To all the things I will never apologize for.

I will never apologize for loving you, Gabriel, the way I do.

I will never stop dreaming of you, even when it feels wrong, but I do love everything that you are because you are the parts of me I am not ashamed of, and I will never apologize for it.

I will always be yours, even when we are apart.

It will almost always be you and me, whether we are talking or not.

I will always be your best friend, and I will always love the way you used to hold me and make me feel safe.

I will always love how you looked at me with your eyes, and you never broke eye contact.

You always made me feel safe like I was seen when no one else ever saw me or even bothered to look at me.

I know that both of us were always called brother and sister, and we are two of the same.

We are both stubborn, and to others that may be our weakness, but I see it as our strength.

We might love beyond compare.

We might want to get married before we even tie the knot, and we might already have our hearts picked out and we might already know our wedding vows.

We might love the impossible, and it might not even have been reality yet that we are seeing it all happen.

And it may be unconventional how much we love each other, even though we are still dreaming of one another.

I know it may be taking time for it all to come through, but I know that I couldn’t imagine my life without you, and I think about you all the time every day, and there is no amount of words I can say that would be enough to describe how much I do love you.

And I know I may be romanticizing my life through my mind, but isn’t everyone?

Isn’t it okay to dream of a life that you want to live for a lifetime? I mean, if that is not a good enough reason, I don’t know what it is.

And like you had said, they are not in our minds. They don’t see the timeline.

They are not the ones who are in love with two people they lost contact with.

And it may be that we don’t see each other now, but that doesn’t mean we don’t know one another.

It seems like I have known for more than the years I ever went to school with you.

It seems like every day I am getting to know you and I are not going to apologize for loving you.

That is one thing.

Well, the main thing I am never going to apologize for is because being without you is like I am missing a part of myself, and being with you means that I am finding myself all over again.

I don’t know the timing or the plans behind the scenes, but I do know that we were meant to meet and I do know that we are meant to be.

Here is a song dedicated to you from me:

No Apology Necessary by Kaylee S.

You are the part of me I cannot lose.

You may be miles away, but I still need you.

I see you even though you are not right here.

I will always be there watching.

Even if that is dreaming of you.

Twenty-four seven.

I will never change my mind.

My heart is made up this time.

I only have been out of touch

with you for about sixteen years

Including the years

where I have met you

and I have stood beside you.

I know all the memories we have are saved.

They are kept in a hard drive.

They are backed up

and memorized.

I love you

And there are other enough words to say

to show you or tell you how much I do

every day.

You are my heart.

You are my lifeline.

You are my forever.

And you are my one and only.

You make me see how the parts of me

cannot be ignored

Even though we are both

stubborn and reserved.

Who needs to be an open book

when we have a lock we can put up?

We can choose to decline or accept

the request or we unconfirm it.

It is our choice at the end of the day.

You and me

were always meant to be

And that requires

No Apology Necessary

Except to say that

I love you, Gabriel.

And this is another way

for me to tell you

I may be off the grid

to show you

But just check in

with my mind.

My subconscious knows

what to say

And she also says

no apology necessary.

Oh, and by the way

This is yours.

I love you more.

K

No Apology Necessary.

~ No Apology Necessary

Love 💕,

Kaylee

Here is another one from you to me:

I will never apologize for missing you.

I will never apologize for choosing you.

When I chose someone else over you,

I will always regret the closing of the chapters.

I should have written off sooner.

I will always regret not being able to kiss you sooner.

I wanted to ask you on that date I never took you on.

I wanted to ask more questions than I should have asked.

I just wanted to be with you.

I love everything about you.

And I love that you don’t apologize for being you.

I know that I took you for granted.

And I was not the love you deserved back then.

But I would love to be the one for you now.

I would love to love you now.

If you would give me that chance,

I would love to show you someday

that I could be the person

you could get to know.

I would love to be the person you chose.

I know you may have had others knocking at your door.

And I know that you closed the door on one of them.

And I know you may have always kept that one open for me.

You have always invited me in even when I thought I wasn’t welcome.

But you pulled out the welcome mat

and said, “Come on in.

You are invited in.”

And I said, “

I would love to love you now.”

~ Love To Love You Now

Love 💕,

Gabriel to Kaylee

Here is one for a special someone shout-out to you:

I was always there to pull you out

whenever you were in trouble.

I was there to pick up the pieces.

You were a part of me

that no one else knew.

It was like a reflex

or more like a flex.

I was your one

when you felt like you didn’t have a choice.

You could have had other options

to choose from.

But you chose me.

And I had come unannounced

from the very first day.

It was around

August 25th, 2026.

I had left a comment

saying how much I could relate to

something we both already knew.

It was called Something I Already Know.

If you know, you know.

It was a rant

I was going off.

You made me feel seen

even though I was flipping the switch on you

on and off.

