For as long as we’ve lived here on top of this hill, only one other house stood nearby; and it stood still in time, abandoned and alone for the thirteen years I’ve been alive. Whenever I’d ask Mom and Dad about it, they would simply say it had been that way for as long as they could remember. Their responses were often rushed, and dismissive of further inquiry. My experience questioning neighbours about the strange house was similarly strange, although they seemed more afraid than reluctant. “Stay away from that place… Especially you. That house is bewitched.” That is the most I got from Anna, the oldest lady in our neighbourhood. Her statement made me wonder just what had happened there. “Why me especially?” I wished Mom and Dad would open up to me about it, but they dodged my questions each time. One night, I stared away into the distance, looking at that abandoned house for perhaps an hour, when, suddenly, I noticed a light illuminate a room on the upper floor. It wasn’t something I...
While other noble children her age took great care of their appearances, Ansul danced in the rain and ran through fields, often coating her fine clothes in mud and dust. She would avoid playing with other girls her age because of their fixations; and they, too, disliked Ansul because she paid no mind to how she looked. Ansul would often spar with peasant boys and girls, who welcomed her with open arms whenever she wished to play with them. As Ansul grew older, however, her parents grew tired of this behaviour and often reprimanded her, but Ansul did not let them control her every move. She pushed forward with her free spirit and found herself sparring even with the knights of the city. One day, Ansul’s father threatened her, saying that he would give her in marriage soon if she didn’t change her ways. Ansul was defiant, but knowing how stubborn her father was, she knew he would keep his word. And so she devised a plan to ensure her freedom. That weekend, a farmer saw Ansul being led ou...
For as long as I could remember, I had always felt different. I never knew how or why, but there was always this indescribable feeling lingering within me, as if something was buried deep within and waiting to break free. I knew very little of my past, and of my biological parents. My adoptive mother said I was left at her doorstep with a cryptic letter pleading with her to act as if I were her niece whose parents had just died in a car crash. Mum had followed those instructions and never revealed the truth to anyone, not even her closest friends. My biological mother had said in her letter that her life was in danger, and that I should be as far away from her as possible until the time is right. I never understood what that meant. When would I even know when that time would come? It was a question that stuck in my mind for years before something strange happened. One day, I was walking home from work when I was mugged by three men. I overpowered them and defended myself with ease, but...
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