stories

A childless couple, Friedrich and Marta, lived in a small town in Germany. Friedrich was a school teacher and Marta was a housewife. They were satisfied with their life but something was missing. They both longed for a child. After many unsuccessful tries and miscarriages, they were coming to terms with the fact that they weren’t destined to have a heir.

One day, they were graced by those unexpected blessings that announced themselves on a rainy evening in 1928. They found, outside their door, a little baby girl, wrapped in a blanket, with nothing but a small note:

“Her name is Dalia. Please keep her safe.”

Although German and belonging to a country that increasingly obsessed itself with blood and purity, the hearts of Friedrich and Marta were filled with compassion, and tears streamed down Martha’s face as she scooped the infant into her arms. There and then it was decided- she was their daughter, no matter what.

For years, Dalia bloomed under their care, dark curls which bounced as she ran, big brown eyes that seemed to use the world as its sponge. Friedrich enjoyed teaching the girl to read, and Marta sang old lullabies as they baked together.

As Dalia grew into life, so did town gossip. People with eagle eyes and razor tongues muttered about Dalia’s brunette features. Whatever the fishers heard in market and church lowered their heads: “That girl doesn’t look German.”

The rumors had reached downright suspicion by the time Dalia was 9 in 1937. Nazi propaganda was raging like wildfire. The Reich’s racial laws turned families and communities against each other. Friedrich and Marta lived their lives in quiet terror, knowing the truth that Dalia was Jew, though they never spoke of it to her.

“She is just a child,” pleaded Marta to Friedrich at night, holding his hand in the dark. “Surely a child can never be harmed.”

But he was not so sure. He had seen former colleagues join the Nazi Party. He had seen friendly neighbors become distant overnight. He knew that there was no longer silk between his neighbors; many, if not all, would be ready to turn in the little girl.

In 1941, when she had turned thirteen, everything changed. On one such afternoon Friedrich returned home from school much before the usual time. He looked pale, and his hands trembled as he locked the door behind him. “They’re taking Jews away,” he whispered. “Deporting them east. Nobody knows where.”

Marta held Dalia with arms encircling her as if to protect Dalia from the world. “We have to hide her,” said Marta. “Into the forest or to relatives.”

But no relatives were available to whom they could send her for safety. Dalia was clueless as to what all this meant; however, she could sense fear emitted by her parents.

Knock, knock! On that bitter winter evening in 1942, that was it. Wrapped in a book, reading by the fire, while Marta prepared soup in a thickly quilted pot. Friedrich opened the door to find two SS officers standing on the porch.

“Where is the girl?” one of them barked.

Friedrich stimulated ignorance, but they pushed aside him. Immediately the pair provided Dalia with more security, with her voice quivering as she begs them to leave; nonetheless, they refuses.

They grabbed at Dalia, who was screaming and clinging to Marta’s skirt. “Mama! Mama!” she cried, losing her voice. Friedrich tried to throw himself at them, but with the butt of a rifle, he was made to crash down.

Marta fell down kneeling, stretching towards Dalia as the officers dragged the child away. “She’s our daughter!” Marta sobs. “She’s our daughter!”

To them, under the Reich, however, Dalia was not their daughter; to them, she was just another Jewish girl.

She was transported to a transit camp and then deported to Auschwitz, while the Fischers were broken into pieces and their abode now stands empty without her laughter. Marta stopped baking, and Friedrich became incapable of reading any further. Each day passed expecting fresh news, a letter, a miracle, anything — but none ever trickled in.

And so Dalia lived for three years in the camps, holding in her mind the remembrance of her parents, the lullabies of Marta, and the tales told by Friedrich. When liberation finally came in 1945, she was a 16 year old — thin, scared and alone.

She returned to her town, hoping to find her parents. But the house she had grown up in was abandoned, the windows broken, the garden overgrown. Dalia learned from a neighbor that Friedrich and Marta had been arrested in 1943 for harboring a Jewish child. They had been sent to a concentration camp and did not survive.

Years later, Dalia became a writer. She poured her pain and love into words, penning stories about a girl and her parents who defied hatred with love. She dedicated her first book to Friedrich and Marta Fischer, who had chosen her as their daughter despite the risks, despite the consequences.

Dalia never forgot the lullabies Marta sang or the stories Friedrich read. Their love remained her shield, her comfort, her song. And though the world tried to take everything from her, it could never erase the family who had given her a name and a home.

“Her name is Dalia,” she wrote in the final chapter of her memoir. “And they kept me safe as long as they could.

THE END

The house stood at the end of Hollow Lane, behind a row of towering oaks. At its peak, it was a grand Victoria mansion but time had weathered it down—ivy climbed up the iron railings, paint peeled from the wooden front, and the windows seemed unnaturally dark. For years, it had stood vacant. Locals whispered about it, but no one had the courage to move in. Some claimed it was cursed. Others simply referred to it as messed up.

Michael and Claire Peterson didn't believe in curses. They had lived in the city for years, packed into a small apartment, choking on noise and bills. When they came across the listing for a five-bedroom house for half its value, they couldn't believe their luck. A place where their six-year-old daughter, Lily, could have a yard. A place where they could start a new life, after Michael's layoff and Claire's miscarriage last year—a wound neither of them spoke of, but both felt.

"This is it," Claire had said the first time they walked through the house, her voice full of hope.

Michael wanted to believe in that hope. He pushed aside the shivery feeling that settled in his stomach as they walked through the front door. The house was unnaturally quiet, despite the wind howling through the trees outside. The wooden floorboards creaked beneath their feet, and dust swirled through the air. The real estate agent, a gaunt woman with tired eyes, hesitated before handing over the keys.

"Any reason why this house has been on the market so long?" Michael asked.

She forced a smile. "Old houses like this… they take a special kind of owner." She said no more.

That night, as they moved their last box in, the wind died, and the house settled. The huge front door creaked shut behind them, and for the first time, they were alone.

The first day or two went uneventfully. They cleaned, they unpacked, and they made the house a home. Lily loved the backyard, but she wouldn't play around the old well on the far side of the property. "It's too dark," she told her parents. "It looks like it's watching me."

Inside, the air was always cold, no matter how they turned up the heat. The old pipes growled through the night, but Claire reassured Michael it was the house settling.

Then Lily woke up screaming.

"The man in the corner won't leave me alone," she wailed.

Michael sprang into her room, flipping on the light. The corner was empty.

"There's nobody there, sweetheart," he said, stroking her hair.

"Yes, there is," Lily whispered. She pointed toward the corner. "He just doesn't want you to see him." Michael shivered, and a chill crept up the back of his neck. Claire, half-awake, muttered nightmares and took Lily into their bed.

By the third night, the whispers started.

At first they were soft, like the wind through cracks in the walls. But soon they grew into voices—hushed, overlapping.

“Get out.”

Michael wrote it off as his imagination. Claire wrote it off as the house being old. Lily stopped talking about the man in the corner. She started drawing him instead. They discovered her drawings balled up under her bed—black scribbles of a tall, thin man with empty eyes. In some, he was in the corner of her bedroom. In others, he was outside in the yard, staring in the windows.

One night, while unpacking in the attic, Michael discovered a wooden box stuck in the wall. Inside was a collection of old, yellowing photographs. They showed a family—a man, a woman, and two children—standing in the living room.

Their faces were blank. Their eyes… too dark. Too empty.

At the bottom of the box was a creased newspaper clipping.

"Family Vanishes Without a Trace. Hollow Lane House Abandoned."

The date was fifty years ago. That night, the house was different. The air was thicker, pushing against their lungs. The temperature had fallen, but Michael's skin was slick with sweat. The whispers had ceased, but silence was worse.

Then, at 3:00 AM, a bang echoed through the house.

Michael woke up with a start. Claire was already sitting up, clutching the blankets.