Then when it came down to it

You said it was an us moment.

It was something that was unexpected.

I never did expect to meet anyone like you.

To have as much in common

With someone who is nine years younger than me.

I thought it was out of my element.

I didn’t think I could relate to someone this much

Who was still experiencing life

When I had already passed those steps

And I had graduated from that life.

But you are still finding your way.

I never thought you needed me

A guiding light to show you the path.

I thought I was crazy to be commenting on a post like that

But you heard my voice.

We bonded over public messaging.

Then you introduced me to another place to chat

And the bond continued to grow stronger than ever.

I never knew I needed someone like you

But I think I needed someone who shared the same question I was always asking

Does anyone know who I am?

Does anyone get me?

Does anyone even know me?

Can someone who is younger even understand what I am going through?

Can they be that one person I can talk to?

I was never really good at making friends.

I did have three other friends

But they seemed to run in their own circle

And it never really made me feel like I was a part of anything.

I felt almost excluded from the group.

Yeah, I may have been in the group chat

But I never needed someone

And when I was in a situation

I never thought I could have that friend to talk to

It was like I was better off alone

I was better off with my own company

Than with someone else’s

At least that is how it always was

Me and my phone

And someone with Spider-Man shoes I was sitting across from

At the courtyard lunch tables

We never exchanged any words

But I thought he was cool

It was conversation I never had

I remember being in SweetDogs class

And just sitting at four tables with a group of girls

Who I thought were my friends

But they weren’t

And I had told them about him

But they all seemed to be interested in him

Except for one

It was like yeah he is single

But it felt like I couldn’t even share anything

It was like I was alone with my own thinking.

And then everything else happened.

And it was too late.

He rode his bike away.

And I never got to see him again.

But it was our choice to take a break

from being friends.

I guess sometimes

people grow apart.

But I hope to get back to the same person who left one day.

I just have to wait for that time to come.

I know there may be a time line between me and him.

And I know there are different time zones between us.

It seems like I am adding more people to the list I want to meet.

It seems like one is far away from me and the other is in a different country.

But I like to think I beat the odds.

And at least I get to talk to one of them.

So that narrows down the list.

One down.

One more to go.

I hope one day we can meet.

And not just one person.

But both.

Maybe someday.

Never say never.

But I won’t say never.

I will just say

maybe someday.

And for you,

I will say

forever ♾️ and always.

And those are the friends.

Well, my one best friend.

And the love of my life.

I will never stop waiting to meet.

And that requires

no apology necessary.

Just a

forever ♾️ and always.

~ No Apology, Just a Forever ♾️ and Always

Love 💕,

Forever ♾️ and Always

Your bestie

I love ya gurl.

And tag your IT.

My IT Girl

Nitisha Shankar 🌟

And my love of life,

I love you more.

Gabriel Diaz

Thank you both for letting me not apologize for loving you both.

It has been a journey to getting to know you both, to seeing how both of our personalities work so closely with one another, and to awaiting the day where I can meet you both in person.

I could not ask for anything more than to be in your lives however way I am, whether in a dream or online.

Thank you for your friendship and for your love and for being my first love.

Thank you, Gabriel Diaz, for being my best friend, my companion.

I don’t know what I would do without you.

I love you so much more.

As for my bestie, I truly have no words.

Nothing will ever be enough for everything you do for being the person you are for the person you are having me become.

I truly could not ask for someone who inspires me every day for someone who feels like a true friend, someone I can call more than a friend.

You are someone who is like a sister to me.

You are my bestie, you are my IT Girl.

I know you couldn’t tag me, but this is me giving you a special shout-out.

Feel free to leave your shout-out in the comments.

I know it wasn’t able to go through, but I would love to hear it or read it.

Thank you for thinking of me and everything you do for me and for everyone who has become like a friend or family to me.

Thank you.

Until next time,

Your bestie and friend,

Kaylee and R.G.

Love 💕 and hugs 🤗 to you all,

And also to Gabriel Diaz, Te mando un abrazo; te quiero muchísimo, mi amor, y te quiero todavía mucho más.

And to my gurl, my bestie, my IT Girl, Nitisha Shankar 🌟, lots of love 💕 😘 and 🫂 hugs to you.

Thank you everyone for reading.

To all the things I will never apologize for 💕

Tagging 🌸Preeti Pathak🌸, thank you for this challenge and for granting me the opportunity to share.

I hope I did this challenge justice.

Thank you again for all that you do.

It was truly amazing the challenge and dedication and effort you put into this challenge.

Without you, it wouldn’t have been possible.

Thank you and a huge thank you to Manmeet Singh Bhatia, you are the ultimate best.

You always come through with your challenges as well and you did a great job.

Thank you for all that you do and the publication you created.

Thank you for always mentioning me and making me feel a part of something.

