In the dimly lit café, she sat, sipping her latte, her mind drifting to the arrangement she'd entered into six months ago. Jasmine had never imagined herself as a sugar baby, but life's unexpected turns often lead to surprising paths.
It began innocently enough. A chance encounter at a gallery opening introduced her to Nelson, a successful entrepreneur with a charismatic smile and a penchant for fine art. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, and before she knew it, he had offered to sponsor her budding photography career.
At first, Jasmine hesitated, wary of the implications. But as she struggled to make ends meet, she found herself drawn to the idea. Nelson's generosity provided her with the means to pursue her passion without the burden of financial worries. In return, she offered him companionship, conversation, and the occasional weekend getaway.
Their relationship existed in a delicate balance, neither fully romantic nor strictly transactional. They enjoyed each other's company, sharing intimate dinners and exploring the city together. Yet, there was an unspoken understanding between them, an acknowledgment of the arrangement that underpinned their connection.
As the months passed, Jasmine found herself grappling with conflicting emotions. She appreciated Nelson's support and the opportunities he afforded her, but she also yearned for something more. She craved a love that transcended material comforts, a connection that went beyond the confines of their arrangement.
One evening, over glasses of wine on a rooftop terrace, Jasmine broached the subject. With a mixture of apprehension and vulnerability, she confessed her feelings to Nelson, uncertain of how he would respond.
To her surprise, he listened attentively, his expression softening with understanding. He, too, had grappled with similar feelings, torn between his desire for companionship and his fear of commitment.
In that moment of honesty, their relationship took on a new dimension. They agreed to redefine their arrangement, allowing space for genuine emotional connection to flourish. What had begun as a transactional arrangement had evolved into something deeper, rooted in mutual respect and affection.
As they gazed out at the city skyline, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Sarah realized that love, in all its forms, was a complex and ever-evolving journey. And though their path had been unconventional, it had led them to a place of genuine connection and shared understanding.
“shut that mouth of yours,” she whispers in his ear in a menacing tone, voice dowsed in honey, “or your body will find its way to its deathbed.”
her blade glints silver in the moonlight, shining like a diamond, jewelry for the inferno that blazes in her jade green eyes.
her voice is sickly sweet as she simpers on, menacing eyes taunting him as she twirls her knife.
violent rage floods her veins, discipline forgotten as she fights, wild, vicious and deadly. emotion drives her as her bloodlust is all but hidden.
she allows it to happen this time, bathes in the addictive sense of power, lets the lethal, intoxicating drug of hatred possess her. it’s blinding, defying her natural instincts to let her temper take over.
she smirks at him as she watches the blood pour down like a river on his face, the poisonous rush of victory coursing through her.
“shut that mouth of yours,” she whispers in his ear in a menacing tone, voice dowsed in honey, “or your body will find its way to its deathbed.”
her blade glints silver in the moonlight, shining like a diamond, jewelry for the inferno that blazes in her jade green eyes.
her voice is sickly sweet as she simpers on, menacing eyes taunting him as she twirls her knife.
violent rage floods her veins, discipline forgotten as she fights, wild, vicious and deadly. emotion drives her as her bloodlust is all but hidden.
she allows it to happen this time, bathes in the addictive sense of power, lets the lethal, intoxicating drug of hatred possess her. it’s blinding, defying her natural instincts to let her temper take over.
she smirks at him as she watches the blood pour down like a river on his face, the poisonous rush of victory coursing through her.
her blade enters his chest almost like it has a mind of its own. she knows what to do, she knows how many times she’s done this before, and she can’t help the addicting satisfaction of fulfilled revenge.
she watches the light ebb from his eyes, watches him struggle to take his final breath, watches him gasp for air and then finally lose all hope. she grins, carefully removes her weapon from the bloody body, and dashes away, never to return.
her blade enters his chest almost like it has a mind of its own. she knows what to do, she knows how many times she’s done this before, and she can’t help the addicting satisfaction of fulfilled revenge.
she watches the light ebb from his eyes, watches him struggle to take his final breath, watches him gasp for air and then finally lose all hope. she grins, carefully removes her weapon from the bloody body, and dashes away, never to return.
Ahmed Saad or @/90-ghost's brother in law is currently doing his best to organise the evacuation of his family from Gaza. This family suffers from a combination of ailments that all require medical attention. This is the description on their GFM page:
Hello, I hope you all are doing well!
My name is Mohamed Monir Ahmad Mahmoud, I’m a hemophilia patient from Gaza. I decided to start this campaign with all the hope that you could support me in evacuating Gaza to do surgery for me and my daughter and start a fresh life with my 5 kids out of the ongoing genocide in Gaza [...] I was supposed to go out at the end of 2023 to have surgery on my knees but since 7 October, I had no chance due to the procedures on Rafah crossing, the gate of Gazans to the world. Now, my knees and elbows are bleeding with no access to any type of care and if things stand as they are in Gaza, I won’t be able to walk or make any effort because of the bleeding (currently I am barely able to set up a small fire in front of the tent to prepare food for my kids).
What I ask is 60,000, for travel costs because each one would need to pay 5,000-8,000$ to be allowed to leave Gaza through Rafah crossing and we need around 3000$ more in Egypt for our stay and to obtain visas. We will be heading to Brazil where my brother Diaa lives and there is a huge chance to do the surgeries and access health care as the health care for Hemophilia patients in Brazil is one of the most advanced in the world.
Remember The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock? The movie showed how a kid who had an extremely rough upbringing got help from the family of a school friend, found success in football and ultimately ended up being adopted by the family. Turns out he was never adopted.
Michael Oher says that he was tricked by the Tuohy family into signing documents that made them his conservators. Since he was already 18 at the time the family told him, “that it means pretty much the exact same thing as 'adoptive parents,' but that the laws were just written in a way that took [his] age into account.”
Oher also says that papers were signed so that his story and likeness were given away for free to use in The Blind Side. He also never got a single royalty check for the hugely successful, Oscar nominated film in the 14 years since its release.
Handwrite. (If you already are, write in a different coloured pen.)
Write outside or at a different location.
Read.
Look up some writing prompts.
Take a break. Do something different. Comeback to it later.
Write something else. (A different WIP, a poem, a quick short story, etc.)
Find inspiring writing music playlists on YouTube. (Themed music, POV playlists, ambient music, etc.)
Do some character or story prompts/questions to get a better idea of who or what you’re writing.
Word sprints. Set a timer and write as much as you can. Not a lot of time to overthink things.
Set your own goals and deadlines.
Write another scene from your WIP. (You don’t have to write in order.) Write a scene you want to write, or the ending. (You can change it or scrap it if it doesn’t fit into your story later.)
Write a scene for your WIP that you will never post/add to your story. A prologue, a different P.O.V., how your characters would react in a situation that’s not in your story, a flashback, etc.
Write down a bunch of ideas. Things that could happen, thing that will never happen, good things, bad things.
uncanny valley = things that aren't normal almost getting it right
third person limited view
limited expressions
rot, mold, damage, age, static, flickering, espsecially in places it shouldn't be
limited sights for your mc - blindness, darkness, fog
being alone - the more people there are, the less scary it is
intimate knowledge, but only on one side
your reader's imagination will scare them more than anything you could ever write. you don't have to offer a perfectly concrete explanation for everything at the end. in fact, doing so may detract from your story.