perrywings

[perrywings]

My Journey to Escape the War in Gaza

My name is Abdelmajed. I never imagined I’d be sharing my story like this, but life in Gaza has become unbearable. I am a survivor of the war here, and in the blink of an eye, everything I once knew—my home, my safety, my community—was ripped away from me.

The war has transformed Gaza into a graveyard of broken dreams. The buildings that once stood as symbols of life and resilience are now piles of rubble. Every corner is filled with the echoes of explosions. Every moment is shrouded in uncertainty. There is no security. There is no stability. There is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Basic needs have become luxuries. Food is scarce. Clean water is even scarcer. Hospitals are overwhelmed and under-resourced, and there is almost no medical care to be found. Every night, families go to bed hungry, praying they’ll wake up to see another day. The cost of basic necessities has skyrocketed, and it’s become a daily battle just to survive.

I’ve seen things I never thought possible—standing in long lines for a piece of bread, rationing every drop of water, and watching my people suffer in silence. I have lost everything—my home, my safety, my dignity.

Escape from Gaza is my only hope, but it’s almost impossible without financial help. The cost of evacuation is far beyond my means, and without support, I’m trapped in a warzone with no way out.

I’m reaching out to you now, in the hopes that someone, anyone, can help. I am not asking for luxury. I am asking for a chance—just a chance—to live. A chance to escape this never-ending cycle of fear, destruction, and loss. A chance to rebuild my life somewhere safe, where I can begin again, where I can find hope once more.

Any amount you can give will help me get closer to safety. Even the smallest donation will make a difference—it could be the lifeline I need to survive. If you are unable to donate, please share my story. The more people who hear it, the better the chance that I can find the support I desperately need.

Your kindness and support mean the world to me. You’re not just helping me escape a war; you’re giving me a chance to live, to rebuild, to breathe again.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring.

Vetted by @gazavetters

[perrywings]

💬 Just a Small Update, and a Big Thank You

Dear friends, kind hearts, and everyone who has stood with us,

When I first opened my heart to the world and shared our story, I never imagined the amount of love and solidarity we would receive. Thanks to your incredible support, we’ve now reached $12,837—a milestone that brings real light to some very dark days.

From the deepest corners of my heart, thank you.

💔 A Journey of Loss, but Also of Strength

As many of you know, I’ve lost 25 of my loved ones during this devastating war. That grief lives with me every single day. It’s in the silence that once held laughter, in the empty spaces where we once gathered as a family.

But through your help, I’ve also felt something else: hope. And that hope is priceless.

“21/Oct/2023 Before It Reached Us: The Day Our Neighbor’s House Was Destroyed” A quiet moment of fear, filmed just before everything changed.

“22/Oct/2023 The Morning After: Our Family Home in Ruins” This is what was left behind after the bombing of our home.

🌿 What Life Looks Like for Us Now

Despite everything, we’re still here. Still surviving. Still hoping.

But things have only gotten harder.

The war has returned, more brutal than before—and for over a month now, Gaza has been completely sealed off. No food is coming in. No medical supplies. No aid. No trade. No one is allowed to leave, and no one is allowed to enter.

We’re trapped.

🏚 We live with the fear of tomorrow, every single day. Airstrikes, drones, and the uncertainty of what might happen next. 👨‍👩‍👧 Our family is forever changed—we haven’t just lost people; we’ve lost pieces of ourselves. 📉 Basic needs go unmet—even clean water feels like a luxury now. Medicines, if they exist at all, are unreachable.

And yet…

Your support reminds us that we’re not forgotten. It reminds us that someone, somewhere, is still listening. That someone still cares. That we’re not completely alone in this.

Every message. Every share. Every dollar. It tells us: You’re walking this road with us. And that gives us the strength to keep going.

💖 What You Can Do

If you’ve already donated—thank you beyond words. If you can share our story again, it could reach someone who can help.

Even $5 means warmth, comfort, and a chance to breathe a little easier.

✨ Why It All Matters

This isn’t just about reaching a fundraising goal. It’s about surviving war with dignity. It’s about believing in tomorrow. It’s about making sure my daughter grows up knowing that the world did not look away.

Thank you for your kindness, patience, and belief in our humanity. You’ve helped me find my voice—and I will use it to keep hope alive.

🙏 From the Heart: A Quiet Apology

There’s something I need to say—something that’s been on my heart for some time.

When I first began sharing our story, I didn’t know what the right way was. I was scared, grieving, and trying to protect my family in any way I could. I reached out to many people, hoping someone, anyone, would see us. In that process, I now realize I may have overstepped, and I might have made some feel overwhelmed.

If that happened, I am truly sorry.

Please believe me when I say it was never out of disregard or pushiness. It came from a place of fear—fear of being forgotten, fear of not being able to keep my family safe, fear of watching everything I love slip away in silence.

I’m learning as I go. I’ve slowed down. I’m more mindful now, trying to share our journey in a way that feels respectful of the space and hearts of those listening.

If my words ever came at the wrong time, or in the wrong way, I hope you can understand where they came from—and I hope you can forgive me.

Thank you for seeing past my mistakes. Thank you for still being here. It means more than I can ever explain.

