Ashley's Arc

Chapter 1 of 1

Ashley stared at the phone in her hand, heart racing. Someone had just offered her the slot at tonight's culinary showcase — the one every chef in Haven land wanted. But her prep station stood empty. No dish ready. No idea she trusted enough to send out under her name. She yanked open her storage cooler and found the roots she'd meant to practice with last week. Purple, twisted things she barely remembered buying. Two hours later, she stood over a makeshift wooden bowl filled with steaming purple liquid. The roots bobbed to the surface, their faces almost mocking her. This wasn't fire or smoke or citrus. This wasn't the dish that would burn itself into someone's memory forever. But the phone rang again, and Ashley grabbed the bowl. She had a slot to fill, even if the dish filling it wasn't hers.