Sneak Peek: “The Silence Between Us”

Here is a snippet of the first short story from Chronicle of the Heart — coming soon from Dorothy’s Paradise.

The Silence Between Us

“The first rays of the morning sun, like golden fingers reaching through a dusty windowpane, gently nudged their way into the cramped, disheveled room. They illuminated a swirling ballet of dust motes, each particle glinting like a tiny star in the otherwise dim light. The sun's touch revealed the faded floral wallpaper, its once vibrant hues now muted by the passage of time and the neglect of an indifferent world.

Standing before a mirror etched with a spider web of cracks – each fracture a testament to a past mishap, a moment of frustration, or perhaps a silent tear shed in solitude – was a young girl, perhaps eleven or twelve. Her reflection gazed back at her, a solemn expression etched onto her face, her eyes reflecting a wisdom and a weariness that belied her tender years.

With hands that trembled slightly, betraying the nervousness that fluttered within her heart, she smoothed down her unruly hair. The strands, thick and curly, rebelled against the order she tried to impose, mirroring the turmoil that raged within her soul. It wasn't vanity that drove her actions; it was a deep-seated unease, a desperate desire to fit in, to avoid the harsh judgment and critical gazes of the world that lay beyond her bedroom door.

The echoes of her mother's voice, her aunts', her grandmother's, reverberated in her mind, a dissonant chorus of cautionary tales and societal expectations. They warned her of the unforgiving eyes that would dissect her appearance, her behavior, her every word and action. They cautioned her against drawing attention to herself, against standing out in any way that might invite unwanted scrutiny or disapproval.

Their words, while intended to protect her, had instead woven a suffocating tapestry of insecurity around her, a gilded cage of conformity that threatened to crush her burgeoning individuality. They had inadvertently taught her to fear her own uniqueness, to shrink from the spotlight, to blend in with the faceless masses rather than embrace her own singular light.

She didn't yet fully comprehend the insidious nature of societal expectations, the way they could twist and distort a person's identity, molding it into a pale imitation of its true potential. But she felt their oppressive weight bearing down on her, a tangible force that threatened to crush her spirit before it had a chance to fully unfurl its wings and take flight.

As she gazed at her reflection, a flicker of defiance ignited within her, a spark of rebellion against the suffocating constraints of others' opinions. She was more than just a collection of external traits, more than the sum of others' opinions and judgments. She had dreams, aspirations, a unique voice yearning to be heard, a story waiting to be told.

That morning, a seed of determination was planted within her, a tiny ember of hope that refused to be extinguished by the cold winds of doubt and fear. She would not allow herself to be defined by the narrow confines of others' expectations. She would embark on a journey of self-discovery, a quest to find her own voice, to create a space where she could be true to herself, unburdened by the relentless need for external validation.

The first time she ran away, she was eight.

It was a summer afternoon, the kind where the air shimmered with heat and anger. Her mother’s voice had cracked into a hundred sharp syllables, slicing through the quiet of their tiny apartment like thrown glass. The reason didn’t matter—maybe it was her room, maybe it was her mouth—but something in her had snapped.

She packed a backpack with her Lisa Frank notebook, two fruit snacks, and a purple plastic comb. No money. No plan. Just the pounding certainty that she couldn’t stay.

She walked to the corner store and sat on the curb next to the cracked vending machine, waiting for someone to notice. They didn’t.”

Chronicle of the Heart is a journey through memory, identity, and the gentle power of coming home to yourself. This snippet of a short story is pulled from the first section of the book, “Foundation of the Journey,” where the main character’s path begins.

✨ The full collection—blending poetry, story, and soul—is coming soon in both print and digital formats.
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💌 This is the heartbeat before the bloom. Stay close.