"Did you hear that?" she breathed. They waited. Footsteps. Slow, deliberate. Down the hall. Michael grabbed the baseball bat from under the bed. He crept into the hall, heart pounding. The old wooden floor was cold against his bare feet.

A shadow moved at the end of the hall.

Michael's breath caught in his throat. Someone was standing there. Tall. Still. For a moment, he couldn't move nor could breathe. Then the figure shook. Michael rushed forward, swinging the bat. The hallway light flickered—then the figure disappeared.

Just empty air.

Claire called his name from the bedroom, voice shaking. Lily whimpered under the blankets.Michael forced a breath. 

"It's nothing. Just shadows." He wasn't sure he believed it. The next day, Michael stalked the house from cellar to attic. He checked the locks. The windows. The attic. The basement. In the cellar, he found something he had never seen.

A door.

It was constructed into the brick wall, half-hidden behind a dusty shelving unit. Unlike the rest of the house, the wood was not weathered, the handle polished. It seemed like a newly built door. He stood there, hesitant , then turned the knob. Locked. A sharp, sudden knock came from the other side. Michael backed away, breath caught in his throat.

Silence.

Then, a whisper—so quiet he barely heard it.

“Not yet.”

Michael sprinted upstairs. Claire wanted to leave. Michael obliged. They would go to a motel, call a realtor, or burn the damn house down if they had to. As they were loading the suitcases, the house creaked. The walls seemed to throb. The whispers reappeared, faster now, overlapping in a chorus of voices. Claire shrieked.Michael spun back just in time to see the bedroom door slam shut, imprisoning Claire within.

"Michael!" she shrieked, pounding on the wood. He grasped the handle—locked. Then Lily's voice. Soft. Far away.

"Daddy, he's here."

Michael turned. Lily stood at the end of the hall, eyes wide with fear. Behind her, a tall figure loomed. It had no eyes. No mouth. Just black, hollow pits where a face should be. It reached for Lily. Michael charged, but the figure moved too quickly—dragging Lily back into the shadows. The whispers roared, deafening. Claire's screams ceased. The lights flashed wildly. Then-

Silence.

The house died down.

The bedroom door creaked open. Empty. Lily was gone. Claire was gone. Michael stood alone in the hall, shaking. Then, a whisper. 

"It's time."

Days went by. Michael paced the empty halls, calling their names. No one answered. The house had eaten them whole. One evening, he stood in the basement. Gazing at the locked door. The handle was no longer polished. It was rusted. Ancient. He leaned his ear against the wood. Silence. Then—softly, almost a whisper—Claire's voice.

"Michael, help me." A sob tore from his throat. He grabbed the handle, turned. The door creaked open. Cold air spilled out. The scent of damp earth, of rot. A staircase led down, into complete darkness. Michael descended a step. Then another. The door slammed shut behind him.

No one ever saw the Petersons again.

The house on Hollow Lane stands empty. The listing is still posted, promising a five-bedroom Victorian at an unbeatable price. But those who visit never stay long. At night, if you listen closely, you can hear the whispers. And if you're unlucky enough to make it past the first week, you might find the door in the basement.

Just remember—

If you hear someone whispering on the other side—

Don't open it.

THE END

It started with a book she wasn’t meant to read.

Gina worked part-time at the college library for the past two semesters. The pay was terrible, but it kept her busy. Besides, she enjoyed the quiet; in a way, the bookshelves felt like walls that protected her from the world. Her shift started at 7 pm, but there were never any people around past 8 pm, which meant she could shelf books while listening to music and not have a care in the world.

One night, around 9 pm, Gina started to sort through the rare collections section — a place everyone avoided, even the staff. The atmosphere in that sector brought cold air that rushed down her spine. As she scanned through the collection, she found something strange.

It was a small leather-bound journal, hidden behind a row of philosophy texts. There was no title on the spine. No label on the cover. Just cracked old leather binds and pages so thin, they seemed translucent.

She almost left it. But something made her take it to her desk.

When she opened it, she found a name scrawled on the inside cover.

Property of Willow Clarke.

Do not read the margins.

The handwriting was scurried, like it had been written in panic.

Curiosity got the best of her, and she began to flip through the pages. It looked like a reading journal — quotes from other books, fragments of poetry, reflections on life and death. Nothing too weird. But then she noticed the margins. They looked tiny, cramped, as if the person writing it was in a hurry. As she looked closely, she noticed that the words weren’t notes. They were… messages. Scribbled in what looked like charcoal or maybe faded ink, bleeding into the pages.

“He sees me reading.”

“I can’t stop now. It won’t let me.”

“They warned me. Too late.”

“Help.”

She frowned. It had to be a prank. Maybe a student wrote to freak people out. Still, she took the book home.

That was her first mistake.

At night, she read the first ten pages before bed. Something was mesmerizing about it — Willow’s thoughts were poetic, but erratic. It was like he was writing just to keep sane.

She tried not to read the margins. But her eyes kept drifting to them.

“He’s behind you.”

Instinctively, she snapped the book shut. Her bedroom felt colder than usual.

The next day, Gina woke up to find the journal on her chest. She didn’t remember falling asleep with it. When she picked it up, the ink on the pages looked fresher. The margins were darker, easier to read now.

“He knows your name.”

“Once you read, he follows.”

“DO NOT FINISH THE BOOK.”

She didn’t think much of it and threw it in her desk drawer. That night, the drawer rattled. Something scratched from the inside. Tap-tap. Tap. She barely slept. The shadows in her apartment seemed longer. Deeper. Darker.

The following day, she avoided the journal all day. But when she got home, it was on the kitchen table, open. A new message was written in the margin:

“You can’t unread it.”

Gina took it outside, threw it in the dumpster. The next morning, it was on her pillow. The margins had changed again.

“You gave me your name, Gina.”

She stopped breathing for a second. Her eyes widened in fear. She hadn’t written her name in the book. She was sure of it. And yet, there it was — spelled perfectly.

“I see you.”

That night, she heard whispering. She turned off all the lights, crawled into bed, and pulled the covers over her head. From somewhere near the bookshelf, she heard it again.

“Read.”

That night, she listened to the voice. She picked up the book and began to read like she did the first night. She didn’t want to read, but a force compelled her to do so.

“You good?” one of them asked. “You look like you haven’t slept in a year,” said Ana the next day. Her coworkers noticed she looked pale. Gina nodded vaguely and excused herself to the back. The book was in her backpack. She didn’t put it there.

She opened it again — some part of her couldn’t help it now. A sense of comfort came to her when she read the book. The pages felt warmer than paper should feel, and the handwriting in the margins seemed alive. Moving slightly, pulsing at the edges. She read another few pages.

The story in the journal became more desperate. Willow was trying to burn the book. Bury it. Sink it in a river.

“He always finds it.”

“He wants it read.”

Gina could feel something watching her. She lifted her head and saw a shadow in the reflection of the library window. When she turned around, nothing.

The light above her flickered.

The fire alarm went off.

There was no fire.

The day after, Gina stayed home. The whispers didn’t stop. She began reading compulsively. Her eyes ached, but she couldn’t stop. It felt like the margins were telling her to. Forcing her to. Willow’s last entry was almost illegible.

“He’s in the margins now. In the spaces between words. I can see his fingers curling through letters. If you read this, don’t look at the next page —”

She turned it. There was no writing. Just a crude drawing in black ink. A mouth. Too wide, filled with human teeth. A void behind it. And under it:

“He wants you now.”

Gina screamed and threw the book across the room. The lights went out.

The journal was starting to stain at the edges — dark spots, maybe ink, maybe something worse. And the margins… the margins were bleeding. Not figuratively. Literally.

When she touched the edge of the page, her fingertip turned red. The book was alive. It wanted to be finished. It wanted to finish her. She tried to shred it. The blades jammed. The paper wouldn’t tear. She burned it in her sink.

