Cliffhanger
A White Mountain's Mystery: The Cabin - Chapter 4
This is chapter 4 of an ongoing, collaborative story. You can catch up below: Chapter 4 He crawled along the forest floor as branches and pine needles lashed against his face. The creature moved before him, guiding him through the undergrowth. Its face was obscured, but the thing was no larger than a child. Its only discernible feature was skin textured like bark that shimmered depending on its proximity to the foliage.
By Matthew J. Fromm2 years ago in Chapters
How Things Went From Wonderful to Terrifying... . Content Warning.
In the days and months leading up to me taking AJ and Rayne and leaving the house to go move in with my father quite a bit happened. It was as if a dark blanket wrapped itself around our once loving home and enveloped every corner of it. There was no escape from the foreboding, oppressive feeling and tensions within our home and it just kept getting stronger with each and every day. Of course these things take time and with domestic violence when your in it you don't wake up to the danger your in immediately or the incredibly toxic environment you have not only yourself in but your children. Wade always worked nights and we were all warned very sternly not to bother him at work unless it was an emergency and also we all knew better than to disturb his sleep during the day. It was difficult to keep the children quite during the day on the weekends when we were all home so sometimes I'd take them to the park or on a walk outside to just get them away for a bit. If Wade was woken up, we'd all get yelled at and especially me because even though he'd say he understood that I couldn't keep them quiet all the time you could tell by his reactions that he expected me to. When NJ and LJ moved in with us LJ wanted to start doing a sport as he'd always been very sports oriented. Wade complained and told him that he didn't think it was a good idea because he didn't know how LJ would get to the games and practices. I volunteered to do what I could when I could because I wanted the child to feel like he was a part of something in this new school he'd be going to and so he could make some friends. I told LJ to go ahead and sign up for his chosen sport which was basketball and that I'd make it work. Wade said since I had went behind his back with this in his mind I would be responsible for getting LJ to and from practice and the games even though the last of the conversation we'd had he'd said if we could sort out the details then he guessed it was okay. LJ's mother ended up taking him to some of the games and picking him up from practice a time or two but between myself and her we were the only ones that were ever there for LJ when it came to his basketball games. I tried to manage things as best I could while also trying to remember to take time out for myself and improving my own mental health and well being. I started a new church where I fell in love with the congregation and the pastor who spoke with such wisdom and knowledge that I was drawn to him in a way that I have not been to a pastor in a long time. I am one of those who considers myself in the way of religion a follower of Christ. That, I believe, is all you need to know and all you really need in life. God has gotten me through everything I've ever been though in my life and He certainly has helped me through this experience. I do not know how I would've seen through that dark cloud in my home without Him. I find that I do not remember a lot from that time period as my brain has blocked most of it out for my protection I suppose. I remember one morning in particular though this happened countless times, Wade stumbled downstairs still drunk from the night before or perhaps high I am not sure which and knocked over a chair from the dining room table as he rammed into the table itself. He fell to the floor. I remember LJ was in the room I believe and Rayne, I remember seeing the look of fear in their eyes as he got up, laughed it off and stumbled back upstairs. I remember once while giving Rayne a bath, Wade came in and got upset with me over something I cannot even remember what and proceeded to yell and scream at me and get in my face to the point I was backed into a corner in our bathroom. I remember running out of the room and to our bedroom hoping against hope that Rayne could avoid seeing us fighting because he wouldn't stop when I asked him to.... She later asked me why daddy was so mean to me sometimes? What do you say in a moment like that? I just said daddy gets angry and he doesn't know how to control himself. Once, Wade was having severe trouble with his blood pressure to the point I was afraid he was going to have a stroke just like my step dad