Zoning Out - By Tonia, Sou Ian Tong

Written By: Tonia, Sou Ian Tong

Category: Sci Fi, Story, Slight gore

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Tonia, Sou Ian Tong, writing under the name "zoning out," has submitted a captivating piece titled "Zoning Out" in the Creative Writing category for the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This competition celebrates diverse voices and imaginative works from around the world. Tonia's entry delves into the intriguing theme of sensory disconnection, blending elements of science fiction and slight gore to create a compelling narrative.

About the Work

"Zoning Out" presents a haunting exploration of sensory detachment through a sci-fi lens. Tonia's narrative captures the reader's imagination with vivid imagery and a foreboding atmosphere. The story's mood oscillates between eerie calmness and unsettling intensity, driven by the protagonist's encounter with a mysterious, otherworldly presence. Tonia skillfully weaves a tale that leaves a lingering impact, making readers ponder the thin line between reality and the surreal.

zoning out

Original Submission by Tonia, Sou Ian Tong

zoning out.

By : Tonia Sou

You know that feeling when you’re just staring at something having seemingly just switched off your senses? That used to not happen when I was a kid. I think I was too often bothered, aware of everything pressing in from all sides. I simply didn’t have the luxury to let my eyes go numb and my mind go blank.

There I was, foreign on the cold, marbled kitchen floor in the almost completely empty apartment. Matt was supposed to help me finish moving out tomorrow. I’m in the dark, ambient if you think about it, gnawing at the last stubborn gristle and fried skin of my chicken drumstick. I never understood how some people left those parts behind. They’re the best. The way your canines have to work and tear for it, followed by the wet snap you get when you finally peel the juicy tendon free from the bone, and the grease coating your fingers like a second layer of skin. I crunched at the skin, imagining it sizzling in the fryer just hours earlier, the oil popping, blistering its flesh. Probably rotting underneath.

I have so many things to tidy up. The landlady was up my ass about the security deposit. Elise said I made a dumb choice quitting the restaurant. Not like I was ever going to see her again. The corridor floor right in front of me seemed like a nice location for my eyes to land and rest on, like a fly deciding to begin its washing routine on the rotten fruit in my fridge. My eyelids loosened, and I rested my eyes on..

A pair of eyes.

big. blue.

My own eyes were still fixed on where nothing had been. Maybe it was because today had been so much, with the landlady’s whining voice and everything. I didn’t process it in time to flinch.

My eyes were dry and I blinked on reflex. It was now in front of me, its pale, seamless skin against mine. our foreheads touching. it made no sound, it just carried the cold weight of its presence.

I stopped chewing on that piece of chicken. I had swallowed it in a silent gulp.

Its eyes, if I had to describe them in a single word, were monotone. Empty. A content, neutral smile carved into its metallic face like an afterthought. It was smooth and polished, a gleaming corporate shell, clean and designed to wait for its next command for the rest of its pathetic faux life. Beneath it, I could hear the sounds of a wet churning, like a garbage disposal cracking sticks.

Why is this thing in my apartment. And more importantly, why is it so close to me? If it asked nicely, I might’ve at least considered giving it a piece of my drumstick. Or maybe just a wing.

Silence.

All but the dripping from the bathroom tap, echoing from behind the hall. I was gonna complain to Mr. Ladden about that. That man, sniffing and sneezing everywhere he went about the place, proclaiming some tenant’s cat had been making his allergies act up, despite there never having been a cat.

We didn’t mutter a word.

Maybe it was my existential dread, finally taking physical form, threatening me to remain calm. The robot faced entity began to tilt is head to one side, ever so slowly it was hard to notice at first, until it never stopped and rotated a full 360 without ever breaking eye contact me. Its neck hadn’t snapped. It just, kept going. A smooth fluid rotation, like a planet turning on its axis. The sound of grinding cartilage and lubricated metal filled the space between us.

I think this was the longest I’d ever held eye contact with anything in a long time.

As it turned and rotated, a series of horns, sounding like it came from those old Western trains, started blaring, deep and industrial, whist imitating the sound of what would be if you had dragged a double bass across the floor angrily. Its metal body started uncoiling, vertebrae popping and sliding against rubbery, white skin, from the anatomy of a human twisting into some snake-woman. The horns continued to cry even

louder, and hollered like the sound of a sinking ship or a drowning whale, while a viscous mist started to propel out of its spiky engine-like mechanics, filling my once still apartment with the smell of burnt oil and rotting corpse. Its emotionless eyes never left my face.

I couldn’t help but feel slightly aroused at this strange yet steady monster. What can i say? I am a sucker for attention.

It retracted its face from mine, perhaps it had felt I had other intentions, and as it did, I couldn’t help but mesmerise at those disgustingly fleshy, translucent scales that seem to be sloughing off of it like glass shards across the floor ever other second, melting into the dirty tiles with heavy plops, and under it veined with something dark and heavily pulsing.

It opened its robotic mask of a face to reveal its mouth, seemingly more of a hole with a giant stadium beam light glowing through it, illuminating thousands, if not millions of jagged teeth, crowding together like a mouthful of short knives and shattered bones, each dripping with something black and syrupy.

And as it lunged toward me as I anticipated, I closed my eyes, embracing its glorious presence of teeth sinking into my stomach, each individual like a dagger ripping me apart, dissecting my organs and setting my blood free. I couldn’t help but smile, as I felt her freezing stone-cold body slithering up my punctured maroon skin. She slowly detached her infinite canines from my torso, impatient as I struggled to cough up a chuckle, and within a second, unhinged her mechanic mask to once again allow me to witness the void of her hunger. And with one last pounce, I felt my head within her throat, and it was ecstatic.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is an esteemed platform that showcases the talents of writers and poets globally. This event celebrates creativity and encourages participants to push the boundaries of literary expression. It provides a unique opportunity for writers to share their voices and connect with a diverse audience, fostering a global community of literary enthusiasts.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Tonia, Sou Ian Tong for sharing "Zoning Out" with us in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Your imaginative storytelling and vivid imagery captivate and inspire. Thank you for contributing your unique voice and for being a part of this creative celebration.

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.