Thank you and I wish you all much love and blessings.

Thank you so much from your friend and writer, Kaylee and R.G.

This story is part of…

Unapologetically Me — A Writing Challenge

Happiness doesn’t always arrive with a big win. Sometimes it’s sitting in a small moment you almost missed. Share yours with us as a memoir, story, essay, or poem, and tell us why it made you happy. Entries close on 20 November. Find the prompt here👇🏻

🌻 What Makes You Happy — A Writing Challenge

Unapologetically Me — A Writing Challenge was originally published in Clear & Kind on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I cry these tears that won’t go away.

When I think about you today.

It turns into every day I do.

Think about you, it is

almost like the silence

I wish would just stay quiet

but it keeps getting louder.

I know it may be far away

And you can’t hear a word I am

Saying, but these tears are watering my eyes

And I cannot stop them from growing.

They water the flowers I carry on my shoulders.

I wish sometimes they would just grow.

But going back to the start

May not resolve all that is coming up

But it will at least give me some answers

And I know these daydreams

Are catching up with me.

I know my mind speaks

And my subconscious continues to think

It is like my mind knows more than it is letting on

More than I could ever say out loud

I want to be able to be at the same place

I once started at and I know it has been a while

But I would give anything

To switch the time back

And I would like to go back

To the years before now

I want to go back

To the ten years before now

I want to be able to have walked the halls

And not have found my way

I want to ask more than my best friend at the time

For directions to the big gym

I want to have met you all over again

Even when school already started

And I didn’t get to see that first day

It all began, I know I can’t turn back the clock

But if I could, I would set the time back

I would go back to the day a girl in high school

Met a boy and they started to play volleyball

And then one day she sat on the bleachers

Not wanting to participate in the game

And that same boy coming over

to ask why aren’t you playing

And then they begin to have a conversation

He asks her when is your birthday

And she tells him

The month and the day

And the year

And he tells her the same thing

I just wish I could get the chance

to meet you all over again

If I could reunite with you

In the time we have left to come

If the reunion will ever happen

I am looking forward to going back

And I know I will soon

I just hope it is not too late to tell you

In person

That it has been a while

And that I would love to start over

Because I think I could

Meet you all over again.

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #6

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #6

Meet You All Over Again was originally published in Direction on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I Don’t Want to Leave the Night With You

I don’t want to leave the night with you.

I just want my heart to stay right there with you.

If only you could come too, my heart would never leave because my heart forever beats for you.

It may have come as a shock to you what I daydream about when you are not around.

Someone asked me a question: what happens in the ten years you have unopened?

There is an unopened, sealed envelope with my fate in writing.

I have yet to open it.

It is signed, sealed, and delivered, and what is behind it I will never know.

I guess it will take me ten years to find out what my daydreams are about.

But I know in my heart I know what is true.

I know that I will see you soon, even if my reality doesn’t believe it.

I know it will happen, even if I cannot only see it in my daydreams.

My mind may start the night with just one thought, but when it comes to morning, my daydreams enter the doors, and I hold them open to see what they will bring.

And what they brought me were new dreams and new people who I have opened my heart to, but I still have never forgotten about you.

And it may be only a daydream of you that I can ever think about you, but I think about you at night too, and it seems like these dreams have turned into daydreams.

Every moment I thought was gone has come to visit me in the daytime, and I am fighting with my mind to keep these daydreams alive.

And hopefully, one day they will come to life.

And someone once asked what will you see in the ten years to come.

Well, here are some of my dreams that I hope will become more than daydreams:

The ten-year question:

If I were to wake up today and see that all my dreams have become reality of course I would go and investigate and see how much my life has changed and I would wonder if the same people were still there and I would check my phone to see what day it is and what year and if I wake up and I am already in the future I would expect that I met my someone that I have been waiting for after all it has been ten years since I had my dream of him one day coming into my life and I would also like to see if I eventually became someone in a successful career and if I ever met any of my friends in real life and if they came to me in real time and even if I finally got to meet my brother who I have not seen in a long time and if I ever got my dream house and what my life looks like from ten years ago to ten years later.

The alternate timeline:

If I could travel back in time, one decision I would have wanted to revisit would be the last day I was at high school.

I would have wanted to ask my best friend Gabriel Diaz if he would have wanted to go to prom with me. I would have asked for his phone number.

I wish I would have called out to him that day.

He rode his bike right by me.

I wish he would have stopped and looked back at me.

Then maybe I wouldn’t have lost contact with him and I wouldn’t be waiting for him to get in touch with me.

That is one thing I would have changed.

The reunion:

If I could meet someone again in real time, I would meet Gabriel Diaz and Damian Roca at the high school reunion for the class of ‘2020.

