"Anything else, dear?"

Sabrina politely refused Mrs Taylor's offer with that sweet smile that could only belong to her. It was that gracious giggle that made the young lady famous in town, even when she rarely appeared down here. Her house is somewhere near the woods, the young boys say. It was the sole thing her father left her with, says the older fellas in the armchairs. And yes, to have stories told about you can be exciting. But not always.

"Oh, and I could use a broom, Mrs Taylor. The old one leaves more dust than it sweeps."

And that was the moment when everything changed. Mrs Taylor, who had been busy totalling all the prices despite her poor mathematical skills, gazed up at her in shock. The young boy, fiddling around with the worn-out bicycle tires, stood still as his tires rolled down the stairs to the harbour. The senior gentleman, busy scanning the papers beside her, no longer cared about the headlines. Clearly, they just beheld the beginnings of the forthcoming big news in town.

Even as Sabrina left the store, no longer wearing her adorable smile, she could feel the stares. How can someone feel those eyes? She doesn't know, but those eyes pierced right through her skin. The broom stood projected out of her little jute basket, and no one hid their suspicions as she walked to the edge of the town. Sabrina could hear the faint whispers amidst the cacophonies of the busy street. And for some reason, she knew they were talking about her.

Sabrina walked a little faster, feeling a growing sense of uneasiness clawing about her insides. Unfortunately, this only adds to the suspicions of the piercing eyes. She could now hear their breath. Perhaps if the town was quieter, she could have listened to their heartbeats too. Soon enough, she could hear the footsteps following her in stealth, closing in for the day's prey.

And before Sabrina could restrain herself, her legs took off, attempting their best to carry their keeper to the safety of her home. The jute basket slipped off into the gutter, soaking her favourite cookies in the swamp. But she couldn't care any less.

Of course, the home could not keep her safe. But sometimes, it seems to be the solution to everything. Returning home. But in those nefarious eyes, it was no longer a home. It was a coven. And Sabrina, a witch. Their prey. The one to burn while they relax and watch.

********

"Burn her." There never was much Sabrina could do. Apparently, the young man, whose love she refused, had seen her cooking potions. Smoke billowing out of her little coven. And another little girl who had seen her in her nightmares. All she could do was beg, and she did. But the men took the decision for the Gods, and how could she prove them wrong?

The young man was smirking as she got carried away by the relentless guards. The little girl sneaked behind her mother, unwilling to listen to the pleads of a witch. One day, they might take her away too. She doesn't know. In the name of God, they say. How could one kill an innocent girl in the name of God?

She doesn't know, but as she felt the fire melting her skin, she realised it. Her father loved the legends of the lost kings and their declining realms. They perch helplessly on their thrones when the Wicked takes over. In the name of the King, they say. But the King would have long lost his hopes on bringing happiness back to his kingdom. He just shuts his eyes and says it's dark. Sabrina wouldn't blame him. There wasn't much he could do.

Even as the young lady could feel Life doing its best to hold on to her, she was perplexed. Who was more terrifying? The King or the Wicked?

########

I got a long explanation to make, haven't I? *innocent lauughter* Well, to start off, I am in college! As if that justifies everything XD Well, I messed up. I guess that's pretty evident when it's about me *facepalm* But yeah. Well, technically, life messed up way better than I did this time around, so I guess I did okay XD Anyway, I will try to come up more often from now on. And yes, this story will (from now on) hold the record of the fastest story I have ever written ^-^ It took me about... an hour? An hour and a half? Well, definitely not a week or longer, as it normally is XD I hope you guys like the story. Missed you all too much!!! Warm hugs everywhere ^0^ <3 <3 <3

#fiction, not the last part (:

Attention, booklovers! This is Chacko Stephen, your personal entertainment companion. And welcome to Book3, where we discuss everything novel. Let us hop right in!

So, this is how it works. It is simple. We introduce three new books (which I plan to read soon...), describe the plots, and pick a favourite from the previous article. Trust me. This will be fun! And perhaps, you will find your next big read up here!

And to be honest, this is not the best list out there, but we have some gems lined up here tonight. Without further ado, let us get into it!

1. Welcome to Nowhere (Elizabeth Laird, 2017)

Genre: Fiction, War.

Plot: Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar does not care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . . . Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their homes with only what they can carry. Yet, no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether. But where do you go when you cannot go home?

And I was desperate for a leap out of my comfort zone! When I read the plot, it suddenly struck me that I had never read anything that features;

One: The plights of immigration.

Two: Any of the Arab Nations (except once in Inferno where they visit Hagia Sophia)

Three: Something that focuses on Muslim characters.

That’s a terrible lack of diversity that I can see in my reading habits! And when I thought about more of these lacks, I was surprised by the number of items I could come up with. It is about time that I start exploring these new realms... (And the book is described in the first person, so I felt it could help me a bit with my current project. It did.)

2. The Rise of Wolves (Kerr Thomson, 2017)

Genre: YA, Mystery.

