GoldenSpeech
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Stories (1945)
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The Candle That Burned With Memories
When the candle burned, images flickered in its flame—moments from the past, faces long lost, choices left unmade. Those who looked too long risked drowning in nostalgia or regret. A man grieving his wife lit the candle nightly, hoping to see her smile again. But the flame showed not only her smile—it showed the love he still carried and the life he still needed to live. One night, the candle burned out, its final spark showing his wife placing a hand on his shoulder. He understood then that memories are not meant to be lived inside—they are meant to guide us out.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Village Where Mirrors Told the Future
In this village, mirrors showed not reflections but potential futures. Some saw themselves wealthy, others lonely, others surrounded by family. But the mirrors never guaranteed anything—they simply revealed what could be. A young woman saw herself as a healer revered across the land, yet she had no medical skill. Instead of despairing, she trained with village elders, learning herbs, remedies, and empathy. Years later, she realized the mirror had not predicted her success—it had inspired it. A greedy merchant, seeing himself rich, grew lazy, expecting the future to arrive without effort. He ended up poorer than before. The mirrors taught the villagers a profound lesson: the future is not a promise—it is an invitation.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Mountain That Slept for Centuries
Legends said the mountain was alive, a sleeping giant resting beneath stone and soil. Villagers avoided its slopes, fearing they might disturb it. One day, a curious child climbed to its summit and placed her ear against the ground. She heard a deep, rhythmic pulse—slow, ancient, patient. She whispered stories to the mountain, hoping to lull it further into peace. Over time, the mountain warmed, flowers blooming along its ridges. Elders panicked, believing the giant was waking, but the child knew better: mountains don’t wake in anger—they wake in response to kindness. When a drought struck the valley, the mountain rumbled, releasing streams from its caverns to water the land. People finally understood: the mountain had not been sleeping—it had been waiting to be spoken to with love, not fear.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Poet of Falling Leaves
He wrote poems on leaves and tossed them into the wind. People called him foolish—his words would decompose before anyone read them. Yet the poet insisted that beauty doesn’t need permanence. One autumn, a lonely widow found one of his leaves drifting onto her doorstep. Its words—simple, gentle—made her smile for the first time in months. A young traveler found another deep in a forest and decided to return home after years of wandering. Over time, countless people discovered his leaves, each carrying a message perfectly timed for the finder. By the time the poet died, no written book remained—only stories of leaves that healed strangers. And perhaps that was the truest form of poetry: words that matter exactly once, to exactly one person.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Forest Where Time Walked Backward
Those who entered the forest noticed leaves falling upward and streams running in reverse. Time itself walked backward there. An old woman entered searching for her youth, hoping to undo decades of regret. With each step, wrinkles smoothed, memories sharpened, joints strengthened. But she also felt her wisdom slipping, her identity unraveling. She reached the forest’s heart as a young girl, free of age but empty of meaning. When she tried to leave, the path forward refused her. Only by retracing her steps exactly—embracing each year, each mistake, each scar—could she regain her true self. When she finally exited, she was old again, but now she carried her years proudly, understanding that time lived backward is time wasted.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Storm That Asked for Forgiveness
A storm ravaged the coast, tearing homes and trees from their foundations. But as dawn arrived, the storm lingered instead of dispersing. Its winds softened, and the clouds trembled as if ashamed. When a young girl approached the shoreline, she heard a faint whisper woven into the breeze: “I am sorry.” She stepped closer, unafraid. The storm explained that it had not meant to destroy—that sometimes nature loses control, overwhelmed by its own power. The girl placed her hand on the air, feeling the storm shudder. She forgave it, not because the destruction was small, but because remorse was real. As she spoke, the storm dissolved into a gentle rainfall, watering the broken land it had harmed. Soon, new flowers sprouted along the coast, nourished by remorse turned into renewal.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Man Who Lived in His Shadow
