joyj85748
2 Published Stories
joyj85748's Books and Stories
The swamp princess
Short stories Deep in the murky depths of the ancient Kalu Swamp, where fog clings to twisted trees and the light of the moon plays hide and seek with waterlogged ruins, a secret slumbers-one that could shatter everything known about power, destiny, and blood. The Swamp Princess unfolds in this haunting landscape, introducing us to Elara, a seemingly ordinary girl whose life has been as quiet and unremarkable as the mist that rises over stagnant pools at dawn. Yet beneath her calm exterior lies an inheritance of cursed royalty, a legacy that was buried with her fallen ancestors, and one that threatens to upend the world she thought she knew.
From a young age, Elara's connection to the swamp was inexplicable. Raised by an old herbalist on the edge of the Kalu Swamp, she grew up listening to whispered legends about a drowned kingdom and a long-lost crown that still shimmered beneath murk and decay. In the soft glow of fireflies and the rustle of reeds, Elara sensed the pulse of ancient magic flowing through the water-a magic that marked her as someone special, destined for a future beyond the quiet life she'd been given. Little did she know that fate, with its inexorable pull, was already gathering the fragments of her shattered past and weaving them into a tapestry of peril and hope.
A single, fateful night would forever alter the course of her life. Amid a violent storm that sent lightning cracking across an inky sky, Elara found herself inexplicably drawn to a hidden cove in the heart of the swamp. There, beneath the churning waters and amidst the ruins of what once might have been a great palace, she discovered a glimmering crown. It was not the gaudy trinket of a forgotten fairy tale, but a delicate relic etched with symbols of power, mystery, and ancient curses. In that moment, the swamp whispered her name, its tendrils of mist and memory wrapping around her heart and soul.
With the discovery came a torrent of visions-flashes of a life once lived, battles fought beneath a blood-red moon, and promises made in the language of the old magic. Elara's dreams were filled with images of a royal lineage steeped in both glory and tragedy, a heritage burdened by a curse that had doomed her ancestors to oblivion. But in these visions lay also the hope of resurrection-a chance to reclaim a throne and to resurrect a forgotten realm that once ruled with benevolent magic. Yet as the crown began to call to her spirit, dark forces stirred in the hidden corners of the swamp.
For there are those who covet the ancient power that still pulses beneath the surface of the Kalu Swamp. Shadowy figures, twisted by greed and unbound by morality, move silently amid the ruins, seeking to harness the magic for their own sinister designs. Rival factions, long embroiled in an eternal struggle for dominance, have returned to claim what was lost. And as rumors of a prophesied queen begin to spread, these dangerous entities close in on Elara, intent on either capturing the power within her or silencing it forever. Amid these looming threats, her path becomes one of not just personal discovery, but also of defiance against forces that wish to see the ancient curse continue its reign over the land.
Haunted by monstrous apparitions and pursued by relentless adversaries, Elara embarks on a journey that forces her to confront the twin natures of her destiny-the burden of a cursed past and the promise of a transformative future. Along the way, she encounters allies who are as enigmatic as they are crucial to her quest. A shadowed stranger, whose eyes mirror the depths of the swamp, offers his aid, carrying secrets and scars of his own that hint at a storied past intertwined with the ancient kingdom. A reclusive witch, keeper of whispered lore and forgotten spells, emerges from the swamp's depths to guide her through riddles of magic and the peril of betrayal. Together, they navigate a labyrinth of hidden passages, ruined temples overtaken by nature, and murky waters that conceal both beauty and unspeakable horror.
Throughout her journey, Elara learns that the swamp is more than a setting-it is a living, breathing entity that tests every soul who dares to disturb its secrets. The land itself exudes a mysterious sentience; every droplet of water, every leaf and vine, pulses with the energy of lost centuries, echoing the triumphs and tragedies of the royal bloodline. As she ventures deeper, the boundaries between the natural and the supernatural blur, and Elara must come to terms with the realization that her personal story is inseparable from the swamp's own legacy. The magic that courses through her veins is equal parts a blessing and a curse, endowing her with powers beyond mortal ken, yet threatening to consume her if left unchecked.
At the heart of The Swamp Princess lies a timeless struggle: the battle between fate and free will. Elara stands at a crossroads, torn between the seductive allure of absolute power offered by the ancient relics of A LOVE FORBIDDEN
Young Adult A LOVE FORBIDDEN
Jake Evans was the kind of guy every girl in high school wanted but no one could keep. With his effortlessly tousled dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smirk that could make anyone weak in the knees, he was the definition of a heartbreaker. Cocky, confident, and always in control, he never took love seriously-until he met the one woman he could never have.