did in 2020 so I made him get up and go to the ER. Wade acted horrible the whole trip, he was verbally abusive to the nurses and myself and although they got his BP down somewhat they weren't able to do much due to his ranting and raving. He told me I should've just left him in bed. From then on, I did. I thought to myself "If you would rather die in that bed then I'll let you. It's one thing for you to take your anger out on me but thoses nurses were just doing their job." I tried telling him that the nurses didn't do anything wrong but he wouldn't get past anything other than saying they were idiots. I remember countless nights in my bedroom closet giving myself 5 minutes to break down, wish I was dead, thinking I should be dead before sucking it all back in and going back out there to my children. I remember one day he had me feeling so worthless after a fight that I can't even recall the what for that I took to my son's room since he was at my ex's house and I laid there all day sinking into my depression until Wade came in to tell me that it was time to suck it up essentially and lets go figure out supper. The night I had a panic attack on the bathroom floor right after my shower. Suddenly, it was all too much. The dim lights in the bathroom, the water soaking my body, my skin, my hair; I couldn't stand any of it...I started clawing at myself, sobbing I sank to the floor...unable to die, unable to live. The night that scared the daylights out of me and still I stayed a couple of months after that was I had come into the bedroom, he was arguing with me about God only knows what, the room was dimly lit, the TV off and I got up close to him to try to reason with him, I sat on the bed next to him and as I looked into his eyes for just a split second both eyes turned completely black. I said something to quickly agree with him and end the argument and practically ran out of the room. I went outside after that; quickened breath, heart racing, what in God's name had I just witnessed? This was a whole new ballgame...I thought we were just dealing with addiction. What on Earth was this or was it Earth at all? I was shaking when I laid in the bed next to him that night and the nights after that. Before I entered the room, I prayed for protection from The Most High and that I may not absorb any negative energy that may be in that bedroom. The next morning at work, I googled what could cause a person's eyes to turn black and a couple of things popped up....demon possession, narcissism. I was married to a narcissist and an addict.
By Lindsey Altom2 years ago in Chapters
West Side Story part 2
with Maria. Tony is devastated by the news of Maria's supposed death and is consumed by grief. He can't believe that the love they shared could be taken away so suddenly. In his anguish, he contemplates taking his own life, unable to bear the thought of living without Maria.
By ABDUL RASHID 2 years ago in Chapters
Faucet . First Place in Unspoken Challenge.
(Note: These characters originate from a former short fiction piece of mine titled Grief Spiral. I was very eager to work with this trio again and elaborate on the aftermath of one pivotal moment. Hence, this bonus scene inspired by the 'Unspoken' challenge!)
By Erin Latham Shea2 years ago in Chapters
How Things Went From Wonderful to Terrifying.... Content Warning.
My first few years living with Wade were not all awful of course because that is how I got blinded and eventually silenced unbeknownst to me at first. Each and every day was a different day and I learned over the years to watch Wade's body language and to pick up little hints and signs based off what was happening in our lives as to when I could and could not tell him something or what I could and could not say. I knew better and the children knew better than to bother dad right after he woke up as he required at least thirty minutes to an hour before you were allowed to ask any questions or request anything for the day from him. I mean most everyone is a little grumpy when they first wake up but Wade would simply start yelling at you if asked the wrong thing at the wrong time. After that though things were good. At first, Wade helped me around the house and made all the boys listen to me and we all worked together as a team. He told them to respect me because I was their mother/step mother. Wade knew that my love language is acts of service so he would help around the house as much as possible and he doted on my daughter all the time. He was so enthralled with her but he wouldn't take her anywhere with him alone until she was older perhaps around 4 because he always said he wouldn't be able to take care of a baby while out running errands. This always irritated me because I mean I took care of