The flames hissed, turned green. Then the book, untouched by the fire, sat there. Pages curled black — and then curled back to clean white.

“It’s over, Gina. Join me.”

Gina screamed until her throat gave out. Then suddenly the apartment was empty. Gina's phone was on the floor, her last text message never sent.

The only thing left behind was a journal.

Leather-bound. No title.

Inside the cover:

Property of Gina Spears.

Do not read the margins.

THE END

In a world without the invention of technology, people existed in eternal harmony with nature. There were no towering buildings made of steel, no devices made to ease labor, and no synthetic lights to help the day continue. People constructed homes out of wood, clay, and stone and lived in settlements and towns stretching over a wide area. Every settlement flourished on the tears and sweat of its inhabitants, using the cycles of the seasons to replenish their sustenance.

Sasha was a young girl who lived in the town of Okhala, a blooming community. It was a beautiful village between rolling green hills and a long, twisting river. Every day, she woke up to the warmth of the sun shining on her face. She emerges from her abode — a dense hut constructed from earth and wood — to start her daily routine. Her first task of the day was by the well, where she carried fresh water in earthen pots for her household. She went on to help her mother with kitchen chores while her brother accompanied their father to the fields. They worked on the earth with wooden plows attached to oxen. Without the assistance of machines, each chore required the strength and vigor of human hands. They worked with determination.

The village was alive by the humans that moved in their daily pursuits. Blacksmiths pounded metal into tools in the blazing fires, weavers thread wool into fabric on handlooms, and bakers mixed dough to be baked in ovens. These were made from stone. Although clocks existed, the general public used the placement of the sun and the chime of the village bell to signal significant hours of the day.

News moved slowly, transmitted by the merchants and messengers who traveled by on horses. Without a written postal system, communications were memorized and transmitted between towns. Everyone remembered everything. The word of mouth was incredibly powerful, and the elderly of Okhala preserved the history of their people through telling stories. It was tradition for the elders to tell stories in festivals and special nights. They often related knowledge in the form of legend, folktale and lessons learned over generations.

Life was simple but challenging. Evenings were spent around the fire, singing and telling tales. Many danced. The children laughed. Everyone was happy. When the night descended, the world was actually dark, except for the light of the moon and stars. Without the light of electricity, humans lived in sync with the natural rhythm of day and night, waking with the sun and going to bed as it fell.

Even in the lack of machinery, the village was like a well-oiled machine. The woodworker made furniture from trees, carving them from inherited skills. Farmers tilled soil according to the phases of the moon, believing the phases of the moon determined the growth of their crops. Their crops depended on the rain and nature manure. Hunters went into the thick woods with bows and spears, depending on their senses to find and kill prey. Each individual had their part to play, and working together, the village prospered.

One of Sasha’s chores was the village market square, a bustle of activity where merchants from far-off places came with goods transported by horse-drawn wagons on their backs. Exotic spices, woven cloth, and valuable herbs were traded for grain, livestock, and handmade clothes. There were all types of emotions in the air. Some bargained. Others quietly bought their things. The atmosphere was filled with talk of business, and old friendships were revived. It was here that Sasha received knowledge of the world outside — of huge deserts where nomadic peoples wandered, of towering mountains reaching towards the heavens, and of oceans filled with creatures. She was enchanted by the outside world. She wished to go there, to live a life outside the realms of Okhala.

While the inhabitants of Okhala did not possess modern technology, they had evolved ways of manipulating life in an efficient manner. Grand communal granaries preserved food for the winter, and cellars underground kept perishable items cool. Dams made of stone diverted water from the river to the fields to use for irrigation, so crops grew even during the driest seasons. Medical knowledge was firmly based on nature, and herbalists and mineralists employed herbs and minerals to heal wounds and diseases. Without hospitals and laboratories, they had to depend on centuries of wisdom and observation to learn about the human body.

Education was also an essential aspect of village life. Children learned through experience — working under blacksmiths, farmers, or the herbalist to learn the skills for their eventual position. The village elder, a sage named Vivekanad, would often teach the children under the Great Oak, where he taught them lessons in history, morality, and the principles of nature. Without books or written accounts, knowledge was transmitted orally, each lesson painstakingly memorized and handed down. These lessons always fascinated Sasha. Her mind often interpreted the sage’s words in complex ways.

Seasons defined the life rhythm in Okhala. Spring represented renewal, as fields exploded in color and farmers sowed fresh crops. Summer meant hard work, as people made sure that the village had enough supplies to last through the winter months. Autumn was harvesting time, a celebratory moment with feasts and festivals. Winter was cold, but the people gathered together, gathering around fires and eating food they had saved over the year. Without the comforts of modernity, survival was all about togetherness and cooperation.

Sasha occasionally fantasized about the world outside of Okhala. She had never laid eyes on lands outside the hills, only heard of them from the tales of traveling merchants. She longed to cross the great oceans on wooden vessels, charting by the stars as her people had done for generations. Without technology, these people often depended on the stars and the wind to guide them across the scary waters.

One day, Sasha and a band of villagers embarked on a journey to an adjacent settlement for a seasonal festival. The journey took several days on foot, as the thick forests and rocky landscape slowed their pace. Along the way, they camped under the night sky, preparing simple meals over open flames and telling tales of their forebears. They traversed wide pastures where flocks of wild horses grazed, braved rushing streams on wooden bridges, and ascended steep mountains to arrive at their destination.

The village that lay next to Okhala was like it, but different in customs and practices. The residents there used a slightly different vocabulary, their clothing woven in peculiar designs, and their food spiced in a manner unknown to Sasha. But even though they were so different, the meeting was one of joy, a reminder that even in a world without the use of technology, human bond was alive and well.

In the midst of the festival, Sasha came face to face with an old wanderer who had spent her entire life roaming between settlements. The elderly guy described the distant regions, hidden valleys, abandoned ruins, and ancient civilizations that he had seen throughout his journey. “The world is a great place, Sasha,” he said to her, wise eyes gleaming. “And although we do not have the machines as in the old stories, we possess something as mighty — our hands, our brains, and our spirit.”

When Sasha stood on a hill overlooking her village, she felt a great satisfaction in being back. Even though her world did not have machines and inventions, it was far from being empty of life, purpose, and meaning. The people were happy in simple things — the coziness of a shared meal, the sound of children’s laughter playing in the fields, and the hug of family after a day’s work.

The world had never seen technology, and maybe it never would. But without it, humans had forged a life of strength, community, and harmony with the world around them. And for Sasha, that was sufficient.

THE END

You heard me right. I quit my job right in front of Mr. Wilson's face. I am not joking. I was serious when I said I was gonna start my own company. I am above all these biased bosses. Anyways, we were also paid less. The boys got $4,000 a month and we only got $2,750 a month.

So, I began my journey. Scrolling through courses and listening to many webinars on how to start a successful business was my only entertainment. Sites like Udemy and Coursera really helped. I went on to polish up my designs and worked hard to set the bar higher. I began with 3 clients a week. I did all the designs with utmost perfection and submitted them a day before the due date. I started enjoying making designs. Before, in my previous job, I was burdened with many clients and my boss wouldn’t make it easier for me. Instead, he will pile me with more work while he chit-chatted with all the boys.

After a month or so, some clients started spreading words about my work and I started getting many more clients. But I can’t do all of them at once. I had no employees. I tried to hire people but they weren’t interested in such a small company. I started going behind. Before I was able to submit all designs beforehand, and now. Now I was submitting 3–4 days late. Dark circles started to appear under my eyes. My skin started to break down. I had migraines almost every other night. Life had become dog-tired. I was really thinking of going back to my previous job.

When all hope was lost, a sparkle lit up my world.

