LifeCycles Creative Media

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2024

Stories (9)

9 Stories

172 karma pts

?

“Bitter Brew” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #287

Content Warning:This story contains themes of emotional abuse, control, surveillance, and implied domestic coercion. It explores psychological manipulation, power imbalances, and themes of entrapment in a relationship. Readers who may be sensitive to topics involving intimate partner control, gaslighting, and psychological distress should proceed with caution. The tea had been brewing for a week. So had her resentment.~~~~~Nadine first met Tea—as he introduced himself—at a small tobacco shop in late 2020. The scent of flavored shisha curle...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Steps Toward the Spectrum” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #286

Content Note: This story explores themes of emotional resilience, personal transformation, and overcoming past struggles, which may resonate deeply with readers navigating their own challenges. The motorized stair lift hummed softly as Nadine descended the staircase of her eastern coastal home. Balanced on her lap was a black-and-white polka-dotted suitcase, meticulously packed with fragments of her life. Each item inside represented a piece of her journey-her struggles, triumphs, and the raw moments she had endured. It was more than just lu...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Echoes of Elegance: A Night Shattered; A Story Preserved” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #280

(Trigger Warning: This story contains depictions of gun violence, sudden chaos, and themes of fear and survival that may be distressing to some readers. Discretion is advised.) The grand ballroom was alive with elegance and purpose. Tables draped in white satin shimmered under the chandeliers, and the sweet scent of hibiscus filled the air. Music from violins and cellos weaved through the conversations, creating an atmosphere of beauty and refinement. The event was a fundraising ball for children who communicated through art instead of wor...

8 comments 8
Read story

“Each X, Each O” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #278

This story contains sensitive content, including mentions of sexual violence, mental health struggles, and emotional abuse. Reader discretion is advised. Behar's Letter to Nadine Dear Nadine, I don't know how to begin this letter, except to say I’m sorry — though I know how insufficient those two words must seem after everything I put you through. It’s been years since we last spoke, and even longer since I last saw you. The memories of what I did, what I destroyed, still haunt me in ways I can’t describe. I don’t expect forgiveness, and I h...

6 comments 6
Read story

“A Dish Best Served Sweet” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #277

This story contains themes of betrayal, mental health struggles, physical health challenges (including dental trauma and eating difficulties), revenge fantasies, implied violence, and loss of relationships and trust. Reader discretion is advised.The Weight of TimeNadine sat in her dimly lit apartment, her pen hovering over a worn journal. The room smelled faintly of dust and neglect, the faint hum of the fridge her only company. A single candle burned on a chipped saucer before her, its fragile flame dancing as though it, too, might abandon ...

1 comment 1
Read story

“My Third Silent Promise” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #276

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of emotional distress, toxic relationships, and familial judgment that may be sensitive for some readers. In March 2023, I met Esmir in an online space where I had hoped for connection and safety. After three marriages—two to immigrants—I wasn’t looking for love. I carried the weight of heartbreak, judgment, and insecurities, convinced my best chance was to focus on my children and myself. Then Esmir appeared. His words were kind and his charm magnetic. He promised me the one thing I had been afrai...

3 comments 3
Read story

“The Cauldron and The Bird of Shadows” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #274

Trigger Warning: This story contains elements of psychological suspense, unsettling imagery, and supernatural themes, including depictions of ominous animal transformations, intense sensory experiences, and implied danger or threat. Nadine lay in bed, eyes wide open, listening to the sounds of the morning. It was a cacophony of bird calls, the low growl of a distant animal, and the haunting “Ca-caw” that seemed to echo just outside her window. It wasn’t just any sound. It was too close, too distinct, as if it were meant for her ears alone. S...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Running for Freedom” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #273

Trigger Warning: This story contains themes of emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, non-physical abuse, and control. Readers may find these elements distressing. Please proceed with caution. Nadine could feel it. The faint prickling at the base of her neck, the unsettling hum in the air. Someone was there, lingering close. She kept her head down, quickened her pace, and gripped her son Yulian’s hand a little tighter as they climbed the steps to their new home. After months of planning, it was meant to be their refuge, a place wher...

4 comments 4
Read story

“The Secret in the Forest” by LifeCycles Creative Media

Submitted to Contest #273

The Secret in the Forest Trigger Warning:This story contains themes of emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, and non-physical abuse, which may be distressing to some readers. Please proceed with caution. The forest was a place where Nadine’s deepest fears lurked—wild animals, looming threats hidden among the dense trees and shadowed undergrowth. The towering trees with their thick, dark leaves turned the woods into a dim maze of uncertainty. Every rustle, every whisper of wind, made her skin prickle. She wasn’t just afraid of the a...

0 comments 0
Read story

Author bio

A mother-son team creating authentic, impactful stories of resilience, growth, and transformation through LifeCycles Creative Media.