April 28th, 2023

Angelina Melo won the short story contest with her incredible piece called Dead Silence last week. 

Plot / Themes

Dead Silence talks about the significant issue of climate change while reflecting on the past long after it is reversible, making for a sombre story that is sad and beautiful at the same time. Part of what makes this piece so great is how emotional it is, making the characters feel like real people. The plot is about reflecting on how the tragedies described in the story came to be and are normalized while it was all preventable. 

Why read?

I recommend reading this extraordinary piece by Angelina Melo because it covers an important topic which is relevant today, climate change, in an innovative and intriguing way that provides meaningful insight into the past, present and future. It creates a stunning scene with an eerie atmosphere, keeping me on my toes and reading right until the end of the story, where the climax occurs. The ending also leaves me with a final resolution, a message and something to take home and think about. 

THE STORY:

“What was it like when you were young, Grandma?” Jimmy questioned, his eyes
squinting through the transparent glass beside him. An old woman entered the room, the one side
of a wooden cane enclosed in her hand, the other side smacking against the old carpet of the
living room floor.

“You know I don’t like to talk about it, Jimmy,” she responded, shutting down her
grandson’s question with her raspy voice. The old woman placed a hand on her chest, enduring
the pain her lungs were giving her before taking a deep breath. The mask she wore on her face
buzzed with each breath she took, filtering the toxic air around her. She took small steps towards
Jimmy, putting her fragile, weak bones to work while leaning on her cane for both support and
safety. The old woman sat down on the brown sofa next to Jimmy, feeling the weight of her
bones sink into the comfort of her seat. The room was dim, but partially lit up by the light from
the television in front of them.

“In Toronto the temperatures will rise up to a high of 46 degrees celsius. Remember to
stay hydrated, stay home, and most importantly, wear a respirator.” The reporter’s words echoed
through her own mask, making it almost too hard for Jimmy and his grandmother to understand
through the screen.

“This heat wave is worse than the one last week. I think we’re gonna need a better air
conditioner,” the old woman pointed out as she wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the
short sleeve of her shirt.

Jimmy remained silent, still facing the outside world through the window next to him.
His head leaned on the palm of his hand while his elbow rested on the broad arm of the couch. It
was as if every part of him but his eyes were frozen with the way he kept still. But no matter how hard he squinted, the thick fog blocked his vision from reaching anything past the front lawn. Dense grey air particles clouded his sight and the streetlights were as useless as a glass hammer. The only thing clear to see was the dark and emptiness of the roads due to the smog blocking the sunlight from entering Earth’s atmosphere. The only sign of the sun was a small, yellow circle in the barely visible sky.

“When I was young, there was no fog,” the old woman informed, “the sky was blue and
had birds that woke me up every morning with their chirping.” Jimmy turned his head, a smile
growing on his face while waiting for his grandmother to continue.

“You would have loved it. The air was safe to breathe in, too. And the—” the sound of a
wheezy cough interrupted the old woman.

“Are you okay, Grandma?” Jimmy asked worriedly. Her cough was persistent and
sounded as if her lungs were about to escape from her chest and crawl out of her mouth. The next
time she spoke her voice sounded even more breathless and weak, “I’m fine.”

“You are getting worse! You have to see a doctor!” Jimmy protested.

“No. We’re not going anywhere until they say it’s safe for us,” the old woman argued
before adjusting her mask, “this respirator is doing fine enough.”

“But-”

“I said no!” the old woman demanded, trying to sound stronger than her burning lungs
would allow her to. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the sofa, “I’ll be fine with a
little bit of rest,” she assured, hardly getting her words out.

“I am worried for you, Grandma! Do you promise you will see a doctor as soon as this
heatwave is over?” Jimmy asked, refusing to take no for an answer. All of a sudden the old
woman’s mask stopped hissing.

“Grandma?” Jimmy anxiously called. He received no response, only dead silence.

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