I got a crazy phone call. Turns out the big client that was supposed to make the biggest deal for my former company, didn’t like Mike’s designs. Usually, when Mike’s designs didn’t turn out well, I was told to redo them. Since I quit, Mr. Wilson was literally begging others to do it. Let’s just say that all the girls were tired of Mr. Wilson’s gender-biased behavior so they all quit. Mr. Wilson ended up losing the client and because all the girls quit, the company now has very few employees. This meant that fewer and fewer designs were being made and therefore the company is now in debt. I know I shouldn’t be happy in someone’s pain but when that someone is your boss who treated you like trash, I’m pretty sure that saying doesn’t imply much. The girls decided to join my company. They had full faith in me. I am glad I have such a great group of friends.

We met up at a small cafe. When they saw me, they knew I hadn’t been doing well. The first thing they did was take me to a spa. OMG, it was sooooo good. I hadn’t been this relaxed since the day my client number rose. Wait... client number, CLIENTS! How could I forget? I had to submit 5 designs today. I told the girls that I had to leave as the workload was too much. The girls said they’ll help. I knew they were a skilled set of workers, for I had worked with them for so long. They didn’t need an interview to get hired. At first, I was reluctant. We had just met after a long time and if I immediately told them to work, it would sound like I am too desperate. But I am desperate. I need employees. So, I agreed.

We went to my house/office. It was a mess. Designs were laying all around the house. Even today’s breakfast was still on the table. The laundry was all over the floor. The only clean place was my bedroom because I literally slept on the couch every single night. Embarrassed by the state of my house, I invited the girls into my room. I showed them the primary designs to get them started and shared the client’s requests so they understand the basic idea. And then we started to work. With all the girls helping me, we ended up completing all of the 7 designs in just 3 hours. The next day the clients called and praised the work done by the girls. We were obviously very pleased.

Over the course of 2 months, we were able to impress some of the biggest clients, like MC Penny and Sentral. Even the company GH Capitals (the clients from my previous company) came to us for designs. We ended up closing a deal of 40 million to them. The girls and I couldn’t have been prouder of ourselves. We finally bought a huge workplace so we could bring in more employees. This workplace just so happens to be where we worked for our former company. We went to the office and were surprised to see Mr. Wilson, sitting in one of the cubicles, with bills falling off the desk. Quickly I asked our real estate agent, “What was Mr. Wilson doing here?”

“Oh, do you know him?” she questioned.

“Yeah, he was our former boss. We used to work for him”

She replied,” Oh okay, well — He hasn’t paid the rent in 3 months and also hasn’t paid any of the bills. I am not only here to show you this place but also to give him his notice period. I could only reply with a “oh” to conceal my laughter. We marched up to Mr. Wilson. He looked at us and quickly fixed his face.

“Oh, so girls came back after all,” he smirked, “Why Emma, didn’t your little company idea work or did it fail like I predicted.” I can’t believe this guy. He’s got some nerves.

“Actually Mr. Wilson, Emma here, has bought this entire office and is planning on expanding her business. You are evicted from this premises and have a day to finish packing up.” Our real estate agent stated and puts down an eviction notice on the pile of bills.

“What!?! There is no way Emma can buy the office,” Mr. Wilson fumed. After the real estate agent showed him the documents, he looked at me, dumbstruck. “How?” was all he could manage to say. I answered, “Let’s just say- Some Jobs require a skirt, not a suit.”

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

The End

“Once you have tasted the sky, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Leonardo DaVinci

I guess my story begins with this quote from Leonardo DaVinci. It was a beautiful afternoon in late October. The air was okay, I guess. I wasn’t paying attention to that stuff. I had to skydive in half an hour. The only reason I was doing this was to get money to fund an elementary school that provided education to poor kids. Now I have to confess I have a massive fear of heights. Just the thought of high altitudes makes me sick to the stomach but I had to do this for the sake of the children so I signed up for it. After I signed to this huge task, my best friend also signed in. Thank goddess she did or else I would have been the only one doing the skydive. We both had a height phobia so we were very scared.

Lily and I went to the place where the sky diving was supposed to happen. The instructor there gave us a little demo on how to jump off the craft and when to open the chute, etc. We wore our parachutes tightly and boarded the plane. Since we were skydiving for the first time, the instructor came along. I had butterflies in my stomach. Lily looked like she was gonna throw up.

I started getting cold feet. My body was trembling with fear. I look over to the window. BIG MISTAKE! Seeing how high we were, made me even more terrified. Then suddenly a memory flashed in my mind — In it, I was signing the paper that had a disclaimer stating “if the skydiver dies or gets injured, then they would be responsible themselves, not the company. Now the butterflies in my stomach seemed to be punching me from inside. I couldn’t take it anymore. I literally yelled at the instructor — TAKE ME TO THE GROUND. I DON’T WANT TO DO THIS ANYMORE! The instructor calmly replied,” Fine, but are you sure you don’t want to do this? It is like a once in a lifetime opportunity.” “I AM VERY SURE,” I wheezed,” NOW TAKE ME TO LAND! NOW!!!” The instructor sprinted at my words and went straight to the cockpit.

After a few minutes, the instructor came back and told us the good news. “The pilot will be flying down immediately,” she disclosed. The coolness in her voice seemed to calm me. Lily looked at me with a grateful look. I knew she regretted tagging along with me. She was looking petrified. I started to study her body language to distract myself from the spine-chilling height. She looked outside through the window and her face started growing in horror. Instantly I examined the world through the window and found the alarming issue. One of the plane’s wings was on FIRE! At once I informed the instructor about the problem, hoping that she would say it’s fine and there is nothing to worry about but that response never came back. Instead, she runs to the cockpit and shrieks at the issue. Just then the pilot appeared in front of us and said the last thing I wanted to hear. He said — “We need to skydive. The plane is on fire and it can’t be fixed.”

Oh No! The butterflies fluttered back to my stomach. This was too much for one day. Slowly I got up from my seat and steadily went near the doors. Now the fire started spreading throughout the plane so we had to be quick. It wasn’t a big plane. Even in this worried state, the instructor and pilot were very calm. Only me and Lily seemed to be frantic and all over the plane. The instructor then opened the doors. Ahh, we were like 30,000 meters high up. Unwantedly I went ahead to go first. Lily was literally shaking. The instructor repeated how to skydive and all the instructions. I started backing up involuntarily, but when I glanced at the fire, I knew I must jump to live. Looking at the daunting height made me shiver and I was ready to stay behind and die in the plane itself but someone pushed me from the back and the next thing I knew, I was in mid-air! I felt like my heart was coming up my throat and I almost fainted in the air. But the feel of flying steadily built up confidence in me. I did see Lily and the instructor jump off but the pilot seemed to just stand there.

Soon it was time to open the parachute. I tried to open it but nothing came out. Instead, the bag just made me squeeze my body. I tried again. Nothing happened. Many terrifying thoughts came to my mind: What if my parachute was damaged or got the wrong bag. I started to panic as I was getting closer and closer to the ground. If I didn’t think of something fast, I will die. I took a few deep breaths and started to examine my bag. Oh My God!! I was pulling the wrong string. Instead of the parachute string, I was pulling the belt-tightening strap. That made so much more sense. I immediately opened my parachute. That too just in time or it would have been too late.

Landing was the tricky bit. I started to move my legs in the air as if I were running. I got really close to the ground and before I knew it, I had landed. I had luckily landed right next to Lily. We both looked white in our faces but we laughed. We went straight to the instructor and asked what happened to the plane and the pilot. SO LISTEN TO WHAT SHE SAID — So apparently a lot of people who go skydiving want to back out as soon as they board the plane to skydive, so the company had constructed a plane that would look like it is on fire but the plane would actually be fine. The plane’s outer surface was in fact on fire, but the plane’s inner surface was fireproof. I felt like such a fool. The instructor laughed and said,” At least you didn’t miss the fun of skydiving.” The school had sufficient funds thanks to us. I am so proud of myself. Even though I still hate height, the feeling was amazing.