Plot: Innis Munro is walking home across the bleak wilderness of Nin Island when he hears the chilling howl of a wolf. But there are no wolves on the island - not since they were hunted to extinction centuries ago. He decides to investigate his island home and accepts an ancient challenge: he who jumps the Bonnie Laddie’s Leap wins a fortune. As the wolves rise from the darkness of history and long-buried secrets resurface, Innis’ adventure truly begins ...

Well, there was a more specific reason why I chose this one. I was planning on writing a novel set in Scotland somewhere in between all this time. (Nope, I didn’t write it. I didn’t.) And I wanted to know as much as I could about Scotland and the Scottish before I began. And as you might notice, the next pick is also set in Scotland!

And there are wolves! But no, that wasn’t the primary reason. (It is more like a secondary one...) I also figured out that even as a teen, I had never explored many YA novels before. So, I went for a YA pick, and why not wolves and teens?! It is always fascinating! Except for Twilight, perhaps...

3. Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist (John Young, 2017)

Genre: YA, Contemporary.

Plot: Quick-witted, sharp-tongued Connor Lambert will not take it any longer: the bullying, the secrets, the sympathy. He has been dying from cancer for years, but he is not dead yet. He is going down fighting.

Forming an unlikely friendship with fellow juvenile delinquent Skeates, the pair stage a breakout and set off on a crazy tour across Scotland -- dodging the police, joy riding and extreme partying -- to find Connor’s dad, an inmate at Shotts prison.

But Connor’s left two things behind -- the medication he needs to keep him alive and the girl who makes living bearable. A fresh and bold debut novel-- full of heart, guts and raw emotion. Farewell Tour of a Terminal Optimist is a brilliantly funny, thrilling exploration of friendship, identity and mortality populated with witty, sharply drawn characters.

Yep, I needed something messed up. And this one was satisfying the criteria splendidly! I mean, what could be messier than two crackhead teenagers out in the open? They don’t even have to break out of something here. Trust me, I know!

And it’s set in Scotland! It’s a beautiful country. I mean, I don’t have very high expectations with this one, but I think this will be a fun read.

And that’s it! That’s the three I am about to delve into for the time being. (Well, I might have already finished one of these and almost finished the other two, but let’s just say I didn’t. That’s not the concept of these posts...) Since this is the very first in the segment, I don’t think this was (It isn’t) the best way to present the books, but I will come up with better ideas next time! I assure you that!

Since this is our first edition, we don’t have a favorite book from the past article. But we will have one next time! I do have some lovely books in the next list! Do let me know which one among the three caught your interest! Anyway, this had been Chacko Stephen, your personal entertainment companion, and we will see you soon with another segment of Book3. Now, grab your novels, play some music, sit back and enjoy. Happy reading!

########

I actually had plans to put out the next chapter of Has Anyone Seen Jo tonight. But then, this week didn’t really pan out the way I thought it would *facepalm* I am sorry. But then, I thought I will pull this one up now. I had it in my drafts for a while, so I thought this might be the perfect time to put it out there! Hope you guys enjoy it, and perhaps, actually find something interesting! And I assure you that I will come up with a refined, better version next time ^0^

Lots of love,

Chacko Stephen

#nonfiction, or is it?

Disclaimer: The following content is for entertainment purposes only. It is strictly not personal. And mostly, unreal.

P.S: Change dialect to Indian English for a better experience. Don’t know how? Just add more yaars and dudes at random places. And most importantly, make sure that no ‘R’ can ever be silenced. We, Indians, believe in equality when it comes to relevant things like these. When it’s irrelevant like gender, sexuality or something, it’s adjustable.

Your Radiance,

Some of you might not have understood the person I just addressed. Well, it’s a long story. If you would like to know, stick with me here. I will explain.

Far, far away, in the distant land of Odisha, where every day tends to be festive (without pretty much reason), a young girl was born. Her name was Smruti. No, yaar, I am just kidding. Her name was Smruti Swarupa Mahapatra, and as far as I know, her name could be longer! Like, Smruti Swarupa Mahapatra something, something, something.

But you might still be wondering why I would address her as ‘Your Radiance’. Unbeknownst to most, Smruti is not an ordinary young girl. She is a queen in a faraway land, where mighty dragons soared the sky and wicked sorcerers performed their rituals. Now, their realm is in total disarray, and according to the prophecy, only the runaway queen can save their kingdom from their menacing enemies.

And where is she? Well, you can see her roaming through the empty streets of Odisha at midnight because sleeping during nights is not fun enough. And then, she sleeps through the noons since it’s entertaining after a heavy lunch. Oh, sorry, dude. Not a heavy lunch!

If there is one person she loves most in the world, it’s herself. She takes the term ‘self-love’ to a whole another level! If you could quickly snatch her phone away and check her gallery, half of the pictures will be herself. Half? I doubt that too. It could all be herself, with one or two exceptions.

