Chuvstvo viny - By Irénéé Strauss

Written By: Irénéé Strauss

Category: Science Fiction

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Irénéé Strauss presents a gripping narrative titled "Chuvstvo viny" as a part of the Creative Writing category in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This haunting science fiction tale delves into the complexities of guilt and redemption, portrayed through the enigmatic journey of Ash Stryker. Set against an otherworldly backdrop, Strauss weaves a story that challenges the boundaries between life and the afterlife, leaving readers to ponder the weight of personal responsibility and the quest for peace.

About the Work

"Chuvstvo viny" is a dark and evocative exploration of guilt's haunting presence, as experienced by the protagonist, Ash Stryker. The atmosphere is tense and surreal, with vivid imagery of ethereal landscapes and shadowy figures. Through its introspective narrative, the piece delves into themes of self-forgiveness, the burden of past actions, and the relentless pursuit of inner peace. Strauss effectively crafts a narrative that resonates with emotional depth, inviting readers to reflect on the shadows that linger in our own lives.

Chuvstvo viny

Original Submission by Irénéé Strauss

*Chuvstvo viny*

The warmth of a liquid followed by someone’s cries was the last thing Ash Stryker remembered before it all faded to black. Snippets ran through her mind – warmth, yelling and the cries of grief. Her plan had worked, for once something finally went her way. After years of suffering, she would finally be at peace.

Slowly, Ash opened her eyes only to be met with shadows warped around her. She blinked. It made sense, she supposed, that she’d been sent to hell once she died especially after everything she’d done. Eventually, her eyes adjusted revealing that she was gazing out on a… forest? What happened to the eternal flame everyone spoke about? Ash scoffed. ‘Course they were wrong, when weren’t they?

Irritated, she sat up, causing a sharp pain to send through her shoulder. Her head snapped towards the body part only to see a large gouge near her neck — an injury she caused prior to blacking out. The warm liquid she’s become so familiar with was still gushing out of it, trailing down her arm. Instinctively, her hand moved towards it, as if she was assessing if it was real. Sure enough, once Ash pulled away, her hand was covered with the sticky liquid. A chuckle escaped her lips. It was funny… who knew you could still feel pain in hell?

She stared at the wound for some time, not doing anything about it. It was only when the crack of a branch was heard that Ash tore her gaze away from it. Her eyes searched for the culprit behind the sound, finally laying rest upon a figure slightly in front of her. It was much taller than she was, so much so that she had to tilt her head upwards to view its full length. Her eyes wandered over the figure’s form. Their face was masked with shadow, at least that’s what it appeared to be. Whatever they wore had a flowy look towards it, making them seem almost ethereal. Above the figure’s head, was what appeared to be a dimly lit halo. Out of its back sprouted ebony wings, their fingernails were long and far too sharp. It was as if the creature was darkness incarnate. Ash’s blood ran cold. They looked… inhuman.

For once, ever since she came to this place, her breath caught in her throat. Surely this figure isn’t a demon? If it was, it certainly played the part. A coldness crept over her with every step the figure took towards her, her heart drumming irregularly in her chest. It was as if fear itself started to seep from her wound. Without another word, Ash staggered upwards, taking a step back. Once she did so, the figure stopped in its tracks, cocking its head to the side, a curious look to its demeanour. She held her ground however, moving her hands in front of her just like she always did when facing a problem. “Stay back!” she exclaimed, not entirely knowing why she did so. The figure simply stared at her, flexing its fingers in response as it registered her words. Ash held her breath, hoping that her yelling would at least do something, if not, surely, she’d be able to take this creature in a fight… right? She is unable to die twice but… who says this creature isn’t the same?

She stayed like that for a while, eyeing the figure. Eventually, it’s eyes locked onto hers and slowly, torturously a smile appeared on its face. Its teeth were razor sharp, reminding Ash of the blade she used prior to arriving to this place. A cruel sound was heard leaving the figure’s lips as it cackled. Slowly, she took another step back, not expecting it to laugh at her. The figure just grinned and straightened its back, stretched its wings and took another step forward as if this particular soul’s words meant nothing to it.

Ash stared at the figure, trying to keep her ground. Her gaze wandered over towards her now shaking hands. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. This figure was getting closer and with each step it took, its features distorted more and more. Its nails grew longer; it’s teeth sharper and its wings darker. Eventually, Ash took a step back, lowering her hands in return. No matter how much she stared at the figure, how much she blinked, it kept creeping closer towards her, its features changing more rapidly than before. Ash tried to swallow the lump in her throat yet, in doing so she turned her back on the figure.

And so, for the very first time in her life, Ash Stryker ran.

