When I placed a cheerful little gnome on my lawn, I had no idea it would start a full-on war with my neighbor Josh—the grumpiest, most superstition-obsessed man on the block. But the moment he gave me that angry glare and muttered a threat, I knew the line had been drawn—right between my blooming rose bushes and his perfectly trimmed hedges. It was a quiet, golden morning. The sun was just waking up, and the soft grass was still wet from the night’s dew. I walked barefoot across the lawn,

Everyone at school loved Mr. Mitchels. He was the gentle, kind teacher who always smiled and never raised his voice. Parents trusted him completely. Kids felt safe around him. But that trust cracked the day little Ellie handed her mom a drawing—with a mystery figure labeled “Uncle.” Prue, Ellie’s mom, stared at the paper, frozen. Her heart dropped. Uncle? Ellie didn’t have an uncle. So who was the man in her drawing? And why was he a secret? — A few days later, Prue sat in a tiny chair in

The morning sun streamed softly through the cracked kitchen blinds, casting warm golden stripes across the small, cozy room. Gektor sat quietly at the wooden table, holding his coffee cup with a shaky hand. His fingers trembled slightly — the years were catching up to him, and his body was no longer as strong as it once was. The old house creaked and groaned, just like Gektor’s knees when he tried to stand up. But this house was more than just wood and nails. It was home—the home he had