BB Holiday Anthology Contest 2007

December 16, 2007

Star Light, Star Bright

By Andrea Giang

Staring wistfully out the window at the snow-covered gardens, Leila Taylor shook her head to dispel any hopes she might have of finally escaping from this mansion, her prison. A year ago, she would have given anything to add a little more adventure to her life. Now… Leila would have given everything to be home where she belonged, not here where silence greeted her every waking moment. But she did promise that she would stay if he spared her father’s life. It had been Leila’s fault in the first place that her father had been in this predicament. Had she not asked for a rose last Christmas, her father would not have been caught trying to pick one from the gardens of this mansion.

With a sigh, Leila turned away from the windows. It was useless to think of things that will never be. She started to walk back to her bedroom when she heard a frustrated growl coming from one of the rooms she was forbidden to enter. Curious, Leila drew closer. Lord Ashbrook, the man who kept her a prisoner in his home, was standing over a red rose. A single petal had just fallen off the flower and landed on the table. “I told you never to come in here.”

Startled, Leila could only stare at him with wide eyes. Lord Ashbrook took a few steps towards her, but then he paused almost thoughtfully. His face as always was concealed by shadows cast by the hood of his cloak. Leila could never tell what it was that he was thinking. Almost as an afterthought, he sighed and waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. “Go. Leave. Before I change my mind.”

Leila turned and ran from the room before he could change his mind. Not that she was really worried. Over the past year that she had remained in the mansion, he had been nothing less than friendly. Well, as friendly as someone who was holding her captive could be. Lord Ashbrook always watched over her, protected her, in his odd unsociable ways. Leila had never caught a glimpse of his appearance, but despite the circumstances, she knew he would protect her should there be a need.

Stepping into her bedroom, Leila noticed something lying on top of her four poster bed. She approached her bed and picked up the neatly wrapped gift. Two silver bells were attached to the gold ribbon. Leila carefully untied the box and unwrapped the present. Inside laid a velvet red box. Opening the box, she found a silver chain with a silver star pendant.

She sat down on the bed with surprise. How could he have known? Ever since she was a little girl she had always believed that making a wish on a star would make it come true. Leila glanced down at the silver star and a little smile appeared on her lips. This Christmas might prove to be interesting…


Author's Note: After finals were over, I did not have enough time to come up with a brand new story so I ended up quickly trying to finish something I started during finals... It didn't turn out the way I expected... Oh wells... There's always next time.

Drabble

Friday, November 23, 2007

What If

By Andrea Giang

Standing in the shadows behind the velvet burgundy curtains, twenty-three-year-old Kaitlyn Spencer scanned the crowded ballroom until she found the person she was searching for. Sitting at a table on the balcony with a half filled glass in his hand, Lord Ashbrook bent his head to listen to a beautiful golden haired lady. The woman had been his partner in a few of the dances that night. Kaitlyn swallowed, her heart clenching tightly at the sight of him with another woman. She looked away, unable to watch any longer. It hurt too much… “Kaitlyn?”

Startled, Kaitlyn snapped out of her thoughts. She turned to find her best friend standing only a few feet away. Sara looked up at the balcony for a moment and then sighed. “Kaitlyn, I thought we have been through this. You shouldn’t be thinking about him. You know better than that. Especially if he might already have someone else. You will only make it worse for yourself.”

“Don’t you think I know that? But each time I try to forget him I would wonder, what if ? What if circumstances had been different? What if I was different? What if there is still a chance?”

“Will that make a difference in the end?”

“Maybe not, but that does not stop me from thinking about it. You don’t know what it is like. I have done all that I can to make him happy. And to be honest, I am not certain why.”

“The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of,” Sara said softly.

“I know better than this. I do. You do not know how often I have argued with myself, trying to convince myself to realize the truth. But no matter what I say, I cannot stop this feeling. I cannot remain reasonable.”

“What are you planning to do then?”

Kaitlyn shook her head. “Nothing. I can do nothing. I am not certain I can do anything else but what I have been doing. Maybe eventually this feeling will go away.”

Sara sighed. “I think I will let you be alone for now. If you need someone to talk to, you know where I will be.”

She heard Sara walk away, but Kaitlyn made no effort to move from where she stood. She knew that eventually she would have to let the past go. Kaitlyn knew that she had to find some way to forget, to leave the past behind, but each time she tried, memories invaded her thoughts. She could not continue living like this, always wondering what could have been.

Kaitlyn glanced up at the balcony for a moment and then shook her head. Perhaps she should start listening to her head instead of to her heart. Listening to her heart was too painful…


Note: “The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of - Blaise Pascal"

BB Summer Lovin' Story Contest

August 24, 2007

Summer Revelations

By Andrea Giang

Walking along the beach with her sandals in hand, Kaylie savored the feel of warm sand beneath her feet. Ever since she was a little girl, the ocean had always been her favorite place. The sea had a way of calming her when she was distraught. Kaylie remembered how, many years ago, her grandfather taught her to write down all her troubles on a piece of a paper and to fold it into a boat. He told her that if she let the paper boat float in the water, the waves would carry away all her worries. It was something Kaylie still did whenever she was troubled.

