365 Days Novels & Stories

My gaze drops on Alex who is now facing the other side with one of his hand on his stomach. I turn to look at Colton who is right now looking back at me, ''What's wrong, Colton?'' I ask, trying to keep my voice down. ''I have been counting.'' He says, his fingers playing with the comforter. ''Counting?'' I reply, touching the side of his cheek. ''How long daddy has been gone.'' He mutters quietly. ''What do you mean?'' ''Daddy has been gone for thirty six days...'' Colton looks up at me, ''I miss daddy.''

Then, the kiss – a fleeting touch, a brand of possession, a silent acknowledgment of their precarious arrangement. Uno's words, a low murmur against her lips, were a cruel twist of fate: "Let's keep this 365-day marriage our secret. And don't worry, kissing you is the least I'll do." The veiled threat, the raw power in his voice, sent a shiver down her spine.

I’ll make you want me, I will make you beg for me He pulled back slightly, his eyes meeting hers. “I won’t lock you up. But don’t provoke me.” He stood, giving her space. Turned away. “You have three hundred and sixty-five days,” he said. “One year. I’ll do anything. Buy you the moon if that’s what it takes. And if you don’t fall in love with me by your next birthday, I’ll set you free.” Emily stood up. She didn’t think. Just ran. Straight for the door.

The whole world waited. *Are you certain this is what you want?* "Yes."I said without hesitation or apology. She didn't ask again. *Then you will return.* The words settled over me like a hand placed gently over a wound. *You have three hundred and sixty-five days, Amara. One year from the moment your feet touch the earth again. When that time is done, you come home. No argument. No negotiation. No extension.* Something dropped in my chest. "Three hundred and sixty-five days." I turned the number over slowly, measuring it against everything I needed to do and finding it painfully small. "Can't you give me more? Two years, even. Surely —"

Ifenna looked away and didn't say a word. Fifty-five seconds passed. "If seventy-nine thousand, two hundred seconds make up a day," Ifunanya said, staring at the wall," then it means, it will take roughly ten thousand days for about seven hundred and two million seconds to pass. And ten thousand days is almost close to thirty years. So, we can basically say that it will take close to thirty-five years for you to tell my sister that you love her a billion times. And that will only work out if you tell her that you love her every second which is nearly impossible since you must sleep, eat and go to work."

Three hundred sixty scratches on the wall. Five days to go. Brynn carved the line and stared at it for a long time in the dark. Five days. She could count them on one hand. After three hundred sixty, the number felt almost unreal, a thing she'd stopped truly believing in somewhere around the middle months and now had to relearn how to trust.

I mumbled, running a hand across my hair. "Don't give me that shit. I know you're not cool. Are you worried about the pact"? "Of course I am; I'm fast running out of time, Ethan. I'm left with just 65 more days, and it's utterly frustrating.. I hissed as I inhaled a sharp breath.

"You're burning out. Completely burning out. Tyler, you can't keep doing this." "Thirty-seven more days." The number was all I had. "Just thirty-seven more days until Mandy's home. I can survive thirty-seven more days."

Panic rose in his chest. Right at that moment, the number above his head that was originally fewer than 100 days suddenly flashed eerily, and the number jumped from [89 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes] to [125 days, 7 hours, 30 minutes]. This was the first time the number had actually gone up.

But at least this cage has an exit date. Twenty-three days. We can survive twenty-three days. We've survived worse. Together. Always together.