This was really a one-of-a-kind experience.

The End

Keep it down girls, I got a noise complaint from the neighbors AGAIN! ” said Lia’s mom. Olivia, Lily, and Bella giggled.

Olivia Clearwater, Lia Quinn, and Bella Parker have been best friends since kindergarten. They were inseparable. People would call them ‘The Three Musketeers’. It was their dream to become famous performers. Each had a special talent for performing. Bella loved dancing and she dances very gracefully. Olivia liked writing songs but she didn’t like singing them. Instead, Lia would sing them. Lia had a passion for singing. She has a lovely voice. Olivia liked to play her instruments. She knows how to play many instruments and performs well. They would perform in front of their siblings and pets and had decided to start a band once they reached high school.

“Oh mom, you interrupted in the middle of our performance,” remarked Lia.

“Well, I have gotten another complaint from the neighbors,” mentioned Lia’s mom.

“Okay, Let’s take a break,” Bella uttered. While they were munching their cookies, someone knocked on the door. Then a voice said, “ Lia, I have some great news.” That voice sounded very familiar.

“Oh Mrs.Melody, it’s you,” squeaked Lia as she opened the door,” What brings you here?.” “Girls, I have some awesome news” exclaimed Mrs. Melody,” see for yourself.” She handed a flyer. It read -

Creek View’s got talent

Enter our school’s very own talent show!!!

Chief Guest: Mono Lee

The winner gets 3 Ice-cream coupon and a $600 check

Mrs.Melody’s face beamed. The three musketeers became excited. They could do wonders with that money. Also, it’s their chance to show the famous Mono Lee how good of a performer they are. As soon as Mrs.Melody left, the girls went to their mini- camper van. They had to devise a plan. Firstly they took out their pocket money. “$43 and 56 cents” Oliva counted, “and how much do we have in our band fund?”

“I believe we have $68.“ remembered Lia.

“So we have more than enough to get dresses, props and some snacks” announced Bella, “Let’s get to work!” First, they went to the dress shop to find some nice outfits. Out of nowhere, the BlackPink Girls show up.

“Ha, look at these losers. Wait… Don’t tell me you are entering the talent show.” sneered Julie, the head of the BlackPink Girls.

“Ya, we are, “ replied Lia.

“Well don’t bother because we are entering,” jeered Julie,” if you participate then you will just humiliate yourself…. Take my advice and don’t enter.” Her band giggled. The BlackPink Girls and The Three Musketeers have been enemies since forever.

”Why? Are you scared that we will win,” teased Olivia. Julie smirked,” You wish!” And stormed out of the store with her band. Bella looked frightened.

“Don’t worry Bella” assured Lia,” we will only win.” Bella smiled but still looked petrified.

After a while, they found 3 amazing-looking dresses, each matching their act theme. The girls were overjoyed. Then they went to the art shop and got nice materials to make the props. They began to practice. They even got some dry ice for their performance. (Hmm I wonder what the dry ice is for)

Days went by and the three musketeers worked hard and practiced a lot. At times they would pass by Julie’s house and would see the BlackPink Girls practicing but they wouldn’t mind. The girls were confident that they would win as their performance was quite good. They even did a mock- performance in front of their parents.

Soon the big day came when they had to perform in the talent show. The talent show had begun. The audience was huge. The talent show was for kids from grades 1 to 8. There were some pretty good contestants. One girl from 1st grade sang a short poem. It went like this-

Once I made a snowball,

As perfect as it could be,

I even brought it home so it can sleep with me.

I gave it a blanket,

I gave it some pajamas,

The next morning it ran away

Just leaving a little wet drama!

The little girl sang this while making a snowball.

“How adorable..” praised the crowd. Meanwhile, the three musketeers were standing in the locker room next to the stage and began to get butterflies in their stomachs as they put on some makeup. Just then someone came into the locker room. It was Julie. She was wearing a half black and half pink dress with sparkling stars on it. She went to get a crown from her bag. As she was doing so, she glared at the three musketeers, then she snickered and left the room. This made the girls gulp. Then the lock clicked.

“Oh No! Someone locked the door” shrieked Bella, ” Oh it must be Julie… What are we gonna do!” Bella and Olivia began to yell and scream for help. Their turn to perform will come at any moment.

“Wait… I figured she might do that” said Lia, “ that’s why I brought my phone.” Lia called Ms. Melody immediately and told her what Julie did.

“Oh dear, I am coming,” said Ms.Melody. Soon Ms.Melody unlocked the room and let the girls out. The three thanked Ms.Melody and ran backstage. The BlackPink Girls were also present there and so were other participants. As soon as Julie saw the three musketeers, her smile turned bitter. Her face turned livid. The three girls ignored her and sat on three empty chairs beside the costume cupboard. Every passing minute made Olivia, Lia, and Bella begin to get more and more anxious.

Soon the judges called the Three Musketeers on stage. Quickly but quietly the girls walked up to the stage and told their names to the judges and greeted Mono Lee. After that was a pause. The entire room was quiet. Just then a beat started to drop. It was Olivia drumming her drum and playing the piano at the same time (I mean how cool is that. She is one talented person). Suddenly out of nowhere came some fog( I bet that’s what the dry ice was for). Lia made an entry then started to sing the song that Olivia had written with the most magical voice ever. Around her danced Bella elegantly. The three looked amazing. Their dresses shined as they performed. The audience kept cheering. Even Mono Lee looked like she was enjoying the performance very much. When they finished their act the crowd went wild. Everyone was clapping. The three musketeers were delighted.

After that followed the BlackPink Girls act. They did fairly okay, not so great. They sang a Korean song which no one understood, and in the middle of their dance, Julie messed up by apparently saying the wrong word, therefore, making her fumble on her words ( honestly if I were there I would continue like nothing happened since no one understood the song. hehe) They kept even falling while dancing. (How clumsy)

Few more acts occurred and then was the moment of truth. Had the Three Musketeers won? Mono Lee came on stage and gave a big speech (since the speech was super boring, I am not gonna bore you by telling you the entire speech so here is the exciting bit). And then she said, “ I know you all are getting impatient to hear who the winner is.” The audience responded in a shrug and a grin. Mono Lee then proceeded “ So the winner of Creek View’s Got Talent show is…” The suspense started to build up ( Even I am on the corner of my seat to listen to Mono Lee). “ The Three Musketeers! Congratulations!! Please come up on stage.” announced Mono Lee. The audience started to clap and cheer for the girls. Everyone except the BlackPink Girls. They scoffed. The three musketeers seemed to be stunned. It took them a while to realize that they WON! They were overjoyed. Quickly they ran up onto the stage to receive a trophy and the prize which was the coupons to eat ice cream and the big check for $600. Mono Lee congratulated the girls as they collected their prizes. Mono Lee even offered to do an actual concert with them with millions of people watching. They took the offer immediately. They were so gleeful ( Even I would be if I got one of those ice-cream coupons, hehe).

That night would have been the best night for them if it hadn’t been for the BlackPink Girls ( ugh those BlackPink Girls make me so mad). Being overjoyed by winning, they ordered pizza and soda to celebrate. They evenly distributed the money among themselves. As they were eating pizza and talking, Bella’s dad came in the mini-camper van with some sad news. Bella’s dad took a deep breath and said “ Bella, We are moving. I got a transfer order from my boss today and he says that we need to move to North Dakota the day after tomorrow.” After he sighed and left ( Wait, Did I hear that right… BELLA IS MOVING AWAY!!!). The three were in shock. They just couldn’t digest what they heard. Bella is going away? That can’t be true. How were they supposed to be the greatest performers if one of their performers and bestie isn’t there? They were heartbroken. This was meant to be a happy night, not a sad one. Now you might be thinking how are the BlackPink Girls connected in this mess. So, Bella’s boss’s daughter is Julie. She told her dad to transfer Bella’s dad so that the three musketeers could be broken. (Oh that devious child)Bella was miserable.

