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Short story Competition
Invisible Vortex | Αόρατη δίνη
by Maria-Christina Kotta | Μαρία-Χριστίνα Κόττα
THE WINNER H e rested his fingers on the keyboard and put the word travel-
Ms Maria-Christina Kotta ling at the top of the page. A wavy red line appeared immedi-
is one of the four awarded ately after the second ‘l’ and underlined, once again, the fact
writers whose short story that travelling was not allowed. He put his computer to one
side and lifted his eyes up to the horizon. He saw the capital
is published here. | city spread out at his feet, a pelvis sheltering an unyielding womb. He surveyed
Το διήγημα της κυρίας the flight path opening out ahead. A direct route. Once again, as so often over
Μαρίας-Χριστίνας Κόττα, the past two years, he took his own private flight from Turkovounia to Aigina.
που δημοσιεύεται εδώ, And back. Magazines, Sunday newspapers stuffed full of extra supplements,
all piled up chaotically on the spring-kissed veranda table. He reached over to
έλαβε το ένα από τα separate the adverts - to the left - from the inserts - to the right. He kept hold
τέσσερα βραβεία του of the last of them, and leant back without putting it onto the right hand pile.
διαγωνισμού. Can it fly? Can it fly... a bee? By Maria Spyrou
Short Story Competition In 1934, the French entomologist August Magnan, after complicated mathematical
Λογοτεχνικός Διαγωνισμός calculations, came to the conclusion that the flight of a bee is impossible. From
Διηγήματος then, for the best part of the 20th century, a common myth arose that the bee
defied the accepted laws of aerodynamics. With wings the wrong shape and
As part of its ten-year anniversary celebration size, almost atrophied, the bee seemed to be a complete failure in terms of its
and in cooperation with the literature magazine construction, unfit to belong to any aeronautical club. According to the same
Diavazo, Athens International Airport organised theory, just like the bee, so too Concorde should not be able to fly,
a short story competition entitled “Journeys by
Air”, which was completed last June. Well-known The noise in the air, from the microscopic creature which, of late, had been
Greek authors acted as the judging committee methodically visiting his crimson bottlebrush plant, interfered with his reading.
that assessed the short story entries and the As he watched it hover, rise and bury itself tirelessly among the red stamens, his
names of the winners were announced a few thoughts danced around it, embracing it with all the understanding of a fellow
months ago. Each winner was awarded a trip for sufferer. He stayed still and gazed at it until it was gone. “No flight plan, and no
two persons. The four awarded short stories are approved flight path” he thought at last.
published by 2board, starting with our previous
issue. | Για την επέτειο των δέκα χρόνων του, ο but more recent theories of flying give plenty of explanations. Strong muscles
ΔΑΑ διοργάνωσε, σε συνεργασία με το περιο- in the thorax produce mechanical energy by raising rotational speed and
δικό Διαβάζω, λογοτεχνικό διαγωνισμό διηγή- temperature. The weak wings then become powerful propellers leaving behind
ματος με θέμα Ταξίδι στον Αέρα, που ολοκλη- them invisible vortices of air like spirals. These vortices secure sufficient lift for
ρώθηκε τον περασμένο Ιούνιο. H απαρτιζόμενη ten journeys a day, with the counter running at 17 kilometers, over which the
από γνωστούς Έλληνες λογοτέχνες κριτική επι- bees can fly, feed and introduce the male sperm in the pollen to a variety of
τροπή αξιολόγησε τα διηγήματα και τα ονόματα new mates, which the plants would never have been able to encounter. Their
των νικητών ανακοινώθηκαν σε εκδήλωση που ancestors, the first insects, some time or another claimed this life of greater
πραγματοποιήθηκε στο αεροδρόμιο πριν από με- scope. And they took to the air. Once the strategic discovery of the advantages
ρικούς μήνες. Οι νικητές κέρδισαν από ένα τα- of flying had been made, with more efficient fight-or-flight, and the conquest
ξίδι για δύο άτομα, ενώ το 2board δημοσιεύει of new ecosystems and mates, many species pushed evolution to take a step
τα διηγήματα που βραβεύθηκαν. forward. The back feet remained behind and the front feet turned into wings.
Once the ancestors of insects had taken the first step, birds’ ancestors followed
along behind, and slowly life transferred to the third dimension.
He put the article down on his knees and remained still for quite some time.
