The Meltdown Jan 2021 Edition: THE MELTDOWN SERIES, #4

By Anjali Sinha

The Meltdown is a literary publication which houses fiction, micro fiction, poetry and personal essays, and sometimes art.

In this global pandemic, we need to hear new voices. Voices young and old, known and forgotten, full of hope and devastation.

This issue highlights such voices and puts forth stories to entertain you and poetry to enthrall you, and personal essays to educate you with the things you can do in your life.

We hope you'll enjoy reading The Meltdown on a cold, wintery afternoon! 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anjali Sinha
• Release date: Jan 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393376675

Book preview

T

ABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

COPYRIGHT 

EDITOR’S NOTE 

THE AFTERMATH 

MY BLACK BUDDY 

Bugs and Voices 

A Good Home 

By Quinn McCauley 

Constantly 

HOMAGE TO EQUALITY 

MY ACHROMATIC LOVE 

THE COUNTDOWN 

Wonder of Universe 

Cosmic Dancers 

All Rivers lead to Seas 

By the porch I sat down and dream 

Canvas 

Dark is also Black 

Enticed by Ever-Tendering Burst 

If Stars were Angels 

Kite-man 

Oaks by the Wayside 

The Remaining 

Why do roads have broken lines? 

Great Sex 

Time 

The Best Teacher 

Mother Earth 

Soul Mate 

the skin I’m in 

Travelling Companions 

C

OPYRIGHT

©The Meltdown 2020,

All rights reserved.

No part of this Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or photocopying, without the prior written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information published in this edition, neither publisher nor any of its employees accept any responsibility for any error or omission. Articles that cannot be used are returned to the authors if accompanied by a self-addressed and sufficiently stamped envelope. But no responsibility is taken for any loss or delay in returning the material, or if decided by the publication to even return the material. The Meltdown assumes no responsibility for statements, letters, commentary, opinions advanced by the authors nor for any claims made in the advertisements published in the Magazine.

The Meltdown

First published in India

Official website: www.themeltdown.in (Currently in progress)

Email: [e-mail]

The Meltdown is published bimonthly.

If you have any questions regarding the magazine, or if you want to submit to the publication, please use the email mentioned above.

E

DITOR’S NOTE

It’s with great delight that I’m bringing you the latest issue of The Meltdown. In it, we have found and published different pieces of literary art and great literature that we hope you enjoy. I’m not going to bore you with a long editor’s note, so I hope for your happiness and safety in this global pandemic. Stay inside and follow the health guidelines, kids.

Yours truly,

Anjali Sinha

F

ICTION. . .

T

HE AFTERMATH

By Glaysa Wong

"I

t's over!" she screamed as she gave me the finger. The memory of her smeared eyeliner in rivulets streaming down her cheeks made my heartache.

Evie, baby... I said, as my arms involuntarily stretched out in an attempt to soothe her and her face just wrinkled in distaste. As if it repulsed her. There was no need for physical force. Her expression alone was enough. It was rejection.

I wasn't sure I would lose her until the image of her fading back, the empty section of my wardrobe that once held her clothes hurled back at me and threw me into an abyss deep within myself that I never knew existed. Like a long lost friend, I welcomed it with open arms.

Get up.

It was faint at first until it happened again. Dude... I know you're up. Suresh, my best friend from middle school, in his thick Indian accent, and take-charge attitude stripped me of the heavy material off my back. I shuddered at the sudden breeze brushing up against my thighs. I knew the guy meant well but come-on, every day for what, a month... two, I lost count, he had been dropping by my place to check up on me. A daily repeat and the reason I woke up at all.

Leave me alone, I mumbled and pulled a pillow over the back of my head.

Not after you get up. He ordered me.

Unfazed, I remained sprawled across the bed on my front like a crime scene; dishevelled hair with shirt stained from everything like sweat, gunk and food.

Dude, I'm serious. It has been two months. He said, defeated by the third try today. The bed sank to the corner from a sudden weight. Suresh had taken a seat on my bed.

I don't even know what's worse. Your pig sty lifestyle or the fact you stink. Ever heard of a shower?

Silence. I couldn't care less. All I wanted to do was wallow in self-pity.

The very memory of her high heels clinked against the tiled floor walking out the front door still made me cringe like nails scratching against the blackboard. Stilettos, she called it, making sure I knew the kind of shoes she wore. About which frankly, I didn't care. But love makes you care. At least until the other breaks your heart. Her only explanation for my heartbreak— Rafael, her co-worker.

Pick yourself up, man. You're a disgrace. Women, there are plenty to go around.

The bed wobbled. Perhaps he was gesturing the action to his words.

Smell the fresh air... He paused as I heard him sniff the air before continuing. Umm, outside. Don't mope for someone who doesn't care for you. I'm quoting Carla. Remember, the cutie at the corner cubicle. Yeah. She likes you. He ended with a smack on my arm.

My eyebrows raised at that. Humoured, I humph from underneath the pillow at how tenth-grade my friend was being. However, I did envy his perseverance of being single for over five years straight ever since Sugi ditched him for some random guy she had met online, who turned out to be her senior by twenty years.

The irony. I scoffed, remembering the day when I had told him that he was better off without her.

I sat up and pushed back the mass of hair, realizing it had grown past my ears. By the time I turned to face Suresh, he had a big question mark on his face.

What? I asked, voice hoarse.

You-you... got up....

Aren't you happy? I half smirked, questioning my action as well. Just as my thoughts ended, Suresh quickly got up and pulled me along with him.

He stood straight