The Goldilocks Zone: A Short Story: Your Mother's Nightmares

By Anitha Krishnan

Newly suburban mother, Sonia, yearns for the support of a community to raise her almost three-year-old son, Aarash. But she discovers, to her great disappointment, that her new neighbourhood is filled with far too many gestures of polite friendliness but no real friendship.

Until one day a bike accident transports them into a parallel world that promises her the perfect community she has been longing for.

But being part of a community means her child will no longer be only hers. Will she be willing to make such a sacrifice?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dream Pedlar Books
• Release date: Jun 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9781998472062

Book preview

The Goldilocks Zone

THE GOLDILOCKS ZONE

A SHORT STORY

INCLUDED IN ‘YOUR MOTHER’S NIGHTMARES’, A COLLECTION OF SIX TROUBLING TALES

ANITHA KRISHNAN

DREAM PEDLAR BOOKS

Copyright © 2024 by Anitha Krishnan

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-998472-06-2

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-998472-07-9

Cover stock image ‘Bear family on moonlit night. Endangered animal. Death and afterlife’ by arvitalyaa on Depositphotos; Standard License purchased on 21 June 2024

Vellum flower icon Created with Vellum

For Dhruv,

the greatest miracle in my life.

Thank you for showing me the difference between loneliness and solitude. It is from you that I’ve learnt to summon the courage to transcend one and embrace the other.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

The Goldilocks Zone

Newly suburban mother, Sonia, yearns for the support of a community to raise her almost three-year-old son, Aarash.

But she discovers, to her great disappointment, that her new neighbourhood is filled with far too many gestures of polite friendliness but no real friendship.

Until one day a bike accident transports them into a parallel world that promises her the perfect community she has been longing for.

But being part of a community means her child will no longer be only hers. Will she be willing to make such a sacrifice?

CONTENTS

Before we begin

The Goldilocks Zone

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Enjoyed The Goldilocks Zone?

Author’s Note

More Books by Anitha Krishnan

About the Author

BEFORE WE BEGIN

Dear Reader,

Motherhood, or even parenting in general, is one of those life experiences that are almost universal yet remarkably unique to each one of us.

Everyone’s parenting journey is vastly different. What works for one parent/family may simply not work for another.

My own