🕯️ I’m excited to share my newest fiction piece: Caged. This story is deeply personal in the way it explores family, sacrifice, motherhood, and the things we carry silently. Caged follows a grandmother through what begins as an ordinary day with her grandson. But as the day unfolds, she finds herself carrying more and more emotional weight while trying to remain strong for the people she loves. One of the things I wanted to explore was what happens when someone becomes so focused on caring for everyone else that they begin to lose themselves in the process. The monster in this story represents something much deeper than a physical presence. It represents the things we try to cage. The emotions we suppress. The pain we carry. The responsibilities we never put down. The parts of ourselves we keep hidden because everyone else needs us to be strong. ✍🏽 Writing this piece allowed me to explore how fiction can show what a character is experiencing without always saying it directly. I’m continuing to learn how to create characters who feel human, complicated, loving, flawed, and real. 📖 Read Caged on my Substack: 👉🏽 https://leylandthewriter.substack.com/p/caged?r=5pnsd4&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

If you read it, I’d love to know what you think. What do you think the “monster” represents? 👀 And if you enjoy fiction, storytelling, and following the journey of a writer developing their craft, consider subscribing to my Substack. 🕯️📚