I would love to have asked them about that same day that we left high school when COVID-19 started, but I would also tell them that I thank them for what they did and that they chose to walk away without hurting me anymore and that I did not stop him from riding his bike away from me because I think the space was needed for us to grow up and follow our dreams, so I actually don’t regret that decision, but I do wish I would have tried to call out to him, but I don’t think he would have wanted me to.

I think he would have wanted the space to have grown up, but I do know that he probably regrets it.

I know that I don’t, and then sometimes I do, but sometimes life doesn’t work like we want to, but I do hope that the reunion does happen, and those are the people that are at the top of my list for a high school reunion petition.

I will never forget someone from my senior class.

Zach said, “ I want to see you at the reunion with a partner and with kids.”

Well, I don’t know about the kids part, but a partner I will hopefully be there with, but even if that doesn’t happen, I hope I will be there.

So, Zach, I will see you there. 🤞

In the year of 2030 or twenty years from the year I graduated.

I also agree with Sudeshna Hajra about meeting old friends and even new friends who feel like family, and even though we met online and I may not know everything about you all, I already feel like we are great friends and family, and even one person in particular feels like my best friend ♾️ for life, and even more than that, they are like my family.

They know who they are, and if you know, you know.

If I did go to the high school reunion, I would like to reintroduce everyone to the woman I am today and what has changed in my life and the career path I have chosen to pursue and maybe even see what I have accomplished in the future.

It would be nice to see the inside of the high school halls again and reunite with my high school self again.

I think I have missed her too, so I hope to see her again as well.

Silhouette of Starry Thoughts thank you for sharing this weekly prompt.

I love it.

Please do more of these.

I would love to continue participating in them.

I am sorry if I am late to the party with these weekly prompts, but I really do like them.

I will try to look out for the next one.

Paulia Dianz. A🧡 thank you for your amazing publication and truly making it feel like a place to call home. 🏠 There is no truly no place like home.

Thank you to everyone who I have met online here.

You have truly made me feel like part of the family, and I am glad to have friends like you.

I know we may not know each other that way, but I hope the feeling is mutual.

So thank you all for everything you have given me.

I am glad to have met you, and a special thank you to Sudeshna Hajra.

I know that we may not know each other, but I just wanted to thank you for inspiring this post, and I really did love your story.

Thank you everyone for all that you have done for me, and thank you for allowing me to share my story with you and to be a part of your lives, whether it is as a friend or a fellow reader.

Thank you for letting me into your medium family.

What Do You Daydream About? — Weekly Prompt #6

This story is published in “A Place Called Home” — a warm corner for real voices and honest hearts. Have a story of your own? Share it with us,“Where Your Words Feel Home.”

'A Place Called Home' —  Welcome To Our New Publication

What Do You Daydream About? — Weekly Prompt was originally published in A Place Called Home on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Fading Clock

The fading clock.

All I am asking is for a sign.

Why did this all have to fade all at once?

I thought we had more time than that.

Now I thought you needed me like the rain needs the sun.

You ran out in the rain and you didn’t even listen to see if it was still raining.

You just ran into the rain anyway and you saw the sky for it was, but you didn’t stop to see if it was raining.

So you left me behind because you thought I couldn’t handle getting wet.

You made me wake up to see the sun, but all I could see was the pouring rain.

But the fading clock was telling the wrong time.

But I guess welcome to my life in Veloria a dream world where time doesn’t exist.

It is just a fading clock in the background, but we are the ones who are in front of time, but it has already passed us by.

I guess that is why we entered into this dimension to see if things would be different, but I guess found another reality hidden in the clouds.

Welcome to Veloria.

A world where no one sleeps but only dreams.

You only hold this place in your memory.

Whatever thoughts come into your mind after it strikes midnight, it becomes a fading clock where reality is no more yours.

It is only your dreams that matter here.

But what you never discovered is that you didn’t need to meet in reality because you always had your dreams.

That is what happened between these two best friends in real time but are lovers in a dream.

They chose to abandon their lives and live only in their dreams where they could be in each other’s arms.

But as fate would have it, they seemed to be happier in this dimension.

But the only catch is everything is imprinted to permanent once you sign your lifetime of dreams contract which lays out in print you will not leave your dreams and anything dreamt in this universe will only be in your mind for nothing leaves this world once you go back to reality after midnight.

That is what happened to these two on Halloween night and this is how it happened on the eve of Halloween at exactly midnight.

The stopwatches they were wearing on their wrists had stopped.

It was as if time became a fading clock and the reality they were in at Hallowbrook was no longer reality anymore.

It was a dream they once made a wish asking the universe if they could live in their dreams forever and never have to worry about waking up or living in reality ever again.

So their wish was the universe’s command.

But there was a small problem.

They had to make everything right in their dreams before they had to go back to reality otherwise everything that happens in their dreams becomes reality once it hits midnight on Halloween.