He closed his eyes and looked at his arms. With all his strength he clenched his
feeble arm muscles. He clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed, and then
stretched out his right arm to one side. With the four fingers of his left hand
curved round and his thumb creeping against his sternum, he began to feel
76
Invisible Vortex | Αόρατη δίνη
by Maria-Christina Kotta | Μαρία-Χριστίνα Κόττα
THE WINNER H e rested his fingers on the keyboard and put the word travel-
Ms Maria-Christina Kotta ling at the top of the page. A wavy red line appeared immedi-
is one of the four awarded ately after the second ‘l’ and underlined, once again, the fact
writers whose short story that travelling was not allowed. He put his computer to one
side and lifted his eyes up to the horizon. He saw the capital
is published here. | city spread out at his feet, a pelvis sheltering an unyielding womb. He surveyed
Το διήγημα της κυρίας the flight path opening out ahead. A direct route. Once again, as so often over
Μαρίας-Χριστίνας Κόττα, the past two years, he took his own private flight from Turkovounia to Aigina.
που δημοσιεύεται εδώ, And back. Magazines, Sunday newspapers stuffed full of extra supplements,
all piled up chaotically on the spring-kissed veranda table. He reached over to
έλαβε το ένα από τα separate the adverts - to the left - from the inserts - to the right. He kept hold
τέσσερα βραβεία του of the last of them, and leant back without putting it onto the right hand pile.
διαγωνισμού. Can it fly? Can it fly... a bee? By Maria Spyrou
Short Story Competition In 1934, the French entomologist August Magnan, after complicated mathematical
Λογοτεχνικός Διαγωνισμός calculations, came to the conclusion that the flight of a bee is impossible. From
Διηγήματος then, for the best part of the 20th century, a common myth arose that the bee
defied the accepted laws of aerodynamics. With wings the wrong shape and
As part of its ten-year anniversary celebration size, almost atrophied, the bee seemed to be a complete failure in terms of its
and in cooperation with the literature magazine construction, unfit to belong to any aeronautical club. According to the same
Diavazo, Athens International Airport organised theory, just like the bee, so too Concorde should not be able to fly,
a short story competition entitled “Journeys by
Air”, which was completed last June. Well-known The noise in the air, from the microscopic creature which, of late, had been
Greek authors acted as the judging committee methodically visiting his crimson bottlebrush plant, interfered with his reading.
that assessed the short story entries and the As he watched it hover, rise and bury itself tirelessly among the red stamens, his
names of the winners were announced a few thoughts danced around it, embracing it with all the understanding of a fellow
months ago. Each winner was awarded a trip for sufferer. He stayed still and gazed at it until it was gone. “No flight plan, and no
two persons. The four awarded short stories are approved flight path” he thought at last.
published by 2board, starting with our previous
issue. | Για την επέτειο των δέκα χρόνων του, ο but more recent theories of flying give plenty of explanations. Strong muscles
ΔΑΑ διοργάνωσε, σε συνεργασία με το περιο- in the thorax produce mechanical energy by raising rotational speed and
δικό Διαβάζω, λογοτεχνικό διαγωνισμό διηγή- temperature. The weak wings then become powerful propellers leaving behind
ματος με θέμα Ταξίδι στον Αέρα, που ολοκλη- them invisible vortices of air like spirals. These vortices secure sufficient lift for
ρώθηκε τον περασμένο Ιούνιο. H απαρτιζόμενη ten journeys a day, with the counter running at 17 kilometers, over which the
από γνωστούς Έλληνες λογοτέχνες κριτική επι- bees can fly, feed and introduce the male sperm in the pollen to a variety of
τροπή αξιολόγησε τα διηγήματα και τα ονόματα new mates, which the plants would never have been able to encounter. Their
των νικητών ανακοινώθηκαν σε εκδήλωση που ancestors, the first insects, some time or another claimed this life of greater
πραγματοποιήθηκε στο αεροδρόμιο πριν από με- scope. And they took to the air. Once the strategic discovery of the advantages
ρικούς μήνες. Οι νικητές κέρδισαν από ένα τα- of flying had been made, with more efficient fight-or-flight, and the conquest
ξίδι για δύο άτομα, ενώ το 2board δημοσιεύει of new ecosystems and mates, many species pushed evolution to take a step
τα διηγήματα που βραβεύθηκαν. forward. The back feet remained behind and the front feet turned into wings.
Once the ancestors of insects had taken the first step, birds’ ancestors followed
along behind, and slowly life transferred to the third dimension.
He put the article down on his knees and remained still for quite some time.
He closed his eyes and looked at his arms. With all his strength he clenched his
feeble arm muscles. He clenched and relaxed, clenched and relaxed, and then
stretched out his right arm to one side. With the four fingers of his left hand
curved round and his thumb creeping against his sternum, he began to feel
76
