“Then how do I fix this?”
“This thing ,” she said, clutching a photo of the boy, “it knew about my rule. About only solving hard problems. But it’s a trap. My power can’t handle what’s easy .”
“You don’t. You embrace the easy. For once, pretend not to care. Let the problem find you.”
I can set the story in a similar world to Estep's, maybe a supernatural academy or a modern-day setting with magical elements. The main character should be relatable, perhaps a young woman dealing with her unique ability to solve problems. The story could involve a mystery or a villain that only the protagonist can handle, using her specific skillset. Only Hard Problems by Jennifer Estep -ePub-
By Jennifer Estep (A fictional work inspired by the author’s signature dark fantasy style) Prologue: The Impossibility of Easy
For most people, the world was full of problems—small, manageable ones. But for Lila Thorne, the only problems worth solving were the hard ones. Easy issues didn’t faze her. A broken zipper? Boring. A math test? A nap. But when a curse took down half the city, or a ghost demanded a sacrifice, her gift kicked in with a snap of lightning and a crack of thunder.
Back at the laundromat, Lila let the shadow taunt her. It lunged—faster than a ghost should be able to move. She sidestepped, uncharacteristically unimpressed. “Then how do I fix this
Lila’s power surged—the kind she’d only used once before. Her skin glowed with electric blue, and the ground cracked as her strength activated. But this time, the power fizzled.
A Note from the Author If you’ve read this, you’ve survived a story where the rules didn’t break, they just… bent. If you liked this twisted take on struggle and strength, check back next time—for me, only easy problems are next.
The client was older, with silver hair and a voice like gravel. “They call me Mama Sorel. I need you to find my son. He vanished two weeks ago. The police think he ran off, but his shadow didn’t move with him.” She gestured to the shape pooling at her feet. “This one’s been hunting him. I think it wants to kill me next.” My power can’t handle what’s easy
The easy problems—the small, quiet ones—had been there all along. They just needed someone crazy enough to solve them.
“Boring,” she said, tossing a lighter at it.
The shadow led her to the Marais district, where the air smelled of rotten magnolias. Lila tracked it to an abandoned laundromat, its dryers whirring like possessed organs. Inside, a hooded figure waited—her son?
Lila’s mentor, Felix, a voodoo priest with a penchant for sarcasm and too many tattoos, leaned over her desk. “What’s wrong, sugar? Losin’ your touch?”
“I’ll take the job,” she said. “But you’ll need to double the deposit.”