So the two lovers have to come together to figure out how to make their dreams a reality or at least the reality they want and they have the power to do so.

All they need to do is to find the book of dreams and their will lie the key to how to make their dreams a reality so the two lovers have to find it but they better hurry because the portal of Veloria back to Hallowbrook into reality closes at midnight so they only have a short amount of time before they wake up and have to live with whatever reality is coming their way.

So will these two lovers Lyra Wren and Rowan Ash find the Book of Dreams before it’s too late?

One can only hope for their sake.

After all, they hold the key to their dreams.

❦

The two lovers are on the hunt for the Book of Dreams, and they think they have found it.

The inscription says to find the answer you are looking for, you must first find the answer within each other, and that in itself will be the key to your reality.

So dream about what you want your reality to be, and once you have your answer, write it down in the Book of Dreams and close the book and lock it with your minds.

That will be the dream that will be held inside, and when reality knocks, you knock twice as hard and make your reality your imprint to permanent.

Lyra Wren:

I place in this Book of Dreams the love I hold in my heart for whoever is meant to stay and who is meant to come.

I hope that when I see my future again, I will meet the fate I am supposed to live, and whoever I have left will stay with me forever ♾️.

And always, I will always hold you in my heart forever, and I know that forever is a long time.

I hope this dream finds you well, and I love you even if you cannot tell.

And I hope you know I hold this space for you in my heart and in my thoughts and my life forever ♾️.

And always, you know that’s the code that holds us together for life.

Signed,

Lyra Wren ♾️

Rowan Ash:

In my heart, I call on you.

I place both hands on you.

I love you more than life itself, even if I cannot see you.

I know that you are there, and even if sometimes it may seem like I am unaware of your presence, I know that you are there.

I know that you are near.

I love you, and I hope you know that I do care about you.

I just want what is best for you, and I am proud of you.

I hope you know this will last forever ♾️ and always because it is between you and me, and whatever this will be is what will be between you and me.

So just know you will always have a place in my heart for a lifetime, and I hope we meet again.

I hope that I can call you my best friend for life forever ♾️ and always.

There is no getting out of this contract, but I hope you know that I am trying really hard to change to make you my forever ♾️ and always.

But don’t forget my heart is forever and ever and always.

Love you always and forever ♾️.

Signed,

Rowan Ash ♾️

This heart is forever.

I bind these two lovers as one, and this book now closes in the book of dreams.

Whatever reality will happen is what is meant to be, so let this be the magic of two beings coming together as one.

For this love is and will forever be eternity and everlasting forever ♾️ and always.

Signed,

Kaylee

Forever ♾️ and always

The clock strikes midnight on Halloween 🎃 and now these two lovers return to reality, and their dreams are now forever ♾️ and always.

Trick or treat, come to dream, but only when you fall asleep will you get something good to see your dreams come true.

Nothing further, your honor, so what will you get when your dreams come to reality?

A trick or a treat?

You will just have to wait and dream to see.

Happy Halloween 🎃

🌸Preeti Pathak🌸 Thank you for sharing this prompt with us and welcome to my world.

Thank you for coming by, and I hope you enjoyed your time with us.

Come again soon, and don’t forget we are all a little delusional over here 🤫🤪.

Thank you 😊 Have a wonderful day.

Hope to see you again.

Don’t fade too quickly. 😱🌀

Oh, and if you know, you know the secret.

🤫 😏♾️ Forever and always.

💫.

For the dreamers, the overthinkers, and those who have a little too much imagination. Enter your Delulu Land, give your imagination a story, and share them with Write Your World. Reality can wait.

Welcome To My Delulu World🏰 — A Writing Challenge

Welcome To My Delulu World — A Writing Challenge was originally published in Write Your World on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Between the hurt and goodbye

To the girl who truly knows how to fall in love,

What was said in between? Between the hurt and goodbye, one minute it was like a dream I was living in real life, hoping it would become reality, and everyone turning the other cheek when I was holding all these unanswered questions in my head.

But what was between the hello and the goodbye was me reading between the lines and seeing how much it all has changed.

There were still so many questions, so many reasons why it made sense to keep dreaming, to keep being the girl who fell in love with her dreams.

It may not seem so real to everyone else because they are not seeing what I see, and in the picture that is out of the frame, they may not be able to see the bigger picture.

It may be hard for everyone to see between the lines.

I was asked a puzzling question that almost left no answer.

It was the same question everyone outside of me asked, and I wish I had said I prefer not to answer that question, but I answered it anyway.

But there is one question I still cannot answer, and that is what’s going on in my dreams?

What’s going on in my thoughts?

What’s going on in my life?

And to answer that question, some days are better days, and some days I still dream, and I feel every day I may not have all of the answers and I may keep asking the same everyday questions, but I ask if have you read between the lines to see the other side?

