Heyyy
Welcome to the annual A-Z Challenge!
Today April 1st marks the first day of the month long challenge and I am nervously excited for all of you to see my posts!
As mentioned in my theme reveal, this continuous series involves two girls and their overthinking minds. Come watch them find their footing in this chaos, that is life
You can easily access all of my posts in one place- here
Make sure you read in order 🙂
Don’t forget to fill the Master List google form. It’s open only till April 10th
If you’re participating in A-Z, all the best and don’t forget to leave your post links in the comments (both for me and other visitors!)
Kicking off my 2022 challenge, here is my first post
A is for Anguish
It was early August and the extremely dry summer had turned into wonderful, giving rain. But now that it had been raining consistently, it was most unforgiving. My clothes were never fully dry and my hair was always damp. Add the “back to school” rush and it was just madness.
To top all of this, I feel myself catching a cold. Not a big surprise considering my hair is always the slightest bit damp.
On one such lovely rainy evening, I was rushing to meet my best friend. I was already late. I had gotten sucked into work emails and prepping my calendar for school, which was to start in three weeks. I was woefully behind schedule. And apparently so was the bus. Did I mention it was raining? I couldn’t afford to take the taxi, not that any would be available with all the… rain!
Xavia wouldn’t mind that I was late. But I didn’t like to keep her waiting. I didn’t like to keep anybody waiting. Halfway through penning down things on my to-do list, my bus finally appeared.
Finding a window seat at the back, I settled in time to feel the bus speeding away.
Our meet up spot was at the cute book-café that both Xavia and I loved immensely. It was tiny and was pushed between two of those obscenely high skyscrapers. No one would think it was a café if you didn’t already know. The front displayed second hand books and gave the entire café its charm. Ceiling to floor stacked books, on all corners and against all walls except a wide opening in the centre and one large street-facing window, the source of light at day.
Xavia loves places that completely capture your attention and can transport you into a land of its own. She found this place in our senior year and immediately fell heads over heels for it. The smell of books and the hot chocolate ensured that this would become her spot. And she knew instantly that the only person she would ever tell about this place would be me. If it weren’t for my passionate love for literature, books and all things wordy, I have no doubt she would have completely kept this place for herself.
The bus stop was only a couple of blocks away from the cafe. Speed walking in the rain, under my umbrella with the soft beats of Lauv’s “The Story Never Ends”, playing in my ear, a momentary sense of calm amidst this chaos filled me.
Walking into the café, I caught Xavia completely lost in thought. Typical.
Only when she looked at me, her usually gleaming eyes were filled with anguish. She looked so tired.
“Heyyy, are you okay Xav?”
A smile crept into her face but didn’t quite reach her eyes,
“Straight to the question huh? Always the direct Val”
“You know, I’m just concerned!”
“I do Val, I appreciate it.”
“SO spill already”.
“Nothing. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
That was very evident and I was waiting for her to answer why she wasn’t sleeping well! She saw the dissatisfaction in my face, impatiently waiting for her to give me the real reason.
Looking me in the eye, with absolutely no indication of humour, she said,
“I did something really bad”
So what do you think?
How bad did Xavia screw up?
I murdered someone and need help hiding the body, bad? Or, I accidentally spilled coffee on your seat and you’re sitting on it, bad?
Anywayy
You will know tomorrow!
Don’t forget to drop your links below
Dream ❤
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Nice teaser! “Anguish” is a pretty emotive so I’m guessing it must be pretty bad! Will tune in tomorrow to find out.
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Yup, guess you’ll just have to wait! xD
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I like the tease at the end. And oh I love the book cafe. Ain’t that the dream?!
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Definitely the best kind of dream!
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This book café sounds lovely! I hope it’s nothing bad, but since you said the underlying theme would be saaad, I won’t get my hopes up
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Ikr! What a dream cafe!
That is true.. but maybe a little hope is good xD
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I like the cliffhanger element, Dream! Well done.
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Thank you :))
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Great beginning to the challenge! I see you’re back with the cliffhangers too:)
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Thank you and yup, always xD
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I don’t know if its just me, but I felt like I just watched the first episode of a great slice of life anime! The ease with which you transitioned between light hearted fun to that cliffhanger at the end, just wow! Anywho, just dropping in for a drop of inspiration for my first attempt at the A to Z challenge.
https://thewritinggoeson.wordpress.com/2022/04/01/alone/
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Thank you, you’re far too kind!
❤
Loved your poem!
