Ownvoices Stories

My mother loves me. She wakes at dawn to simmer silver ear mushroom soup. She knows every teacher's number by heart. She gave up her own dreams so I could play the piano. Everything she does, she does out of love. So when my right hand goes limp and dead, everyone says it's my fault. The doctors can't explain it. The teachers say I'm stressed. My classmates mimic me behind my back, like I'm putting on a show. And my mother just stares at me in silence, like I'm a doll she can't fix. But no one ever asked me - Do I even want this hand anymore? This is a story about love, control, and silence. About a girl who learns to say "no" to the world, with a hand that refuses to obey.

ආදරය කියන්නෙ හිමි කරගැනීම ම නෙවෙයි අයිතිය හෝ අනියමත් නෙවෙයි. රාගය..විරහව..නියම්..අනියම්...මේ සේරම තියෙන්නෙ අයිතියක් ඉල්ලුවොත් විතරයි. ආදරය හරියට හඳ වගේ.... අයාන් මලික් කියන්නෙ මුළු පකිස්තානයම වසඟයට ගත්තු ජනප්‍රිය නිවේදකයෙක්.තරු පවුලක සැමියෙක්.පියෙක්. මෙත්මා අබේසිංහ කියන්නෙ ජීවිතේ ලස්සන හොයාගෙන යන ආදරේ භාෂාව ඇස් වලින් කතා කරන අහිංසක දඟකාරියක්. දෛවය කියන්නෙ..... ඒ දෙන්නාටම වෙනස් කරන්න බැරි වුණු ලස්සන කතාවක්. 'Firaaki' ඒ කතාවට දැම්ම නම 'වෙසක් මුබාරක්' මේක හඳක් වගේ ලස්සන හිත් ඇතුලේ පෑයුව තරු වගේ ලස්සන කතාවක්...

"He's teaching her how to hack his empire. She's collecting the evidence to burn it down." I was paid to translate. Not to interpret. Not to judge. Kira Khine arrives in Portugal with a passport missing an entry stamp, a revoked university admission, and €23,000 she refuses to touch. She didn't come for romance. She came to survive. But survival gets complicated when her landlord turns out to be Rodrigo Costa-a tech billionaire, single father, and the quietest, most unreadable face in northern Portugal. He offers her a deal: translate contracts in Burmese. In exchange, he'll teach her to hack. She takes it. Then she translates Clause 12.4. IMEI numbers. Geolocation data. Unrestricted real-time access-disguised as "urban planning." The kind of data you use to hunt people. The kind of people who disappear in Myanmar every day. Now, Kira has a choice: look away and cash the cheque. Or learn everything Rodrigo can teach her, and use it to destroy him. An impossible attraction. A dangerous game of secrets. He's letting his guard down around her-and she's collecting the evidence to burn his empire to the ground. Somewhere in the vineyard, a seven-year-old girl named Sofia is waiting for her friend Kiki to come to her birthday party. I trust me.She did. She does. A slow-burn geopolitical thriller about translation, cyber warfare, and ultimate betrayal.

🏆 Watty Award Winner (2022) This updated edition includes revised chapters and new scenes. Trans guy Collin makes a bet with his coworker that he can land a date with the hot new barista across the street. It should be easy. Except the more time he spends with her, the more the bet starts to feel like the worst idea he's ever had. ### It's 2003 in Santa Cruz, and 21-year-old Collin thought transitioning would be the hard part. But now that he's on hormones and passing with ease, he's still stuck wondering who he is and where he belongs. It doesn't help that his girlfriend of six years just dumped him. So when his coworker challenges him to prove he's still got game, Collin agrees to a stupid bet: get a date with Heather, the cute new barista who just started working at the café across the street. With some unexpected help from his roommate Sam, getting close to her might be easier than Collin expected. But what starts as a harmless distraction quickly turns into something real. And when the truth behind the bet finally comes out, Collin will have to decide whether risking his heart again is worth it... or if he's about to lose the best thing that's happened to him since the breakup. A nostalgic beach-town rom-com about bets, baristas, and what happens when pretending turns into something real. ☕ Tropes: friends-to-lovers vibes, a very bad bet, coffee shop flirting, early-2000s nostalgia, and learning who you are while falling in love. NEW CHAPTERS EVERY TUESAY & FRIDAY

