Stories Untold

Short story about a common life turned uncommon, to be continued.

My stories may not be grand or full of splendor, they are common stories of common people living a common life. But no life is common to the one that lives it.


The ups and downs and ebbs and flows of one's life is the eternal ocean of learning. Every one of us is living our story for the first time and there is no manuscript on how it should go or what it will contain.


Normality is only shadows of predictable patterns. If you budge the light behind the curtain the shadows shift and it can throw you into complete darkness or blinding light. But in that instant what was normal is no longer and the shapes we knew so well are forever changed.





These books, these storming books were the only thing keeping Tia afloat, the only giving her a hope for a promising future. In these books she could escape to other worlds full of mystery, romance and intrigue. Unlike her own life she could read the last page of a book, to make sure it would have a good ending before she actually invested time and energy into it. "Who reads books with sad endings anyway, that is just a waste of time.." Tia thought. She picked up a book about a young boy and girl and began reading the summary.
"In that book he dies Tia" Tia's sister Rose warned.
They were in the library of their house looking through the stacks of books that had been collected over many years by their mother and older sister Ravea.
Tia made a disgusted look and frowned as she flopped the book down on the shelf. She was definitely not going to read that one. Who had time to waste being sad, especially over a book. Books were supposed to make you forget real life. In books, at least the ones worth reading, the mysteries were solved, justice was served and love always found the one searching for it.
Tia began to scan over the titles again, she needed a story about a girl in despair and a guy willing to risk everything to save her. That would be perfect, maybe throw in a little fight scene with him protecting her honor and, by George, that would be a book worth reading!
Finally she found one that looked promising, she opened the last page and read the last few sentences.

"He leaned down and seized her lips with his and pulled her close to him. In that moment they knew that nothing would ever come between them again. "I love you" he said as he kissed her cheek and wiped her tears away. She looked up at him "I love you more than I ever thought possible and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you." He picked her up as if she was as light as a feather and carried her into their house. The house he built, the house that lasted them their lifetime and their children's lifetime and the ages to come."

"Ah ha! This one will do nicely!" Tia thought, snapping the book shut. She walked to her room, shut the door, flopped down on her bed and proceeded to lose herself in the story for hours.


"Tia.......Tia........TIA!"


Tia jolted up from her bed, realizing mom was calling for her. She folded the corner of the page she was reading to mark her place and laid it on her bed then ran towards the stairs to see what her mom needed.
"Yes mom" Tia yelled as she flew up the stairs. Mom did not like it when it took long for them to respond when she called.
"I need you to help me make supper and clean up, dad is going to be home soon and the house is a wreck, where were you?" mom asked
Tia replied "I was reading in my room"
"Okay, well get out two onions and the 2 heads of cabbages and cut them up. Then empty the dishwasher and set the table. Once you're done with that, ask me if there is anything else to do" mom said as she was frying chopped bacon in a big pan on the stove top.
Tia hated chopping onions, she just wanted to go back to reading, but man that bacon smelled amazing.
Tia got out the cutting board and the large knife and began cutting up the onions. It didn't take long before the tears were streaming down her face and she could barely keep her eyes open. Unfortunately these tears were not because of love or joy and there was no handsome man wiping them away. It was just freaking onions. Have you ever chopped up an onion half blind with a big ole knife? It's scary!
Finally the onions were diced and she slid them into the pan with the frying bacon and gave it a good stir. The aroma of frying butter, bacon and onions was delicious. You know supper is going to be good when it smells like that.
Next was the cabbage, this was always a bit challenging to chop up. Tia stabbed it and then slammed the cabbage down on the counter to get the knife through the core. The knife was a little dull so it took a few more slams and whacks to get it cut in half. She cut the core out of each side and cut it up into small strips. She did the same thing with the second cabbage and then added that to the pan as well and gave it a good stir. Fried cabbage, was there anything better?
Next she opened the dishwasher, there were six kids in total so the dishwasher was always full to the brim. Tia needed some musical motivation to get this done so she turned on the Enya cd mom had in the kitchen. She just wanted to go read, instead she emptied the dishwasher and let the music take her to a different world full of amazing things, her imagination -


The world was ending, zombies were outside to get her. She could see them getting closer to the door. Quickly put the bowls in the cupboard and then duck down and grab the silverware and put them in the drawer in the correct order, stack the cups and place them in the cup cupboard. The only way we can survive is to put all the dishes away as fast as possible so we can hide and save the entire family from world war 3.


"Whew got that done just in time, no zombies getting us today." Tia chuckles as she closes the now empty dishwasher.


Next, set the table, "dadgummit" Tia thought "I should have left out the cups and plates from the dishwasher to set the table now I have to get them out again" She shakes her head.
First step, get a tablecloth. She goes to the linen closet and tries not to cause an avalanche of sheets, blankets and cloth as she retrieves a tablecloth from between two stacks. One blanket is a casualty to gravity but she stuffs it back in and shuts the door before it has a chance to fall out again. Rose would be the next linen closet victim.
Tia stretches out the tablecloth and settles it into place on the table then continues to set the plates first to mark the spots. Three on each side and one at each end, 8 the perfect number for her family. Next ,cups, she tries to have at least the three cups on either side be matching and then the ones on either end be matching as well. It is hard to have all 8 matching cups, especially with 6 kids, they are always getting broken, lost or otherwise damaged. She recalls Grant took one out to the creek the other day to "pan" for gold and Blaze had one out by his makeshift black smith set up where he filled it with molten aluminum.
Next forks and spoons. Forks on the left and spoons on the right, right? Or was it the other way around? Tia could never remember the correct order, the food ended up in the same spot regardless of where the spoon or fork was placed, so it doesn't really matter too much to her.
Time to stir the cabbage, add a little bit of balsamic vinegar and a few good shakes of salt and pepper to the pan and stir well, it's almost done. Mom adds sausages on top of the cabbage to steam while the cabbage is finishing cooking.
"Do you need help with anything else mom?" Tia askes, secretly hoping she says no so she can go back to reading.
No such luck....
Unfortunately mom says" Why don't you pick up the living room and sweep the kitchen and living room floors and by that time dad should be home for supper"
Tia stifles a groan and begins to pick up and put away things in the living room.
She is just finishing up sweeping when she looks out the window and sees an ambulance come down the lane.
No emergency though, dad is just test driving the vehicle he is working on. 6:00 pm on the dot, dads not home late tonight, mom will like that.
By that time mom is putting the pan with the cabbage and sausage on the table.
Tia hurriedly puts away the sweeper and makes the announcement that supper is ready and it's time to eat.
The house bursts alive with excitement as Tia's brothers Alexander, Blaze and Grant, who were playing video games down stairs, race up the stairs. Tias sisters Rose and Revae come in from outside, Revae was reading a book on the porch and Rose was riding the four-wheeler.
Dad comes inside and gives mom a kiss, Tia and all of the other kids are grossed out and yell "ewe stop it guys" , but mom and dad think it's funny. They love each other.
Tia and her sibling all bicker and laugh as they sit down at the table in their unassigned but assigned seats, everyone holds hands and dad says the blessing.

The story continues but the shadows are shifting.
.....to be continued