Mirsad stops to pluck something from Zora’s hair. He holds it between thumb and forefinger for her to see. “These have been falling all over the city for days now, as far out as the airport and Ilidža. Do you know what people are calling them?”“No.”“Black butterflies,” he says softly. He peers at the scorched […]

They were night people, one step away from ghosts, and strangers to each other. Some had husbands, as she guessed by their wedding rings, and many had children, who, contrary to the rules, telephoned in the night to report some crisis. The mothers, knowing that phone calls were forbidden, lurked in corners, to listen. Many […]