{"id":2782,"date":"2026-03-10T13:27:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T06:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/?p=2782"},"modified":"2026-03-10T13:27:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T06:27:37","slug":"i-rented-a-beach-house-to-cope-with-my-fathers-death-but-the-owner-knew-too-much-about-me-and-it-started-to-scare-me-story-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/?p=2782","title":{"rendered":"I Rented a Beach House to Cope With My Father’s Death, but the Owner Knew Too Much About Me and It Started to Scare Me \u2013 Story of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

After my father’s death, I rented a quiet beach house to escape and find some peace. But the owner seemed to know far too much about me, things I never told him. His strange behavior and unsettling knowledge made me question everything and left me feeling more afraid than ever.<\/p>\n

Why is loss so hard? Why does it hurt so much? And you know that pain will never go away, it\u2019ll dull, but it\u2019ll always be with you. I lost my father, the person who\u2019d been my role model my whole life, the person who\u2019d been closest to me.<\/p>\n

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Dad lived a good life, and I knew he didn\u2019t regret anything, at least he never talked about his regrets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But the thought that I\u2019d never see him again, never hear his silly jokes, and he\u2019d never make me breakfast again, it felt awful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To make it easier to deal with, I decided to go to a place my father had visited many times, a place he promised we\u2019d go to together one day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We never managed to go there together, and now it was too late. It was a beach house by the sea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad went there to relax whenever he needed to escape the city hustle and wanted to be alone. Even Mom didn\u2019t go with him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She\u2019d say she didn\u2019t like swimming, and that they wouldn\u2019t have been married for as long as they were if they didn\u2019t spend some time apart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I suggested Mom come with me, but she refused. \u201cEveryone grieves in their own way, and I need to stay home to say goodbye to him here,\u201d Mom said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut there\u2019s a part of him there that you might not even know about,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHoney, we were married for over forty years. No one knew your father better than I did,\u201d Mom said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, but\u2014\u201dMom took my hand. \u201cGo. He always wanted to take you there one day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut if you change your mind, let me know,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI won\u2019t change my mind. Go,\u201d Mom said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So, I left. I packed my things, boarded a plane, and the next day, I was standing, watching the waves crash against the rocks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I took a taxi and went to the address of the house where my father had spent so many years relaxing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When I arrived, I saw a small but beautiful house in front of me, just the kind you imagine when you hear \u201cbeach house.\u201d Around the house, there were many colorful flowers planted, which added to its charm.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I looked around, waiting for the owner to meet me, but there was no one. Then I spotted a local guy a few years younger than me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He walked up to me with a big smile. \u201cHi, you must be Kate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, that\u2019s me,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNikolas. Nice to meet you,\u201d he said, shaking my hand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas showed me the house, explaining every detail, then gave me a list of local places where I could eat well, which was very kind of him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI hope your stay goes well,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI came to say goodbye to my father, but thank you,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t quite understand,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMy father used to come here often. His name was Max,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh,\u201d Nikolas said, looking shocked. \u201cMy condolences.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThank you,\u201d I said, and Nikolas left, leaving me alone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The next day, I walked around the town, seeing in person the places my father had shown me in pictures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I remembered how many stories he\u2019d told me about those places, and it felt like I could finally experience it all myself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I returned to the beach house for lunch to wait out the heat and saw Nikolas there, with a bouquet of blue irises on the table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI brought you flowers for your mood,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThank you, these are my favorites. Can you read minds or something?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSomething like that,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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At first, I thought it was just a sweet coincidence, but as time went on, the coincidences kept happening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas knew I was allergic to pollen and replaced all the pillows in the house, even though I hadn\u2019t mentioned it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He knew I could drive a boat and rented one for me for the day. He even knew which fruits I liked and brought them to me, bananas, grapes, and apples, just like Dad used to.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It started to freak me out. How could he know all this? Was it just a coincidence?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I could\u2019ve brushed it off, telling myself that maybe Dad had mentioned these things to him. But when Dad used to come here, the owner was a woman. It didn\u2019t make sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Every time I turned around, there was something else that made me uncomfortable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I thought about asking him directly, but I wasn\u2019t sure if I was ready to hear the answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My heart raced whenever I saw him, unsure of whether he was just being kind or if something darker was happening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One day, after running into Nikolas, I finally decided to ask him. \u201cNikolas, did you know my father?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cUhh… no,\u201d he answered, looking puzzled. \u201cI\u2019ve only been the owner of the house for a year. Before, it was managed by my mom, but she passed away, unfortunately.