The pen exploded through her crisp white shirt. The ink bled through and spread like the microcosm of a galaxy onto the polyester, and the girl remembered her small thumbs staining as she held a copy of the newspaper. Her grandmother demanded she read it when the girl visited her in Gaza in the summer […]
Ikma When I saw Hafeti smash every pot in her courtyard, I knew there was still fight left in the girl. That was the moment I decided I’d help her. It was like inviting her to become my second chance, an apology to my younger self for all I had left undone. Some will call […]
The backseat passenger sits up straight on the side opposite the driver with her hands folded in her lap. Her eyes are hard with disquiet as they stare through the side window to the infinite smudge that a passing cityscape becomes. The driver maintains a steady speed, accelerating only to give his battered taxi enough […]
The conditions were perfect for drawing a spirit: the pomegranate tree stood for forty years at the top of the hill, overlooking the wadi and its village far, far below. It waved its branches, peerless and heavy with fruits. Long winding strands of fabric entwined every inch of bark. The constant blowing of the wind […]