her while doing virtually everything everyday but he always made the excuse that he wasn't good with little kids by himself and he'd told me this from the start so I had no right to be mad. In the very beginning, it started being obvious that although I had a job I could tell that he liked me being home to take care of the house and the kids. I explained to him several times that for one being home all the time made me depressed and that I was a better mother with a job and also that we simply couldn't afford it. I did keep a job throughout our marriage but it always seemed to be something that caused a chip on his shoulder. At first, it seemed he didn't even like me going to hang out with family or friends but I made it clear that I would be going to see my family at least every other week as we had a standing meeting at my grandma's every other Saturday and I was and am very close with my father. He finally gave in a little concerning this but there was a time where I literally went 2 years not speaking to my two very best friends, my sisters because of various reasons but now I can see that one was because he wanted me isolated. I was to care for him, NJ, LJ, AJ and Rayne all day everyday and never focus on anyone else. Although, when we were out and about at a retail store or somewhere he'd always tell me that I never bought anything for myself and I should get something for myself, I always thought of everyone but me, I was so selfless... He was also always sure to tell me everyday that he loved me and that I was beautiful. He loved Rayne so much that he called her his daughter, said that since he had come along while I was still pregnant it was almost like he'd had a hand in helping "make" her and he felt like she was his. He even teared up when he came to see her for the first time after her birth. He even adopted her in 2018 although we both agreed that was the best thing to do we felt and at first Wade seemed excited to adopt Rayne when it came time to he did seem to drag his feet a bit. I wanted to get it done before she went to school so she would learn the right name to write down and although initially it had been his idea as much as mine for him to adopt her suddenly it seemed like "Well, what's the hurry?" but he did go through with it anyway. I now of course regret this decision but you live and you learn. My little Rayne was very sick during the first six months or so of her life and honestly she didn't have a good immune system for the first couple of years of her life and Wade was always supportive of all the time I had to take off work to be with her. However, he never wanted to take off time from his job to stay with her. He claimed it was because he made more so it made more sense for us to lose time from my job where I made less versus his where we could lose potentially more money from him not being there. Anytime I got upset about something or claimed something was unfair I was always told I was just being emotional or not looking at things from his perspective. I was dramatic and although he didn't say it you could tell that every time I cried he found it distasteful and unnecessary. He sometimes would even roll his eyes and say, "Again?" It got to where he did this with my daughter Rayne as well because as it turned out she was quite "emotional" too just like her mother. It became clear after a few years that I was there mostly to be a good wife and raise the children and that was my main purpose according to him. The boys NJ, LJ and I took time forming our bond as they were quite different from my son AJ as far as personality goes but eventually I grew to love those boys as my own. How could I not? Those boys had a rough childhood and it was just the beginning unfortunately. They had seen their mother with different men cheating on their father from what I'd been told, they'd been exposed to all their father's different girlfriends and apparently the party scene quite a bit. Granted, my father had had a few different girlfriends while I was growing up as well but if Wade was moving in with different ones that wasn't stable for the boys and these boys were clingy and wanting affection when I first came into the picture. They needed some TLC and in a bad way. They wanted and craved stability. NJ was such a sweet, good hearted loving child who loved to make people laugh and that boy loved and still does his dad. He has always idolized his dad and that was very obvious from the start. LJ was a rough and roughty child who liked to break everything in his path just to see how it worked. It wasn't that he was a bad child by any means, in fact LJ is one of the sweetest children you'll ever meet but he had no respect for other people's things. I'm not sure if that's because