Helen Carter had been teaching English at Ridgewood High for only a year, but she already had a reputation for being both strict and mesmerizing. At twenty-six, she was young, beautiful, and intelligent, with a mysterious air that made people wonder about the life she had before becoming a teacher. The moment Jake walked into her classroom, something inside her shifted. His playful arrogance, the way he leaned back in his chair with a knowing smirk, and those intense eyes that lingered on her longer than they should-Helen knew she was in trouble.
She fell first.
But she was a teacher. He was a student. And no matter how much her heart longed for him, she couldn't cross that line.
Jake, on the other hand, had never cared about rules, and for the first time in his life, he found himself drawn to someone who wasn't easily swayed by his charm. He flirted shamelessly, testing her resolve, enjoying the way her breath hitched whenever he got too close. Yet, no matter how much he teased, Helen never let her guard down.
As the school year progressed, strange things started happening. Shadows moved when no one was there, dreams felt too real, and whispers echoed in the wind. Helen had always known there was something different about Ridgewood, something magical lurking beneath the surface. What she didn't expect was for Jake to be part of it.
A truth long buried began to resurface-Jake wasn't just an ordinary boy. He was part of something much bigger, something ancient and powerful. And Helen, whether she wanted to be or not, was connected to him in ways neither of them could understand.
The closer they got, the harder it became for Helen to deny her feelings. But just when she thought she could control it, danger arrived. A force from the past, tied to both of them, threatened to destroy everything. A love as forbidden as theirs wasn't just a problem-it was a curse.
Now, with enemies closing in and the truth unraveling, Jake and Helen must decide if love is worth the fight. For Helen, breaking the rules could mean losing everything she worked for. For Jake, proving his love wasn't just another game-it was his destiny.
In a world where magic and fate intertwine, where love is both a blessing and a curse, Jake and Helen will have to defy everything, even time itself, to be together.
But some love stories aren't meant to have happy endings. Or are they? You might like
When Love Turns to Ash
Gavin My world revolved around Jax Harding, my older brother's captivating rockstar friend.
From sixteen, I adored him; at eighteen, I clung to his casual promise: "When you're 22, maybe I'll settle down."
That offhand comment became my life's beacon, guiding every choice, meticulously planning my twenty-second birthday as our destiny.
But on that pivotal day in a Lower East Side bar, clutching my gift, my dream exploded.
I overheard Jax' s cold voice: "Can't believe Savvy's showing up. She' s still hung up on that stupid thing I said."
Then the crushing plot: "We' re gonna tell Savvy I' m engaged to Chloe, maybe even hint she' s pregnant. That should scare her off."
My gift, my future, slipped from my numb fingers.
I fled into the cold New York rain, devastated by betrayal.
Later, Jax introduced Chloe as his "fiancée" while his bandmates mocked my "adorable crush"-he did nothing.
As an art installation fell, he saved Chloe, abandoning me to severe injury.
In the hospital, he came for "damage control," then shockingly shoved me into a fountain, leaving me to bleed, calling me a "jealous psycho."
How could the man I loved, who once saved me, become this cruel and publicly humiliate me?
Why was my devotion seen as an annoyance to be brutally extinguished with lies and assault?
Was I just a problem, my loyalty met with hatred?
I would not be his victim.
Injured and betrayed, I made an unshakeable vow: I was done.
I blocked his number and everyone connected to him, severing ties.
This was not an escape; this was my rebirth.
Florence awaited, a new life on my terms, unburdened by broken promises. Weeks Before My Wedding, My Fiancé Forgot Only Me
Gavin My wedding to Ethan Reed was just weeks away.
After seven years, I was certain of our perfect future.
Then, Ethan claimed "selective amnesia" from a head injury, forgetting only me.
I tried to make him remember, until I overheard his video call.
"Total genius move," he boasted to friends.
His amnesia was a fake "hall pass" to pursue influencer Chloe Vance before our wedding.
Heartbroken, I feigned belief.
I endured his open flirting with Chloe and their taunting selfies.
He mocked my distress, prioritizing Chloe's fake emergency.
After an accident he caused, he abandoned me, injured, choosing to send Chloe to the hospital first.
He even tried to cut me off financially.
How could my fiancé be this cruel, calculating monster?
His betrayal poisoned every memory.
I felt like a fool for trusting such boundless cruelty.
His audacity left me reeling.
But I wouldn’t be his victim.