The next day was very sorrowful. Olivia and Lia went over to Bella to help her pack. They didn’t leave each other all day. Not even for a second. They went to eat ice cream with the coupons they got from the talent show. Julie saw them and snickered. Ignoring Julie, they went back to Bella’s house to finish packing. On the day Bella was leaving, Olivia and Lia brought a present for Bella. As Bella opened the door, Olivia and Lia rushed in to hug her. Lia handed the present to Bella and said “Open it!”

“What is it?” asked Bella with a puzzled face.

“A small gift from us,” Olivia answered. Bella opened the box. In it were a scrapbook, some baked cookies, and the trophy that they won in the talent show.

“Aww, so sweet of you but I can’t take the trophy- We all won it so should be with the remaining musketeers, and oh is that the cookie your mom makes, Olivia? queried Bella.

“Oh yes. Mum knows you like them so she made them for you” said Olivia with a smile. The girls started to get tears in their eyes. Soon it was time for Bella to leave for her flight. The girls say bye for the last time.

“Please keep in touch Bella.” sniffled Olivia and Lia.

“Of course,” said Bella. After that, she left.

Olivia and Lia were downhearted. Without Bella, there was no one left to cheer them up and crack lame jokes. The next few days were depressing. Bella hadn’t called yet so Olivia and Lia supposed she was just busy. Olivia and Lia called her once but she declined. A month went by and Olivia and Lia started to hang out without Bella. Sure they missed her but they put their sorrows aside. Anyways their half-yearly test was coming near!

A few years went by and Olivia and Lia were still Best Friends. They still miss Bella but rarely mention her. Bella would call them from time to time but as the years progressed, the number of calls reduced. Their new names became Thing 1 and Thing 2 from The Cat and the Hat Book (Oh I used to love that book ). They still went to competitions to perform but the ‘Bella’ factor was always missing.

One day Olivia invited Lia to tell her something important. Lia immediately arrived but upon hearing the news, she wished she had come later. It turns out Olivia’s elder brother got a scholarship in a college in Washington D.C and Olivia’s parents are thinking of moving there to accompany his brother. The education there is better too so it will be good for Olivia and her little sister to study there. Olivia promised to come back every summer. Now Lia became very lonely. She helped Olivia pack her bags while crying. She didn’t want to leave her only best friend again. Olivia had gone to Washington D.C.

A few more years passed. Olivia, sticking to her promise, kept coming every summer to meet her bestie. Lia had made friends over the years but none as close as Bella and Olivia. Soon the girls grew apart.

It’s been 10 years since any of them have met each other or even talked. Each of them had become wonderful performers. One day, each of the three musketeers got a flyer that read that Mono Lee is holding a competition. The competition was like a talent show. Anyone could enter as long as they had a talent. People from all over the country came to participate in the competition. Bella had become a graceful dancer. She decided to try out for the competition. Even Olivia decided to enter the competition. She knew how to play many rare musical instruments and had mastered playing 5 instruments at 1 time. Lia also wanted to enter as her voice had become like a sweet bird (you might be thinking how she is still into singing when the songs that she sang were written by Olivia. Well, Lia can compose songs but she liked the songs that Olivia wrote. That is why she would always sing the songs that Olivia wrote.)

The competition was held in California. Each of them flew to California. They didn’t know that a big surprise was waiting for them. Each got off the plane and went to the baggage claim area. There, each found a bag. It looked like theirs but the name tag said a different story. Bella had found Lia’s bag. Lia had found Olivia’s Bag. And Olivia had found Bella’s bag. All of them went to the bag center where they could return the bag to the owner and get their bag.

Lia arrived first and as she was giving the bag, she said “ Ma’am this bag belongs to Olivia … Clearwater.” After reading the name she rubbed her eye. Olivia Clearwater. Her Bestie. Could it be? Olivia came at that moment to give the bag she found.

“Yes This is Ms. Bella Parker’s bag,” she said, reading the name. “Wait a minute, Is that Bella Parker? My friend Bella Parker “ Olivia wondered. The person working in the bag center said

“Oh great, Is your name Olivia Clearwater.” Lia looked up to see Olivia. It was indeed her friend, her best friend. “Yes, it is. Umm Do you have my bag?” asked Olivia.

“Yes, This kind woman returned it.” replied the person working in the bag center. Olivia turned to thank the woman for returning her bag. But then she stopped. “Lia, is that you?” said Olivia with her eyes wide open.

“Olivia?” squeaked Lia.

“ YES! Lia, it’s you. It’s been so long since I have seen you.” She hugged her bestie.

“I can’t believe it. It’s been so long” beamed Lia.

“I think… I think I have got Bella’s bag” stammered Olivia.

“Our Bella?” said Lia with a puzzled look.

“I think,” said Olivia with an unsure face.

“We will find out when she comes.” After 2 min Bella comes to return the bag she had. Olivia and Lia looked at Bella with their mouths open. Bella eyed the two and with an astonished face, she said,” Lia… Olivia… Is that you?”

“Bella!” Both Olivia and Lia cried.

“OMG, it’s been so long since we met,” Bella rejoiced. They hugged tightly. Olivia booked a cab and they all sat in it.

“So what brings you both to California?” asked Lia. Bella started to say. “Well, there is a competition that Mono-”

“You also heard about the competition that Mono Lee is holding. The reason I came to California was to compete” interrupted Olivia.

“No way, I came for the competition too” squeaked Lia.

“Me three!” giggled Bella. The girls talked through the entire cab ride. They reached a hotel where they booked a room to spend the night together. They ordered some pizza for dinner.

“It is just like when we were little. “We used to eat pizzas and soda and have sleepovers all the time,” said Bella with a big smile.

“Yep and we would watch horror movies and Bella would be covering her eyes all the time” taunted Olivia.

“Haha, very funny,” said Bella with a sarcastic tone.

“So I was thinking about the competition and since all of us are taking part, I think we should do it together,” said Lia,“ like when we were little.” Olivia and Bella looked at each other and then with an uncertain look, they said “Okay”.

The rest of the night was fun. They watched a horror movie, had a pillow fight, and danced. Bella kept her eyes covered by the blanket the entire movie.

The next day the girls went to the registered office to enter the competition. The registrar asked, “ What is your band name, girls and also tell me your email and phone number.” They hesitated. They hadn’t performed as a group for so long. Just then Mono Lee popped up. She just came to check the number of participants. Her gaze went upon the three musketeers.

“Wait a minute, Are you girls the Three Musketeers?” asked Mono Lee.

“Yes, we are. Do you remember us? You came to our school’s talent show many years ago” informed Olivia.

“Of course I remember — Lia’s beautiful voice, Bella’s elegant dance, and Olivia’s amazing skill in playing her instrument. You girls have become my favorite band. I still don’t know why didn’t take my offer to do a concert with me.” said Mono Lee with a puzzled expression.

“Oh yeah, we had to break up after that so we had to turn down your offer” sighed Bella. She felt responsible for breaking the band. (Poor Bella)

“ Hmm, why did you break up, I mean you girls were amazing as a team,” Mono Lee questioned. Then Lia told the whole story to Mono Lee.

“ We are not very sure if we should do this competition as a band,” Lia said, shaking her head in dismay.

“Of course you should become a band again. Your band is wonderful. I can’t believe you were gonna not become a band after meeting each other.” Mono Lee chuckled.