no one ever respected him and his things but because of this behavior it made our bond a little slow to come by but his sweet and caring nature eventually won me over. Not to mention, when Wade and myself got together LJ wanted to go with me everywhere I went. If I was going to my grandma's he came too, the gas station, he hopped in the car. It didn't matter where, LJ was coming with me. I took to calling him my little buddy. Over time, all this turned darker as did everything. NJ started ratting out anything he found to be unacceptable said by myself or my son AJ to Wade and we would literally get into trouble. It would stir up drama and fights within the family. I would get angry that NJ was doing this and Wade would get mad at AJ or myself for whatever lies or twisted words were said about us. It was Wade and his boys against myself and AJ. Wade was constantly trying to get AJ into trouble. I remember a couple of different occasions for reference. Once, Wade wanted AJ to get punished because he said he found my ex's name scribbled on the bathroom wall. His theory was who else in the house would do that? I now, looking back, think Wade did that to set AJ up. I don't remember fully but I don't believe I punished AJ for this but I did question him and I thought at the time that maybe he just missed his dad and that's why he did it. It never occurred to me that Wade would lie about something like that. Second occurrence, I was laying in bed one night and Wade came in there and said that AJ was "throwing ice all over the floor in the kitchen". Now, my son is like his dad and loves to eat just shaved ice so I told Wade that it was probably just accidental and he was making shaved ice and would pick it up when he got done. However, Wade insisted that "No, he's literally taking ice out of the ice bin and throwing it on the floor." Confused as to why he would do that I went and asked AJ about it and he claimed that no, he wasn't doing that. I looked and there was no ice on the floor except maybe one or two pieces. I told AJ to get those when he got done and went back to bed. It was always something like that. It was like Wade was out to get AJ and the only reason I could figure was because of Wade's insane jealousy for my ex and the fact that AJ acted so much like his dad. Wade mocked my ex constantly and even in front of AJ which made him very upset and he would get his boys to join in on the mockery. I will admit that I joined in occasionally but not to the extent that Wade went to and I do regret my part in that now as I see how it affected my son. That was not fair and I realize it was a way for Wade to demean my son and his father. LJ eventually started believing his father's lies somewhat and lost any respect he had for me. He wouldn't listen and neither did NJ to a thing I told them to do. They both argued constantly and LJ took to destroying mine and my son AJ's things or stealing them behind our backs and then lying about it. They never once got punished for the lying or the stealing as it "couldn't be proven." LJ would steal things from my son and take the items to his mother's house so seemingly it had just gotten misplaced or disappeared. At one point, since Wade preferred to work nights it was my job to get the children up and to school in the morning because they were all living with us full time and NJ was having trouble getting up in the mornings. He made us all late a few mornings in a row and one in particular he claimed that he couldn't go to school because he didn't have any clean clothes. By this point, he was a teenager and responsible for washing his own clothes which he knew. He'd gotten up too late to take his shower which he insisted he take only in the mornings and he was mad at me because I had told him to just get some clothes on and come on. I told him to call his dad since he was trying to get out of school even though Wade was at work I felt this was something Wade needed to be called in on since he was giving me such trouble and arguing so much. Wade got angry with me because I'd told NJ to call him at work and literally asked him, "And why are you calling me about this? While I'm at work?" To which NJ replied, " Because she told me to call." as if I was the biggest idiot on the planet. Wade was ultimately just a big bully and even admitted to me that he had been that in school but that he'd changed his ways. It took me so long, too long to realize that he really hadn't changed at all. I'd say around the year 2019 to 2020 is when things really started to change for me and my eyes started to open. That's when the abuse picked up. The more awake I became, the angrier he got.
By Lindsey Altom2 years ago in Chapters
How Things Went From Wonderful to Terrifying...
