Stories

“Most of us stumble upon our purpose later in life, but you have to have one if you want your time here to make sense. Imagine trying to make a cake by adding random ingredients into the mix, just because you have them: there isn't a single chance of it coming out edible. Your life works the same way, you have a cupboard full of ingredients and you have to select the ones that aid you in your purpose in order to make it happe...

Those people who entered our happiness and burned it to the ground never really did anything to us: they didn’t rob us of our vast fortune, they didn’t hurt our bodies, they didn’t force my brother to hate me.

All they did was to seep darkness into our lives, and they carry no blame for that in the eyes of the world. The rest of the damage, we volunteered.All you have to do in this life is guard the temple of your...

I don't believe in destiny, Lelia, nor do I believe in exceptional circumstances, obstacles impossible to overcome, or other people's power over my life. That is not to say that life is easy: some fights you don't win, but you have to fight them anyway, because this is the guiding principle for all those who have the audacity to chart their own future. The farther you get in achieving your goals, the harder you'll have to fight for...

“What is it exactly that you are trying to accomplish?" sister deAngelis asked one of the children, who had been moving the cookies from a plate to a basket, and then to a wire display, and was now preparing to move them again. "Sister Mary-Francis said we should find a display for these," the little boy replied, with his hair in disarray and a perplexed look in his eyes. He looked so much like Jimmy that sister deAngelis cou...

“Mom, why did you let Ael use my room? She never puts anything away!" Lelia complained to her somewhat distracted mother. Lily looked up. "Oh, this whole house has turned into ceremony headquarters, your room was the only quiet place left, she needed to finish a project," she explained. "What's wrong with her room?" Lelia protested. "Sys commandeered it for manufacturing last minute items," Lily explained. "Why can't she work...

“Don't tell me we have to redo all of these! This is the seventh time!" sister Mary-Francis cried out over the sea of lavender gauze that refused to drape itself as planned. "The pleats should fold in the other direction and the folds are two small, try to imagine this in the actual setting," Lily pointed out the objectionable items on the punch list. "You said six inches wide, they are six inches wide!" the sister protested....

“You didn't find any other place for this?" sister Jove asked the group of children who had dropped a basket of cookies on her desk and were getting ready to leave. "Oh, no, sister Jove, these are for you!" a cheerful seven year old clarified, grinning from ear to ear to reveal the gap that took the place of her front upper teeth. She had lost her baby teeth the week before and she was brimming with pride about it. She couldn...

“How can you not care about this, it's our daughter's greatest life event, don't tell me not to be worried!" Lily paced, tense. "Everything is going to be fine, why are you so agitated? All the preparations are well on their way, and even if they weren't, it's not like we can't change them if need be. Stop fretting, you're upsetting Lelia," Humon made an attempt to pacify her, but he knew his wife too well to get his hopes up...

“Have you finished writing your letter, dear?" sister Therese showed up on Roberta's doorstep, at the end of a long door to door pilgrimage during which none of the sisters were forgotten. Therese already had a stack of letters in her hand, which proved her dedication to encouraging the others to complete their writing. Sister Novis had whispered to Roberta through the interlink that Therese sat her down and didn't leave her ...

“The approved list for the flower arrangements reads as follows: lilacs, French lavender, and water lilies," Lily announced, excited. "Aren't we lucky Sys can make this stuff up at the last minute? Who asks for lilacs in an equatorial climate?" sister Novis mumbled, slightly annoyed. "They fit into the lavender theme," Lily tried to explain. "Yes, I got that from the draping, the light show and the purple bunnies sister Josep...

“Where are the feeding schedules for the dragons?" sister Joseph boomed through the interlink. "I thought you were going to draw them up, you said you didn't trust us to do them properly," sister Felix defended herself. "What do we need you for, then, if I have to do everything myself?" sister Joseph said. "Sister, please tone it down," Seth intervened. "At least I can do my job!" sister Joseph snapped back. "Since when is pu...

“What are you doing?" Seth asked Sarah, startling her. "Recording the atmospheric readings," the redhead replied, without turning her head. "Really?" Seth asked, and Sarah could feel the smile that came with the question, without seeing it. "Why is this surprising? You know I always record the atmospheric readings at this time of day?" Sarah asked, finally turning around. "I don't know, I thought you'd have delegated this to ...

“What are you doing?" Seth asked, staring in disbelief at sister Felix, who apparently spent several hours trying to put together a puzzle of sorts from left over pieces of gauze featuring every shade of purple, from lavender to violet. "If I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were putting together a quilt!" "I am," sister Felix replied, concentrating on the floral pattern she was working on. It featured several mixed posi...

“Sister Therese, can we count on you to perform at the joyous celebration? The wisps seem to be fascinated with music, especially vocal music. I often wonder if this isn’t the only reason they agreed to communicate with us. That and the immortals’ nagging, those Purple chatter boxes can talk you to death when they want something,” Lily asked, skipping the introductory chit-chat. “I was planning on it, ...

“Where are we going to host the science symposium? It has come to my attention that the wisps expect to spend some of their time here discussing multiverse physics with Purple."

Sarah lifted her head from her research to find herself face to face with Roberta. She didn't hear her come in, but that wasn't an unusual occurrence: her private office, the spacious one with its own VR room, covered lanai and garden was anything but...

“Sister, did you finish the table placement cards?" sister Jesse asked sister Benedict. "I thought you said you needed them Wednesday," sister Benedict replied. "Today is Wednesday." "Today is Monday." "I'm pretty sure it's Wednesday." Sister Benedict looked at her calendar. It said Monday. Sister Jesse looked at hers. It said Wednesday. "One of us must be losing her mind," sister Benedict mumbled. "And it surely isn't me," s...

“Sister Novis," Lelia whispered, so softly that Novis, who had just returned from a rock climbing expedition and was struggling to put away her gear on a high shelf, almost didn't hear her. "Oh, sweetie, I didn't expect to see you here, I thought your mother kept you busy with the preparations for the ceremony, your input is very important, you know!" the sister said, cheerfully. "Not as much as you think. Bonding ceremonies ...

“Places, please!" Lily spoke, a little sharper than she wished. She had shouted directions to staff, friends and caterers all day, and her voice was giving out a little. "Sister Joseph, you will lead the procession, followed by sister Novis and Sarah, then Seth will bring the rest of the group from the left side of the podium. Sys, queue music," she instructed. A soothing melody poured on the beach, making Purple hum, delight...