Mervat Al-Khuza'i (Prepared Angela Kosta)
Moderator 
MERVAT AL-KHUZA'I
FRACTURE
“Evil has taken its leave.”
That’s what my mother always says whenever a dish, cup, or glass object shatters—especially after a sudden downpour of blessings, a long-awaited dream fulfilled, a cherished goal achieved, or a long-sought aim struck in life.
They say evil knocks on doors and windows, ever lurking, hungry to snatch whatever it can. Its appetite is insatiable, so it reaches out-sometimes with its hand, other times with its tongue, or even just its gaze-toward life itself. And when it fails to claim what it truly desires, it settles for whatever lies in its path, seizes it, and departs.
But where does evil take all the broken things?
I watch television, absorbing reports and footage of massacres, wars, natural disasters, famines, and viruses—modern plagues that devour thousands. Social media, newspapers, and magazines echo the same grim chorus.
"How much evil burdens this world!"
Well then, I resolved to rid the world of it—piece by piece—until not a single shadow of evil remained.
I began smashing glassware at home. Despite the scolding, the reproaches, and the heavy sighs from my mother’s exalted station, I eased her fury by replacing the broken items with unbreakable plasticware—fiberglass, to be exact.
With every shattered dish, a wild joy coursed through me. Hope swelled in my chest.
I carried out my mission in an empty lot far from our neighborhood, not wanting to disturb a soul.
Eventually, I began buying glassware and ornaments in bulk, bagging them up and hauling them to what I called “the Shatter Yard.”
The shards piled high, growing into little glittering hills, catching the sunlight and throwing it back like scattered stars.
People thought me strange—some whispered “madman,” others “possessed.”
Even the girl I had loved for years abandoned me.
And still, the world’s evil did not wane. On the contrary—it grew. Multiplied.
It became clear to me that the glassware had nothing to do with it. They are lifeless things—soulless, without joy or malice. They do not hate, deceive, steal, scheme, or pretend.
No, the matter lies within the heart—those vessels encased in bone, cushioned by sponge, beating quietly within each chest.
So, I resolved to break hearts.
Yet unable to bring harm to any living being, I took a knife… and drove it into my own heart.
It burst into crystalline fragments, scattering like red blossoms across the gleaming hill of polished glass.
Prepared Angela Kosta
