Aphelion Issue 301, Volume 28
December 2024 / January 2025
 
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Bacteriophobia

by Christopher T. Dabrowski

Translated from Polish by Julia Mraczny


Jedrek was terribly afraid of bacteria.

Although he couldn't see it he could imagine it.

Terrible beasts with bumps, fumbles and cilia!

invisible threat lurking in wait.

He always scrubbed his hands thoroughly.

For half an hour or longer.

Then he wiped them off carefully.

He had nightmares that he couldn't get clean,

that he scrubs his hands to the blood, meat and bones.

When he woke up today, the whole world was drowning in soap.

A giant paw came from the sky and started scrubbing.

It scrubbed and cleaned civilization,

removed human bacteria from the epidermis of the Earth.


© 2022 Christopher T. Dabrowski

Christopher T. Dabrowski has published in many places:
USA: "Escape" (2019 - Royal Hawaiian Press), "Anomaly" (2020 - Royal Hawaiian Press)
Spain:"La fuga" (2019 - Royal Hawaiian Press), "Anomalia" (2019 - Royal Hawaiian Press)
Germany: "Die Anomalie" (2020 - Der Romankiosk)
Poland: "Deathbirth" (2008 - Armoryka publishing house),
"Anima vilis" (2010 - Initium publishing house),
"Grobbing" (2012 - Novae Res publishing house),
"Deathbirth and other stories" (2012 & 2017 - Agharta & Armoryka publishing house),
"Z życia Dr Abble" (2013 - Agharta publishing house),
"Orgazmokalipsa" (2016 - Alternatywne publishing house),
"Anomalia" (2016 - Forma publishing house),
"Ucieczka" (2017 - Dom Horroru publishing house) &
"Nie w inność" (2019 - Waspos publishing house.)
He has contributed to anthologies published in the USA, England, Australia, Canada, Poland, Russia, Germany & India, and has stories in PLAYBOY in the Slovak, USA, English, Czech , Russian, Brasilian, Spanish, Argentinian, German, Italian, Hungarian, Mexican, Albanian, & Nigerian editions.

Find more by Christopher T. Dabrowski in the Author Index.

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