In the hinterlands of Cotabato region, among the Manobo people, roams a spirit called fegelilong. It is one of the most feared and despised spirits, for it makes fun of the human heart and kills mostly young men. The fegelilong…
‘Looking for Sharma’ by Julie Kearney (Australia)
When the boulders appear on the horizon glowing pinkly above a fringe of coconut trees, I see they’re the same as ever, still heaped into fantastic mountains as if thrown down to earth by some playful giant. I can’t take…
‘Search for the Non-Existent’ by Yamini Vijendran (India)
As I wipe the sweat off my forehead, the lift operator looks at me quizzically, and then at the temperature indicator in the lift. It reads 20 degree centigrade, making the man quip, “What Saar! Two months only in America…
‘Art Class’ by Michael Jerome (UK)
I knew Yumi from my art classes in Central, where I sometimes attended to brush up on my drawing skills. It was therapeutic relaxation really. She attended most weeks and would arrange a ‘stand in’ if she couldn’t make it,…
‘Rats and Cats’ by Timothy Nakayama (Malaysia)
Short story selected for the 2013 New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology They say that if you find yourself in the slums of downtown Kuala Lumpur and if you hear the wind playing a haunting dirge on a starlit night,…
‘Museum for the Macabre’ by George Diaz Evashuk (Canada)
BANGKOK — The Kingdom’s most notorious serial killer used to cook and eat the organs of his victims, mostly children. I was on my way to have a look at him. He was in the Museum of Forensic Science which…
‘Dreams for Rita’ by Julia Tan (Malaysia)
Penang, Malaysia 1997 It was late afternoon, and Rita was in the kitchen. She was sweating through her sleeveless green blouse, which created dark patches on her chest and underarms. She wasn’t bothered – the humidity was nothing to her.…
‘In the Forests of Himmapan’ by Swarnalatha Rangarajan (India)
“How can we think of leaving the village, Sirji? The gods of Jonkpur do not walk. So we have to stay where they live!” I shrug my shoulder and say nothing. The man who is talking to me does not…
‘The Memory Lane’ by Vijayender Cherupally (India)
The breeze turns more gentle. “How about going for a stroll?” I ask her. She smiles as she says, “You haven’t changed!” Change, I feel, is a complicated phenomenon, almost bordering on the incomprehensible for tardy minds like mine. So,…
‘Turbulence and Contentment’ by T-net Quiring (The Philippines)
Short story selected for the 2013 New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology Plane rides were a rare commodity for Consuelo. An old woman of sixties, she remembers her last being a domestic flight more than five years ago. The weather…
‘Dragon Property’ by Michael Jerome (UK)
I’m with Len, Lin’s uncle who specializes in village property. He’s lead us deep into Sha Tin along a narrow footpath to Ha Wo Che village, which lines the train tracks and takes you back in time to days of…