The Fire Beneath Her Words

Rhea always believed in the kindness of beginnings.

A soft “Hi.”
A gentle smile.
A message came with warmth, like sunlight through a morning curtain.

She cherished those moments. Not just as a writer, but as someone who thought the world needed more softness. So when the message arrived, full of praise and curiosity about her work, Rhea replied with joy.

They talked about stories.
About characters who felt too real.
About emotions that spilled onto the page like ink from a bruised heart.

It was beautiful until it wasn’t.

One day, without warning, the warmth turned cold. The messages snapped like dry twigs. The questions twisted into accusations. Harsh words flew toward Rhea and her family�"names and judgments that stung like icy rain.

Rhea stared at her screen, frozen.

She hadn’t said anything wrong.
She hadn’t insulted, provoked, or mocked.
She had simply shared her stories, her truth.

But that’s the thing with people, she realized.
Sometimes they carry storms inside them.
When they can’t contain it, they look for skies to thunder on, even if the sky is only holding stars.

Rhea felt the burn in her chest�"the ache of being misunderstood and the anger of being wrongly accused.

For a moment, she wanted to shut her laptop.
Close the document.
Delete the story.

But then she remembered�"

She was never writing for them.

She wrote for the girl she used to be.
For the one who escaped through fairy tales.
For the one who stitched her pain into paragraphs.
For the quiet ones who read in shadows, waiting to feel seen.

So Rhea opened a new page.
She titled it with her truth.
She poured every ounce of confusion, betrayal, and resilience into her words�"not to prove anyone wrong, but to reclaim her voice.

This wasn’t just a story.
It was her shield.
Her sword.
Her spark.

Because when the world tries to silence you with its storms, the bravest thing you can do is keep burning.

And Rhea did.

Author's Note

This is not just a story. This is reality.

Please understand that writers put their time, emotion, and truth into their words. We don’t deserve to be targeted or attacked because someone is having a bad day or dealing with personal frustration.

If you don’t like what someone has written, you can scroll past it. You cannot insult them. You cannot involve their family. You cannot make accusations that have nothing to do with their story or their life.

This platform is meant to share ideas, creativity, and expression. It’s not a place to vent your anger on people who have done nothing to you, especially those who have shown you respect from the beginning.

So please: be kind. Be mindful. And if you can’t do that, at the very least, be silent.

Writers are human too. Our families are off limits. Our stories deserve space, not shame.

Let’s all learn to disagree without being disrespectful.

Reviews

[Soren]

Lovely, being oneself is one of the bravest things to do. A wonderful write

[Neha agrawal]

True lines soren, i agree with you and thank you for the review.

[Soren]

You are most welcome

[Samuel Dickens]

I agree with you completely. It's my belief that writers have the right to express themselves with great freedom, and shouldn't suffer abuse at the hands of those who don't like what they've written. Like you said, "just scroll past it".
This is the first of your writing I've read, and I must say I enjoy your original style. An example:
"Sometimes they carry storms inside them. When they can’t contain it, they look for skies to thunder on, even if the sky is only holding stars."

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you so much — that means a lot. I’m glad the words resonated with you and everyone has their own rights to express themselves without anyone telling them what to do.

[FlatDaddy]

Hey, Neha, you have a little cleanup to do on this one. No problem, I have had this same experience many times. Your Word program, whichever it is, when you type a couple of dashes (like --) then paste your finished piece into the WC ap for posting your work, it changes those dashes to �" . You just have to use "Manage Writing" and select that story, change the offensive �"s to -- again and voila! all is well!
Otherwise, good job! But I'll have to go back and read it again when I'm not distracted! ciao!
FD

[Neha agrawal]

Hey, thanks so much for the heads-up! I actually do know about the dash issue—sometimes I use them, and sometimes the system auto-generates them without me noticing. Definitely I will fix it.Really appreciate you pointing it out! 😊

[FlatDaddy]

They have been driving me NUTS! I use Libre Writer, 'cause I'm cheap and it's free.

