Vessel of Thirst | [Tanuki's Short Story]
My throat is burning.
My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth and won't peel away.
With every breath, the back of my throat is scraped by dry sand.
Once a day, a single mouthful is offered in a bowl.
It never quenches my thirst; it is sucked into my hot entrails and vanishes fleetingly.
The floorboards creak.
Am I a passenger, or am I a prisoner?
Only the smell of rust and dry salt dominates the space.
There is not a single bird's shadow in the sky, and the gray water's surface does not move.
Light, separated by only a thin sheet of paper, continued to wash my vision in white.
There are signs of other people, too.
Our gazes never meet.
With white salt crystals clinging to the corners of their lips, they stare at a single point in the void.
Sometimes someone's shoulders shake and a dry sob escapes, but no one ever turns around.
In this place without waves, voices can be heard from time to time.
“Objection”
A low man's voice echoes from the other side of the wall.
“…Accepted”
Another voice replies, but I do not cover my ears.
Those voices were the only things that brought any change to this stagnant time.
I can't take it anymore.
Thinking that if this thirst would end, I stood up on unsteady legs and headed for the gunwale.
If I throw myself into the bottom of this water, everything will end.
Shaking off the several gazes piercing my back, I placed my hands on the railing and leaned over.
Spread out below me were rows of cold, orderly chairs.
Sitting there were countless faceless silhouettes, their gazes focused on me.
The wooden enclosure creaked sharply.
A solemn voice echoed from above, cutting through the stagnant scent of human sweat that stung my nose.
The moment that voice finalized everything, my throat began to burn with thirst once again.
🔻 I have polished up something I wrote previously.
🔸 I have started a collaborative magazine. Looking for participants!
🔸 I have collected art styles for AI images!
🔸 Recommended! ( Tap the image ) ⬇️
🔻 Stitches of a Voice | [Tanuki's Short Stories]
🔻 Death Row Inmate | [Tanuki's Short Stories]
I won't let you miss it anymore. You can read the entire collection at once. ⬇️
#Tanuki #Novel #ShortShort #SleeplessNights #AIIllustration