Before the Lease Ended
In the narrow kitchen above the closed bakery, Lena set two plates and then removed one. Her brother had said he would bring their mother's watch before the lease ended, but evening buses filled the street and he did not appear. She turned the key in her pocket until its teeth marked her palm. The landlord's letter lay open beside the sugar, naming a date that would not move. When she called, a stranger answered in her brother's careful voice and asked her not to come. Lena u…
Free AI-generated tale · Drama · EN
