The Stone’s Gambit – Excerpt

So after several embarrassing Naruto fanfics, years of literary role play, and a giant folder of half-finished short stories later, I am officially a *published* author, y’all.

Yep. You can read it right here. 😀

I submitted The Stone’s Gambit for The Write Practice‘s 2023 fall competition and, not only did I find an awesome writing community, but I was also published in Short Fiction Break Magazine. This was seriously so much fun. The theme for this fall’s 2023 competition was myths & legends. I drew inspiration from an awe-inspiring fountain that my husband and I discovered in Odesa, Ukraine. It begged for a story – so here goes!

Blurb:

In a quest for eternal life, NoName sacrifices his identity at the mystical Fountain of Youth. As he grapples with the consequences of an everlasting but nameless existence, he seeks to strike a new bargain with the fountain.

Explore the poignant and magical narrative that unfolds at the intersection of longing, sacrifice, and the timeless quest for self.  

Word Count: 1500

Reading Time: 6 mins


The Stone’s Gambit – Excerpt

“The legend of its restoring waters was the only thing that had kept him going during the nights when the pain was at its worst.

Degenerative, the doctors had referred to his bones.
Restored, the fountain had declared instead.

For an orphan who was used to being ignored all his life, giving up his name in exchange for a pain-free life hadn’t sounded like a sacrifice.

Then he went and met those brown eyes.”

Read the full story at Short Fiction Break here !

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