Short stories

Maura Aliva-Bell

Once upon a time, in the sprawling Aliva-Bell mansion, nestled between the emerald hills of Ireland and the sun-kissed beaches of Spain, lived a girl named Maura. She was the middle child in a family of ten siblings, each with their own quirks and personalities. Maura's life was a whirlwind of chaos, laughter, and sibling rivalries.

With her brown copper hair, pale skin, and light green eyes, Maura blended seamlessly with her siblings. The other kids at their exclusive private school often mistook them for one another, which annoyed them to no end. But Maura had bigger concerns than mistaken identities. She was a 14-year-old freshman, navigating the treacherous waters of high school while juggling the responsibilities of being part of a large, boisterous family.

The Aliva-Bell siblings were a colorful bunch:

- Ander (19) and Inaki (17)were the natural leaders, always strategizing and plotting their next adventure.
- Lena (18) and Diana (16)were the fashion divas, turning heads wherever they went.
- Tiago (15) and Serefina (13) were both prodigies, acing their studies effortlessly.
- Leo (12) and Mikel (10) were the mischievous pranksters, forever hatching elaborate schemes.
- Alma (11) and Ciara (9) were the innocent little girls, their laughter echoing through the mansion's grand halls.

Maura, caught in the middle, wasn't old enough to be one of the older kids or young enough to be a little one. She daydreamed in class about being an only child, with parents who were home most of the time. But her reality was far from that idyllic vision.

Their parents, globe-trotting adventurers, were rarely around. Nannies came and went, but Maura longed for a moment of solitude. The mansion echoed with sibling banter, homework sessions, and the occasional pillow fight. Maura's room became her sanctuary—a place where she could escape the chaos, even if just for a few stolen minutes.

Two years later, as junior year rolled around, their parents returned from a year-long vacation. They dropped off a baby girl named Alby, before embarking on yet another adventure. Alby's arrival disrupted the delicate balance. She was ten years younger than Ciara, the youngest of the original ten.

But Alby was different. Her tan skin, strawberry blonde hair, and brown eyes set her apart from the rest. Maura's heart twisted. Alby didn't deserve to grow up in the whirlwind they called home. Something snapped inside Maura—the realization that Alba's childhood could be different.

In a moment of courage, Maura grabbed the phone and dialed Child Protective Services. The next morning, they arrived, their stern expressions mirroring the fear in her siblings' eyes. The Aliva-Bell family was torn apart, each child placed in a different foster home. The once-bustling mansion fell silent.

Phone calls became their lifeline. Maura missed her siblings—their laughter, their bickering, their shared secrets. But they were scattered across the city, adapting to new lives. The pain of separation gnawed at her, yet she held onto hope.

Ten years passed. The mansion stood empty, a relic of their past. Their parents had died on an adventure, leaving the property to the ten siblings. And so, they reunited—the Aliva-Bell clan—under the same roof once more. Alby, now grown, had no memory of the house, but she felt the invisible threads connecting her to these strangers who were family.

As they stood together in the grand foyer, Maura looked around. The echoes of their childhood laughter seemed to reverberate through the walls. Alby, with her unique features, smiled tentatively. The Aliva-Bell saga continued, rewritten by time and circumstance, but still bound by love and shared memories.

And in that moment, Maura realized that perhaps chaos and love were two sides of the same coin—the legacy of a family that defied convention and embraced the extraordinary.