Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird by  Agustina Bazterrica

Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird

Agustina Bazterrica

Forget your expectations of nice short stories to lull you off to sleep, this experience is about as comfortable as sitting on a wasp nest. Each story will only take you five to ten minutes to read, but you will need a good day to recover from the shock that they deliver.

Extract

Immortalize the moment by throwing the plush lilac phone against the wall with the collection of crystal figurines he gave you in a consecutive, successive manner over the years. Observe the transparent giraffe fly through the air and the translucent pair of lovers sitting on a park bench holding hands fall to the floor. Go over to the figurine of the lovers, pick it up and verify its status. Intact. Cry. Clutch the figurine and throw it out of the window. Contemplate the crystal as it shatters on the asphalt. Confirm that the sad man leaning against the car has not seen you commit a possible assault against an innocent passer-by and rejoice at the empty street. Eat Havanna-brand alfajor cookies and sigh, but experience a certain calm on noticing the brilliant glint of the crystal on the asphalt.

Parallels
  • The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
  • Little Black Book of Stories by A S Byatt
  • A Bit of Singing and Dancing by Susan Hill