Video Day 1 at #stories4you from #OurAuthorGang

 Lorraine chats with authors and reads stories

Lorraine's chat with author/medium Eva Bielby

Lorraine Carey https://authorlorrainecarey.blogspot.com/

Eva Bielby https://www.evabielby.co.uk

Lorraine is reading an excerpt from a story published in 

the What If? Anthology #4

Read the story in the book:

https://books2read.com/u/mq5qNO

The Treasures of Grandma's Attic #stories4you from #OurAuthorGang

 A short story by Erika M Szabo

Sixteenth birthdays are special, but something they find in Grandma’s attic will make sure they’ll never forget this party.

An Excerpt from the story published in the What If? Anthology

It was Mia’s sixteenth birthday. Before, her birthdays were always celebrated with her parents, two brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. But after a long discussion with her parents, they hesitantly agreed to let her have a house party with only her friends and celebrate with the family the next day. She invited half of her classmates and friends from the neighborhood, and they had a blast in the small cottage in the back of the property where her grandmother lived before passing away two years before. Ever since, the cottage stood unoccupied with her grandmother’s things still intact.

Mia looked around the living room, watching as her friends danced, and nibbled on snacks she prepared with her mom and with Kati, her best friend. Everyone seemed to be having fun. The music was loud, she felt the thumping of the bass beneath her feet. It was hard to believe that just a few short years ago, she had been a tomboy whose wardrobe included only a few T-shirts and jeans. Now, here she was, an outspoken, confident teenager, blossoming into a young woman. She loved beautiful dresses, feminine shoes, and accessories, and she took special care of her long, shiny chestnut hair that she usually wore in a ponytail.

As she scanned the room, her eyes fell on the old family photos lining the walls. Her grandmother had been capturing every moment of her family's lives. Mia felt a pang of sadness as she reminded herself that her grandmother was no longer there in the house that held so many fond memories.

The party was in full swing, the music blaring through the speakers, the smell of pizza and cake in the air, and her friends laughing and dancing around the room.

Suddenly, the front door burst open, and a tall, dark-haired boy named Jake walked in uninvited. He had his usual charming, devilish grin on his face that made girls around him feel desirable and alive in a way that no other boys their age could.

“What is he doing here?” Mia rolled her eyes and looked at Kati. “He’s such a troublemaker and gets into fights all the time.”

“I know he’s unpredictable and unreliable, but he’s so damn good looking…”

“Yeah… I know you have a crush on him,” Mia laughed. “I don’t want to interrupt the party and throw him out right away. But as soon as he puts one toe over the line…”

“Okay, I admit. I have a little crush on him, but Jake is definitely not boyfriend material. He’s like a butterfly. Goes from flower to flower and never settles down. You can’t even have a normal, relaxed conversation with him. All he wants is to get into your pants while his eye is on the next girl to conquer,” Kati sighed.

“You didn’t… did you?” Mia’s eyes grew wide, and she took a sharp breath.

“Of course not! I’m not stupid,” Kati indignantly replied. “But I can look and daydream,” she giggled, winking at Mia.

Mia wasn’t immune to Jake’s charms either, but her steady boyfriend, Collin, was different. Not as charming as Jake, but she liked him a lot and loved spending time with the quiet boy who had solid plans for the future. He’s so steady and predictable, and he treats me with respect. Mia could never forgive Jake for the embarrassing incident when they were fourteen. He yanked her bikini top off in the pool and grabbed her breast. He laughed and told his friends that they were not ripe yet, not even a handful. He made me feel dirty and violated, I wished I could’ve just died, she thought, shuddering.

“Why are you so gloomy? It’s your birthday!” Kati whispered as she hugged her best friend.

“Oh, I just miss Collin.”

“Why didn’t he come? You didn’t break up with him, did you?” Kati asked, concerned.

“No! Of course not. His little sister had an emergency appendectomy in the afternoon and he’s in the hospital with her.” 

“He’s a good guy,” Kati said.

“Yes, he is,” Mia replied watching Jake as he pulled a vodka bottle from his pocket and started pouring it into the punch bowl. “Now he did it!” Mia shouted and with a few strides reached Jake and yanked the bottle out of his hand. “Out!” she yelled. “Everyone knows how much I detest alcohol, and you weren’t even invited.”