When I first met we'll call him Wade I was working at my uncle's grocery store, I was pregnant, I had a six year old son and was in the middle of a divorce from my highschool sweetheart. Wade was working for a local businessman who owned a couple of local business' around our small town and they came into the grocery store about everyday for lunch and to do business such as cashing checks for some of the local business man's employees. I was feeling lost in my life as you can imagine; I didn't know where to go from here. I had worked my ass off for years to finally own my own home as my previous husband had not been very consistent with keeping a job and I knew it would take more than what I made to be able to keep my home. I had another baby on the way and a six year old plus myself to feed and take care of and stressed and scared doesn't even begin to describe it. I had also felt lonely, unheard and misunderstood for so many years in my marriage that it had left me feeling desperate to see if better was out there. Wade started talking to one of my co-workers and they even went out on a date but it didn't go well and when he tried to come talk to her about it at the store that should've been my first red flag but I let my desperateness see past that incident. When Wade came to talk to her he cornered her in an aisle and wouldn't let her pass telling her that he just wanted to talk about the date and that she couldn't just avoid him. She was smart and said that she didn't want any part of that meaning his aggressiveness and abrasiveness and they didn't go out again. I waited a few weeks and let all that simmer down but I couldn't get something I had heard Wade tell my young co-worker when they were talking out of my head. He had said that he just wanted someone to settle down with, someone to love and that would love him back. I thought because my co-worker was young at the time "Well then you don't need a girl you need a woman and you need me." Although I also was petrified he would see me and run because I was pregnant with another man's child. So, after those few weeks and things simmering down I let the talk of my other co-worker we'll call Sue who was telling me things like "He's cute!", "You should grab him up! K(the other co-worker who'd went on a date with him) didn't want him so you need to get him." get to me. I looked into his beautiful blue eyes one day and let myself get lost in them. I asked K for his number and it was not long after that that we were texting back and forth and then the next day he and his boys came to visit. He had two sons from a previous marriage. One of his sons who we'll call LJ was the same age as my son and the other, we'll call NJ was nine. Things with Wade were very hot and very heavy very quickly. That first night we spoke on the phone and stayed on the phone most of the night; talking to each other, asking each other questions about our likes and dislikes and our family life. He agreed with most everything I said which now I see it for the red flag that it was, unfortunately at the time I just thought "This is great! How are we so much like each other!?" The next day we all met each other and let the kids play while we hung out and talked some more. By the end of that day, we had shared our first kiss and it wasn't just one. The next day which I believe was a Monday, Wade came to stay the night. It was a horrible decision on my part with having my six year old there but he consumed my every thought and made me feel like I was so special that I didn't want to be away from him. I felt at the time that God was answering my prayers since I knew that alone I would lose my house possibly and I was so worried about that. That night, Wade and I made love all night and the rest of that week followed much the same way. We'd get up in the morning on little to no sleep, go to work, come home, cook supper, eat with my son who we'll call AJ, get him his bath and homework done, put him to bed and then resume our love making sessions. It was some of the most passionate sex I'd ever had(granted I'd only ever been with my highschool sweetheart beforehand) but Wade was full of a fire and a passion I had never known. He was hungry and wild and passionate and so was I. If only I'd understood that part of that passion came from an anger burning deep inside that could not be tamed. A beast that would soon emerge....
By Lindsey Altom2 years ago in Chapters
Oven-Baked Mexican-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Rice, Black Beans & Tomatillo Sauce
Hola, amigos! Are you craving a mouthwatering, flavor-packed meal that will transport your taste buds to the vibrant streets of Mexico? Well, you're in luck! Today, I'm going to share with you a sensational recipe for oven-baked Mexican-spiced chicken thighs with a side of rice, black beans, and tomatillo sauce that will have your senses dancing with joy.
By John Biz242 years ago in Chapters
I Was Somebody’s Dusty Son. Content Warning.
At the heart of my adolescent turmoil, during those precarious years of middle school, there exists a chapter of my life that has remained— inscribed with indelible ink. To be honest every year leading up to, and since has had its own stand out moments. This is just a chapter I’ve often hesitated to revisit— not solely because of its intrinsic pain but because of the irrevocable mark it left on my self-perception.
By Dan-O Vizzini2 years ago in Chapters
Slice of Life: The Pizza Boy's Journey
Once upon a time in the bustling city of Brooklyn, there lived a young man named Tony. He wasn't a typical 20-year-old trying to find his place in the world. Tony was the "pizza boy." This wasn't just an ordinary title; It was a badge of honor in his family, passed down through the generations.
By MD Arbaz Hussain2 years ago in Chapters
The Siren's Call (And the breaking of My limitations)
I had never seen the Atlantic Ocean like this before. Rich blue waves crashing against rocky cliffs and arches, while small Iberian hares munched on the wild grass that rippled along the winding hills where a single paved road ventured through. My face stared inches away from the glass window, mesmerized by the scenic views surrounding the little black car I sat in. My Uber driver, Adao, sang a Portuguese song on the radio in a low mumble to himself.
By Amelia Carter 2 years ago in Chapters
