The Beginningafter The End Novels & Stories

A thing with a location was a thing you could bear to wait for. He finished the book. He closed it. He sat with the quality of having finished something, which was not the same as the quality of having ended something. Finishing was completed. The ending was a loss. The therapy would be an ending, and he would hold it as an ending, with all the weight that endings deserved. But the after—the after was not an ending. The after was a different kind of thing.

And now, I was done believing him. The silence stretched on, and the man on the phone asked again. I steadied myself and answered calmly. "Yes. I accept." We exchanged a few more words, settled on a start date, and I hung up. Then I hailed a cab and went home. I pushed open the front door and went straight upstairs to pack. I was moving out. If I was going to end things, there was no point dragging it out. Packing did not take long. Looking down at the worn-out clothes and pants so faded they had turned white, it hit me just how lean these years had really been.

As my consciousness began to fade, I forced myself to reach out and fumble for the burner phone hidden on me. [That favor you owe me—you can pay it back now.] The moment the message had been sent, both the display on my phone and my mind plunged into darkness. I had no idea how much time had passed before the pungent stench of disinfectant finally jarred me awake. My body felt as though it had been crushed into pieces and then forcefully patched back together. The hollow emptiness in my lower abdomen served as a constant, brutal reminder of everything that had just transpired.

The exchange felt less like enemies confronting one another and more like old companions meeting after a very long separation. The realization unsettled her. "What are they?" she asked quietly. The woman answered. "They came before stories learned to grow." The traveler nodded. "And before endings learned to let go." The Story tilted its head. "You're connected." "Very." The traveler looked toward the endless ocean of stories. "There was a time when reality was much simpler." A wave rolled across the glowing sea. "There was a beginning." They pointed toward themselves. "And an ending." They pointed toward the First Ending.

My mother dragged me out of my biological father's brutality, and I thought we had finally escaped. Then she married the Don of the Falcone family. The woman who once fought to protect me completely changed. To secure my stepfather's approval and coddle his beloved Sofia, she stood by and let them turn me into a servant in the house I was supposed to call home. Every time I pushed back, they pushed harder. Every time I begged to be seen, I was met with contempt. My biological father's fists left scars on my body. This family's marks went deeper—into my bones. So I stopped. If they never wanted me there, I would stop breaking myself for their hollow approval. I would take my own life back. In

“Oh, gosh! Really? You will treat me, and you will hang out with me?! That’s new, Andricia!” “It would be for the meantime since pre-finals examinations just finished. I will start studying again for the preparation of finals.” “Well, that’s understandable. I think I will get this opportunity to take you for shopping after we eat!” she said excitedly. Well, we can’t hang out always. That’s why I understand why she’s too excited now. We went to a nearby fancy restaurant in our university, and we ordered every food that we like. She’s really enjoying my treat for her. Our orders arrived and we started eating.

I sighed, and I rolled my eyes because it's hard to talk to them in a nice way. They never listened to me. ************************************************ THE END ************************************************

We exit the club, me, Niko, Andre and Apollo, walking to the vehicle a shot rings out. "Afentikó!" Someone yelled, I'm not sure who. Looking down I see a red spot blooming across my chest, collapsing to my knees the last thought I have in my head are of Layla and the babies. My world turns black.

GABRIEL "Are you meditating? We don't have time for that; we need to leave earlier than usual today, no?" I finished my breathing exercise before opening my eyes. My gaze fell on the vast expanse of manicured lawn and the garden in the distance before turning to look at them in the doorway. "Sorry, were you done?" Anna was hopping from one leg to the next, which meant she was chomping at the bit about something or the other.

“Look at the sun. Everyday he comes to an end just to come back the next day brighter. “ And smiling she told them: “Is just as C. JoyBell C. once said “"Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending."” (Author's note: The happy ending is here, but the epilog is just around the corner )