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMy condolences,\u201d I said, feeling a little awkward. \u201cBut my father used to come here all the time. He spent so much time here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas seemed to hesitate. \u201cYeah, I heard stories about him from my mom. She said he was a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I felt a strange knot in my stomach. “Did she ever mention anything else? Anything about… his life here?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas shook his head. “No, nothing like that.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That night, I woke up to strange noises, like someone was in the house. I grabbed my phone and went to check, but after looking around the whole place, I didn\u2019t find anyone, just an open window in the kitchen, which I was sure I had closed. I went back to bed, deciding it was just my imagination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But in the morning, on the kitchen table, I saw something that hadn\u2019t been there the night before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A photo of my father sitting on the beach with some woman. It wasn\u2019t labeled, just sitting there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A shiver ran down my spine. Had Nikolas come into the house while I was asleep? This was getting really weird, and I even considered moving to another house.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One day, while walking along the beach, I felt a strange sensation, like someone was watching me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But when I looked around, I didn\u2019t see anyone. I kept walking until I heard rustling and footsteps in the bushes. They were getting faster. I turned around and saw Nikolas there!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWHAT THE\u2014??\u201d I yelled, until but covered my mouth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPLEASE, BE QUIET! Sorry, sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to scare you,\u201d he said, releasing me from his arms.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAre you stalking me?!\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not what it seems,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is too much! I need to know the truth! How do you know so much about me? Why are you watching me?!\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cDid you find the photo I left?\u201d Nikolas asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, I found the damn photo! Do you understand how not normal this is? Coming into the house at night while I\u2019m sleeping?!\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t want to scare you. I just thought you\u2019d be happy to see a photo of your father,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHow did you know it was my father? You said you didn\u2019t know him, and the photo wasn\u2019t labeled,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cUmm\u2026 well\u2026 uh,\u201d Nikolas hesitated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo, you did know him?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe wouldn\u2019t want me to tell you this, he wanted to tell you himself,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cGuess what, Nikolas? He can\u2019t tell me anything anymore!\u201d I yelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOkay, let\u2019s sit somewhere, and I\u2019ll explain everything,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We sat on a bench by the seafront, and Nikolas sighed heavily. \u201cMax came here before I was born. He became friends with my mom,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSo, he was a family friend?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNot exactly. Eventually, the friendship turned into something more,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhat? Are you saying my dad had an affair? I don\u2019t believe you, he loved my mom so much,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s why the affair didn\u2019t last long. Max realized he couldn\u2019t do that to his wife, and they separated,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut he kept coming here?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas nodded. \u201cSoon after they separated, my mom found out she was pregnant,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWith you?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Nikolas nodded. \u201cThat\u2019s why he kept coming here, to help raise me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I sat there in shock, staring at the sea, unable to find the words. \u201cSo, you\u2019re my brother?\u201d I finally asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHalf-brother, but yeah. That’s why I was acting so weird,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cToo weird. I\u2019ve even thought about calling the cops,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t mean to scare you. Your dad talked so much about you, I felt like I already knew you,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAnd he never told me anything about you,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI can\u2019t believe it! What a jerk! He lived here with another family while my mom waited for him at home!\u201d I screamed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe was afraid it would ruin his marriage,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut that\u2019s not fair to you!\u201d I yelled. \u201cYou didn\u2019t deserve to be someone\u2019s secret your whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMy life wasn\u2019t that bad,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is unreal. I thought I knew my father, but it turns out he had this whole secret life,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe still loved you very much,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMaybe you\u2019re right, but this… it all feels like a made-up story,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019ve lived like this, so it\u2019s hard for me to judge. What will you do? Will you tell your mom?\u201d Nikolas asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cProbably not. Let her think she had a good husband and knew all his secrets,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI see,\u201d Nikolas said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBut I\u2019d like to stay in touch with you. You can even come visit me,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cReally?\u201d Nikolas asked, hope in his voice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, you\u2019re my younger brother,\u201d I said, and he smiled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We sat there, watching the calm sea, the sea where my father had hidden so many secrets, and they had finally come to the surface.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After my father’s death, I rented a quiet beach house to escape and find some peace. But the owner seemed to know far too much about me, things I never … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2782"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2784,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2782\/revisions\/2784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyintheworld.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}