[FlatDaddy]

I thought maybe that was where those weird characters came from.

[John the Baptist]

It sounds as though someone had a really bad online experience. The author's note explains what rational people can do if they encounter something online that offends them: Scroll down, don't get involved emotionally with some twisted person. The loss of peace is just not worth it.

[Neha agrawal]

So true. Some things online just aren’t worth losing your peace over. Scroll and protect your energy.

[Lorry]

We can only trust people online until we don't. Which sounds counter-productive but we cannot be in charge of someone else's mind, otlr our own some of the time.
People will think what they think no matter how many times they are told they are wrong.
Being kind seems like the bare minimum people should have while interacting with others, yet we know that much like the real world, the online world have people masking their real selves as it's all too easy to fool people in a world where you are unseen.
Be mindful, but hopefully not mistrustful.

[Neha agrawal]

True. Trust online is tricky—it’s easy to fake things when no one sees you. Kindness should be the default, but sadly, not everyone lives by that. Stay mindful, but don’t let it turn into constant suspicion. Balance matters.

[Kady R.]

Hiiii Nehaaa!!!

This poem really inspires me. I loved how you express that "she wrote for the girl she used to be." Sometimes in the sea of reviews its easy to forget the why, in starting to write. But the main character here was very focused very centered and channeled that negative reviews the engery from it into a new story. Well done for her!!!

Thanks for another wonderful write!!!🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰

--Kady

[Neha agrawal]

Aww thank you so much, Kady! 💖 That truly means a lot. You're right .it’s so easy to forget the “why,” but I’m glad she reminded us.

[Kady R.]

🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰

[emmajoygreen]

When it comes to reviews, surely the best way of receiving or giving is.. 'do unto others as you would have them do unto self' - that's not necessarily a religious conviction but a social courtesy. In the Cafe or elsewhere similar, being honest is merely a suggestion without sermonising helps not squashing a writer's confidence. Even professional editors know how to make a point without being unpleasant but instead ask for an exchange so that both sides can contribute opinions with respectful attitudes. As you so rightly and courteously suggest,

' So please: be kind. Be mindful. And if you can’t do that, at the very least, be silent.
Writers are human too. Our families are off limits. Our stories deserve space, not shame.
Let’s all learn to disagree without being disrespectful.'

Yours is first class advice. Many, many thanks for sharing , Neha Agrawal.

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you so much for your kind words! I truly believe we can grow so much more when feedback comes with kindness and mutual respect. Grateful for your thoughtful message—it means a lot. 💛

[DIVYA]

Hi Neha. This is a touching write. Yes, writers get bullied unfairly and its sad because they are a sensitive kind. But Rhea is brave and resilient and will rise from the proverbial ashes. Well written! I hope all is okay. I'm always a message away.

[Neha agrawal]

Don't worry everything is ok but people now a days they are not what we think. I know some people are suffering but that doesn't mean they have every right to say anything to anyone. But thank you for reading my poem and sharing your review. If I need I would love to message you and thanks for asking☺.

[DIVYA]

You're most welcome. :)

[Ms claws]

Neha agrawal, Hi (: I love the story you wrote and I'm sure Rhea did the correct thing in her response.

Can I add a little but? We are all human. None is perfect. No, not one.
Sometimes I know I communicate something I might later regret and sometimes I've forgotten who or where it is!
Just recently, I chastised a wonderful friend for a write...that later reads entirely different!
* I agree, we should sometimes stay silent. However, we are encouraged to voice our opinions here.
May we accept the good and let the rest "roll like water off a duck's back". (My mom used to say that. RIP.)

[Neha agrawal]

Thank you for your kind words. You're absolutely right none of us are perfect, and sometimes words come out wrong. It’s all part of being human. Let’s hold onto the good, forgive the rest, and keep moving forward like water off a duck’s back, just like your mom said. 💛