Instead of breaking, a cold plan formed.
I would shed my identity, become Olivia Carter.
I would disappear, leaving him, my past, and his engagement ring behind forever, claiming my freedom. From Death to Divorce: Her Rebirth
Gavin A sharp pain shot through my head, pulling me from a deep darkness. I opened my eyes to my luxury penthouse, but I shouldn't have been there. I remembered dying.
The memory was cold and sharp: my protégé, Dustin, sold me out, and my husband, Graves, watched our company crumble, leading to my fatal heart attack.
Then, Graves appeared, his charming, empty smile unchanged. But he wasn't alone. A young woman, Alex Salazar, stood behind him, clutching her cheap handbag. Graves introduced her as an intern, saying she had nowhere to stay and would be living with us. My eyes fell to her neck, where a dark hickey was partially hidden.
The date on the nightstand confirmed it: I had traveled back in time to the exact day Graves brought Alex home in my previous life, the beginning of my long, painful nightmare. Last time, I had screamed and thrown things, starting my humiliation.
A strange calm washed over me. I had been given a second chance, not to win him back, but to escape.
"Of course," I said, my voice even, "The poor thing. We should take care of her." Graves looked surprised, then relieved. He thought he had won. "In fact," I continued, pulling out divorce papers, "I'll make sure she's comfortable. You just have one small thing to do for me." I wanted the Malibu property. "Give me that, and I'll walk away quietly. You can have your new life. You can take care of this... orphan." The Monster I Once Loved
Gavin I was just a struggling artist in Brooklyn, and he was the amnesiac I found beaten in an alley – just "Alex."
We fell deeply in love, building a life on whispered dreams and cheap coffee, a bond that felt truly unbreakable.
But then his memory returned, and my gentle Alex vanished, replaced by Alexander Sterling III, a cold, ruthless heir.
He discarded me like trash, his mother paid me off to disappear, and his cruel world, with his chillingly silent consent, shattered my artist's hand.
I watched the man I loved stand by as they destroyed me, wondering how a heart could turn so utterly indifferent.
Broken but not defeated, I used the 'hush money' to rebuild myself in Paris, emerging five years later as a renowned sculptor, alongside a man who truly cherished me.
My renewed happiness, however, ignited a terrifying obsession in Alex, unleashing a horrifying wave of vengeance on everyone he perceived to have wronged me-or so he twistedly claimed.
He thought this brutal "justice" would finally win me back, but all it revealed was the true, monstrous stranger the man I loved had become. The Price of Unrequited Love
Gavin Eighteen days after giving up on Brendan Maynard, Jayde Rosario cut off her waist-length hair and called her father, announcing her decision to move to California and attend UC Berkeley.
Her father, surprised, asked about the sudden change, reminding her how she' d always insisted on staying with Brendan. Jayde forced a laugh, revealing the painful truth: Brendan was getting married, and she, his stepsister, could no longer cling to him.
That night, she tried to tell Brendan about her college acceptance, but his fiancée, Chloie Ellis, interrupted with a bubbly call, and Brendan' s tender words to Chloie twisted a knife in Jayde' s heart. She remembered how his tenderness used to be hers alone, how he had protected her, and how she had poured out her heart to him in a diary and a love letter, only for him to explode, tearing the letter and yelling, "I'm your brother!"
He had stormed out, leaving her to painstakingly tape the shredded pieces back together. Her love, however, didn't die, not even when he brought Chloie home and told her to call her "sister-in-law."
Now, she understood. She had to put that fire out herself. She had to dig Brendan out of her heart. His Ex, My Hell
Gavin For five years, I was Mrs. Davenport, cleaning up after my husband's one-night stands and enduring his casual cruelty.
Call it a gilded cage, but this mansion was my prison, bought by my sacrifice: I was the secret medical lifeline keeping him, Ethan Davenport, alive.
Our cruel contract was nearing its end, just three months left.
Then, Chloe, his perfect ex-girlfriend, waltzed back in.
Her arrival wasn't a gentle reunion; it was a wrecking ball designed to finish what Ethan's neglect had started.
She smeared my name, orchestrated a public humiliation, and then watched, smiling, as Ethan, fueled by rage and alcohol, dragged me to a damp, cold cellar.
He tore apart my most sacred possession-my fiancé's diary-then brutally killed my loyal dog, Buddy, right before my eyes.
As I bled, collapsing into unconsciousness, I heard his ex's venomous whisper: she'd had all my precious memories of him incinerated.
They had taken everything.
