Quietly, Ixora left Cherry's room and made her way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She prepared eggs, bacon, cheeseburgers, and pizza. Lately, Cherry had developed a liking for pizza, which is why Ixora included it in their morning meal.An hour later, breakfast was ready. Ixora returned to Cherry's room to wake her up. "Come and have something to eat, Cher. I made breakfast.""My queasy stomach can't handle much in the mornings, Ix," Cherry replied drowsily, but she got up and followed her twin to the living room."Well, let's not forget that we're going to New York today," Ixora reminded her as they approached the dining table.The reminder sparked Cherry's memory, and her drowsiness quickly faded. She smiled brightly, saying, "Oh yeah, let's go check on our girl."They sat down and enjoyed their breakfast in silence. Afterward, they joined hands to pack their clothes and accessories into a large box.They began with Ixora, selecting her clothes, shoes, and other items, and pla
CASTLE LORE.Ixora Crystabella Moores woke to the sounds of chirping birds, people talking, and laughter. Slowly, she opened her eyes, struggling to focus after a deep sleep. When her vision cleared, she shot up from her bed."Oh no!" Ixora exclaimed, glancing outside. It was already nighttime."Cherry!" She called out desperately, holding onto hope. "Cherry?" She repeated as she searched for her slippers. When met with silence, she made one last attempt. "Silverbella?"But deep down, she knew. Her twin wasn't at home; she had gone out again.Ixora sighed. She wasn't supposed to oversleep. If she had been awake, she might have been able to stop Cherry from going out. She quickly found her slippers and headed outside. She thought about how her late Grandma Nora would have been driven mad by Cherry's wild antics.Outside, Ixora paused to enjoy the fresh evening air of Castle Lore, their small town. Her dyed blond hair swayed in the wind, brushing against her face. There was no place lik
NEW YORK CITY."Mother, I'm back," came the deep, familiar voice.Camila Brown willed herself not to startle, not wanting to alert her son that she had been lost in thought once again. With her back still turned to him, she carefully wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes as she set down the picture she had been gently caressing, lost in mourning.She whirled around and managed a watery smile as she approached her son's imposing frame, enveloping him in a tight hug. At least, Jake was here, she thought painfully."How was your day at work today?" Camila asked, as she released herself from her son's embrace.Jake smiled wanly, "It went great. Do you remember Sarah? We performed surgery on her today, and it was a success," he said joyfully.Sarah was a familiar patient at Jake's hospital, a seven-year-old girl with a fragile heart. The little girl had spent several weeks in the large medical facility and had made many friends, including Camila. Sarah's kind-heartedness, des
Cherry Silverbella Moores stood in the living room of a local drug dealer, waiting for him to fetch her package from his bedroom. She had woken up early that morning, careful not to disturb her twin sister before leaving the house."Are you sure you don't want to come into the room with me?" Jobb called from his room.Cherry rolled her eyes. "No, I'm fine here," she shouted back. Just because she fucked around didn't mean she wanted to have sex with Jobb. There was nothing appealing about him, not even his name. He might even have a similar future to his biblical namesake. She had zero interest in fucking him.Jobb emerged from the room with a wrapped bag and handed it to her. "Here you go, all set," he said, passing the bag to her.Cherry took the package and paid him in cash. "Thanks. Until next time."On her way home, she passed by old Bobby's shop and noticed that his son was inside while the old man was absent. Excitement coursed through her as she entered the shop. It was time f
"Whoohooo! We've missed the bar-time, girls. Let's head straight to the club; it's club-time!" Vera, Ixora's best friend since high school, exclaimed in excitement as they entered the gate of A-Good-Night and heard the distinctive roars of bands and music.All eyes turned to the three of them. They looked absolutely stunning, but gasps escaped people's mouths at the sight of the twins. They wore black gowns that barely covered their hips, hugging them tight, accompanied by big diamond earrings, necklaces, and silver heels. Everything matched perfectly, and they appeared stunningly identical.Ixora glared at her best friend, adjusting her gown slightly. "We said we were going to the bar, Vera, not the club. This gown is so uncomfortable.""Your friend's right, bar-time is over. Look, the club is already heating up," Cherry chimed in, scanning the crowd for attractive men."But Cher, you said the bar—" Ixora began to protest.Cherry grinned mischievously. "You can go to the bar, Ix. We'
The screech of the door caught Jerald's attention as he sat in the dark corner of the room. Pushing his hair away from his face, he watched as the young girl entered, her long dark hair trailing down to her waist, concealing her face as she brough in his 'food and water.'As she dropped the provisions beside him, he uncurled from his seated position and approached her cautiously. "I'm escaping from here tonight, Berezira," he said, keeping his voice low and non-threatening. Berezira was already too frightened of him, a fear he couldn't blame her for.Her eyes darted up at him, then quickly averted. "That is good. I wish you the best of luck, good master. I..." She paused, a faint shudder running through her small frame. "I am to serve Master Amardad tonight. It's his turn to keep watch. I will try to steal the key to the secret vault from his waist belt."He knew exactly which key she was talking about. The secret vault was the only way out of this underground prison, a hidden passage
"Have you ever thought about getting married, Cherry?" Ixora slurred as she took another swig of her beer.Ixora was a bit tipsy, but then again, it was a girls' night out. They were at the bar while her best friend, Vera, was still at the club.Cherry squinted at her twin with narrowed eyes and shook her head slowly, taking a drag from the cigarette in her left hand. "Nope. That's for losers, Crystabella. Those who can't stand on their own two feet," Cherry stated bluntly.Ixora managed a sad smile. "I've been standing on my own since Mom and Dad passed away, but I still want to get married. I want to have kids." She hiccuped; her head felt like mush. "I just need to find someone who won't profess love one moment and then sleep with you the next."Cherry snorted and leaned in to sniff her drink before downing it, feeling the burn down her throat. "Unlike you, I'm not interested in that fairytale called love. I just take what they offer, that's all. Men are all the same—stupid as hell
COR DEXTRAS HOSPITAL, NEW YORK. "Doctor Jake?" Jake Brown sat in his office, lost in thought, his mind perpetually dwelling on the same painful subject for months now. People often spoke of the emotional pain of heartbreak in relationships, but they rarely mentioned the agony of losing a brother and attempting to move forward. Nothing felt the same anymore, not for him and certainly not for his family. If only Jerald were still alive. "Doctor Jake?" The voice, slightly more insistent, broke through his reverie. Jake lifted his head to find Mara standing before him, her expression etched with concern. Mara was a highly competent nurse who had joined his hospital ten years ago, shortly after it was accredited and commissioned. At twenty-seven, she appeared youthful and beautiful. She had gotten married three years ago and was now the mother of a lovely two-year-old daughter named Ciara. Over time, Mara had grown close to Jake after learning the reason he had left the arm