family
The Hidden Garden
Sophie had always been a child of curious tastes. While other children played with toys or read books, she spent her days wandering through the woods behind her grandmother's cottage, chasing shadows, and listening to the stories the wind whispered through the leaves. There was one place, however, which had always eluded her—a place hidden deep within the forest. It was an ancient, rusty, wrought-iron gate, half-hidden by evergreen ivy and barbed bushes. The children at the village would point to it in whispers as the gate leading to the Hidden Garden, a place said to be lost in time.
By JOHN NHYIRA2 years ago in Fiction
A Dangerous Obsession: The Tragic Case of a Mother’s Deception”
Since birth on December 3, 2008, a young child struggled with severe health issues. At just two months old, the child began experiencing difficulties keeping food down and started losing weight. The mother tried switching from breast milk to formula, then a combination of both, but these changes did not help. Eventually, she took the child to the doctor, who found elevated sodium levels likely causing the symptoms. An IV was administered to flush the sodium, which improved the child's condition temporarily. The doctor suggested it could be due to something in the formula or breast milk and provided advice on diet.
By cathynli namuli2 years ago in Fiction
The /1st/ %moment: "Laughing"When you °parents° ✓get {[divorce]^and^ [marriage] again.}
**"A Laugh in the Middle of Chaos"** When my parents announced their divorce, I felt as though my entire world had been turned upside down. They sat me down in the living room, their faces serious, and broke the news in calm, measured voices. I was seventeen at the time, old enough to understand that not all marriages last forever, but still young enough to believe that my parents would be the exception. The idea that they could actually separate seemed unthinkable. “We’ve decided it’s best if we go our separate ways,” my mom had said, her voice wavering slightly. My dad nodded in agreement, his expression distant. The shock left me numb, unable to respond. My parents had always seemed like a team, solid and dependable. I couldn’t remember a time when they weren’t together. The weeks that followed were a blur. There were arguments about who would get what, about how they would manage to stay amicable for my sake, about how they would navigate the logistics of their separation. The atmosphere at home changed drastically. The laughter that used to fill our house was replaced by silence, or worse, strained politeness. I found myself avoiding home as much as possible, spending more time with friends or buried in schoolwork, anything to escape the tension that had taken over. As the divorce proceedings dragged on, I noticed something odd. While they were no longer a couple, they didn’t seem as miserable as I’d expected. They were civil, almost friendly. When they would talk about me, they did it together, and there was something familiar in the way they interacted—something that reminded me of how they used to be. After the divorce was finalized, my dad moved into an apartment across town. My mom and I stayed in the house. We had a new routine now, one that involved shuttling back and forth between two homes, but it was manageable. I got used to the quiet evenings with my mom and the weekends with my dad. I got used to the idea that they were no longer together. But just when I thought I’d adjusted to this new reality, life threw another curveball. It started small. My parents would occasionally meet up for coffee or lunch to discuss how I was doing. At first, it seemed like nothing more than a co-parenting necessity, but then those meetings became more frequent. They started spending time together without me, going out for dinner or attending events as a pair. I even caught them laughing together more than once, a sound that was both comforting and confusing. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but the thought that they might be rekindling their relationship gnawed at the back of my mind. I tried not to overthink it, but it was impossible not to notice the change. One Friday evening, about six months after the divorce, they sat me down in the living room again. My heart started racing—what now? My dad cleared his throat, looking uncharacteristically nervous, while my mom smiled in a way that made me feel like I was about to be let in on a secret. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together lately,” my dad began. “And we realized that we miss being a family.” I stared at him, not quite understanding where this was going. I could feel a lump forming in my throat, a mix of hope and fear battling for dominance. My mom took over. “We know this might come as a shock, but we’ve decided to get married again.” For a few seconds, I couldn’t process what she was saying. Married? Again? After everything we’d been through? I looked back and forth between them, trying to make sense of it all. And then, to my own surprise, I started laughing. It wasn’t a small, nervous laugh, either. It was a full-on, uncontrollable belly laugh that echoed through the room. I tried to stop, but the more I thought about the absurdity of it all, the harder I laughed. My parents exchanged bewildered looks. “Are you okay?” my dad asked, his voice tinged with concern. “I’m fine,” I gasped, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes. “It’s just... this is so crazy! You guys went through all that just to end up back where you started?” They started to chuckle too, and soon we were all laughing together, the tension that had built up over the past year melting away in the sound. It was as if the universe had played some elaborate joke on us, one that we could only appreciate after we’d come out on the other side. The wedding was nothing like their first. It was a small, intimate affair with just close family and a few friends. I watched as they exchanged vows again, and this time, it felt different. They weren’t just promising to love each other forever; they were promising to learn from their mistakes, to cherish the second chance they’d been given. I realized then that life is unpredictable, full of twists and turns that you can’t always see coming. My parents’ journey was far from conventional, but in the end, they found their way back to each other. Their story was one of forgiveness, resilience, and the power of love to withstand even the most challenging of circumstances. As I watched them dance together at the reception, I couldn’t help but smile. The laughter, the tears, the confusion, the hope—it had all led to this moment. And in that moment, I knew that no matter what the future held, we would face it together, as a family. --- This
By Karl Nicken 2 years ago in Fiction
In More Ways Than One. Runner-up in Overboard Challenge.