She ran as quick as she possibly could, cursing herself for letting herself go these last few months. If she just kept to her fitness routine perhaps, she’d have been able to outrun this creature. But she didn’t. ‘What need was there?’ she asked herself, after all her fitness wouldn’t matter in a few months. Oh, how she wished she hadn’t done that now.

Her breathing quickened as she ran. She didn’t dare turn her head around, too scared of what she might see behind her. Her ears were painting that picture for her. The forest was deathly silent, aside from the quick steps of someone behind her. Her lungs were on fire, her shoulder ached. How- How was she already out of breath? Ash’s eyes flickered upwards, spotting a bright light. A way out! A relieved smile crept onto her lips. The light got brighter with each step and soon she heard the sound of harps becoming clearer. Almost- Almost! Soon she’d escape this strange forest and this demon who inhabited it. If she could just make it towards this bright light, it would stop chasing her. Just another step-

“Caught you~.”

A violent thrash was heard.

The next thing Ash knew, she was thrown towards the ground, a blood curdling scream escaping her lips as she felt something penetrate her wound — a branch surely. Her chest was heaving as she scrambled backwards and her wound- God her wound was screaming at her.

Bile rose in her throat. Panicked, she looked upwards only to be met by the face of the figure smiling crazily down at her. Her blood ran cold. “What… what are you going to do to me?” she cried, desperately trying to keep her voice level. The figure didn’t respond, instead its smile finally faded. The fog around its face vanished allowing her to see a disgusted expression plastered on its face. Without another word, Ash was dragged forward. In an instance, a sharp pain shot through her body.

Her eyes moved towards the gouge only to see the figure’s finger curled inside it. He was using the gouge as a handle to pull her forward.

A scream escaped Ash’s throat, panic washing over her as the figure dragged her onwards. She had tried to put up a fight, desperate to stop it, yet each time she did, its finger curled tighter, causing the pain to flare up. Her chest rose and fell in irregular rhytms, tears forming in her eyes and soon only sobs were heard from her. She didn’t care who saw her now, what did vulnerability mean in the presence of this demon?

“Stop your whining,” the figure growled, tightening its grip on her wound.

Ash winced in pain, anger flaring up despite the tears in her eyes. The figure turned to look down at her, still looking disgusted at her. “You did this to yourself. You really are selfish, you know?” it chided, still dragging Ash along with it, not caring that it was manhandling her. She merely let out a pained laugh, turning to look at him. “What did you want me do to?” she spat, leaning her head backwards, “my life was a shitshow. Every time I got better, finally dragging myself out of the pit I often found myself in, an event would take place and push me back in there.”

Her eyes began to blur as memories flooded her mind. That funny feeling crept back in. The anger, the numbness, the guilt — all of it. She heard the familiar voice in her mind, mocking her repeating his name over and over again. The figure dragging her said nothing however, it just flexed its nails while Ash began to spiral internally. She tried to distract herself from the familiarity of the situation, her gaze moving to categorise everything in this forest, mainly this creature. Now that she had a closer look, she noticed how it carried shackles around its feet, a collar around its neck which was rather similar to those dogs wore when ‘claimed’ by an owner. As she gazed more at it, she couldn’t help but notice strange markings carved into its arm. The creature’s presence was heavy despite it not speaking much, save for the moments when it decided to ridicule her.

The figure kept dragging Ash, who by now, has given up on trying to be freed from its grasps. It turned to look at her occasionally, noticing how she kept staring at its arm. “Chuvstvo viny,” it began, its voice bored, “it was engraved onto me — a symbol to remind me of my purpose. I’m certain you know better than most, what that word means. Perhaps you can finally deduce why I am here.” Sure enough, indeed she did know. “Chuvsto viny… the feeling of guilt,” she concluded, her voice raw.

The figure mentioned nothing as it continued to walk forward. “Guilt strong enough to kill, you don’t see that every day” it sneered. Ash stayed silent as she processed its words. It was true, one wouldn’t think that guilt came alongside the sadness you felt when hearing a family member passing away before it even had the chance to touch the sky. Her thoughts wandered back towards that faithful day towards her sister, Kira, and her face upon receiving the news, her husband Thrain looking at Ash with such hatred in his eyes and the sadness present in her usually composed wife, Coral’s body.