“Just a little something to get your boring party going,” Jake chuckled.

“Boring?” Mia shouted when she saw the sarcastic smirk on Jake’s face. “Get out! Now! Have fun somewhere else.”

“Okay,” Jake shrugged. “Who wants to come to my house and have a real party?” he asked, looking around.

The majority cheered and when Jake headed toward the door, they followed him. Some of her classmates, whom Mia thought were her friends, gave her a sheepish, apologetic look, and others just left without showing any remorse.

“Just go!” Mia said, fighting back tears.

“At least you found out who your real friends are,” Kati pointed at the two girls who were shaking their heads in disappointment as they watched the others leave.

“He ruined my birthday,” Mia turned to her friends, sobbing. “Thank you for staying, but I think you better go home too. Suddenly, I lost my happy mood.”

Kati gently slapped Mia’s shoulder. “What are you talking about? Are you going to let that scoundrel ruin your day?”

Mia wiped her eyes and sighed. “He did that already.”

“Come on, cheer up!” Cloe, a chubby blond girl hugged her. “I don’t feel like music or dancing either, but we can still have loads of fun. Old houses like this are usually full of treasures. Let’s look around.”

“That’s gonna be fun!” Donna, their shapely red-headed friend clapped. “I love looking at old photo albums. People back then looked so elegant. I especially love the 1930s dresses and hairdos.”

“Yes!” Kati exclaimed. “Remember?” She turned to Mia. “When we were little, we spent hours in the attic rummaging through boxes of stuff and trying on your grandma’s fancy dresses and shoes.”

“I haven’t been up there for years,” Mia gazed at the staircase that led up to the attic. “She did have a lot of old stuff up there, and my parents left everything as it was when Grandma was still alive.”  

The four friends climbed the stairs and from the small landing tiptoed into the attic. Pushing aside the cobwebs, the stale air that had collected in the rafters made them sneeze. The spacious room was dimly lit by moonlight that filtered through the slanted windows at the apex of the roof. Mia turned the lights on and gasped. Everything was as she remembered. In the center of the room was a large table littered with forgotten, dusty relics of decades past. Boxes and old suitcases filled the space by the walls, leaving only a narrow path around the table.

“Wow!” Cloe shouted, and when she heard Donna’s wheezing breath behind her, quickly turned and asked her friend, feeling concerned. “Are you okay?”

Donna, reaching into her pocket for her inhaler, managed to say after pushing the pump and inhaling the medicine, “Just my… asthma. I’ll be okay. I just need to sit down for a minute.”

Mia quickly pulled out a small ottoman from under the boxes, and Kati helped Donna to sit down. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Mia asked, worried.

“I’m fine, don’t fuss!” Donna snapped, giving Mia a quick smile, her breathing already calmer and voice clearer. “I’ll sit here for a minute. Go, find some fun stuff!”  

Continue reading the story in the Anthology

https://books2read.com/u/b5wDEA

What if you think the known world isn’t strange enough? Embark on a journey that pushes the boundaries, challenges your perception, and questions reason, logic, and established beliefs.

Midnight Murder

 Emma's trust in her psychic ability solidifies

Emma finished her patient notes and gave her report to the evening shift nurse before changing clothes and rushing to the garage. For once, she would be able to leave work on time. She thought back to days when she had to pull double shifts or when the chaos of the ER made it nearly impossible to finish her paperwork in a timely fashion. As she drove home, Emma called her husband.

“Are you working overtime again?” Paul asked with a laugh.

“No, for once I'll even have time to cook dinner,” Emma replied.

“Wow, that's rare,” Paul chuckled, knowing how often he had to work late at his law firm and rarely had time to finish his work before 5 pm. “Do you mind if I invite Steve over for dinner? He has an investment proposal and I'd rather discuss it at home than in the office.”

“Of course, darling,” Emma said with a bright, cheery tone. “Then I'll defrost the lasagna and take out the German cherry cake from the freezer that I picked up last week. It will give me time to tidy up before you arrive home.”

“That sounds perfect, sweetheart! We'll be home by six.”

On her way home, Emma couldn't resist stopping at a charming farmstand she passed by. She carefully selected fresh lettuce, crisp radishes, juicy tomatoes, and crunchy cucumbers to create a delicious salad.

