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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2019
Submitted to Contest #95
I have been in the editing business a long time, and just the other day, I came across my letter from the editor article from two years ago, when I decided to do something that ended up turning my whole life upside down. "Mom, guess what," I said excitedly into the phone. "What?" Mom sighed, sounding distant. "I'M GETTING A DOG!" I squealed. "Eek, isn't it exciting?" Mom paused. "Honey, doesn't your apartment building have a no-dog policy?" I laughed. Obviously, Mom wasn't as excited as I was. "Mom, please, it's just for big dogs. All...
Eliza stared out her window wistfully. Outside, gentle snowflakes blew around in the chilly winter gust, occasionally falling onto the window pane and slowly melting. Inside, her mother was trying to give Eliza a history lesson. Wearily, she blew a strand of bright orange hair out of her face. It was her family's trademark: orange hair. Her mother's hair was more of a reddish hue than an orange, but her father's hair had been the color of ripe cantaloupe in the summer. Eliza was always told that orange hair meant a wild streak in a person, ...
Submitted to Contest #33
Evie bit her lip as she flipped through the dog-eared magazine at the hair salon. Her mother pointed to different haircuts, while Evie pointed out every little flaw, even if it really didn't show or matter. "Oh, honey, you'd look cute in a pixie cut!" Mom exclaimed, pointing to a style that was extremely outdated. "When's this magazine from, Mom?" Evie flipped to the front and groaned. "The eighties! Mom, I need the latest style, like I said. It would look great on me, but I can't show you until I get a new magazine or you lend me your phone...
Submitted to Contest #25
“George, pick your coat up out of the aisle.” “Cecilia, your book is not a stool; please don’t stand on it!” “Can I help you find anything, Mr. Henry?” “Doing well, Cheryl?” It was my job, as a librarian, to make sure the library was in shape. Politeness and respect for others encouraged them to come to the library. Asking the children to fix things that they were doing wrong kept our library clean. While none of these things were my favorite things, however, I still did them well. My most favorite thing was sorting books. Not shelving them,...
Submitted to Contest #24
Caddie wiped her forehead with the back of her sleeve. The profound heat that shone overhead was deathly. Caught in it for too long, and you would either get fried to death, have your skin burnt away, or worse.The metal chain bracelet around her wrists matched everyone else’s. Most often in the heat, it burned marks onto your skin. Several scars still marked her wrists in experience. This world was not one to be messed with.The chain was to help keep all the citizens in the community. The community known as Bristol. The chain had a small tra...
Submitted to Contest #23
Moving. Different country. We have to leave ASAP. We understand you're disappointed. If we don't leave now, Mom and Dad will end up in jail, and us two will be in an orphanage. Or worse, Aunt Mett's house.Those were the words my older brother Jim used to describe what was happening. Mom and Dad were always busy packing, selling, or donating our things.I didn't have much of a choice. There was Sweden, our Danish(and very prim, strict) Aunt Metallise, or an orphanage. Which was worse? Mom and Dad admitted if I was that distressed I could stay ...
Submitted to Contest #19
Bella cracked the egg and tossed the shell in the trash can with the rest of them, her fingers covered in the sticky goo. “Yech,” she said, wiping her fingers on the washcloth. The doorbell rang. Bella poked her head out to see if it was unlocked. “Come in!” she yelled.Tim walked in, also letting in a blast of chilly Chicago morningair. “Hey, Bella,” he said in his soft Australian accent that made Bella feel likethe world would never end.“Morning! Want some scrambled eggs and toast? I’ll start somebacon up,” Bella offered, kissing him.“Sure,...
Submitted to Contest #18
I dug around, searching for what Grams could have been looking for. The storage room was like a second-hand attic, a place for things that didn’t have a place in the attic. She used to organize it, and make it look like an office, rather than a storage room. But when she grew older and began to have back problems, she eventually found it as too much work and quit. “What was it again?” I asked Grams, who was standing in the doorway. “It’s a green trunk, pretty small, but big enough to fit two cats in it. There’s also a purple one. Keep a...
Piper sank slowly onto an old pillow. Shaking, she lay her head in-between her knees."Piper, c'mon. You know it isn't what it could have been," I pleaded."But it was terrible." Her voice trembled with emotion. I hardly recognized her. A few months ago we had been living the life in an apartment. Then like a magic trick-POOF! Done. Kicked out to live on the streets with the rats."Piper, it was better than our last run," I tried again, crouching down beside her and wrapping my arms around my knees, as if making myself into a tight ball would f...
Sarah Weeks was a frail, happy child. Although being born into a rather poor family, Sarah kept her head high and looked towards the brightest sides of things.When winter rolled around again, poor Sarah found her coat had grown too small and decided to go to her mother, who was a widow."Mother, my coat has grown to small for me. What shall I do?" Sarah held the old gray coat out to her mother, who was darning a sock.The woman sighed and took the coat. "Give this coat to your younger sister and find your older brother Turk."Sarah nodded and t...
Submitted to Contest #17
“Hi, Mom!” Jenny shouted, tossing her bag in an empty chair. “Put your backpack away and get dressed in something nice,” I called from the kitchen. Jenny came in, her usual jeans-and-T-shirt-with-a-sweatshirt-tied-around-the-waist outfit on. “Why?” she asked. “Because I said so, and we are going to have supper at your dad’s parent’s place tonight. Your cousins Tina and Andrew will be there,” I replied, sipping my not-so-hot coffee. “In jeans and T-shirts, I bet,” Jenny snorted, wiping a juicy green apple against her shirt. “Now Jenny, their...
Hattie stared at her sewing blankly. It stood out at odds and ends, and heavens it wasn’t the best, and Hattie knew it. She held the red string in her hand, swinging the needle tied to it back and forth. “Hattie, dear, your stitching is, well…” Miss Maple trailed of as Hattie glared at her as she continued to swing the needle back and forth, back and forth. &n...
Sadie set the basket of rolls down on the table as the front door shut. "There," she whispered. "That should be it." "What's for sup?" Davy, her younger brother, asked. His frowsy brown hair hung in front of his soft green eyes. Sadie smiled down at him. "A beautiful rabbit stew Mama just finished cooking. Come, Davy. Let's see if we can mend your trousers any better." Looking up, she saw Papa standing in the doorway, taking his mittens off. "Good evening, children. Where is your mother?...
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