For years, the man avoided sunlight. His shadow had grown larger than his body, towering over him like a companion with unspoken accusations. Whenever he stepped into brightness, the shadow stretched monstrously, reminding him of things he never wanted to face. So he hid in dim alleys and candlelit rooms, trying to shrink the silhouette. But shadows do not fade through avoidance—they grow. One evening, desperate and trembling, he stepped into the blinding light of the setting sun. His shadow expanded across the entire field. Instead of running, he walked toward it. As he moved, the shadow shrank, folding itself gently until it matched his body again. He realized the monster had never been the shadow—it had been his fear. From that day forward, he walked in sunlight without trembling, accepting that the dark parts of us only terrify when left unseen.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Traveler Who Carried Seasons
Okir roamed the world with a cloak woven from the four seasons. Wherever he walked, nature shifted in response. If he wrapped himself in the cloak’s winter patch, frost coated the ground. If he turned it to spring, blossoms erupted along his path. Villagers marveled, urging him to stay and bring endless spring or perpetual summer. But Okir refused, explaining that seasons must cycle or the world forgets how to grow. One day, a greedy king imprisoned him, demanding eternal autumn—the king’s favorite season. The land wilted, trapped in a golden dusk. Trees grew weary, animals confused, crops failing. Okir finally broke free, releasing the cloak into the sky. It shredded into the wind, scattering pieces across the world. Seasons returned naturally, no longer dependent on one man. As for Okir, he walked on, feeling lighter without the burden of guiding time.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Garden That Bloomed Only in Dreams
Every night, the dream garden opened its gates to Serin. Flowers glowed like constellations, trees hummed lullabies, and the air shimmered with impossible colors. She tended the garden with care—watering moonflowers with starlight, trimming vines that whispered secrets. One night, she noticed a withered patch of soil. When she touched it, she woke with a start, realizing the barren area mirrored her waking sadness. The next night she returned with determination. Instead of starlight, she watered the soil with her tears, whispering truth instead of hope. Slowly, a single bud emerged—a sign that even sorrow could bloom if tended gently. Over weeks, the garden thrived again, healing as Serin healed. When she awoke one dawn, she found a real flower on her bedside table, proof that the worlds we nurture within ourselves eventually shape the world we live in.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Mask Maker of Forgotten Emotions
In a silent workshop lit by candlelight, a mask maker shaped faces from porcelain—joyful, sorrowful, furious, calm. People visited her not to hide their emotions but to reveal the ones they had lost. A stoic man who had not cried in decades wore a mask of grief and finally wept. A woman hardened by misfortune wore a mask of laughter and rediscovered her smile. But the most unusual visitor was a young boy who asked for a mask with no expression at all. The mask maker hesitated but crafted it nonetheless. When the boy put it on, he saw in the mirror a face that fit him perfectly—because he had never been allowed to express anything. She created for him a new mask each week, each revealing a different feeling. Over time, the boy’s true face learned to shift on its own, no mask required.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Girl Who Read People’s Footsteps
Eliastra lived in a dusty town where footprints remained etched in the ground longer than they should have. She discovered that by touching them, she could see glimpses of the walker’s emotions—joy, fear, regret, longing. The townspeople didn’t understand her gift and avoided leaving prints near her home. One day, a stranger arrived with footsteps so heavy they cracked the earth. When Eliastra touched them, she saw an ocean of grief threatening to drown him. Instead of recoiling, she followed the footprints until she found the man sitting by a dry well. She didn’t ask questions; she simply sat beside him. Hours later, he began to speak, releasing sorrows carried for years. When he left, his footprints were lighter, almost floating. Eliastra realized her gift wasn’t to expose people—but to carry pieces of their burdens so they could walk forward unbroken.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
The Bird Who Refused to Fly South
Every autumn, the flock prepared to journey south, wings flashing in unison. But one small bird, Aylo, remained perched on the oldest branch of the oldest tree. He refused to migrate, earning whispers of foolishness and doom. Winter arrived with harsh winds, yet Aylo stayed, trembling but steadfast. One morning, a wandering sage found him shivering and asked why he resisted the sky. Aylo answered, “Everyone flies to escape cold. I want to understand it.” The sage nodded, recognizing a rare kind of courage. They spent the winter together—Aylo learning frost’s quiet lessons, the sage learning endurance from a creature so fragile yet so determined. When spring arrived, Aylo’s wings were stronger than ever. He joined the returning flock, not as a follower but as a guide. They flew in unfamiliar patterns, trusting the bird who had faced winter and learned its wisdom.
By GoldenSpeech2 months ago in Chapters
