Distressed Stories

Flash fiction for the Weekend Write-In

Elsa meets Henry Graham, a hermit traveler with a power he sees as a curse. They feel a connection because they both experience loneliness and sadness for not being 'normal'. Unfortunately, fate grants them only seven years before the curse extinguishes Henry's life. How will their love story unfold during the time fate has allotted them?

GENRE: PERIOD ROMANCE, GRUMPY-SUNSHINE ARRANGED MARRIAGE, CARETAKER-HEALING TROPE. The Duke of Sherards knew fear when he saw it. It was sheer, blind terror that he saw in the eyes of Lady Evangelina when she showed up in the middle of the night at Sherards Manor with the most incredulous proposal: That of marriage. "I dare not ask this of anyone else, for I am aware that the minute my father comes knocking at their doors asking for me, they will relinquish me like property back to its rightful owner. I do not ask for your love for I know I will need to earn it. I am here to ask you for mercy, if you have any, for a woman who seeks to fight for herself before her soul is snatched from her body by her own." She asked for sanctuary and for him to become her husband and protector. He agreed, not because she was terrified, but because her fear bothered him for the first time in a long time. Or maybe just because he needed a saving grace just as much as she did.

Ragnhild Eilifsdotter is a Huldrekin, people related to the trolls of Norway, but more human-like. The men kept the people living under hill for centuries, so as soon as they were let out she moved to Seattle to experience some freedom. Unfortunately even the New World has rules and Ragnhild has to do a favor for a troll, always a tricky prospect.

A man wakes up and has no idea how he got in that place.

"When you can stop, you don't want to and when you want to, you can't stop." - Luke Davies

Stitching life's tales together any which way... This is a patchwork collection of accounts from my life. Every word is true! Well, ALMOST every word. Some tales need just a little embroidery.

*A FAIRFIELD HIGH STORY* Everyone has a secret. That includes two small town teenagers, Erin and Nate. One thing that isn't a secret is that they're arch enemies. All Erin wants to do is enjoy her small vacation and the start of her senior year. Nate has other plans. He crashes her carefully-planned getaway in a quiet cabin in The Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania. But as much as he drives her crazy, Erin starts to wonder if there's more to Nate then meets the eye. Nate has known for as long as he's known Erin that her confidence is an act, and it was only her pride that kept her from falling apart. But is this enough to prove to himself that he really does love her? Especially with her annoyingly handsome, jock of a boyfriend who's in the way. Erin doesn't know what to think, and in the middle of her deranged thoughts, she wonders if Nate is just the person she needed to share a burden of a secret that she has buried deep.

"I await the day someone actually waits for my answer after they ask me 'How are you?'" Hey loves, Having a bad day? Me too. Pour your thoughts out in the comments, I'll do my best to help you. At least one of us can feel better...

Allison was a girl with lost Hope and Broken promises. Zayn is in a big Boyband with a big secret. When they cross paths everything changes. Will Allison Share her story? Will Zayn tell his secret?

This is a story about a boy and his life

Cam's in her late twenties. She has a stable job, a supportive partner and a well-kept home. She's come a long way since that disturbing childhood of hers. One her partner, Oliver, is yet to discover. From a broken home, an abusive relationship with her mother and an unlikely future, Cam struggles to relive that reality when she travels to visit her Father in hospital. But is it a reality or is it just a bad memory coming to life around her?

I really just do not know. |'~'| Ignore my confused state I just love too hard and think too much.

"Who even knows what the positive point to anything is if you have never been negative at least once." -Lilac

Destress is the art of finding tranquility amidst life's chaos. It's the soothing balm for a mind weary from the daily grind. In the quest to destress, one seeks respite from tension and worry, embracing serenity. It involves deep breaths that cleanse the soul, a mindful escape from the noise, and a gentle embrace of self-care. Destressing is a journey where stress dissolves like mist, replaced by inner peace. It's a melody of relaxation that harmonizes with your well-being. Whether it's through meditation, nature's embrace, or the warmth of a loved one's company, destress is the key to rejuvenation.

• The feeling of someone whispering in your ear and telling you that you are worthless. Every time you make a mistake, you keep getting reminded of it; it's never painless. From these mistakes, it makes you reckless. Now you ask yourself, is my life priceless or worthless? •

Ryuu, an 18 year old boy who has suffered a trauma from his father Shikirai, who since his young age has had to endure and see how his father mistreats his mother Nara because of his work.