[This is the translated version of my original Indonesian story. To support me or read the Bahasa Indonesia version, visit my profile] In an alternate version of the 2000s, where technology surges forward and magic-once revered-is hunted to the edge of extinction, lives a young man named Hans. By day, he is a quiet bartender, blending drinks for patrons who never suspect the truth: buried deep within him lies a power passed down from his mother, a healer and sorceress, and his father, a drunken gambler entangled in the shadows of the criminal underworld. For years, Hans has lived in silence-choosing solitude not for peace, but to shield himself from the scars of his past and the shame that clings to him like a second skin. He hides his power, not out of cowardice, but out of pain. That is, until a stranger walks into his bar. A dark-skinned man from the southern isles, the stranger calls himself Kaelani-or Kaelan. But he is no ordinary guest. He carries with him a sorrow deeper than grief, the remnants of a lost homeland-Maluʻia-an archipelago laid to ruin by the very technology that now rules the world. Like Hans, Kaelan is a mage, a guardian of protective magic betrayed by the one he loved. That betrayal cost him his people, his purpose, and nearly his soul. Their meeting is no coincidence. Two fractured souls, exiled from the destinies they were meant to fulfill, begin to find flickers of hope in each other's quiet company. But beyond the whispered conversations and the soft hum of city nights, the world stirs once more. Magic is awakening-and Hans may be the key that time itself has tried to forget.

The world wanted quiet. It got a riot instead. The school called it policy. They called it war. One boy is trapped in a mind that has betrayed him. The other is an artist who stopped sketching and started swinging. But if the world will label them as villains, they might as well give them a reason to be afraid.

One man is her family's dream. The other could be her undoing. Suraiya Rao has never quite belonged. She's not white enough for society, not brown enough for her family... not enough for anyone. She's spent her life walking a tightrope between British reality and Indian expectation, doing everything by the book, no matter the cost. Then one chance encounter changes everything. Haydn Ellis Clarke isn't part of the plan. He's rich, ridiculously handsome, and absolutely not the man her family has chosen for her. But he sees her - not the dutiful daughter or the girl buried beneath generations of pressure, but the version of herself she's never dared to be. Mendhi My Heart is a story of identity, belonging, and choosing love, even when it means breaking every rule. Because love doesn't always arrive in the "suitable" package. Sometimes, it wears torn jeans... and gives your grandmother a heart attack.

Closeted high-school jock Troy Allstar needs the last lake-weekend of summer to be perfect because it sets the tone for the school year to come. Instead, he grapples with his non-binary sibling's out-and-proud lip syncs, an inability to shake off his beta status amongst the other jocks, an ex-girlfriend who is now dating his BFF Jesse, a growing desire for said BFF as well as for hottie cheerleader Chad, all while a mysterious shadow sets loose DNA-spliced experiments that give Troy strange powers that make it impossible to control his emotions. What's a fella to do??? Hi all, I wrote the original Queeroes novels more than a decade ago. What a time! I've grown a lot as a person and as a writer; I've realized I'm on the autism spectrum (my superpower!) and been officially assessed. I've learned about how I've masked and hidden my autistic traits (with mixed success) and I now see that the character of Troy in Queeroes is following the same strategy and is also on the spectrum (all the clues are there in the original Queeroes books!). In this reimagined version Wattpad edition of Queeroes, it's been really liberating to reflect Troy's autism more intentionally (even though Troy hasn't figured out yet :). It's also been a joy to include diversity in ways that reflect this wondrous world. Chad's Latinx (and just as sassy as ever), Troy's younger sibling, Gabi, is adopted from the First Nation neighboring the small town of Nuffim, is non-binary, and way more brash and confident than in the original books. Now, Gabi often steals the show. Like the original Queeroes novels, the Wattpad edition is Smallville meets Buffy with odes of Queers As Folk and American Horror story as a group of small town queer teens get powers and face a villainous shadow that forces them to face their darkest fears to become their truest selves! Xena warrior cry!

In the vibrant world of Eltryia, Ryn stands as a shining star, celebrated for her mesmerizing performances that light up the virtual realm. As the monthly competition approaches, anticipation crackles in the air. Gamers from all corners gear up for a series of intricate puzzles that promise grand rewards. Yet, as Ryn dives into the challenges, an unsettling realization sets in---the puzzles delve into her personal story in a way that could unveil her real-world secret as she is the final piece. VRChat meets Belle meets Ready Player One meets Code Lyoko #1 Cyber Love

From the universe of RECONSTRUCTING JADA CHANNING comes a holiday read, "The Gift of You," featuring a Southern business analyst and a British noble. When Clara Lawrence spreads a little holiday cheer by purchasing coffee orders for the people behind her, Braxton Roberts, the Earl of Yaleton, wants to know more about her. Both are usually pragmatic, practical people, but something about the beginning of the new year and the possibilities therein have them both leaving the solid ground of convention and taking a leap of faith into romance. Can Clara and Braxton land on their feet or will they stumble as they fall?

