"Viktor", a story There was a guy in my office who always makes me reflecting. He was 34 and he’d been working in this office for 10 years, to be honest he was very hardworker because he thought that his job was very important. Maybe this feeling makes him being so arrogant and unpolite. Despite of all this years working there, nobody could stand him, I’ve never heard anything good about him. Of course, I knew he was a jackass from the beginning. I had to do my training with him and it turned up really unbearable. His way of teaching consisted in watching me all the time and, when I failed, talking to me like a stupid. I don’t know how you are, but I can’t work under press, especially when someone watches every single thing I do. Once he was especially mean to me. I was finishing photocopy a document when I realised it was the wrong document. He saw me and started to say in front of the coworkers that I was useless and I hadn’t learnt anything during all those months. I almost burst in tears and when he saw my face he told me that I didn’t know how hard was for him when he was on training. As days passed, I could understand that he was doing this with all the new staff just like a revenge for how they treated him when he started. Sometimes life treats you in that way to makes you learn how not to treat people. Anyway, this guy didn’t learn this. He really thought he was better than the rest, you could see in his face every time somebody fails or he were right about something. He felt like he was a divine messenger of God, like the mankind couldn’t live without him. Have you ever been with someone who smells very bad but nobody dares to say something about it? I felt the same way about this guy. I couldn’t feel hate for him but I felt pity for him because everyone knew that he was stupid but him. Sometimes you are pretty sure about an idea or attitude that you forget that it’s not an universal thing and maybe you are wrong, maybe you’ve been wrong for a long time, maybe you’ve been wrong all your life and you didn’t know just because nobody said something. However, the worst thought I have right now is: if I were like this guy? If I’ve been stinking all my life?

story Some people called it intuition, others witchcraft. Whatever it was, Cassandra was able to divine certain things of the future. It was a gift from her grandmother, something she called “spiritual abilities”, because we not only inherit physical qualities, also those related with the spirit, the mind, the psychology, the soul. Sometimes were just little things, when a glass was going to pull over or someone was going to fall ill, stupid things that don’t really care. Despite of this, it was interesting because she used to perceive things when they were about to be broken, or fallen, or spilled, or destroyed. The animals have a common sense to feel when something bad is going to happen, so she does. Her worst feelings were about the future, but the distant future. Night after night she revolted in her bed dreaming. In these dreams she appeared in another body, seeing with unknown eyes and in a very different environment. The dreams were more likely nightmares because she was scared all the time. And with this fear she woke up every morning and she going to the bed every night. She didn’t want to be like that, but you can’t pretend to be happy when you can feel the tragedy, when you can smell it in every corner of this planet. For this reason, everything she talked or she wrote became a tragedy. Her words fed the tragedy and the tragedy impulse her words, like a damn dependent relationship. She struggled thinking in another things and enjoying her life like somebody else, but a stiff smile was the best she could do. People said she was crazy and nobody ever listened to her, so she became to be alone. She wasn’t dramatic, the time was. But they didn’t want to understand. So she ended like her grandmother, dying in some dark corner of these lonely nights and repeating the sentence of that beautiful song: “The madness is to be able to see beyond”.

Cassandra, a story Some people called it intuition, others witchcraft. Whatever it was, Cassandra was able to divine certain things of the future. It was a gift from her grandmother, something she called “spiritual abilities”, because we not only inherit physical qualities, also those related with the spirit, the mind, the psychology, the soul. Sometimes were just little things, when a glass was going to pull over or someone was going to fall ill, stupid things that don’t really care. Despite of this, it was interesting because she used to perceive things when they were about to be broken, or fallen, or spilled, or destroyed. The animals have a common sense to feel when something bad is going to happen, so she does. Her worst feelings were about the future, but the distant future. Night after night she revolted in her bed dreaming. In these dreams she appeared in another body, seeing with unknown eyes and in a very different environment. The dreams were more likely nightmares because she was scared all the time. And with this fear she woke up every morning and she going to the bed every night. She didn’t want to be like that, but you can’t pretend to be happy when you can feel the tragedy, when you can smell it in every corner of this planet. For this reason, everything she talked or she wrote became a tragedy. Her words fed the tragedy and the tragedy impulse her words, like a damn dependent relationship. She struggled thinking in another things and enjoying her life like somebody else, but a stiff smile was the best she could do. People said she was crazy and nobody ever listened to her, so she became to be alone. She wasn’t dramatic, the time was. But they didn’t want to understand. So she ended like her grandmother, dying in some dark corner of these lonely nights and repeating the sentence of that beautiful song: “The madness is to be able to see beyond”.

