MadlynLee

Joined May 2025

13 stories

Stories (13)

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I Found A Career In Special Effects Makeup!!!
Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to be. I tried acting classes, but I didn't like the crowds. I tried to get into writing, but I couldn’t come up with a story to save my life. And I tried painting, but all my drawings turned out abstract, to say the least. Until one day, after a long day of doing A levels, in which I had no interest, I turned on the TV to wind down and get my mind off my future and put on a new show I had never heard of before, called Glow Up.
By MadlynLee4 days ago in Journal
A Journey Through Marketing
In the corner of a bustling London agency, Maya sat staring at a spreadsheet that felt like a tombstone for her creativity. She was a Junior Marketing Associate at a successful SEO agency in Manchester, and her days were spent “optimising” boring banner ads for a legacy soap brand that had used the same beige-and-blue colour palette since the 1990s.
By MadlynLee5 days ago in Motivation
The Power Of Overcoming Psychological Trauma
The silence in Elena’s apartment wasn’t the peaceful kind; it was a heavy, suffocating weight. For three years, her home had been a fortress of shadows, the windows rarely opened, and the door locked with a triple-turn of the key.
By MadlynLee6 days ago in Confessions
Suspended
As the clock struck As the clock struck 5:30 pm, Danny was straight out of his seat and heading home. It was the end of another long, soulless day at work in which the highlight was getting a Subway deal at lunch. While waiting for the lift, he started to scroll on his phone, but it wasn’t connecting to the internet. Without thinking anymore of it he put his phone back in his pocket and got into the lift alongside three others who were already in there. The lift started moving as normal before shaking a couple of times and then grinding to a halt between floors 13 and 14. He wasn’t overly concerned, but one of the other passengers appeared to be panicking, wanting to try and help. He asked if she was ok and found out she suffered from claustrophobia. Another passenger pressed the alarm button to try and get through to the lift maintenance team to alert them to the situation, but there was no response, just a faint crackling noise coming from the tinny speaker.
By MadlynLeeabout a month ago in Writers
The Last Space On Drury Lane
Once I turned onto Drury Lane, London had already decided what to do with its evening. The theatres were emptying as the sun was setting, with articulate individuals coming out in dribs and drabs as each show closed its curtains, and taxis pulling up and leaving like a plane at an airport. The scene was well and truly set in London, with the fresh smell of rain and fast-food takeaways. The only issue is that I wasn’t meant to be here, on the road, letting the pedestrians cross over to get to their taxi. I should’ve been getting into the city via train, but like always, they were cancelled. A busy environment that you wouldn’t wish upon your worst enemy, especially on a Friday night.
By MadlynLee2 months ago in Writers
Beyond the Pain: Elara's Final Mile
Elara stood in the starting chute of the National Championship Final, the atmosphere thick with pressure. Two years of sacrifice, every early morning, every painful blister healed and opened back up, had culminated in this 5k. Her sole focus was the gun and her fierce command; it was either the top three or it wasn't worth competing. Today was the day to bring her A Game.
By MadlynLee2 months ago in Motivation
Journal Entry: The Art Of Shopping
October 31st Shopping, I’ve realised, is never just about buying things. It’s about moods, memories, and the subtle ways we try to bring comfort or excitement into our lives. Today, I went shopping for what I told myself were “necessities”: groceries, a few household items, and maybe a sweater for the colder days ahead. But deep down, I knew it was more than that. It was about getting out, moving through the noise of people and lights, and feeling, for a few hours, like part of the world again.
By MadlynLee3 months ago in Journal
The Missing Link
The instant I felt the smooth, cold space above my collarbone, a sharp, cold panic seized my gut. My fingers flew up to confirm the horrifying truth: the small, weightless silver chain was gone.
By MadlynLee3 months ago in Journal
A Leeds Shopping Adventure
The rain, a constant, fine drizzle, seemed to be a permanent fixture of the Leeds sky. It was the kind of grey that seeped into your bones and made the promise of a warm, brightly lit interior feel like pure salvation. Amelia clutched her worn tote bag, its contents a testament to her afternoon’s mission: a half-eaten Greggs sausage roll and a flimsy, damp receipt. She was on a quest, a very specific and, so far, entirely fruitless quest.
By MadlynLee4 months ago in Fiction
Gravesend Grandma Loses Fingers After Sepsis
A former carer from Gravesend has issued a stark warning about the life-threatening condition of sepsis after a harrowing ordeal that saw her lose five fingers and the tips of all her toes. Shirley Bartram's story is a reminder of how quickly the body's response to an infection can turn deadly, and how quickly the signs are spotted and treated by a medical professional is crucial for preventing infection.
By MadlynLee4 months ago in Families
September 9th, 2025 - A Makeup Journey Day
I remember the first time I wore makeup, a caked-on foundation that was three shades too dark for my skin and dark brown chunky block eyebrows over my blonde, undefined hair. My best friend and I had spent hours in her bathroom, giggling as we applied it, convinced we looked like grown-up movie stars, and to be honest, it was her idea. Some may say it was a bad influence, and looking back, I would agree. The foundation was so thick it felt like a second skin, which isn’t a surprise; it was a £5 Superdrug one, and I remember the distinct, slightly chalky scent of it, but it was still a fan favourite for about 3 years. I never used to wear any other makeup, so I would look orange with no lips in sight and dark brows and blue eyes, which is hilarious to me now. My mum is a brutally honest woman; therefore, she hated every moment of this phase, most likely because it resulted in my snooping in her drawers for other makeup bits for me to steal, damage or use. I didn't get it at the time, but now I know she was trying to keep a straight face while looking at her daughter, who had just applied clown makeup for the first time.
By MadlynLee5 months ago in Journal
I Don't Like What I See: September 14th
That’s a beautiful and powerful piece of writing. The internal conflict is so relatable, and the ending offers a really hopeful message. I can certainly add another 300 words, expanding on the themes you've introduced and building on that sense of new self-acceptance.
By MadlynLee5 months ago in Journal