You may not see what I see, but the bigger picture is still waiting to be framed, and I still have trouble navigating between the lines, but what I do know is that what may be going on in my life is going on in someone else’s life, so I guess I will ask the question to you: what is going on in your life, and have you read between the lines?

Thank you to my good friend Constant Savior, who challenged me to write this piece.

I wrote this one for this challenge because I wanted to share with all of you my thoughts and to challenge you to see if you could read between the lines.

If you can and you are up for it, then I challenge my good friend Constant Savior, even though we just met.

You are another person I connected with so fast, so thank you for your encouragement and support, and most of all for reminding me that I am a human being.

Yes, I am challenging you to do this challenge as well.

Thank you for pushing me and motivating me through and sharing the same story as me and making me feel less alone, even though sometimes I feel like no one understands me and thinks I am probably overwhelming or overexaggerating.

But I would just like to say, read between the lines, and if you know, I would like to see if you know what’s going on in my life?

Thank you 🙏

~ From the girl who truly knows how to fall in love

Manmeet Singh Bhatia thank you yet again for another spectacular challenge.

You truly outdid yourself with this one and really captured something so true to my heart.

Thank you.

I cannot explain to you what a blessing it is to be a part of this community and to be able to do this challenge in so many ways more than one.

I am always so grateful.

Thank you as well for pushing me to do this challenge and mentioning me.

I cannot express any more than just thank you for all that you do, and I cannot wait to see what everyone else comes up with, but just know that I am so grateful to you all.

I am tagging everyone, including the editors.

You challenged us well; now the writers are challenging the editors.

Good luck.

May the best one write. ✍️

Please show it some love and participate if you would like to, and please give a round of applause 👏 to the one who made all possible.

Manmeet Singh Bhatia truly another great one.

I am also tagging another good friend of mine.

I know they are an editor, but I am also going to challenge them as well.

And if you accept, let’s see what you’ve got.

I am tagging my gurl, and she knows who she is: Nitisha Shankar 🌟

Please give her a round of applause 👏 as well, and tag her to participate, but don’t tell her I sent you 😏🤫.

📖 This story is published under The Rabbit Note. Have a story to share? Join our community and let your words be heard. Write for us.

The Rabbit Note

What’s said is rarely all that’s meant. The Rabbit Note’s new challenge, “Between the Lines,” invites you to write about the moment when the real message sat in the silence. Entries close 10 Nov. Join us.

Between the Lines — A Writing Challenge

Between the Lines — A Writing Challenge was originally published in The Rabbit Note on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Long after the contact has faded,

They seem to have stepped away.

If one of them had been honest,

They might have known it wouldn’t have led them to this way.

But they each made the mutual decision

To part ways.

But that doesn’t escape what they mean to each other

Nor does it take away from what they had with another.

It was almost like neither of them could tell who was going to pull away first.

But it was in that moment they said they both needed space.

But whether it was one or the other who made the first move

To get away from one or the other, maybe both of them might have taken a turn for the worse.

But I think they knew within themselves it was going to come to this decision.

I think they just had to do what was right for them, and I think the path they chose was the right one.

Even if it feels like it was the wrong one, but neither of them will ever let go of each other.

And even if today feels different between the two of them, they will always

know how they felt about each other.

But more than that, they will always be friends for one another.

Everyone can share their thoughts, but no one actually knows what happened.

The real story is only between the two of them, and they are the only ones who know the real story.

And everyone may want to speak the truth for them, but what no one knows is what this actually did to them.

So even though time got away from them and they may have not seen each other since,

One thing is for certain and is that they may have lost their ways to finding each other.

But long after the contact has faded, they never lost contact with their dreams.

And that is how they found their way back to each other.

Even if they got lost along the way and ended up with

Lost contact.

Even long before and after the contact had faded,

They never lost touch with each other.

But they did lose one another.

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #5

Thank you to the following people who inspired this piece, and they are:

Gabriel Diaz, thank you for being my inspiration behind this piece, and I hope we don’t lose contact again.

Silent Pages, because of your response to a previous piece I wrote, I chose to write this piece in honour of the comment you left me.

So thank you for being my inspiration in creating this piece and for allowing me to write about this.

I really loved the line you said, so thank you for giving me something to think about.

I hope you like it.

Constant Savior who also lost contact with someone.

I appreciate your honesty and your heartfelt piece you wrote about also not seeing someone for years.

I hope we can both get back in contact with them and that we will meet them again.

This one is for you.

I hope you like it.

And this is one for both of us, so shout-out to you.

This one is also for anyone who lost contact with someone, and if you have a story, feel free to share it if you feel comfortable sharing, but I would love to hear your story, so drop it in the comments.

And please visit Constant Saviour’s story.

I will have it linked below ⬇️

Between Hello and Goodbye — A Writing Challenge

You gave me an open voice, so now I am passing the mic 🎤 over to you.

