family
"The Last Ride Out of Marlowe"
The town of Marlowe, Texas, was a place where dust settled on your boots almost immediately, and secrets lingered as persistently as the August heat. Carter Briggs had not returned in seventeen years—not since he left in the dead of night with a duffel bag filled with guilt and his father's old Colt .45. Now, at thirty-six, with weary eyes and a jaw marked by regret, he found himself gazing out the window of a Greyhound bus as the Marlowe city limits sign passed by
By Md.Nayeemul Islam Khanabout a year ago in Fiction
Exploring the World’s Most Used App
In the current highly connected world, mobile apps are essential to daily life. From messaging to leisure, purchasing to finance, there's an application for almost everything. However, among the countless options out there, one app consistently stands out in terms of global usage: WhatsApp.
By Rahat Quorieshi about a year ago in Fiction
"The Last Slice"
It was a warm Friday evening in the small town of Elmwood, Ohio. Streetlights flickered on as families headed home from high school football games and the scent of fresh dough wafted through Main Street from Tony's Pizza, the town’s oldest and most beloved restaurant.
By Md.Nayeemul Islam Khanabout a year ago in Fiction
Chapters Apart, Story Together
Rafi was a quiet, thoughtful boy from a small town where life moved slowly and predictably. His days were simple—waking up to the sound of his mother calling from the kitchen, rushing to school with half-eaten toast in hand, and returning to evenings filled with homework and dreams of something just beyond the town’s borders. He didn’t know it then, but his world was about to change the day Ayaan walked into their classroom. Ayaan was the new kid, transferred from a distant city. His hair curled at the edges, and his school bag still had tags from his previous school. The other students stared for a bit, then returned to their own lives. But something about Ayaan’s silence made Rafi pause. During the lunch break, while others played or talked, Rafi walked up to him and said, “Want to sit with me? I know it’s hard being new.” That small kindness sparked a friendship that would become the heart of Rafi’s growing years.
By Sabab Saminabout a year ago in Fiction
I Couldn't Promise Her a Future, So She Left
She left without taking much, except for the calendar we bought together. It was the first day of the new year. She rolled up the calendar, placed it in her bag, and didn't ask if I wanted to keep a page as a memento. She didn't say "take care" or "goodbye."
By Adam Collinsabout a year ago in Fiction
Who is wrong?. Content Warning.
Scene: A dimly lit bedroom, with a queen size bed and two baby cots. The air is tense, Henry is fuming, Louise is fast asleep and baby George is crying) Narrator He tapped her violently, Waking her up, abruptly from deep sleep. Henry (tapping violently) The baby has been crying for over 30 minutes. What kind of a useless mother are you? Why are you so wicked and heartless? How can you lie there sleeping? When your child, has been wailing for over half an hour. Louise I was in shock, Shock from the way he woke me up, Shock that I could sleep so deeply, and neglect my son. As I tried to collect myself, I was yanked off the bed by Henry. Henry (shouting!!!!) Why are you still sitting there? Can’t you see my son is starving? Get up and do something? Go and take care of him. Louise Now in shock and destabilized from the pull, My first reflex was; I grabbed baby’s bottle of water, And tried to give him, in order to calm him down, And stop the crying as I pull myself together. All these; while he rained insults on me. Henry (mocking) You foolish woman, Why are you giving water to a hungry child? Feed the boy his formula, not water. Useless woman. Louise I mixed the formula for my 3-month old, He hated breastfeeding; it was too stressful for him, As I was feeding him, my husband kept raining insults on me, I finished feeding the baby, but the abuses kept coming. I was distraught, angry and disappointed. Louise(thinking) Why would a man who calls himself a father, Allow his son to cry for 30 minutes, Before waking me up, just to prove a point? Why would he not carry his child and try to pacify him? Why would a husband treat his wife this way? I had worked all day, cleaned the entire house, Hand-washed the clothes, cooking four different dishes, And stock the freezer for the coming week. I was utterly exhausted after such a hectic day. Narrator Henry was aware of all this, He was home all day and saw it all happen, He didn’t assist his wife in anyway, Except request for food when it was time, And complain about the children crying. Barking orders, here and there. Louise could not comprehend why he, Henry would not understand how she felt, Especially since this had never happened before. As she thought about this, anger brewed within her. She was so angry that tears started to roll down her eyes. He didn’t notice because he was busy, Spitting terrible words at her. Louise (angry, hands shaking) My blood boiled, and out of rage, I stoned him with the perfectly wrapped diaper, I had just changed the baby out of. A decision I didn’t even have the time to regret, As he made me regret it, instantly. A sprained finger and bruises on my face and body, Was testament to how the night unfolded. Narrator Before Louise could even register the shock of her own actions, Henry was on her in an instant, like it’s what he was waiting for. His hand shot out, and with a deafening slap, He struck her across the face. The force of the blow sent her head snapping to the side, Her chest stinging, her vision blurred for a second. She barely had time to catch a breath, before he raised his hand again, And slapped her harder this time, The sound ringing through the room like a crack of thunder. Henry (growling, voice deep with rage) Who do you think you are? I’ll teach you your place. Narrator The pain in Louise’s face was now mirrored in her chest, Her heart raced, fury bubbling up from the smallest cells in her body. The tears she had tried to hold back through the insults, Through the degradation, finally rolled down uncontrollably. She wasn’t going to let him get away with this. In a split second, Louise’s arm shot out, and her hand, Collided with Henry’s face in a sharp, stinging slap. Her palm burned but the pain and shock on Henry’s face, Gave her the satisfaction of standing her ground, though painful. The room became a blur of movements as they clashed. Narrator (continued) Let’s not forget the broken door from her anger, After she was locked outside, by this same man. She had become a shadow of herself, As a result of this kind of treatment over time. She had become angry, bitter and coupled with, Post partum depression and the stress of raising a newborn, And a toddler in a 3-bedroom apartment with no help, And a husband like Henry, she had finally lost her mind. The marriage had become toxic. She never knew what it felt like to be loved, An cherished by her husband, Not during the first pregnancy/birth or the second. She was always alone, her parents in a far away land, Unable to lend her a helping hand. She envied her fellow women, Who were pampered by their men, She would never know what it felt like. Despite almost losing her life on both accounts of child bearing, He couldn’t show her basic kindness.
By Peace Oputaabout a year ago in Fiction
Behind the Silent Smile
It was always her smile that caught people’s attention. Soft, serene, almost haunting—like a sunset that knows night is coming. Areeba was the kind of woman who carried storms in her eyes but never let a drop fall. Her colleagues at the school adored her, the children adored her more. Yet no one ever knew who she was beyond the walls of that classroom.
By Zulfiqar Aliabout a year ago in Fiction
