✨ WHEN FREEDOM SPOKEN - Episode 1✨
The Cage
Written by EDWARD
She was loved.
She was protected.
She was… trapped.
At nineteen, Elora had everything a good daughter should have—
rules, routines, and a life carefully designed by others.
But behind spotless curtains and "useful" books,
her heart ached for a world she was never allowed to touch.
Freedom wasn't calling softly anymore.
It was screaming.
And before the sun rose,
Elora would make a choice that would change everything.
Some cages are made of iron.
Others are built with love.
The Cage
The sun had barely reached its peak, yet the heat of summer had already wrapped the little town in its heavy embrace. From the narrow window of her bedroom, Elora watched the branches of the old orange tree sway gently in the breeze. The fruits hung ripe and glowing, their bright skins catching the light like small suns. Outside, the world looked alive—free, restless, unafraid.
Inside, Elora felt anything but.
Her room was spotless, almost painfully so. The bed was neatly made, the pillows aligned with precision. The cream-colored curtains were drawn halfway, just as her mother preferred—enough light to see, but never enough to feel wild or uncontained. On her desk lay a carefully stacked pile of books her mother had chosen for her: textbooks, self-help guides, and religious manuals. Useful books, her mother always said. Not the novels Elora secretly loved, the ones that spoke of adventure, risk, and lives lived boldly.
She sat on the edge of her bed, barefoot, tracing invisible patterns on the tiled floor. Nineteen years old. That thought echoed in her mind like a quiet rebellion. Nineteen, yet her life still felt like it belonged to someone else.
"Elora!" her mother's voice rang sharply from downstairs. "Don't forget to iron your white blouse for Sunday. And no staying up late tonight!"
Elora sighed, her shoulders drooping. "Yes, Mom," she replied, though the words felt heavy in her mouth.
Her mother, Leo, was not cruel. In fact, she loved Elora fiercely—too fiercely. Every rule, every warning, every restriction was born from fear disguised as care. The world was dangerous, Leo believed, and her daughter was far too precious to be exposed to its cruelty. Parties were forbidden. Traveling alone was out of the question. Even friendships were carefully monitored.
Her father, Paul, was gentler, quieter. He often tried to soften Leo's strictness, but he rarely challenged her outright. Peace in the home mattered to him, even if it meant silence.
And so Elora grew up protected, provided for, and painfully confined.
That afternoon, she lay back on her bed, staring at the slow-spinning ceiling fan. Its steady hum filled the room, matching the rhythm of her thoughts. What am I still doing here? she wondered. I'm a grown young lady—above eighteen. I should be making my own choices. Living my own life.
The thought scared her, yet thrilled her at the same time.
She imagined herself walking freely through unfamiliar streets, meeting new people, discovering who she was beyond the walls of her parents' home. The image made her heart race. For the first time, the idea of leaving didn't feel like disobedience—it felt like survival.
As evening fell and shadows crept into the corners of her room, Elora sat up, her resolve slowly hardening. She wasn't running away because she hated her parents. She was leaving because she loved herself enough to want more.
That night, as the house settled into silence and the moonlight spilled softly across her floor, Elora packed her small suitcase. Each folded dress, each tucked-away item, felt like a step toward something unknown. Fear sat heavy in her chest, but beneath it was something stronger—determination.
Tomorrow, before the first bird sang and before the sun rose, she would leave.
And the cage she had lived in all her life would finally be behind her.
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