGINAL. She didn’t want the usual presents that people get for their birthdays. Peter particularly cared about Lisa, perhaps he was even in love with her. He was certainly fascinated by her, he was enchanted by her extravagance. Lisa was an artist, she paint...

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“THE NECKLACE THAT COMES FROM THE PAST” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #192

THE NECKLACE THAT COMES FROM THE PAST Pamela didn’t believe her eyes. Rummaging in the old trunk in the attic looking for buttons she found that old necklace in her hands, which she believed had been lost for some time. It wasn’t a precious necklace. It was made of metal, perhaps an alloy of iron and zinc. But it was ancient, probably dating back to the early 1900s or even the 1800s. It was made of rectangular metal pieces with holes and had a medal of the Madonna hanging on it. It must have belonged to her great-grandmother, whom she hadn...

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“FLOWERS ARE DANCING” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #191

 FLOWERS ARE DANCING “ Roses? Red roses?  They are beautiful but…too obvious….white roses then? Or yellow roses?” Paul wondered,  he couldn’t decide. His grandmother Ida was turning eighty and he wanted to bring her a floral tribute but he was undecided about which flowers to choose. ROSES…it’s obvious to think of roses when thinking of a floral tribute to celebrate ( to pay homage to) someone, but perhaps it would have been more original to choose other flowers…Orchids perhaps? Or tulips?” Paul found orchids too sumptuous a...

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“THE SOUL OF THINGS” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #190

THE SOUL OF THINGS/ THE SOUL IN THINGS “ NOW speak,” Anthony said. The invitation was addressed to Geronimo, an elderly Indian who lived in a hermitage on the mountain for decades. Anthony had met him by chance while afflicted by the loss of his son, he was wandering through the woods in search of peace, but indeed in the absurd hope of finding his son again. Even when he had glimpsed Geronimo from afar, appearing and disappearing among the vegetation, he had hoped he was her son Daniel. Anthony knew that Daniel had died and he couldn’t co...

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“Blood on the snow” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #189

BLOOD ON THE SNOW It was so terribly cold, snow was falling and it was already dark. Teddy walked on the snow-covered sidewalk and dug his feet into the snow, every now and then he slipped to the ground.  He fled the house miraculously escaping the fury of his father who had stabbed his mother and slit the throat of his little sister, born a few days ago. After raging at his mother and his sister, his father chased him throughout the house with the knife in his hand. Teddy had first managed to hide in the cellar and then when it seeme...

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“THE ESCAPE” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #189

THE ESCAPE  “…and then  the barefoot princess agreed to wear the silk slippers that the shoemaker had made to measure for her”  “ But did the princess marry the shoemaker?” “ Sure, they got married and lived happily ever after” “ Where did they go to live? Don’t tell me that the princess accepted to live in the little shoemaker’s house…” “ But no, they lived in the princess’s castle” Martha couldn’t take it anymore, her jailer was becoming more and more demanding with the story she had to tell him. She had been ...

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“THAT FACE” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #188

THAT FACE Paul was an accomplished architect. He had designed much-admired, much praised buildings as museums and churches not only in his country. He also had a beautiful family with his wife Milena and their children Peter and Simona. And he did not lack a circle of interesting and inspiring friendships and acquaintances. At thirty-eight he could say to be a fulfilled even happy man. And yet there was ….SOMETHING that undermined his satisfaction, that prevented him from being happy. It would be better to say that there was...

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“FOLLOWING THE CAT” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #187

FOLLOWING THE CAT He stood on the sidewalk at the corner of the street. The matted reddish hair, the great green eyes, the head too big for the body. The stray cat had greeted him with an angry meow. “Poor kitty, you’re hungry” Peter had said, giving him a bite of the cheese and onion sandwich he was eating. That morning he had gotten up late and so he hadn’t been able to eat ( have) breakfast sitting at the table. The cat devoured the morsel and meowed, an imperious meow, as for an urgent request. Peter handed him another bite which ...

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