My dignity, my love, my last connection to a life I cherished.
My heart was a hollowed-out space, suffocating under a mountain of grief and betrayal.
How could a human being be so cruel, so blind, to the sacrifices I'd made to keep him alive?
But on the day our notorious contract officially expired, I walked out.
With nothing but the clothes on my back and a one-way ticket to a remote Pacific Northwest retreat, I finally chose myself.
It was time to disappear, to burn away the past, and somehow, exist again. A Husband's Betrayal, A Wife's Reckoning
Gavin My Hamptons dream life with Ethan, my rising star finance husband, shattered when masked men invaded our home, leaving me pregnant and terrified.
A month later, my husband’s “fragile” childhood friend, Izzy Vance, suddenly announced her own pregnancy, suspiciously close in timing.
Then came Ethan’s devastating public lie: he claimed Izzy’s baby was his, letting the world believe my child was conceived during the home invasion. My “ordeal baby” became tabloid fodder, and my world imploded.
The man I loved had thrown me to the wolves, prioritizing Izzy’s fabricated image above my real trauma.
He dismissed my pain, my forced abortion, and even my head injury, leaving me bleeding on the street while he rushed to Izzy’s side after a staged accident.
He forced me to donate blood even after my own procedure, and used my public humiliation at a gala to solidify his own hero narrative.
Every interaction became a new cut, cementing my role as the villain in his carefully crafted play.
How could Ethan be so unbelievably blind?
So utterly complicit in my destruction?
The man who promised to protect me had become my greatest betrayer, leaving me broken, grieving, and utterly alone.
But his unwavering faith in Izzy's insidious lies, culminating in her fake accusation of me attacking a pregnant woman, didn't break me. It ignited a cold, steel resolve.
They wanted a lavish baby shower? Oh, I’d bring a gift – a secret that would not only expose their entire charade but detonate their perfect world, ensuring a spectacular downfall for all involved. It was time for my quiet, lethal revenge. Reborn, He Still Hated Me
Gavin I was Eleanor Baker, the architect who built the Harrington empire from the ground up, designed their iconic skyscrapers, and was destined to marry the heir, James.
Then, on my 65th birthday, James dropped the bomb: he was changing his will, honoring his long-dead first love, Olivia. My life's work, my shares, everything was gone. The betrayal *killed* me.
Only, I opened my eyes in the past. James was there, reborn too, his gaze already holding the cold disgust that would define our future. He still wanted Olivia, who was now alive. So I walked away, giving up everything, only to be ambushed by the press, publicly humiliated, and left bleeding on the street, my heart and my legacy shattered.
How could a lifetime of devotion and building be erased in an instant? Could the man I once loved possibly be so cruel, even in a second chance at life? Was I destined to be nothing more than a discarded architect, overshadowed by a ghost?
But just as I thought it was over, a stranger offered a chance. A visionary project, a new beginning, a path to reclaim my talent and build a future far beyond anything I'd ever imagined. This time, I'm building for myself. When Love Died, Freedom Began
Gavin The jagged glass bit into Amelia Hayes' s cheek.
"Help me," she choked into the phone, but her husband, Ethan Caldwell, snapped: "Amelia, for God' s sake, I' m in a meeting."
A sharp blow, then darkness.
She awoke not in her blood-slicked car, but in her opulent master bedroom, the calendar marking three months after her wedding. Three months into a marriage that had already begun to kill her.
Ethan stood by the window, his voice softening, "Yes, Jessica, tonight sounds perfect." Jessica Thorne, his true love, the shadow over Amelia' s first life. The familiar ache in Amelia' s chest gave way to a chilling, new fury.
For seven miserable years, she had given Ethan desperate, unyielding devotion.
She endured his coldness, his brazen affairs, his emotional abuse, all for a flicker of his attention.
She had become a shell, a caricature, ridiculed by Ethan' s circle and condescended to by his family.
The profound injustice, the sheer blindness of his indifference, was a bitter pill. Her heart, once broken, now felt nothing but a hollow echo of unrequited love.
Then, at a gala, a cruel act involving Eleanor' s ashes, and Ethan, without hesitation, shoved Amelia, his accusations echoing: "You are a disgrace."
He comforted Jessica while Amelia' s head reeled from the impact. That was the final straw.
No tears, no anger. Just a cold resolve. She delivered a small velvet box to his penthouse. Inside: the wedding ring and a divorce decree.
"I. Want. You. Out. Of. My. Life. Forever," she stated, her voice clear. She was reborn to be free. 
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