The floor is yours.

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #5

Long After The Contact Has Faded was originally published in Direction on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

There will be something better that will come to keep your heart on me and your mind set free for there are no locks on these doors for the heart may set you free as the truth will be your ending story.

There are many keys to many locks hidden behind these closed doors you may not see it but you just have to look inside of it for there will always be something better something that does not have to be kept secret for loving you was never meant to be a secret it was always meant to be more than a dream something hidden is what you have never opened before you never opened your heart up to me before for that is what you are hiding behind those closed doors you put a lock on yourself and chose not to let anyone else enter you put on this DO NOT DISTURB SIGN like it was the end of the night and someone was coming in that you did not invite but you chose to see me only at night.

I never wanted the doors to be closed when I was only your friend but I wanted always to be more to you even if that meant only getting the part of you I could see in public but you put this mask on around everyone else but with me you could only be half of yourself you never let anyone see the whole you just the pieces of you that you never said out loud.

I held every piece of you like it was a treasure I never let anyone get a hold of even when we touched it was like my heart was opening up.

I never did lock the doors behind me I always left them open.

I told myself I should have kept you quiet I should have never opened them but I chose to instead leave it open because I wanted you to see all that no one else has seen you are the only one who has seen all of me the real me that no one else has seen behind these closed doors even when someone comes along I am almost ready to show them the exit.

I never expect them to stay long but you have stayed longer than anyone else has.

I am usually very selective about who I let in my circle now it has not always been that way but it is now and there is only one person I allowed in my life now and that is you and you have seen all of it, and other people have read it, but they have never seen the whole picture or even the person because I have never revealed myself to anyone.

I have wanted to meet people, but I am more so waiting to meet someone else.

I am just waiting for the right time and, to tell you the truth, one thing you may not know about me is that I may be an open book, but I am not someone who has an open door policy to get in.

You have to be a certain kind of person for me to let you in.

And yes, I may be trusting the wrong people at times, and I may not realize something I should have known the first time, but I guess I am still learning.

And even though I have not known some people for very long, I have never trusted anyone except for myself.

So can I really say I can trust anyone? No, but I think as of right now I am taking down the “ do not disturb” sign and putting up a warning sign.

And until then, the only skeletons that are allowed in my closet are the ones I can trust.

So until then, those who cross this line will only be the ones that I can trust.

Paulia Dianz. A🧡 , Hooria Akbar

The Skeleton In My Closet — A Writing Challenge

Thank you, Paulia Dianz. A🧡 for sharing this challenge with everyone; it was truly inspirational. I am glad I got to participate and share my story.

Also, thank you, Hooria Akbar , for inspiring me as well with all that you do.

Please keep up the good work, and I hope that both of you keep on inspiring others like you have done with me.

Thank you both for everything, and also my other friends as well.

Thank you for being inspirations and sharing your philosophy of knowledge with others.

I truly appreciate it and all the friendships I have formed on here and all the newcomers as well.

Thank you 🙏 and I am grateful to you as well.

Please take care of yourselves and if you ever need anything you can always talk to me.

I won’t put anyone on the spot but if you know you know who you are and you need a friend I’m here.

Sending you all hugs 🫂 and lots of love ♥︎♥︎♥︎ to everyone and one special one for a special person forever ♾️ and always. You know who you are.

I wish I had more arms but I only have two but maybe I can borrow elastic girls’ arms but until then I have two big hugs 🫂 🫂 waiting for you all but please take care of yourselves like my one friend teddy bear 🧸 you used to tell me so I am telling all of you now.

Sending you all big teddy bear 🧸 hugs 🫂 I hope the don’t get lost in the mail 📪.

This story is published in “A Place Called Home” — a warm corner for real voices and honest hearts. Have a story of your own? Share it with us,“Where Your Words Feel Home.”

'A Place Called Home' —  Welcome To Our New Publication

The Skeleton In My Closet was originally published in A Place Called Home on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

When will the sun come out

after losing so much light?

When will it be the time to shine?

When is the night

going to stop me from thinking

all about you

and how I want to love you?

It has been years.

And I have taken a bow of silence.

I have not said a word.

I have been all that we can be.

I have not shown you the real me

because we haven’t gotten

to know each other yet.

I know I have been sleeping.

I have only been dreaming

about the day

the sun will come out.

I have put you on pause

Thinking that it will resume.

The choice is yours.

I have not said a word to you.

It was all that I was asking

was for you to choose.

They said the answer will come.

But when will that be?

I haven’t seen the sun come out

except for the moon at night.

It was the very last night I never cried.

But I know that I have tried.

I have tried and tried again.

But there was no one there to listen.

So listen to me now

when I say that.

I hope that the

sun will come out.