But it’s not as bad as it sounds. The queen also spends a long time giving good advice to people who require it the most. It’s so helpful for broken people like me. Her advice can be as philosophical as ‘Just be yourself, and everything will be alright!’ to ‘Why don’t you take photos of yourself?’. I mean, like, that’s an integral part of your life! You have to take pictures of yourself and frame them across your room. So that you can later be Charles Darwin 2.0 and prove that humans are going back to monkeys.

But you could still be thinking, why ‘Your Radiance’? Why wasn’t it ‘Your Majesty’ or Your Highness’ or something? To be honest, I don’t know, yaar! She can be compulsive about things without any reason. I mean, she is still a teen, and it’s totally understandable, right? No, it’s not. Why? I will tell you.

She is certainly not a teen.

She is manipulating her identity. I can be very sure of this. Why? She is too mature for a sixteen-year-old, dude! I have seen her contemplating things that regular people don’t even think about in their sixties!

I think she might have had an existential crisis the day she was born! She might have been thinking, “Oh, I have a life now. But it’s so worthless, yaar. What am I supposed to do down here on Earth? What is the purpose of my life?” And everyone must have thought she was crying as usual babies do, but no! She was going through an identity crisis right there, right then! That’s how complicated she is!

Ah, I am sorry, Smruti. I didn’t mean any of this, okay? It is purely for entertainment purposes and fulfilling your challenge, okay? Oh wait, I didn’t tell you about that one, did I? She created a challenge asking others to roast her! See, crisis! I mean, like, what sort of misogynistic person would do that on a random morning? It will be like, “Oh, I am feeling so bored! What will I do? Oh wait, I got an idea! I should ask everyone to say negative things about me! That would brighten up my day like it’s summer!”

I mean, seriously? If she asked everyone to say ten positive things about her, I could have understood that. I mean, I would have struggled to do that, but that’s understandable. But “Come on, everybody! Make me feel worthless!” is not something everybody says on a fine morning! Not everybody, but Smruti Swarupa Sakthi Ranjan Mahapatra! I don’t know if that’s a part of her title, but I think she will be alright with that. If I could do the same, I would have named myself ‘Chacko Is A Horrible Name, Mr Stephen’.

I mean, who doesn’t like long names? As a matter of fact, everyone in Odisha has long ones. It will be fun if their teachers want to punish them. They would hand their students a sheet of paper and tell them, “Go write your name a 100 times.” It would literally keep them occupied for hours, and their hands would be all sore by the end! Dolores Umbridge would be proud!

And when I say this, never think that I am any better, okay? We also have quite the alphabet system! It literally feels like that game where you help Mickey find the way out of the maze. If Ariadne in Inception knew Malayalam, she would have surprised Cobb solely with every last one of our letters. That’s how mesmerising it is!

And do you know that game where you have to draw something without taking the pen off the paper? We invented that! We have letters like “eru” that looks like the rough plan of a theme park joyride! You can’t even find where it begins! It’s basically a loop! And the best part is that it gets worse!

Anyway, back to Smruti! As I said, she is too complicated for me to explain. I might be able to go on for days and describe other things like her family reunions that can be announced as district festivals and her love of writing. But I have already crossed a thousand words, and I am unsure of the word limit here. To be honest, I am more afraid of whether the queen will decapitate me and then stitch my head back, give me life, and kill me again. This could be the last time you might read one of my posts. Pray for me, won’t you?

Lots of love,

Chacko Stephen.

I am just going to say #fiction so that she doesn’t go far too ruthless in coming up with methods of execution (:

Looking out the window

I seek for something distinct

Hugs and happiness

Captures my eye

Turning back to my desk

I feel distress

Feels like it’s been ages

In this trapped prison

Picking up a book

Paints a smile on my face

The sense of calmness

Let me out with a sigh

Why not embrace this

And look on the positive side

There are ups and downs in this pandemic

But make sure to stand strong

Make yourself happy because you’re all you need to put a smile on you face!

Be strong throughout this pandemic and encourage yourself! Do something that makes you happy. ❤

Based on my personality, I’d say being happy is probably something I look for in myself. Lately, I’ve noticed something distinct in myself. I’ve been feeling rather gloomy and down. I begin to ponder what exactly has left me in this mood. Have I been lacking something? I wouldn’t say I was sad nor was I happy. I began to anticipate and the more I did, the more I started to get anxious.

I looked into the mirror and all I saw was my reflection. I walked closer and there’s something that’s keeping me from being filled with joy. I wandered over and over and there seems to be a likely reason why I’m feeling this way. Perhaps the pandemic has really reduced me to see my joy everyday, my friends and family. I’ve really missed them and I think this was the major factor why there’s been this complication to me.

From beneath my heart, I truly miss each and everyone of my beloved family and my friends. I truly desire to see everyone in the near future. I’m genuinely grateful and the sense of relief let me down with a sigh.