Melissa Van Rensburg

“Desperate Remedies” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Was she taunting me? I forced my eyelids open a fraction, afraid to face the light. I could feel the effects of last night’s drinking. At least it was New Year’s Eve, so I had an excuse this time. For the first time in five years, I greeted the new year alone. Pee-pee-paw, pee-pee-pee-paw was the sound that had awoken me prematurely. It drilled into my skull, causing shockwaves, though that could conceivably also have been the alcohol. What kind of new bird could this be? I went outside to look for the source of my annoyance. ...

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“Joram’s Jarring Jest” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Joram had learned the hard way about the power that stories can have in shaping the truth. He also knew it was futile to argue with a 9-year old girl. “Grandfatherrrrr,” the girl pleaded, her eyes wide with the innocent curiosity of youth. “Tell me a story.”Joram sighed heavily, the lines on his face deepening in the firelight. “A story you say.” The crackling fire hurled long shadows on the hut’s walls. He prodded at the embers, causing a flurry of sparks to fly up, as if attempting to summon the past. “Are you sure?”“Yes, grandfa...

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“What’s your moon sign?” by Melissa Van Rensburg

The only reason Amanda attended the WLW speed-dating event was to get Eric off her back. “Just go,” he had pleaded. “You never know — you might meet your perfect match!” It was easy for him to say; he had been with his ideal partner in a loving and stable relationship for 10 years. So far it had been a disaster, just as she expected. On paper she was compatible with all the women there, but attraction didn’t happen on paper. She wished she was at home watching Netflix. She didn’t need a girlfriend; she was perfectly happy on her own.&nb...

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“A Recipe for Belonging: The Draniki Connection” by Melissa Van Rensburg

I never expected my draniki post to go viral, but it did, and now there’s no turning back. My life will never be the same again — it led me home. I guess I ought to explain. First, to all the non-Belarusians out there, I should probably start by telling you what draniki actually are, yeah? Well, if you go to Wikipedia, it will lamely redirect you to the ‘Potato Pancake’ page. This is madness. Surely it should have its own page? Putting that aside, yes, I guess it’s accurate to say that it’s some sort of potato pancake, but I reckon it’s...

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“The Joy I Bring” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Helen said not to be scared, but that it’s okay if I’m nervous, that’s normal for the first day in a new job. This isn’t just a new job, it’s my very first one. But I’m not frightened. No, I’m super excited! I’ve been training so long for this day, and am beyond ready. The sun isn’t up yet and she is still asleep. I wish she’d just wake up already! Come on, let’s go! Months of rigorous training helped me to perfect all the commands, be an excellent listener, tolerant of unexpected noises and movements, and relaxed in all kinds of enviro...

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“Opposites Conversion Camp” by Melissa Van Rensburg

The boys were kept separate from the girls, naturally. So that we wouldn’t succumb to our unnatural urges. That’s why I have no idea what their classes consisted of. I can only tell you about what they taught us girls. The first day’s classes were focused on history. Nothing new, of course. It was mostly about how back in the day, in the bad old days, couples couldn’t get pregnant on their own and so were forced to do the deed with the opposite sex. It was handled as a transaction, which it was, and so it was bearable, they said, and th...

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“The Theft of Art's Heart” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Yes, it was perfect after all – the wall was complete. It wasn’t just any wall, but a canvas of reflection, dotted with 15 mirrors, each a portal to another time, another soul, each swathed in its own tale. And at the heart of this constellation was a mesmerising gold and black painting. It had filled the void that had been there for many years and now silently commanded the room as if it had been there all along. It was finally in its place. It wasn’t what Maxine had expected it would be; it was even better.  *** From the moment Maxine...

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“Behind Closed Doors” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Submitted to Contest #239

The walls couldn’t talk, but they had begun to listen.  They didn’t know how this came to be. They believed that life had started for everything else on the day it started for them, too. Because before that day, there was nothing.  The same fate had befallen everything that was in contact with the walls at the time of the incident. And so it was that the walls and the wall clock formed a friendship of sorts...

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“Which way to freedom?” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Sarima decided to walk.  She came to a crossroads. To the left, a tank in the distance; to the right, nothing but rubble. She turned right.  She walked for a long time. Each step kicked up clouds of dust that clung to her sandals, and her worn t-shirt was starting to stick to her skin, but she kept going. On the horizon, there were two tiny dots. She didn’t know what it was but kept walking towards it anywa...

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“The Russian Tongue” by Melissa Van Rensburg

Submitted to Contest #237

What if she didn’t like me in person? I kept pacing up and down the apartment, too nervous to sit still. Several hours remained; perhaps I ought to go for a walk? It should help to calm my nerves. “Can I please get a photo?)))” she messaged me. Russian-speakers tended to use brackets to indicate emotion via text — the more brackets, the more the person was smiling.She asked me to send her pictures multiple times a day, so I guess she must have liked how I looked well enough, and we certainly enjoyed each other’s company, electronic...

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“The Dangers of U-Hauling” by Melissa Van Rensburg

We were struggling to make our way up the mountain, our steps unstable on the pebbles under our feet and the fresh morning air filling our lungs, when Tara suddenly halted, took a long sip from her water bottle and faced me with a huge smile. “Audrey, will you marry me?”  I laughed because surely she was joking. Tara had such a quirky sense of humour, which was one of the things I liked most about her. But her exp...

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“Back to School” by Melissa Van Rensburg

TW: Bullying I can't remember the exact moment I made the decision to go after all. But that's life, isn't it? Decisions rarely seem to come with a dramatic turning point. It wasn't a single instance that tipped the scales, but a slow accumulation of reasons, feelings, conversations, and subtle realisations that, over time, gave me the clarity I needed. The decision to go, once shrouded in unc...

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“Running Code” by Melissa Van Rensburg

The noise of the kettle boiling pulled Natalie out of the zone. She got up reluctantly from her computer, fingers lingering on the keyboard, and walked to the kitchen. But her thoughts were still firmly in problem-solving mode. "How can I get this algorithm to optimise without compromising the system's security?" she muttered to herself. As the boiled water hit the tea bag, she was startled by a knock at the door...

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“The Witnessing Bench” by Melissa Van Rensburg

"We have all the time in the world," Elaine said softly. "I can sit here the whole day with you, and it still wouldn't be enough, Lily," she added. It was a busy day on Wellington's waterfront. It's true what they said: you can't beat Welly on a good day. And today was an absolute stunner. The temperature was in the low 20s with just a slight, barely noticeable breeze, just enough to make the heat bearable. There were lots of people out and about, naturally taking advantage of the good weather. Families riding in crocodile bicycles; child...

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“2023 Unfiltered: Live, Laugh, Likes” by Melissa Van Rensburg

31 December 2023 Well, hello there! How are all my beauties doing?? This is it! 2023 is almost over, and what a year it has been! As is customary, in my last post for the year I will reflect on the year that was and look forward to the next. Are you ready? Let’s goooooo!  Starting off with the reflections, below I highlight some of the most interesting events of 2023, as well as s...

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