This was enough to get the girls excited for the competition. After that Mono Lee left. With newfound motivation, the girls entered the competition, not as individuals but as the three musketeers. They returned to the hotel. Olivia composed a song. Bella started stretching so that she doesn’t get a cramp while dancing. Lia did some singing exercises. After an hour or two, the girls found the perfect act. The girls then went to the mall. There they found some nice stores for dresses. After finding the perfect dress for each, the girls went to find some materials for the background. They even got some dry ice. They gave the materials to a professional background builder as they were busy preparing for the competition. The hotel had an empty hall room. The girls booked it so they could practice in a larger area. ( Wow, they are spending a lot! Where did all this money come from? Remember they are 22 and were earning money from the jobs they worked in)

In a week the girls had mastered their performance. They also made up for the lost time and had so much fun. Each of them was doing great. Especially Bella.

“How are you so amazing at dancing?” asked Lia one day. Bella answered,” Well after moving to North Dakota, my parents enrolled me in a high training dance academy as they saw a dancing potential in me. Over the years I ended up topping the class. After graduating I opened a small academy too. Teaching kids to dance is what I do now.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Good Job Bella” complemented Olivia. Then they continued practicing.

The competition was on April 1st, two days later.

On the competition date, the background builders had completed building the background set. The background builders had made a magnificent backdrop for the act. The girls went to the competition address. When they arrived at the place, there was just a house there. Wasn’t there supposed to be a competition here?

“This was the correct address right?” asked Bella.

“Yes, that’s what is written on the card” Olivia responded. Lia seemed to quiver. The competition was to start in a few minutes. They went into the house to inquire about the competition. They pressed the bell and looked at each other with a confused look. The door opened and behind it was… MONO LEE!

“Mono Lee, aren’t you one of the judges of the contest? What are you doing here?” question Lia.

“What competition?” Mono Lee asked.

”The competition you had kept, the talent show,” responded Bella,” Look you are even dressed up for it.” Mono Lee was wearing a beautiful purple dress with tiny glittery stars on the puffy shelves and high violet boots.

“Oh, I am dressed up to say- APRIL FOOLS!” Mono Lee laughed. The girls looked confused. They were VERY CONFUSED. Mono Lee explained that this was her little trick to bring them back together again. She went furthermore to say,” Well you girls had won my heart but when you turned down my offer, I became a little sad. Over the past few years, I went to many concerts and competitions but could not find that talent you girls had. So I found a way to contact your parents. They told me how your band had split up and that each of you was living separately. So I sent a fake flyer to your homes so that you would come together. Then I had to swap your bags. After that when you said that you weren’t sure whether to enter or not, I became very unhappy. When I found out that you were participating as a team, I rejoiced. Carefully I set my plan up so that you can come together to collaborate with me on my next Music tour.” The girls couldn’t believe their ears. Mono Lee wanted to collab with them. The Mono Lee. They immediately took up the offer and tried to compose themselves. And they promised to not leave Mono Lee hanging. The girls returned to their hotel room and partied all night.

The next day, Mono Lee called them to meet her at the coffee shop. After getting dressed the girls went to the shop location. Mono Lee was sitting there with a girl who had a hood covering her face.

“Oh Hi Mono Lee, how are you? And who’s this girl sitting next to you.” Lia asked with a smile. The girl lifted her hood. It was — JULIE.

“Julie, umm what are you doing here?” questioned Olivia. The girls looked at her with a crossed face.

“Girls, calm down. My daughter Julie has come to say sorry to you all” said Mono Lee, calmly.

“ Your DAUGHTER! Julie is your daughter?” exclaimed Bella.

“Well yes she is and she is indeed sorry for what she did. Julie, say sorry” Mono Lee commanded.

“ Sorry, the Three Musketeers. I am very sorry for how I treated you. After you girls left, I thought our band would be more popular but instead, I lost some of my really good friends and now I feel like the loneliest person ever” apologized, Julie. (Aww such a sweet girl but still Julie is a little devious in her plans)

“It’s ok Julie, we forgive you,” said Lia.

“And don’t say you are lonely. You have got three friends right here.” Olivia smiled.

“Aww you girls,” said Julie, hugging the girls.

“But still how come you never mentioned your mom was MONO LEE.,” asked Bella.

“Oh umm that’s a story for some other time,” said Mono Lee, looking embarrassed. (Hmm I wonder what had happened) The girls giggled. It felt good to be together.

The End

You wouldn’t believe how my trip turned upside. I have always wanted to go abroad. Every year my family takes our Mini-Caravan and goes camping, which is okay but it gets a bit boring as there’s not much to do. I also hate bugs and the forest is always full of pesky insects. I was desperate to travel to another country where they speak a different language and eat different food. I loved learning about new places and geography at school and imagining what it would be like to see the mountains or the desert. I decided to save up money for a whole year and for my birthday, I asked if my family & friends would help me fund my trip. Successfully I had managed to collect enough money to travel abroad for a few days.

I booked my flight and in a month I was ready to go. It did not go according to my plan. I didn’t expect the airport to be so busy and confusing. I spent ages queueing in the wrong line and then had to ask for directions to find the security gate. The computer beeped when I walked through the scanner. So I had to be patted and prodded until the security guards were happy that I was safe to go.

Unfortunately, I’d forgotten to take some of the things out of my rucksack so they were confiscated — my sunscreen, makeup bag, scissors, and a little sewing kit. I felt so upset. That was until I found so many shops on the other side where I could replace most of my confiscated items. An hour later, I heard a voice announcing- “Could Miley Luis please proceed to gate 7, as she is about to miss her flight.” That was me! In a panic, I sprinted to the gate, losing my favorite silk scarf on the way, and made it just in time. I was so exhausted but all the tiredness vanished when I sat in my middle seat.

I was a bit nervous about the flight and tried to push aside the scenes from my recent watchlist of Air Crash Investigations out of my mind. I plugged in my earphones and leaned back in my seat to relax but the stewardess just came and told me that all electronic devices have to be turned off for takeoff. With my backpack in the overhead bin along with my book, now I had practically nothing to do but stare at the nonfunctioning screen. Oh, did I mention that my TV screen was not working? And with a packed flight, there was no option of seat change. As we took off, I felt my ears pop. The rest of the flight was awful. There was NOTHING to do. Since the little T.V wasn’t working so I just sat there, bored.

When we finally landed, I could have kissed the floor. I was so happy to be out in the open. The flight had been very bumpy so I wasn’t the only person to fall sick. Getting through immigration took ages but finally, I was on the bus to my hotel. The man sitting next to me seemed friendly and kept chatting with me. When I went to the bathroom, he offered to watch my things, but he was gone when I came back and so was my purse. I couldn’t believe that I’d been stupid enough to trust a complete stranger in a foreign land. Luckily I still had my card. I spent the rest of the bus ride cursing him and refusing to chat with others.

The bus pulled up next to a huge glass door. It looked so fancy and I finally thought my day was looking up but when I got off and went to the reception of the hotel, the staff told me that all the rooms were already booked. The only room left was the premium suite, which I couldn’t afford. After looking around for a while I found a hotel with a room available. The hotel was a small dingy building with peeling paint. It didn’t look inviting. It was scorching hot outside, so I was just looking forward to getting in some cool indoor anywhere.

I ordered some lunch in the hotel restaurant. I was served some kind of stew which was actually quite tasty. I wondered what was in it. As I was just eating the last few chunks from the bottom, I fished out something round with my spoon. It was a sheep eyeball! I ran out of the room and threw up in a potted plant. I guess that was an authentic stew of the area because others were eating their stew with great pleasure.

I spent the afternoon by the hotel pool, which was green in color and smelt a bit like sewage but I thought I would just sit by the side of it and at least get a tan. I was just drifting off to sleep on a deck chair when I felt something tickling my leg. It was a huge spider. I screamed and kicked it off but this caused my deck chair to snap. I fell right into the disgusting pool. I decided to just call it an early night. I went into my room and dried myself. I got into my pajamas and I lay on my back on the grubby bed sheets. The breeze was calm and cool so I opened my window. I listened to the sounds of trees moving in the wind outside when I suddenly realized that there were no trees outside so the noise I had been hearing was something else. I looked down to see a large army of cockroaches running across the floor. That was just the first day.