Vetted by @gazavetters ( #309 )

With love and endless gratitude, Mosab and family ♥️

[perrywings]

Fic Update 7/26

Chapter 14: Mythology, of I Found An Island In Your Arms, Country In Your Eyes, has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/146810347

Summary: Will gets his first detention on a Hellfire Club day. Luckily, Gareth happens to have detention too, and sweet-talks Eddie into not punishing their characters for being late.

[perrywings]

Fic Update 7/19 (and others)

Chapter 13: Wheel, of I Found An Island In Your Arms, Country In Your Eyes, has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/146338690

Summary: After being ditched by Mike to go out with El, a bike crash leads to a chance encounter with Gareth. Will crashes a Corroded Coffin practice, and in the process gets to know the older Hellfire Club members better.

Naturally, the chapters between Chapter 5 and Chapter 13 were posted in the interim. I doubt think this is the case, but if you lost the story because you were following along with the Tumblr posts rather than on AO3 itself, here's the link to Chapter 6 to catch up: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145513837

[perrywings]

Fic Update 7/5 (and 7/4)

Chapter 5: Adaptable, of I Found An Island In Your Arms, Country In Your Eyes, has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145357078

Summary: Will tries to adapt to high school. El is clearly struggling.

Also, Chapter 3: Charm, and Chapter 4: Welcome, were posted yesterday 7/4.

Link Chapter 3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145287031#workskin

Link Chapter 4: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145301575#workskin

[perrywings]

feeling so many feelings about all of this

[perrywings]

Fic Update 7/2

Chapter 2: Hello, of I Found An Island In Your Arms, Country In Your Eyes, has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145190413

Summary: Will starts his freshman year of high school.

[perrywings]

Fic Release 7/1

Hey everyone,

I have started a new fic! It's a Stranger Things Greatwise (Will Byers/Gareth) fic called I Found An Island In Your Arms, Country In Your Eyes!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57062923/chapters/145124851

Synopsis: An AU where the Byerses did not go to California. Will joins Hellfire Club alongside Mike, Dustin, and Lucas. However, Will and Mike’s relationship still becomes strained and distant as Mike becomes more and more wrapped up in El. Will finds himself hanging out more with Dustin, the older Hellfire Club members, and surprisingly Steve and Robin. A specific metal drummer becomes particularly important to Will.

If you want to read a Greatwise fic that's already finished, check out my previous fic, Living After Midnight, Rocking To The Dawn.

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48277783/chapters/121754674

Synopsis: AU. Will Byers enters his sophomore year at Hawkins High School unsure of what to expect. It certainly wasn’t how much Will and his friends quickly became the school rebels, especially since Hellfire Club has to meet secretly due to it being banned, but Gareth Emerson, the only original member still in school, runs a good show as the new DM and leader, and he seems to have taken a liking to Will.

[perrywings]

Fic Update 7/1

Chapter 16 of You Come To Look For A King has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43433013/chapters/145103269

Summary: Steve goes home and goes back to school (and learns some secrets).

[perrywings]

Fic Update 6/4

Chapter 15 of You Come To Look For A King has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43433013/chapters/143327188#workskin

Summary: Steve deals with the aftermath of saving the world - again.

[perrywings]

Fic Update 5/9

Chapter 15 of if you've got love in your sights, watch out, love bites has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51294649/chapters/141651184

Summary: El explains what she saw. Steve and Eddie wrap their heads around being permanently altered by the Upside Down, and the rest of the crew handles it much more poorly.

[perrywings]

Fic Update 5/10

Chapter 14 of You Come To Look For A King has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43433013/chapters/141722020

Summary: Steve continues to fight against the Upside Down threats while learning there's still so much he doesn't know.

[perrywings]

Fic Update 4/19

I added a deleted scene to Like A Bat Out Of Hell, I'll Be Gone When The Morning Comes!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52361731/chapters/140359261

Summary: Pre-Bond Eddie and Steve where Steve and Eddie accidentally are briefly separated, and Eddie learns about Steve’s soft spot for children.

[perrywings]

people telling you they reread your fic is the biggest compliment you could ever receive. there are thousands of stories out there begging to be found, to be explored, but your story meant so much to someone that they came back to it eagerly, they went over every word again. to love is to return and loving a fic is rereading it. thank you to all readers and rereaders <3333

[perrywings]

Fic Update 4/4

Chapter 13 of You Come To Look For A King has been posted!

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43433013/chapters/139353373

Summary: Steve and Dustin create a new plan to track down and trap Dart. The boys get to know each other more, give each other advice, and gain some surprise allies, but that doesn't mean they aren't still in danger.

[perrywings]

Pirate Terms and Phrases

-> Pirate Lingo

-> A Pirate's Glossary

Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.

Brig - a prison on a ship.

Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction

Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.

Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.

Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).

Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.

Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.

Flogging - severe beating of a person.

Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.

Give No Quarter - show no mercy.

Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.

Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.

Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.

Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.

Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.

Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.

Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.

Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.

No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.

Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.

Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.

Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.

Privateer - government-appointed pirates.

Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.

Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.

Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.

Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.

If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.

[perrywings]