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Good start to the challenge! Kept my attention with your writing and you are very descriptive with describing the day until you arrived at the cafe. I think Xavia did something really bad to cause that much anguish to have lost sleep. I’m thinking killing someone or being deceitful. Good luck with the rest of the challenge and thanks for visiting my blog!
betty
https://benchsnotebook.blogspot.com/
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Thank you so much!
I tend to do away with the descriptive aspects since it’s something I don’t pay a lot of attention to while I’m reading.. so I’m working on that!
.
Guess you’ll have to wait and see!
Good luck to you too!
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That cafe sounds like a really lovely place.
With my love of books I would love spending time in such a place.
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Me too!
I probably would spend all my time there!!!
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🙂
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I could feel my own hair damp from the rain and felt like I’m inside your dream cafe. The suspense at the end was well done and will ensure I’m back tomorrow.
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Thank you so much!
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Great start to A to Z. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
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Thank you!
Heading over to yours now 🙂
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Excellent start – my attention is captured!
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Thank you :))
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Xavia loves to be transported to places. Hmmm. What would then be this “something bad”? A location that wasn’t as calming as the one that Val is accustomed to? Will have to read more!
And thanks for coming to my blog – http://storycrossroads.org/blog.
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Guess you’ll just have to read the next one to find out!
It was my pleasure 🙂
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This will be fun!
Janet’s Smiles
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Well this will be fun!
Janet’s Smiles
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Thank you!!
Heading over to your’s now!
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Ahhh… “bad” means so many different things, doesn’t it?
I will be curious to see just how ‘awful’ it truly is (or isn’t). 🙂
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Definitely!
Lol I think you’re the only one who’s on the right track!
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Good morning. I too do not like to keep people waiting, so I immediately sympathised with your protagonist. You drew me right in. I hope Xavia didn’t do anything too bad, well not unless this is a righteous avenging kind of story, then bad is always relative. Best of luck with the AtoZ, and thanks for visiting my blog, I very much enjoyed your comment.
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings: YouTube – What They Don’t Tell You (and free fiction)
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“Bad is always relative”, so very true!
Thank you for your kind words!
Good luck with your A-Z too!
It was my pleasure 🙂
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Pingback: Broken | The Dreamgirl Writes
Nice start… so what was it and how bad , i wonder …
Visiting from A to Z , you can access my blog at
http://pagesfromjayashree.blogspot.com
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Thank you!!
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I can picture everything. The cafe reminds me of the Little’s house in Stuart Little, a tiny cute one between high rises!
See you around the A-Z challenge!
https://momandideas.com/
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Thank you for your comment!
Oh yes, now that you mention it!
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Have to wait till I comment before I go to the next post!! 😉 Lovely start to the challenge!
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Thank you :))
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Oh my, jumping right in with the drama! ❤
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Haha, thank you!
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That’s quite the build-up you got going. Eager to see where it goes.
⮞ AnjelaCurtis.com
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Thank you so much for your kind words and the visit!
Appreciate it 🙂
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Ooh I’d love to be in the cafe…but maybe not, depending on the problem.
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Haha,
That café surely is an ideal place!
Thank you for your visit and comment!
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That last line really does make one want to read on. As I’m not certain what type of story this is, I’m guessing if it’s not murder than perhaps something worst but if it’s worst than murder, than it would really be bad, right?
Thank you for stopping by my blog. Have a lovely day.
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Thank you for the comment!
As I mentioned in my theme reveal… the theme of this year’s story is sad and philosophical!
In 2020 I wrote a murder mystery and so I didn’t want to write another one this year!
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Well a murder would be more interesting…
Medical Needs
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Lol.. that is true!
Thank you for your comment!
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I just want you to know that I am going to catch up and read *all* of your posts as soon as I can. I’ve had far too many interruptions at home lately. ♥
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.🥺🥺
Thank you!!!
Hope you enjoy ❤
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I know I will! I’ve already started… 😀
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Over from the A-Z! And must I say, what a start! Let me tell you – firstly, I really liked your website – from the random header images to the nebulous background – and the way you’ve structured the post including different font colours for different people. And yes, I am already smelling hot chocolate and falling in love with the café! Must I say I am also ‘Anguished’ to find out what Xavia did! And am I glad that I don’t have to wait every day to read!
Cheers,
Deepa from FictionPies
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Why thank you,
I like putting the effort to make my blog as unique as possible!!!
Thank you for your kind words ❤
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Pingback: Reflections | The Dreamgirl Writes
The book cafe sounds lovely. I’m interested to see whre the story goes from here. I’m doing the a to z road trip.
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Hey,
Thank you for visiting my blog
Hope the story keeps your entertained!
Did you also participate in the A-Z? If so, please leave your link so that I can come visit too!
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