Life is Not a Straight Path A heartfelt story about a young immigrant girl named Veronica who moves from Mexico to the United States and faces cultural challenges, loneliness, and loss. Through friendship, courage, and resilience, she discovers her strength, finds belonging, and eventually returns home to rebuild her life with hope and purpose. Veronica and her family came from Mexico with hopes of finding a better life in the United States. Their small hometown was filled with memories, family traditions, and a strong sense of community. Leaving all that behind was not easy. They carried only a few suitcases, some treasured family rituals, and the hope that someday their sacrifices would be worth it. Veronica was still young when they arrived, but she understood English a little better than her parents. Because of that, she became the family’s bridge to the new world. She answered important phone calls, spoke to teachers, translated bills, and helped her parents understand lette...
The Night in the Dark When a simple movie run turns into a chilling encounter with the unexpected… will Sam ever feel safe again? Sam had only planned a quiet night in. The plan was simple—rent a couple of new movies from RedBox and enjoy them with some popcorn. But the night had other ideas. It was late when he stepped out. The streets were unusually quiet, and the wind whispered through the trees like a warning. The dim streetlights flickered above, barely lighting his path. He walked with his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, trying to shake off the uneasiness creeping into his chest. The barking of distant dogs made the silence feel even more threatening. Suddenly, Sam’s shoe slipped off. Muttering under his breath, he bent down to put it back on. That’s when it happened—his foot brushed against something cold and thick. He froze. The dim light didn’t help, so he pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight. There, slithering quietly through the grass beside him, was a ...