I had an entire week planned ahead of me. Taking one look at those cockroaches made me pack my bags and check out of the hotel. Now I had to search for a place to sleep. After looking for 3 hours, I decided to just book a camper van. The camper van was a lot cozier than the hotel. I ate some cup noodles as a nice dinner and went straight to bed.

The next morning, I got out of bed early. The camper van had a small kitchen and a little bathroom too. I got ready and went to the nearest cafe for breakfast. I bought coffee and some sandwiches. I was determined to make this better than the day before. So I decided to go whale watching, which was apparently very famous. I reached the place with the help of the camper and parked the camper van. I reached the ticket booth. They charged me $50 for a ticket. Ahhhh I can’t believe I blew 50 dollars to watch whales do things.

After that, I went to the show area. There was a no-splash zone near the front. I was wearing my favorite, satin dress so I sat in the no-splash zone. The trainers were introducing themselves and their assigned whales. After that, the show began. The whales did amazing tricks and were truly fascinating. At the end of the show, the whales made a big splash as a bow. This splash resulted in me getting wet! In the NO SPLASH AREA! Also, my phone got wet. The phone was brand new! I was so mad that I stormed out of the park. I reached the parking area only to find A PARKING TICKET! Fine of $100 because I parked near a Fire Hydrate. First, they ruined my dress, then they ruined my phone and now a parking fee of $100. That’s it. I couldn’t take it anymore. This was definitely the last straw.

I gathered my things and returned the camper van to the owner. Then I booked the first flight home. I had to wait 28 hours at the airport. I wished I didn’t return the van so early.

After sitting on the uncomfortable seats for 10 hours straight, I went to the vending bar. It had my favorite sandwich at a very cheap price. Usually, it would cost $50 but here it cost $30. I immediately put my remaining $100 in the vending machine, hoping to get change and the sandwiches. Instead of the muffins and my change coming out, I received nothing. I asked the lady in the staff’s uniform standing next to the machine, what was wrong with the vending machine. She replied saying that the machine was broken. “Broken! But I put my money,” I squeaked in horror. “Wait, lemme just check the computer to see how much you put in, and then I will return it,” the lady said, smiling. After a few moments, she arrived and handed me a $30 bill. “Umm, you forgot to give $80 more.” I squealed. “The computer said that you deposited $30 in the vending machine” she replied, looking confident,” The computer never lies…” I lost the argument and quietly took my $30 and went back to my seat.

After that horrible purchase, I had no interest in buying anything else. I reached home safely. With the 80$ remaining, I booked a cab to go home. I told my family everything and I think my family felt sorry for me that I had such a horrible experience abroad. I’m pretty sure I am not going abroad anything soon but I will tell you one thing. I will never complain about going camping again.

The End

Mohan and Raju were very good friends and very good thieves. They had stolen tons of things from multiple shops and have even got caught by the sheriff once. Both Mohan and Raju also loved food. Raju was dark, skinny, and small in height and Mohan was tanned, tall, and agile. These two had met each other at the age of 7 and had made an instant connection over their similar personality.

One day, the two friends decided to cross the river so that they could travel to a nearby farm to steal food. Raju didn’t know how to swim so Mohan said to his friend, ‘Climb up onto my back and I will swim across the river.’

And so Raju climbed up onto Mohan’s back and Mohan swam across the river to the other side. While crossing, Mohan asked Raju,” How come you don’t know how to swim? It’s a very important skill.” Raju shared his story. “Well,” he began,“ When I was 5, some bullies pushed me into the well. If it hadn’t been for some kind passer-by to peek into the well, I would have died by drowning in that well. After I got rescued, I was too traumatized to try out any water-related activities. That’s why I never learned how to swim.”

“Hmm, by the way, we have crossed.”

Raju got down and Mohan and Raju made their way to the farm. When they finally arrived at the farm, Raju caught himself a nice roasted chicken on the barbeque while Mohan found some lovely fresh vegetables.

Raju greedily quickly gobbled down his chicken and then said to her friend Mohan, ‘When I finish eating I am accustomed to singing.’

‘Do not sing just yet,’ said Mohan as he was chewing on his dinner of vegetables. ‘I have not yet finished eating and if you sing then the farmer will hear you. Let me first finish my dinner and then you can sing as we make our way back home.’

But Raju did not pay any attention to his friend and began to sing at the top of his voice. The farmer soon heard this singing and came running out of his house waving a large stick.

‘I will teach you to steal from me!’ exclaimed the angry farmer.

Because Raju was so small and nimble, he was able to run away from the farmer and hide in a bush. But poor Mohan was very slow, and still in the middle of eating his dinner, and so he did not see the farmer until it was too late.

The angry farmer set upon Mohan with his large stick and poor Mohan received many blows to his legs and back before he was finally able to escape.

When Mohan reached the river, his bones ached and he was very upset with his friend Raju.

‘Why did you sing when you knew that farmer would hear you and you could see that I was still eating my dinner?’ asked Mohan.

‘Because it is my custom,’ replied Raju in her matter-of-fact way. ‘Now let me climb upon your back so that we may return to our home across the river.’

Then Mohan walked slowly down the riverbank into the water and began to swim across to the other side with Raju upon his back.

When Mahan was halfway across the river, at the point where the water was at its deepest and the current at its fastest, he stopped swimming and said to Raju, ‘When I have finished eating, I am accustomed to taking a bath.’

‘Do not take a bath!’ pleaded Raju. ‘I cannot swim and if you take a bath, I shall drown!’

‘I am very sorry,’ said Mohan, ‘but I always take a bath after I have eaten. It is my custom.’

And with that Mohan lowered his back into the deep water until Raju lost his grip on his back and began to splash around helplessly against the fast current.

‘Help me!’ cried Raju, desperately. ‘I am drowning, I am drowning!’

Mohan asked Raju, ‘Are you sorry that you were so selfish and caused me to be beaten by the farmer?’

‘Yes, yes, I am truly sorry!’ cried Raju just before her head disappeared once more beneath the surface of the water.

Mohan did not have the heart to watch his friend drown in the river and so he pulled Raju out of the water and placed him upon his back. Then Mohan swam the rest of the way across the river and climbed up the bank and onto the warm grass.

Raju realized that he had been very selfish and said to his friend, ‘I am so sorry for what I did and I promise that you can trust me forever and that is that.’

‘And I am sorry that I had to teach you a lesson today, but many times in life it is often a case of tit for tat.’

Then the two friends began to laugh and roll around in the warm grass while the sunshine dried their wet clothes. Raju had learned a valuable lesson that day. He had learned that it was not good to betray a friend and that if you do wrong by somebody then somebody might well do wrong by you. It was indeed a lesson of tit for tat.

The End

They had the wild notion to venture into the forest to explore it on their first day there, despite the teachers’ warnings to stay in the campgrounds. The sun had set when they heard a loud noise, so they stood motionless and listened to it. It was the sound of a large elephant approaching them; he was only fifty meters away, and the elephant smelled them too. He saw them standing quietly behind an oak tree, so he raised his long trunk in the air and trumpeted loudly. The boys remained motionless, Veeru a little scared, but Karim was not.

The elephant began to approach more slowly. He was now just ten meters away. “Let’s take action,” Karim added. Veeru urged, “Do it before he attacks us.” Karim reached into his pocket and took out a balloon. Placing it in his mouth, he began to inflate the balloon. Finally, it blew up to the size of a tiny bag. Karim used his elephant hand to strike the fully blown balloon with a force. “Bang away, bang!” The elephant halted and gave a furious trumpeting sound. He was perplexed. It veered off and vanished into the woods. The boys, relived, kept running till they arrived at the camp safely.