Lukasz, a story Lukasz was only 25 but he felt like he was in the teens. He thought the youth is not an age, but an attitude. In this way, everyone could choose the age they like the most and stay in that forever and, no doubt, the teens was his very favourite time. Only he could feel the adrenalin when he behaved like a teenager. Driving a car with his friends smoking weed and drinking at the same time was the most excitement moment of every Friday’s night. Nevertheless, it was only one thing that remembered him he was not a teenager anymore: the society. A few months ago his mother threw out him of the house and make him to get an underpaid job and a tiny house. Besides, his girlfriend was boring to be in the house and she only talked about how important the family is. How could he know that Emily wanted a baby? Why a baby? Wasn’t the sex enough entertainment? The best thing of Emily was having sex with her but, lately, she wasn’t very enthusiastic and her face was turning in a mother’s face. His mother always said that the polish men were not ever grown enough to be a father. But he was sure he could be a father, of course he was, after all, his father could be a father despite of he never separated from his vodka’s bottle. So there he was, above an inexpressive Emily, doing a baby. It was not difficult but, all the same, he felt fear because his friends told him that the women who have a baby then were less horny, and this could be a problem for him because he was horny all the time. Despite all these worries, Lukasz knew that the secret of the life was living the moment, and he was very alive. This night he went out with his friends to take a ride and, maybe, to hit some fags, so he came back to house with his bossy girlfriend and felt he was still a man. Being a teenager would be easy forever. He only needed his crazy friends, his drugs, his porn movies, his video games…Anyone couldn’t take this from him, even his girlfriend and his mother. And he would assure that his baby, his future son, was a good teenager too, as him and his father and his grandfather and…

cover letter I’m a spanish girl searching for a new job in England. I moved to United Kingdow five months ago hoping to find new laboral opportunities and to improve my English. I like how the English people work and I want to learn of it. I have a vast experiencia in the hospitality sector. I’ve been for five years in a coffee company managing different positions, since tasks related with the administration until tasks with the public doing recepcion and waitress. I’m very polite, heedful, good readiness and positive person, always with a smile in my face. I love to treat with clients and to make sure that they have a good service and they feel satisfied with my job. Despite of my english is not very good, my listening does. Now I’m working as housekeeping in a hotel part time but I would like to get some job in which I could talk more and get extra money. Thank you for having me in mind.

LAVIA (THE END) Before her it was a very different space, something that she had never seemed in a house. There was a film parlour with a big screen, a projector, several red couches and walls with shelving full of movies of all genres and nationalities classified by time. Lavia didn’t like cinema, but she could appreciate that something so well saved like that must have be very valuable. So she spend the night watching that movies which parted of a treasure, the hidden passion of that man. One movie was about a coach who was paralyzed, other about a war that split a family, another about a man who stalked his boss… She watched and listen a very distinct stories. Despite, she had no time to find the story she interested the most.

