I wake and find that it’s in the bathroom, waiting for me to join it. It sits on my toothbrush, restless to give my lips a kiss. I brush like there’s a demon in the depths of my mouth, it must be purged before I utter a single syllable. I spit. And rinse. Perhaps I’ve… Leer más Pain Never Leaves You by Terveen Gill
‘There’s nothing wrong with your foot.’ Macy Werie wiggled her toes and eyed the doctor with disdain. The man was getting ahead of himself. ‘Doctor, before meeting me today, had you ever heard of the name Macy Werie?’ Doctor Hesma frowned and replied, ‘No. Never.’ Macy had the man where she wanted him. She smiled… Leer más You’re Suffering from Writer’s Foot by Terveen Gill
Dementia. It took great-granny from us. She lived with it for four years and it slowly consumed her. By the time she passed away, there was little left to her. She was a crumpled figure cruelly hollowed out and emptied. But she was still great-granny. A woman who had left her cheerful mark upon us… Leer más They Blew Up Great-Granny by Terveen Gill
The smell was intolerable. A defiant odor reigned heavily in the air, masking the familiarity of the stagnant space. Two reluctant hands probed the limits of her body. She was still, her beautiful eyes creased shut. The unnerving tremble would never return to haunt her again. Her body was a careless mystery, the secrets within… Leer más Jagged Existence by Terveen Gill
Daksham was a journalist. Stories interested him and the weird world was the best place to find them. There was little that could surprise him now after reporting for over fifteen years. Tragedy, greed, violence, death, poverty, fanaticism, oppression. It was sad how the bad things always made better news than the good. That’s what… Leer más Roll Away Your Sins by Terveen Gill
Mama says if I want to see God, I have to go to church every Sunday morning. But I think she’s mistaken. Because all I ever see is a fat preacher yelling about the devil and us sinners. You shall burn in the fires of HELL! Your lying tongues will drop from your mouths! Thorns… Leer más Mama is my Savior by Terveen Gill
She was protected from the beginning. The golden child, revered for being herself, unapologetic, unafraid, her heart comparable to heavy lead. Nothing could penetrate it. No emotion was strong or daring enough to live in its depths. There was only darkness, the kind that swallowed whole without a pause or a breath. She grew in… Leer más One of those Urban Legends by Terveen Gill
She was there. And then she wasn’t. Ten seconds, and my world had changed, forever. The horror. No words can explain it. I shouldn’t have let go of her tiny hand. But she wanted a pink balloon. She was right next to me. Her pink dress visible from the corner of my eye. I’m a… Leer más A Pink Balloon by Terveen Gill
The coffin was open. Dena Mistry lay in it. The funeral home had ensured that the dead woman looked her best. The funeral director had appointed an accomplished makeup artist. Sasha could do wonders. Dena’s two children, a daughter and son, were relieved that their mother would be buried with her makeup and hair in… Leer más A Dead Woman’s Makeup by Terveen Gill
by Manuela Timofte A good short story is not only a reliable friend you can lean on, but it is also a short escape into a vibrant world that rests upon the shoulders of creativity. There’s a story here for everyone, you’ll just have to read to believe. Terveen Gill, Editor Masticadores India M.- Why… Leer más Terveen Gill – Interview
Her hand was clammy, but he could still feel the softness that had touched him for fifty-two years. She was his first and only love, their courtship had begun in high school, marriage had followed soon, then children, responsibilities, the routine commitments. With her he had known a love that had no judgments, no greed,… Leer más Deathbed Promises by Terveen Gill
Maybe he did look like a murderer or a hardcore criminal, the type of face that was too ordinary and ugly but radiated threats of harm and death. His mirror was cracked through the center and it divided his face into two halves, the right side slightly heavier than the left. His mother had always… Leer más A Piece of the Moon by Terveen Gill
‘Strawberry bubble gum please.’ Satya heard a voice from across the counter, but there was no one there. It was only seven pm and he was already losing it. His mind wasn’t as sharp as it had once been, and manning the cash counter for ten straight hours left him weary and unfocused. ‘Strawberry bubble… Leer más A Guy Named Karen by Terveen Gill
Dear God Almighty, I would like to bring to your notice my dissatisfaction with the world that you have created. I know that no one’s perfect and that you probably think so too. Though your children (insensitive human bastards) harp on about their flawless intelligence and impeccable logical reasoning. Please excuse my brashness, they wouldn’t… Leer más A Burning Letter to God by Terveen Gill
This article by Terveen Gill also appears today in the Spanish edition of Masticadores It’s sometimes better when certain people are gone. Their absence is appreciated more than their presence. There’s a peace in knowing they will never return. I killed my father. More for myself than my mother. He was a nuisance, an embarrassment,… Leer más Our Own Personal Devil
How much is too much? When should you own up and prepare to fall apart? Is being strong equivalent to being stupid when your brain and heart are in a bloody mess? What about those around you? The ones you look at and think – If only God had cut them slack, given them the… Leer más How much Pretense can a Person Afford? by Terveen Gill
Get up and leave! My mind screams, over and over. Otherwise, silent and poised, no one can tell I’m crumbling inside. It’s been months, maybe over a year. I thought time had done its job, healed me, rid me of the demons. But one look, and I’m defeated. Is it so easy to destroy willpower?… Leer más My Sweetest Enemy by Terveen Gill
Come to me. You’re a man in need. Shh…be quiet. No one must know. Your secrets are safe with me. They’ll never see the light of day. Leave behind your name and age. Everything looks the same in the darkness. You want to speak. I’ve heard too many tales. Let me drink from your lips… Leer más Come to Me by Terveen Gill
By Terveen Gill I’m the one who comes drunk to the party. But I never leave drunk. Why? Because I usually pass out midway. Yes, embarrassing. I doubt it’ll be any different today. Still at home, I’m four drinks down, the fifth almost done, the sixth is coming with me. My driver honks furiously. I… Leer más Cheers to Me!
By Terveen Gill The dark glasses and the invisible cloak of ‘stay away from me’. We all wore them in some way or the other when we first entered this white-walled hall. It was a cleansing ground. A place for gradually dismissing the burdens we carried – whiten those blackened souls. Some did it better… Leer más I Don’t Know What it’s like to be You
Gobblers & Masticadores 