| Romance Fiction posted September 7, 2025 | Chapters: |
...6 7 -8- 9... 
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The Dangers of A Forbidden Love
A chapter in the book Yesterday's Dreams
By The Sea - The Prologue
by Begin Again
Sicily, 1944
Sophia's hands trembled as she carefully lifted the small wooden box from the worn table. Inside, the carved animals rested gently — the lion, fierce and proud; the bird, frozen mid-flight; the rabbit, delicate and small. Each one held a promise, a prayer wrapped in wood and memory. Her fingers lingered over them for a moment before she closed the lid with a soft click.
The quiet courtyard was alive with the soft footsteps of a child. Her daughter's wide, innocent eyes searched Sophia's face, full of questions too heavy for her small heart to bear. The afternoon sun painted long shadows across the stone walls, but Sophia could feel the darkness closing in.
From down the narrow street came the harsh, steady sound of boots striking stone — a heavy rhythm that grew louder with every passing second. Soldiers. Men with cold eyes and harsher orders, who answered only to the war and its cruel demands.
Her breath hitched. There was no time left. Her lover had vanished days before, pulled away by the front lines, leaving behind only a worn photograph and whispered promises to return. Now, all that remained was fear and a desperate need to protect her child.
A sharp pain pressed against her ribs, a reminder of the life she carried inside her. Two children to think of, though one could not yet be seen. The thought tightened her throat, but she forced it down. First, she had to save the one staring at her now.
"Be very brave," Sophia whispered, pressing a finger to her lips as she lifted the girl into her arms. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, each beat echoing the urgency of the moment. There was no time for goodbyes, no space for explanation.
With trembling hands, Sophia carried her daughter to the garden wall. She knelt beside the loose stones she had carefully prepared days ago, peeling them away to reveal a hollow space just large enough. Gently, she slipped the child inside and covered her with branches and leaves, weaving the small shelter into the earth as if to erase her presence altogether.
"Stay hidden," Sophia breathed, tears burning in her eyes. "I will find you again. I promise."
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door to the courtyard slammed open, breaking the fragile silence. The thunder of boots filled the space as soldiers poured in, their voices sharp and commanding. Rifles were raised, eyes scanning every corner, every shadow.
One soldier stepped forward and grabbed Sophia's arm with rough urgency. "Where is the child?" he demanded, his voice cold and relentless.
Sophia's gaze flickered toward the garden wall, then snapped back to meet the soldier's. Her breath caught in her throat, but she kept her lips sealed, unwilling to betray her hiding place.
They dragged her toward the waiting truck outside, the clatter of metal and engine noise swallowing the quiet courtyard. As she was pulled away, she stole one last look over her shoulder, eyes locking on the hidden refuge beneath the branches.
"My love lives with you," she whispered, her voice barely rising above the roar of the engine. "Be brave, always."
And then she was gone — taken into the shadowed chaos of war — leaving behind the daughter hidden in the wall, while another life stirred within her, a secret the world would one day uncover.
 Recognized |
By The Sea is the second in a series of four in the book Yesterday's Dreams. Thank you for continuing to follow and enjoy the stories.
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