Climbing onto the coastal rocks to get closer to the ocean, Kaylie could feel the spray of seawater from the waves splashing against the rocks. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small paper boat she had folded earlier. Looking down at the piece of paper she held, Kaylie let out a sigh. What kind of a mess had she gotten herself into this time? She should have known better than to feel this way about him, especially since he was her best friend. They’ve known each other since they were children and she didn’t want to risk their friendship. Even knowing all of this, Kaylie had to complicate matters by feeling this way about him. With a sigh, Kaylie let the paper fall into the water and watched as the waves washed it away. “Kaylie.”

Her eyes widened at the sound of his familiar voice. Turning around, Kaylie found herself facing her childhood friend, Derek. Forcing herself to smile to disguise her true feelings, she asked him, “How did you know I was here?”

He shrugged. “It’s not hard, Kaylie. You always come to the beach. Did something happen? You left without saying anything.”

I only saw you with another girl, Kaylie thought miserably. “I… wasn’t feeling well so I thought I’d come out here to get fresh air.”

“Is that all?” Derek asked, giving her a rather odd look as though he knew she was hiding something.

With another forced smile, Kaylie nodded her head. “What else could it be?”

Seeing him hold a kite and… a picnic basket?, she quickly made an attempt to change the subject. “Were you planning to have a picnic with… Christine?”

Derek gave her a strange look before he said, “No… She’s with her boyfriend. I was thinking that if I found you here, we could have a picnic. It’s been awhile. Do you remember how we used come here all the time as kids?”

“You also taught me how to fly a kite,” Kaylie replied with a laugh.

“That’s why I brought a kite with me. I thought it would be fun,” Derek said as he handed her the kite.

She glanced down at the picnic basket and frowned. It looked like someone had carefully handwritten messages onto the strips of wood used to weave the basket. “That picnic basket looks odd, a little lopsided. Is there writing on the strips of wood?”

Kaylie looked up and noticed that he turned a little red. “Derek?”

“I made it for you,” he muttered.

She glanced at the basket and read a few of the messages. Kaylie looked at him in surprise. Those three little words were enough. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Perhaps things weren’t as complicated as she thought they were.

BB Holiday Anthology Contest 2006

December 14, 2006

Once Upon a Winter Wish

By Andrea Giang

Standing on a balcony overlooking the snow-covered gardens, twenty-one-year-old Miranda Spencer rested her arms on the stone balustrade as she gazed wistfully up at the stars. She could hear laughter and music drifting out from the masquerade ball on the other side of the glass doors. Yet to Miranda, it seemed a world away. How could she possibly enjoy the festivities when all she could think about was that one winter night three years ago?

With a sigh, Miranda drew a small music box from her pocket. Carefully opening it, she listened to the soft Christmas melody. A faint smile appeared on her lips as she remembered the day Darius had given her the music box, a gift meant for a child. Miranda would never forget the moment she saw him. She was playing with Lady Windham’s three-year-old granddaughter when he strode into the room with a neatly wrapped gift in hand. Tall with dark hair and gold-specked brown eyes, Darius Ashmore captivated her the instant he walked in with the intention of giving a Christmas present to his great aunt’s young guest, only to discover she was not as young as he thought. Miranda was a few years younger, not a few years old.

The night had gone by quickly after that. From her first waltz at Lady Windham’s winter ball to her first kiss in the shadows, Miranda never forgot a moment of that magical night. How often had she, as a child, wished upon a star to live a fairy tale? That night Miranda thought Darius would fulfill her wish. He had promised he would come for her. But he never did.

Yet, Miranda never ceased to hope that one day he would come and take her away from the miserable life she led under her stepmother’s roof. With another sigh, she closed the music box. Shaking her head to clear her mind of such foolish reveries, Miranda froze when she heard the doors open behind her. “I did not think I would find you out here.”

Her eyes widened as she recognized the familiar voice she had dreamt of for the last three years.

~*~*~*~

Staring at the woman who had thoroughly entranced him and then disappeared without a trace, Darius said quietly, “It seems you are finally done hiding from me.”

“What do you mean?” Miranda asked incredulously. “I never hid from you.”

“I have had enough of your games, Miranda. I spent the last three years searching for you,” Darius said bitterly. “Do not tell me you never knew.”

She shook her head, confusion evident on her face. “I waited for you… But you never came.”

“Your mother –”

“My stepmother?” Miranda asked, her eyes wide with realization.

And then everything began to make sense. All those times he asked for Miranda, the same woman answered the door, giving him different excuses. He should have suspected something was wrong…

Darius noticed a familiar music box in her hand. Reaching for it, he realized it was the same one he had given her three winters ago. She had kept it all this time…

With a shy smile, Miranda said softly, “I never gave up. I always hoped you would come for me.”

“I’m here now,” he said quietly. “And I’m not leaving this time.”

Tilting her face up, Darius leaned down and kissed her gently.

When snow began to drift from the sky, neither noticed.