The moon is particularly bright tonight. The shadow it casts through the window leaves a dim glow, with one warm, bright strip down the side of our bed where you should be sleeping. As I stare at the empty space, I can’t help but feel that one strip of moonlight is the only warmth that has graced this love-forsaken room in years.
By Cathy holmes2 years ago in Fiction
The Waiting Time
Part - 1 Today, Purnima left school a little earlier. The headmaster, Mr. Anuj, had spoken to her last night, and they had agreed that she would leave after the tiffin break. Accordingly, she had made arrangements for the rest of her classes.
By MD. RAFIQUL ISLAM MURAD 2 years ago in Fiction
THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS
King Williams reigning for three years introduced comedy in the kingdom with no corrupting influences of the vices before. The political and warfare issues related to Williams were managed with great ease by Henry, thus transforming the latter from a mere king to a notable military general who protected the kingdom and acquired the ability to win battles. In due course, the council and the people got conditioned to this harsh regime forgetting the coup that he had unleashed. About his kingship, Williams really asserted himself to feast on the personnel and the authority it bestowed on him. His affection for his sister, Diana, seems real but the touch felt a little sick and wrong. Williams considered Diana to be a strong asset for the royal court and promoted her to a very powerful position, almost that of a queen mother, all the while under the queen’s supervision. Thus, to everyone’s eyes, Diana and the queen were best buddies and, in this sister-like relationship, Diana stepped into the role of the older sister that young Williams should dutifully obey. But secretly, Diana was a tortured soul, and her inner struggles.[/quote] However there was one last factor of Diana’s personality, which remains hidden beneath the surface: [quote]Yet another aspect of Diana remained behind the thick veil: Pursuing the given strategy, the position Williams put her in was a desensitized reminder for her about her inability to avoid being sexually assaulted. Despite the remained socially appropriate demeanor, Diana had internal conflicts, as she cared for her brother but did not have forgiveness for him for all the wrongs he brought upon her. Nevertheless, Williams’ economic success brought the court and Henry maintained his powerful position and manipulated the king. The court understood that they were dealing with a man who wielded considerable amount of authority, thus, no attempts were made to counter his moves for such resistance would have been easily quashed. Williams and the court did not know that Alfred had been up to this during all these years – plotting his comeback. He had thus assembled the militia of loyal men and discontented nobles against Williams’ regime. Though making sure not to openly rebel against Williams, Alfred proceeded to destabilize Williams’ position within the court. Alone in a dim light of the room surrounded by the trusted friends, Alfred was going over the last tactics. His eyes narrowed with animosity and he said, “The time is near, and we shall conquer what belongs to us.” On the same day and in the very royal palace, Williams and Diana leaned comfortably side by side forgetting that rebellion was simmering right at their doorstep. The closing of the scene gives all the audiences leave to wonder about Diana as she stays mute, hiding what she really feels.
By Goodie_ola 2 years ago in Fiction
Half-Blood Royalty | Severus Snapes' Daughter & Harry Potter's Younger Sister
This story, although associated with Harry Potter (I don't own the story or characters whatsoever - this is strictly just a fanfiction. I originally got this idea through the idea of "shifting" and decided to write out scenes in book form on Wattpad.), will not play a part with the canon universe of the books or movies. This story is indeed a fanfiction where Lily and Severus had a friendship/relationship that wasn't severed due to that day at Hogwarts when Severus called Lily a mudblood (in this "universe", although The Marauders and Severus still don't get along whatsoever, that moment never occured - it's my fanfiction, it's how I made this story made sense). Another thing about this fanfiction/non-canon storyline is that all children of deatheaters automatically get the "dark mark" at the age of fifteen. No matter what. I know it's not exactly how it went down in the books, but I just felt like it'd be the perfect way for Voldemort to keep growing his army... because obviously why would the villain rely on getting people to join him when he can simply use a little trick of his wand and automatically get the children of his followers to immediately be a part of his alliance. Plus, this theory fits so well to why he always had the same families in his pocket and I kind of don't hate this "headcanon/theory" at all.
By 'Lissa Stufflestreet2 years ago in Fiction
Falling for Him
The sun had fallen behind the clouds now; leaving a gorgeous red-orange color in its place as it slowly disappeared out of sight. The ocean waves were crashing for miles ahead, growing bigger as the wind slowly picked up the closer we were heading towards nightfall. My father had told us of the storm that was supposed to brew up by nightfall, but Jeremy insisted that tonight just had to be the night we both took a late-night boat ride through the ocean. Something 'bout how he wasn't sure when we'd ever find an opportunity as perfect as tonight. All my best friends told me over and over that I should get myself prepared and pampered in preparation for this boat trip... a small part of me was hoping they had a good hunch. It has been about three years... a good hunch is as good as any.
By 'Lissa Stufflestreet2 years ago in Fiction
The Last Broadcast
It was 2035, and the world was associated in manners unbelievable simply 10 years prior. Each gadget, each home, and each thought appeared to course through the vast surges of information, enveloping the globe with a computerized cover of data. The most recent trendy expression was the "MindLink," a brain interface that permitted clients to interface straightforwardly to the web with their viewpoints. It was hailed as a definitive development of the computerized age — to the point that it was no longer.
By Nadia Tasnim2 years ago in Fiction