As the food thawed, Emma tackled some light cleaning tasks around the house. She ran the vacuum over the carpets, dusted the surfaces, and even managed to squeeze in a quick shower before five o'clock rolled around. As she dried her hair, she tried to recall Steve's face. She had only met Paul's business manager once at a party nearly a year ago, and their exchange was brief and polite. Despite not knowing much about him, he seemed like a decent person and Paul had never said anything negative about him. The firm was successful and catered to affluent clients, a fact that Emma knew from casual conversations with her husband. Curiosity piqued as she wondered what kind of proposal Steve might have in store for them. Since their marriage three years ago, Emma made a conscious effort not to pry into Paul's work life and only knew snippets of information that he shared with her voluntarily.

Shortly after six, they arrived, but as soon as she looked at her husband’s face, Emma knew something was wrong. The slight frown on his handsome features was a rare display of emotion for him, but Emma had learned to read his subtle signs over the years. His tense posture and the way he shot a quick glance at their guest, Steve, told her that something was very wrong. She raised her eyebrows in question but remained quiet and followed Paul's lead as they ushered Steve into the living room.

Paul expertly mixed cocktails for them all, but Emma could sense the tension in the air. As they sat down, Paul turned to Steve with a calm yet controlled demeanor. “Before you tell me about your investment plans, let me ask you something,” he said in a low voice.

Emma watched with growing alarm as her husband's jaw tightened, signaling his underlying anger. She couldn't imagine what would come next. It must be something very serious. She thought. Otherwise, he would talk about business after dinner, as he usually does.

“Tell me about the two hundred thousand dollars,” Paul's voice rose slightly, revealing his true emotions towards their guest.

Steve's hand shook and he jolted in his seat, spilling a few drops of his drink onto his lap. His eyes widened in surprise as Paul confronted him about missing money.

“Why are you asking me?” Steve stammered, trying to compose himself.

“Because the accountant called me just before we left to ask about one of our bank accounts,” Paul explained. “He said he couldn't find the statement for the interest we had been paid on that account. I didn't want to cause a scene in the office, so I'm asking you now. Where is the money?”

“I had nothing to do with it!” Steve exclaimed, his face turning red with anger as he stood up. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“Yes!” Paul fumed, his frustration evident. “I checked with the bank, and they informed me that the account we had 210 thousand dollars in now only has eight thousand. What did you do with the missing money?”

“I… I’m leaving! You can’t just accuse me of something I didn’t do,” Steve mumbled, putting his glass on the coffee table.

“You’re not going anywhere until you answer my question!”

Paul's voice echoed through the room, loud and forceful as he jumped up to block Steve's path toward the door. Emma shrunk back into the far corner of the sofa, her heart racing as she watched them. Paul, usually calm and collected, now had a fiery rage burning in his eyes. She had never seen him like this before.

Steve looked like a cornered animal, his hands shaking, and his face twisted in fear. “Okay, I gamble, and I've been unlucky the past three months! I'm an addict. I'm sick!” he screamed; desperation evident in his voice. “I'll pay it back, just give me a chance.”

Paul's voice cracked with pain as he spoke. “How could you do this? I trusted you!”

“I'm so sorry! You have to understand. It's a disease!” Steve pleaded, tears streaming down his face.

But Paul was unfazed. “You played your card, now you suffer the consequences. You're fired!” He stepped aside to let Steve pass. “And you’ll have to pay back the money you stole,” Paul said coldly.

Panic set in for Steve as he realized what that meant. Desperation swept over him as he begged, “You can't! Please, you can't do this to me.”

Paul's face hardened, his once friendly features now twisted into a cold, angry mask. “You did this to yourself. Now get out of my house!”

Steve recoiled at the sharpness in Paul's voice, feeling a surge of pain and anger bubbling up inside him. He looked into Paul's eyes, but all he could see was disappointment and hurt. With drooping shoulders and a defeated expression, he turned and made his way to the door, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the tense silence between them.

“I trusted him,” Paul whispered when the door closed behind Steve, his voice hoarse and heavy with emotion. He slumped down beside Emma, his shoulders shaking with the weight of betrayal.

Continue reading the story in the book:

https://books2read.com/u/m27NQd

What if you think the known world isn’t strange enough? Embark on a journey that pushes the boundaries, challenges your perception, and questions reason, logic, and established beliefs.