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #4

Direction’s Weekly Writing Challenge: Open Voice #4

When Will The Sun Come Out was originally published in Direction on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The one that used to exist in the in-between became a stranger to me that was locked in memory.

It was like I didn’t even know their voice.

I was no longer able to fill their void.

They used to be a part of me, but now they are just a memory I refused to let go of. They came to me in a dream as someone I never remembered ever seeing.

It was like I was seeing two different people, one in real life and the other one in my mind’s eye.

I was wondering which one was the real one, the one I saw in the dream, or the one who became a stranger to me?

In this life, I came to recognize certain people who stayed in my life and some who came faster than I thought.

I had never met them in person, but that never felt like a stranger.

They just felt like another person I was meant to meet unexpectedly, even though sometimes it crosses my mind who is a stranger and who is a friend.

Sometimes I have trouble listening to the parts of me that know more than they are letting on, but I have come to realize that I don’t know what the future has in store yet.

Sometimes I think I met the right people, other times I hold back and I think it is some sort of a trap.

I don’t know.

These are just thoughts that keep coming up in my mind, and it is hard not to turn them off when they keep flickering on the lights.

I never knew I would meet the one I used to be again, and she would become a long-distance friend.

It was like the relationship between me and high school.

The girl I used to be was no longer with me. She just became a stranger to me. She is someone I will never forget, but I still have all of these unanswered questions.

There are still things I want to know more about, like how did we get here and how to come back from being strangers to being more than a friend.

I still think of you even though I haven’t seen you in person and even though I don’t have your number.

I still have in the back of my mind that I want to meet you, but I hope that when we meet up again, we will not be strangers to this reality.

But I know that it may not be exactly like it is when we dream or when we fall asleep, but I am hoping that feeling between us comes back because I never wanted to lose that.

I only wanted to find what I was searching for and to get that reassurance that we are more than strangers but that we are lovers with the same desires and that our goals align and that one day you will be mine just like we used to be.

But I know now is different than back then, but the feeling still remains and you will never be just a stranger to me, but you will always be that someone I lost contact with.

When Someone You Know Starts Feeling Like a Stranger

Rishita Sharma💗 thank you for introducing me to this prompt.

It was definitely a great experience, and I also have to thank Hooria Akbar for being the inspiration behind this story.

Thank you for sharing your story, and I hope you don’t mind, but I borrowed a quote from you.

Sorry, but it inspired me.

Please also check her story out on Substack.

Definitely give her a follow and subscribe.

It was definitely worth the read.

I resonated with it so much.

And last but not least, we can’t forget about the editors of this amazing publication, Leonard Tillerman and Renu Dayama.

And thank you once again to Hooria Akbar for giving me the nudge I needed to write this piece 😉 🤏🔔💡🗣.

Thank you to Gabriel Diaz, who is my best friend/lover ✌(◕‿-)✌🖤 🥀 who became more than a stranger to me, but I hope when we meet we will no longer be strangers.

• Quote That Inspired Me — A Monthly Prompt!
• Nudge — A Publication!

Quote That Inspired — A Monthly Prompt was originally published in Nudge on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Always and Forever ♾️

Don’t want these seconds

to fly away.

I just want

you in every way.

I don’t want this to end.

The you and me

that started from the beginning.

If I might,

I will only lose half of you,

but the other half

is staying with you

but the forever is only us two.

There is more to life

than just one

if I might,

I just might

keep dreaming

until we are together again.

I don’t want to give up hope.

So I just might,

I just might

want to have

always and forever ♾️

with you.

It might just be me,

but I know

that you want the same things.

I know it might not be

the ending

to the best story

of our lives.

But this love

has been on my mind

for a while.

I know that things

are going in the right direction.

It is a whole new beginning.

But I just might

be in love with you.

Rishita Sharma💗 I am always so grateful for the publication and to be a cupcake 🧁.

I always look forward to these prompts.

It was very meaningful to me to write this piece, so thank you so much, Meta Marvelia, for creating this prompt.

I will always look forward to more, so thank you 🙏.

Quirky Rants, your fellow cupcake 🧁.

Nope. Don’t think too much. Open your draft and write down things that you might do. And submit it to Quirky Rants. Be quirky. Be ordinary. Be real! Have fun!

I Just Might — A Writing Challenge

From the creator of Quirky Rants: I’ve started a new publication called Nudge — a space for stories born from a sudden thought.

If you’ve ever had a thought that wouldn’t leave you alone until you turned it into a story, Nudge might be the place for it. Explore Nudge and submit your story.

Nudge — A Publication!

📌 This story is published under Quirky Rants — a home for unfiltered thoughts, everyday oddities, and real, relatable voices.
Want to share your story too? Join us here.

Quirky Rants — A Publication!

I Just Might — A Writing Challenge was originally published in Quirky Rants on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.