820 Results with the "Fiction" genre


    • Chapter II — First Lessons in the Art of Instruction Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter II – First Lessons in the Art of Instruction begins with Agnes Grey stepping into her new role under a heavy September sky that reflects the uncertainty she feels within. Though eager to begin her duties, she cannot ignore the unease of being truly independent for the first time. The Bloomfield estate is large and quiet, and its elegance offers little comfort to someone arriving alone. Mrs. Bloomfield greets her with reserve, offering no warmth beyond formal courtesy. Agnes, still recovering from…
      Fiction • Novel
    • Chapter I: The Coming Of Lad Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I: The Coming of Lad begins at a moment when the tranquility of Hampton is unraveling. A string of burglaries—some carried out with precision, others clumsily—has left the once-peaceful village tense and wary. The residents respond in predictable ways: locking doors that had always remained open, fitting latches where none were needed before, and whispering about shadows and strangers. At the Place, a thirty-acre stretch of forest and meadow, the unease feels sharper. Its isolation, once its…
    • CHAPTER I — Thuvia, Maid of Mars Cover
      by LovelyMay CHAPTER I – Thuvia, Maid of Mars begins amidst the lush splendor of Ptarth’s royal gardens, where the atmosphere is thick with unspoken tension and looming political consequence. Thuvia, princess of Ptarth, stands firm against Astok, Prince of Dusar, who, emboldened by his station, attempts to claim more than polite affection. Her rejection is immediate and fiery—an assertive reminder that status does not entitle desire. When Astok presses further with a forceful gesture, Thuvia's cry for help…
    • Chapter I — The woman in the Alcove Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I – The woman in the Alcove opens on a glittering evening in New York, where elegance and excitement fill every corner of a grand ballroom. The narrator, though self-described as plain and unremarkable, finds herself unexpectedly swept into a moment of personal joy and disbelief. Her life, long focused on the quiet care of others in the field of nursing, takes a sudden turn when Anson Durand, a man of social polish and charm, confesses his love. His proposal, made in the calm intimacy of a…
    • Chapter I — The Witchand Other Stories Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I begins with a quiet but heavy journey as Nikolay Tchikildyeev returns to his childhood village of Zhukovo, no longer the man full of ambition he once was. Once a waiter in Moscow, he is now frail and financially defeated, clinging to a thin hope that the village may offer healing or, at least, shelter. With his wife, Olga, and their daughter, Sasha, beside him, the scene they encounter is bleak—crumbling buildings, barefoot children, and a home stripped of dignity. The interior is dark,…
    • Chapter I — The witch and other Stories Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I presents the village of Ukleevo as both humble and harsh, shaped by its environment and the quiet decline of rural traditions. The land is drained by fever and the smoke of small industries that barely lift the people above subsistence. Local legends revolve not around greatness, but around oddities, such as the tale of a deacon who once overindulged in caviare at a funeral—humorous yet symbolic of how even minor events mark the town’s memory. This story, passed around in whispers, becomes…
    • Chapter I — The Parsonage Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I – The Parsonage opens with Agnes Grey humbly questioning whether the account of her life could offer value to others, though she holds a quiet hope that beneath the ordinary surface lies something meaningful. She compares her story to a nut with a tough exterior—perhaps not appealing, but possibly nourishing to those willing to look deeper. Born to a gentle country clergyman and a spirited woman who gave up her wealth and status to marry for love, Agnes grew up in a home where contentment was…
      Fiction • Novel
    • by LovelyMay Chapter I – The Derelict begins with Link Ferris caught between the glow of temporary friendships and the gnawing responsibility he forgot to keep. What had started as a cheerful evening of camaraderie with two well-meaning strangers had soured into frustration when Link realized that the store, where he was supposed to cash his market check, had already closed. His fogged mind sharpened quickly at the weight of that error, and beneath the warmth of whisky and friendly laughter came the chill of failure.…
    • Chapter I — The Circus Boys on the Mississippi Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I opens with a glimpse into the bustling energy of circus life, where every day brings new performances and complex relationships. As Teddy Tucker and Phil Forrest prepare for their roles under the big top, the mood shifts with the arrival of Diaz, a new clown whose fiery temperament stirs tension. Phil notices the icy look Diaz throws at Teddy during a show and confronts his friend about it afterward. Teddy, with his usual mix of defiance and humor, admits to having disrupted Diaz’s act by…
    • Chapter I — Frivolous Cupid Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter I begins with Harry Sterling’s return to Natterley, where he is no longer the gangly schoolboy the townspeople once knew. He now moves with the quiet confidence of youth on the cusp of adulthood. A cigarette rests between his lips—not smoked with bravado, but with the casualness of someone aware of the image he projects. At the lawn-tennis club, reactions to him vary. Young men nod in quiet approval, while younger boys look on with admiration laced with envy. The girls—older and…
    Note