LAVIA. NEW STORY She wasn’t a girl of many words. She used to listen more than to speak, above all, because in the most of cases she didn’t know what to say. Her mother always complaint about her mutism, she used to say that the persons without nothing to say never would be surrounded of many people. In fact, she didn’t have a lot of friends. Despite of her effort to being integrated with her school partners, she couldn’t find the point about his conversations. Instead of taking part of it, she entertained listening music or studying the day after’s lesson. As every weekend, she had no plans. But her mother did. It was the fourth date with that businessman and she wanted to demonstrate that she could be single and single mother at the same time. Lavia didn’t crave it at all but there was something in that man which attracted her attention. Firstable, he looked like her father. Medium height, black hair, bid wide eyes, snub nose…even his gestures and posture. It was five years ago from he left. Lavia barely reminded his voice and she was afraid to forget him, like her mother seemed to do. From time to time, she asked her mother about the reason of his leaving but, like most adults, her mother kept mum with the most relevant questions. So there she was, sitting in a 5x14 meters marble table, maybe too much big for three persons. The food was delicious. It was served silently by a group of maids who, after to cross-kitchen door, began to talk very rowdy. The man who could become her new father was, actually, quite nice. As usual, her mother couldn’t stop to talk and to try her to talk. Lavia didn’t let a word and she felt relief when she saw that he didn’t take this as a disrespectful thing. After the dinner, her mother purposed come out to dance. Lavia excused saying that her belly hurt. The man kindly offered her to stayed in his house, even he offered her a room for sleeping until her mother and him came back. She accepted delighted. She loved to be alone in unknown houses. Of course, the first thing she did was touring the mansion from top to bottom: the enormous salons, the ballroom, the library, the staff house, the cellar… everything. Lavia wasn’t busybody, she was just curious. She went in the dresser. He had a lot of different suits, t-shirts and shoes. She entertained touching his expensive ties until she found something strange. Behind of one tie there was a little green button. Of course, she pressed it.

new story When he left he did it with no words. It was like both of them would have known it, like it was a natural consequence never unspoken. They cried and the necessary time of mourning arrived. Sara was afraid to not see him again because she knew she could never get used to being without him. She did not tell to anybody about his break up, and even, in the most silent nights she afforded to sleep thinking that her pillow was he…actually she wasn’t accepting it very good. She was afraid of it as well. “All this happens because I didn’t do the right thing in its moment” she was thinking continually. Now Sara was aware of what a bad decision can mean long term. She knew it too in that moment but sometimes it’s easier to ignore our conscious. Do you know when something is so amazing and beautiful that you think it’s impossible that last forever? I suppose it was that fear that drove Sara to devour the sweet that was he so anxiously, so stupidly… To enjoy of something until you forget of yourself is never a good thing. Being with him was like to take a trip full of beauty and joy, a trip in which all you had to do was sit down and enjoy the scenery. But in this trip she lost herself and, then, she lost him too. “I don’t want to be with someone who is unable to care herself” was the expected sentence he said finally. And they said goodbye with tears in theirs eyes and a simple “see you later” as last sentence. That afternoon was the end of a join and the beginning of an adventure. A new adventure called “Sara”, in capital letters.

said, a storie It was the 99’s summer. It was being a revolting warm august. Got dark very late and the foreign people were the only who dared to go outside, anxious of the South’s tourism. Doing any physical activity was a total challenge for body and mind. Said avoided the hellish afternoons taking long naps with a fan at his head and a cold water bottle at his feet. He didn’t like the heat because it remembered him the horrible days in Mexico when he was working under the relentless sun. When you don’t have job you have the privileged to set your schedule. Although Said couldn’t stand afternoons, he loved summer nights, even more dawns. Walking on bike while the city was sleep became a joy more and more addictive for Said. On last months he had dedicated to put a camera tied in the back of his bike in a way he could record the city while he was biking. Furthermore, he used to take photos of the sites that gave him more memories, for he knew they would change sooner or later. At morning he was enjoying video editing putting them his favourite music and thinking stories in the corners that had no mean for him. This activity made no money but it made him calmer sleep. However, Said had sleep problems not only cause the heat but the terrible nightmares he suffered. In these dreams he always was frightened because he found marine monsters, high buildings without way out, people barking him… In the most cases he woke up more tired than before sleep. Then, Said visited the doctor. He ordered to take sleep pills. But this didn’t work and his dreams still were unbearable. Many days, he just stayed in home awake but sleepy cause the heat. The last night he went out for a walk, he chose his favourite route, that which passed around his school. Nevertheless, when he got the square where he used to eat his snack with his friends, he saw something strange, some big black arrows drawn on the floor. He followed them and finally he arrived to a cave next to a river. There were people of different ages talking and sharing photos that were familiar to him. At last, Said felt the satisfaction of not being the only one awake at these hours. The only bad thing was that he never knew if that was real or a fantasy of his burnt head.