Never in their right minds did they think that this would happen, that it even could happen. Her mind drifted back towards Kira’s son—Akira. Grief spread like a storm across her heart with the vague memory of him. He was so young, so precious with so much potential ahead of him. If Ash had just been a bit quicker, a bit stronger then perhaps he would have been able to soar above the world; yet now all he could do was gaze down upon it. Death… was a strange concept, one that lead people to do irrational things. For Ash, death always meant failure. That she failed to save and take care of those she cared so deeply about

Ash tried to breathe in, to try and rid herself of these memories yet this attempt only led to a sob escaping her throat. “After… I heard the news, I-I was thrown back into that familiar pit only this time, I…I couldn’t climb back out. This time I either hurt or lost everyone I loved. If God kept throwing these events at me, events that were made to kill me, why did I keep surviving? I started to question that once I noticed how everything goes wrong when I’m around. I should have died a long time ago but instead they kept me around as their plaything, taking things from me like trophies. After- after Akira’s death, I finally had enough. If-if God wasn’t going to kill me then I would. If there was one single fucking thing I could control in this life of mine it would be my death,” she blurted out, choking on half of the words.

Despite her attempts to conceal the true nature of her feelings, it was revealed anyway. Ash always was emotional, no matter how much she tried to hide it. The figure turned towards her, stopping for just a split second. Its wings giving a slight flap behind him. “A pity... still, your own ignorance led you down this path,” it muttered immediately continuing to walk forward, “If you only looked closer you’d notice Thrain forgiving you, Kira relying on you for support and Coral needing you to hold her when things get tough. Yet you only chose to look at the bad things.”

Ash stared up at the figure, anger rising in her. “He should never have forgiven me. Even if he did, I never forgave myself. How can you live with the thought that you were the reason an innocent baby died?” she growled, her eyes narrowing.

“Except you never were the reason.”

That silenced Ash. She closed her eyes, pulling her hands closer towards her chest as fresh tears formed. “Liar…”

The figure tightened its grip around her wound, causing a yelp to escape Ash’s lips. They continued their long walk forwards. Her entire body ached yet the worst part was the bile starting to rise in her throat causing her to choke every few seconds. The figure seemed to notice this as it stopped in its tracks, allowing Ash a chance to get it out of her throat. As soon as she finished coughing up the bile it continued walking, it’s grip tighter on Ash now.

“You left many behind who care about you,” it scolded. Ash scoffed. “They all probably rejoiced once they realised that there’d be more space in the house now,” she answered. With that, they continued in silence. Ash didn’t know how long they kept walking through this forest, nor did she care. Every now and then she’d slip into a slumber, only to wake up being dragged by the figure.

Finally, the feeling of the ground moving beneath her stopped. Ash opened her eyes, noticing another bright light in front of them alongside a strange beeping noise. She wanted to open her mouth, to ask the figure where it took her when she felt the figure throw her in front of them. A yell escaped her lips as its finger dug through her wound, creating a bigger gouge, to release her. Her eyes blurred, her hand moving to cradle the wound as she stumbled backwards. “What was that for?” She exclaimed as she tried to stand up straight. The figure just turned towards her, cocking its head once more as a cruel smile formed on its face. Without moving its lips, the figure started to speak.

“You-you promised me that you’d never leave me… you promised. I-I don’t know what to do without you…”

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that, not when you were also hurting. I-I forgave you when it was too late. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Why…why did you never tell me what you were going through? I-I would have helped you, I would have done anything to help you. Anything to prevent me from standing beside you, afraid of if you’d even make it through the night. I’d do anything just- just to have you in my arms again…”

Ash’s blood ran cold. This-this demon was speaking in her friend’s voices to her. “Kira…Thrain…Coral… why would you speak as them?” She whispered, growing tired of the entire situation. Ash straightened her back entirely now, eyes wandering over this figure. Its expression grew serious as his eyes darted from the bright light to Ash and back again.

“To remind you of what you’d lose if you give up now. Look in front of you and don’t turn back, even if you’ll forget everything that has been revealed to you,” it answered. Ash simply stared at the figure, confusion written in her face. Desperate to finally get away from this creature, she obeyed. Slowly she turned away from it making her way towards this strange light stumbling along the way. The path was steep, riddled with thorn bushes. As Ash walked towards this exit, the light got brighter, the beeping louder yet she persisted. Something in the way the figure said it, made her persist.

In the end… it wasn’t the beeping of the monitors that awoke her, nor the echo of grief beside her bed. It was a silent, ragged chain born of her own guilt that dragged her forwards.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating the art of storytelling and poetic expression. This competition brings together a diverse range of voices from around the world, showcasing their unique perspectives and creative talents. Participants have the opportunity to share their work with a global audience, contributing to the vibrant tapestry of contemporary literature and creative arts.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Irénéé Strauss for sharing "Chuvstvo viny" with us. Your contribution to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 is a testament to the power of storytelling and the exploration of profound themes. Thank you for inviting us into the vivid and haunting world of Ash Stryker, and for reminding us of the enduring impact of our choices and the journey towards redemption.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.