Prithika Singh would have told you that her love life was going great. After all, who could argue that the pretty cheerleader and the handsome quarterback with their sweet year-long relationship were anything less than a dream couple? But Prithika is startled awake when she sees her boyfriend, Carter Hale, kissing Julia Hart, one of the supposedly average girls, in the middle of the hallway on the first day of school. Suddenly, her vision for her junior year is totally derailed, and she's left feeling uncertain about her sense of trust and relationships. And then along comes Jackson Rains, Julia's ex-boyfriend, notorious at Poppy Hills High for his (crappy) motorcycle, tousled dark hair, black leather boots, and two very public fistfights. In an attempt to save their past relationships, Jackson and Prithika hatch a probably terrible plan: make everyone think they're dating. Prithika will try to show Carter she can be a more low-maintenance girlfriend, Jackson will try to show Julia that he can be a more attentive boyfriend, and then Carter and Julia will get jealous and return to the partners they were supposed to be with in the first place, and it'll all go back to normal. But it seems the more Prithika tries to make things fit the picture-perfect path her life was on, the more things fly off the rails: she's trapped in trying to be someone she's not, she's lying to her best friends Laila and Aurora, she can tell Aurora's keeping secrets, she realizes how little she actually knows Carter, and she's getting more invested in Jackson's personal life than expected. Can she get her life back under control? Or will trying to fix things make a bigger mess?

Ema Muratovic is 17 years old and the ambitious daughter of Bosnian immigrant parents. She has two goals during her senior year; get a chance to win states for indoor track and break the barrier between her nearly all-white high school, Westbrook High, and the neighboring town's Timothy High School. These goals are not easy to achieve. Along the way, she realizes the immense sacrifices that she has to make for the betterment of herself and other people.

When the sun shines brightest and the drums begin to beat, Melody and her magical cat, Kitty Paws, are swept into a dazzling celebration unlike any other - The Great Melanin Parade! From cocoa to caramel, bronze to ebony, children from all over the world gather to celebrate the beautiful shades of their skin. Dressed in vibrant prints, shimmering beads, and big bold smiles, Melody joins the joyful march through a magical land where every hue is honored and every child shines. With music, laughter, and magical moments at every turn, Melody learns that melanin is more than just skin - it's heritage, power, and pride. And when it's her turn to shine on the float of courage, she discovers that her voice, her hair, her dreams - all are perfect, just as they are. A radiant tale of self-love, cultural pride, and unity, Melody and the Great Melanin Parade is a joyful tribute to every child who deserves to feel seen, celebrated, and magical in their own skin.

Waking in a strange tavern with no memories of who he is other than his name, Stepa finds he's not the only one with amnesia. With seemingly nothing in common, he and five others have begun to realize that they have been chosen for a purpose that wasn't meant for them. The death of the holy warrior Oskan and his warband during the Peacekeeper Banners changed the tides of a war before they were even born. Now, under the name of the Spearhead King, Oskan has crawled out of the confinement of the spirit's realm and thrown off the balance of mortals and spirits alike. The magical forces of Orenda and Starwalkers have begun to bleed into the earthly world and along with his friends, Stepa must find a way to stop the Spearhead King from tearing the balance apart and plunging their world into an endless night.

Vicar Andrews is avoiding his brother's funeral by hiding upstairs in the family house, rifling through the boxes that will inevitably go to an estate sale, when he discovers a journal far too old to be his brother's. Possessed by curiosity and eagre for the distraction from the guests he's supposed to console, Vicar finds himself lost in the world of the journal's owner, Winn Peterson - a resident at his very house one hundred years ago. As he loses himself in her increasingly disturbing recollection of events within the house, the similarities between their situations grow to an incoincidental degree. The sudden appearance of the doctor in both Winn's life and his late brother's, as well as the rapid decline of their respective states of health, prove a worrying trend in the dark history of the Andrews Estate. Battling the traumatic memories of his own turbulent past, Vicar begins to suspect that the connection between his brother's death and the unfortunate fate of Winn Peterson are tied together by something far more sinister than a suspicious doctor. . . . Completed 25 July 2023 at 100k words Featured 2x on StoriesUndiscovered

The Flaming Heart follows Odelina, who is a pixie, as she is kicked out of the Ezzarith, the pixies' land and taken in by the aen laite, humans who have a connection with dragons and are the pixies' enemy. Odelina has odd wings and has been ostracized by the pixies for it. Her mother was taken away when she was a year old and she never knew her father. Odelina falls in love with the general of the aen laite, Zefira. (cover art is by @sitcomabed on twitter)

God. Demon. Child. Blessed by the war god and partner to the immortal fox, fifteen-year-old Kono Takeshi loathes the sadistic woman who took him in after the brutal murder of his parents. His guardian seeks a tame pet, but he's the Kurogitsune-harbinger of death, and he won't be anyone's weapon. Still, a home means security, especially when he has a sister to think of. Then a stranger arrives in the backwater town of Shiranobe and throws Takeshi's uncertain future into turmoil. She believes he's good, despite the violence tainting his soul. But with an onmyoji determined to exorcise the Kurogitsune after him, Takeshi must weigh his broken humanity against its price in blood.

What am I? Who am I? How do I know what I am? Better yet, how do I come to terms with it? **Awesome cover by @shermssss**

[ ON-GOING ] सोबती (sobati) /sobatee/ noun. companion, partner. [ Extended Description inside ]