'Her' - By Aylah Brauer

Written By: aylah brauer

Category: Flash fiction

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the evocative flash fiction piece titled 'Her', Aylah Brauer invites readers into the intricate world of adult friendships and the silent emotions that often accompany them. As a participant in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, Aylah's submission delves into the nuanced dynamics of human relationships, offering a poignant reflection on trust, betrayal, and healing. Her work stands as a testament to the power of storytelling in capturing the complexities of the human experience.

About the Work

Aylah Brauer's 'Her' captures the essence of disenfranchised grief in friendships, weaving a narrative filled with emotional depth and introspection. The story's tone is both raw and reflective, exploring themes of trust and betrayal. Through vivid imagery and a deeply personal voice, the piece evokes the bittersweet nature of relationships and the journey toward healing and self-discovery.

‘her’

Original Submission by aylah brauer

‘Her’

The plague of adult friendships. The unspoken words by Aylah Brauer

"I sometimes wonder if you think I’m your friend.

It's hard to picture anyone viewing me as a friend after ‘her’ I often wonder if you're as close to me as I hold you in such a close regard.” His eyes widen so much like ‘hers’ when my truth finally hits air. She festers my worrisome thoughts because now it's in my bones and the roots of my teeth. An all consuming embodiment of disenfranchised grief. Will I ever be a true friend to anyone? a best friend? “I consider you a real friend, but the last time I had a real friend ‘she’ tracked dirty boots over my decimated carcass and discarded me like road kill.” I swallow hard. The hurt, fresh and infested -gurgling up like bile and I cannot help but stare aimlessly at these wounds ‘you’ have made just for me. I watch the moving lights reflect on his contemplating face; the car felt suddenly small. I felt too close as he spoke things my mind didn't bother to listen to; instead it chanted: you're not really friends. He’s just being nice. You care too much. Silly stupid uncertainties I'm plagued with, because of ‘her’! ‘She’ has left me with rotting doubt. He's not really as close to me as I hoped he was, just as ‘she’ wasn't as close to me as I thought ‘she’ was. And even if it is not true, -but it definitely is- it still feels more true than the air in my lungs; than the rage in my gut. 'You' are the barbed wire around my throat and the knife in my back, and yet I have decided it is better to collect knives than to collect nothing at all. He is my truest friend even if I am not his. He is not my everything as ‘you’ once were, and I still want more outside of his friendship, maybe that's the difference, or maybe he is just a better friend and ‘you’ weren't as great as I had hoped you were; then again hope is a dead sea and ‘you' were just a girl; uncertain and pining for the attention ‘your’ father never gave ‘you’. too caught up in yourself to see the world outside of yourself. I don't judge ‘you’, I understand ‘you’, but the problem was always that ‘you’ never understood me and for that, I blame ‘you’. I blame ‘you' for feeling comfortable enough to treat me like the dirt underneath ‘your’ feet, but never comfortable enough to make me a coffee on a Tuesday, always following your fathers rules and yet ‘you’ make me watch as you drink ‘yours’ -never breaking rules for me. He is my truest friend now and ‘you’ are only a ghost. He is my truest friend so I am unlearning the doubt ‘you’ instilled in me; the voices that possess me. ‘You’ have tainted my friendships and twisted the concept. But maybe I twisted it first; ‘you’ were the only friend I needed -now I need more. He touched my shoulder, “you mean more to people than you think -don’t let the past make you forget that." His brows knit together in earnest. He waited till I nodded tightly, swallowing against the tears at the back of my throat. I am still angry, but I find he calms the seething fire. Like honey on my burns and honey in my tea. He's the first of many, ‘she’ was the first of none. Hope is a dead sea because of 'her’, but he showed me how to float. I am still sorrowful and I am still harbouring rage because ‘you’ will never be what I needed, but there is a hope arising. Thank you for being my friend, but I hope I never have to see ‘you’ again.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious platform celebrating the art of written expression. This competition brings together talented writers from around the world, encouraging them to share their unique voices and perspectives. It serves as a beacon for literary excellence, fostering creativity and innovation in poetry and creative writing.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Aylah Brauer for her compelling contribution with 'Her' to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her insightful exploration of friendship dynamics is both moving and thought-provoking. We look forward to seeing how her voice continues to enrich the world of creative writing.

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.