Under the azaleas

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Tatiana Samokhina

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          I have a friend, his name is Peter. I dug him up from under the azaleas in Grandma's backyard. He has one eye and an array of freckles, his soft body filled with wool. I feed him worms, pine needles and cones. I comb his hair and whisper secrets into his ears.

         “It's me who did it yesterday,” I pause. “They all screamed, poor Katie, poor Katie,” I snort. “Katie's not poor. She deserved it.” Silence. “Know what I thought when I looked at her? Her blood is the colour of the azaleas.”

         “Beautiful colour,” he responds. “Do it again.”

 

 

        Tatiana lives in the beautiful suburb of Surry Hills and works in the bustling City of Sydney. She is an English teacher and fiction translator, in love with literature. Her work appears in Elegant Literature, 3 Elements Review, NUNUM, Short Beasts, and more.

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        Sean O’Keefe is an artist and writer living in Roselle Park, NJ. Sean attended Syracuse University where he earned his BFA in Illustration. After graduation, Sean moved to New York City where he spent time working in restaurants and galleries while pursuing various artistic opportunities. After the birth of his children, Sean and family moved to Roselle Park in 2015. He actively participates in exhibitions and art fairs around  New Jersey, and is continuing to develop his voice as a writer. His work can be found online at www.justseanart.com and @justseanart on Instagram.