Vaishnavi Katta

“Vows Broken at the Altar ” by Vaishnavi Katta

Vows Broken at the Altar  I hoped for my girlhood to die quickly, yet standing here I knew a stubborn portion of it remained. More than the fat that still crested my cheek, was the girlish hope for romance. I had lived most of my life weary of men, keeping them at a safe distance. At 18, I vows never to let a man have control over me, but here I was standing in front of one wearing a white dress.  When Nonna was alive, she would tell me about her great love story with Nonno. I remember how she would look at the bay window, her he...

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“Child of First Light” by Vaishnavi Katta

Submitted to Contest #232

 “What’s wrong?” the wind whispered as it touched Ilara’s flushed cheeks. She covered them with her hands as the wind continued to chatter, blowing harder at the patch of bare skin between her pants and socks. She pulled up her socks and pulled her knees into her chest, shielding as much of her skin away from the wind as possible. Still, it spoke. “Would you like another message from the heavens?” the wind laughed as it slipped through her sealed knees and puffed onto her face.  “No, no more messages. Why speak now of all times....

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“Cruelty Mirrored” by Vaishnavi Katta

Submitted to Contest #197

Cruelty Mirrored Trigger Warning: Sexual and Physical Violence. They mutilated my brother soon after he was born. When he was declared a boy, my mother rolled over on her birthing bed and let the nurses take him. From there, they laid him on a table and went to work on his joints. First, his knees were dislocated, and later his hips. They then castrated him, which caused his screams to grow louder.  I cried out for him, but the nurses pushed me away. “Why? Why are you doing that to a child?” I yelled, but the nurses ignored me...

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“Fated Rain” by Vaishnavi Katta

Submitted to Contest #196

 Elliot was nervous, beyond nervous, beyond anxious. Was there even a word for how fast his heart was beating? He supposed if it existed, it could be found in a medical school textbook. With a few sprays of cologne and a little gel in his hair, he decided he was ready, or at least as ready as he could be. He clenched his fist to his chest and took a few deep breaths. This was it, a date with the girl of his dreams. Elliot met Lola in class two months ago and sat next to her every day since. It was a small discussion about the philoso...

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“Leading Lady, Supporting Man” by Vaishnavi Katta

Submitted to Contest #195

 Tyler Mathews was happy to let Luke Andrews take the lead, he had been doing it since they were in diapers. Tyler and Luke had grown up together, their mothers were in the same Lamaze class and became fast friends. Both of them were only children, though it never felt like it. They were brothers in every way except blood.  Luke was the more outgoing of the two. He was loud, carefree, and loved by everyone at Albers High. He also had blonde hair and boyish good looks to match, making him the textbook All-American high school qua...

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