The sun was relentless and we were restless. The sea at the path’s end looked dusty but Alye still wanted us to dip our toes. The path cut through a durian plantation. No fruit fell in daylight, but the real danger was the parang-wielding guardian who blocked our way. Reckless, and heady with youthful abandon, we bolted, passing a tiny stolen fruit between us like a jagged balloon, laughing even as the thorns pierced our hands. At the breakwater, we dangled our feet. The adrenaline had crystallised into a salted silence. Neither of us knew how to open the prize.
Audrey Tay, when not pandering to her pampered pooch, writes short stories, two of which were published in anthologies. “Durian Season” is the Editor’s Pick for our FRIENDS AND FRIENDSHIP contest, part of our 2026 Micromemoir Marathon.