"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao TzuThis is a collection of stories I will be writing while I am a part of the Multigenre Mashup SmackDown Contest, which is being run by the profiles @flashfic, @Ooorah, and @LayethTheSmackDown . I'm hoping to see improvement from how I did last year! And even if I don't, hey, I have nothing to lose by trying.Hope you all enjoy!…
Three women, who have never met. Three secrets, never meant to be known. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay that way.Three lives, tangled together in horrific ways, as fate plays with the strings. * * * * * Rani Altario has a secret.A threat to her life and her country leaves her with little choice but to flee, hiding herself behind a new identity for protection. But make no mistake; Rani isn't running. She's waiting, struggling to keep her flame lit. And it is all too simple for even a small fire to turn into an inferno.Maliha Sarrow has a secret.By day, she's the breathtaking young maiden, whose hand is wanted by what feels like every man in her hometown (never mind that she doesn't want any of them). The ultimate prize to be won.But by night, she's someone - something - different, darker. Something Maliha never wanted to be.But for the people she loves, there's no limit to what she'd become.Rija Nazari has a secret.Injured and betrayed, she leaves behind everything she's ever known for a nation that won't welcome her. It's a risk - scratch that, it's a suicide mission - but Rija is alone, afraid, and out of options. But will leaving truly save her?* * * * *Originally written for the Open Novella Contest 2023!Prompt #15 (MAIN): Three women. Three secrets. Three tangled lives.Prompt #49 (SECONDARY): "Master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can." Michael Scott, "The Sorceress."…
The collection that will contain most of my short stories, whether they're written for contests or for fun. Because I can't keep making a whole new story each time I write a short story."To live will be an awfully big adventure." - Peter Pan…
Outpoint (Boxing): When one boxer lands more blows each round than the other boxer, outscoring his opponent.So, this is a collection of stories I will be writing during my time as a part of the Gloves Up multi-genre SmackDown Contest, which is being run by the Wattpad Ambassadors Team @LayethTheSmackDown !Honestly? I don't think I'll make it that far. Actually, I'll be surprised if I make it into Round 2. But what the heck, I've got nothing to lose if I try, so here I am. Hope you all enjoy!…
"The strongest affection and utmost zeal should, I think, promote the studies concerned with the most beautiful objects. ... The universe's divine revolutions, the stars' motions, sizes, distances, risings and settings... for what is more beautiful than heaven?"- Nicholas CopernicusA short one-shot for Earth Day, that's only *checks watch* about 24 hours and 35 minutes late. Oops...?…
It was 6 AM when the first shells hit.Inna Kolesnik had always lived a peaceful life in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. And, with her father, mother, and older brother at her side, she doubted that her life could be anything else.But that changes in the early hours of February 24, 2022, when Russia attacks.The cries of the citizens haunt their ears. Suddenly, Inna and her family find themselves pressed for time - time to pack up, time to plan, time to get away from their home, which is fast becoming a war zone.But will they all make it?CHECK THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BEGINNING, IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THIS ONE-SHOT!…
Naja Ayad and Shani Chason met in high school, on their way to their respective solo contest rooms. A shy, skilled oboe player, with an instrument that is quiet, delicate, and beautiful. A confident, talented trumpet player, with loud, grand, royal sounds exiting her horn. Their instruments were as opposite as could be. But, somehow, the two band members clicked right away. Nobody could deny how both of them lit up the other's life. They were there for each other, through the birthdays, holidays, and the much anticipated high school graduation. And even after that, they stuck together, attending the same university, albeit for different programs. Music had entwined them together, and neither of them wanted it any other way.They thought they would have forever together. They thought that they would watch each other graduate college, get actual, full-time jobs, get their first boyfriends (and let the other beat them up if they turned out to be jerks). They thought that eventually, they would watch each other fall in love, get married, and maybe, possibly, have children. They thought that they would grow old together.They thought wrong.…
It all starts with a young daughter, a dying mother, and a gift.It sits securely around her neck, through every hardship she faces, until it becomes a gift again.The amulet survives entire wars, trips across oceans, deployments, dangerous jobs. It stays with the eldest daughter, wherever she goes, until it's time to pass it on.…