Alice Allen

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2021

Stories (6)

6 Stories

126 karma pts

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“They're Still Talking About This One” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #294

They’re Still Talking About This One “Wait, no I wasn’t blaming her for his death! I didn’t mean to say that. I’ve said too much!” I was embarrassed and appalled that what I thought of as innocent gossip had now erupted into a major scandal at work. Here’s how it started. There’s a nurse; let’s call her Rachel. She’s been working on our unit for almost a year. And sure, she didn’t quite fit in with all of us. But it was more than that. She didn’t take the best care of her patients. And we all knew it. “Did you see that Rachel’s patient has h...

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“Fragments of Memory” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #293

(This story contains grief and death.) Ava pounded her fists against the glass door of the bus, but they merely smudged the grimy surface. She continued punching at the door, knowing the bus driver was ignoring her. Her left hand, scarred and contracted, couldn’t feel the blows. “Please, please. Let me back in!” Her voice strained as tight as the E string on a violin stretched to its maximum. Her constricted throat muffled her screams, shrouded in pain. She saw the silent faces staring down at her from their window seats. The smell and vapor...

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“A Miracle on the Mountain” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #129

Frigid air from the cloud-covered peaks whispered down the Rocky Mountains, swirling around tree trunks like the ice-cold eddies circling river stones. Majestic Blue Spruce crowded the mountain face as they branched out from their sparsity near the tree line. The Respite Inn sat nestled in a cove, guarded by 90-foot Douglas Firs. In a world of her own, shrouded in the quiet beauty, Emma was content. Emma sat by the fireplace, stilled by the silence at the end of the day. She in...

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“Teatime with Nana” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #128

Bev reached into the cupboard with one gnarled hand, misshapen by arthritis and spotted with new bruises. In spite of the fact that her auburn hair had faded to a lackluster, white-streaked brown, and that her face was now shrouded by a patchwork of intersecting creases, Bev still maintained her youthful countenance. Old age had snuck up on her like a winter blizzard arriving too early in the season. She was not prepared. Many times, she was silenced when her body let her down. Because inside, she never changed. She never grew old. While she...

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“She Knew” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #127

Claire knew all about helicopter moms. Luncheons with friends were filled with their parental exploits. These crazy women were SO involved with their children, even well past high school. Highly scheduled, highly praised, highly encouraged and highly dysfunctional child-adults. She even knew a mom that went with her 20-something college student to a job interview! Claire, on the other hand, found parenting to be easy. It took her several years to realize that she was very bl...

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“The New Year's Package” by Alice Allen

Submitted to Contest #126

The New Year’s Package by Alice Park Amy held tightly to the picture from last year’s New Year’s Eve celebration, as if her very grip could hold on to him. If you were to look through the window, you would notice her transfixed gaze as she traced her finger around Matt’s adoring face and her own worshipping visage as they toasted each other. A year, she thought. How could so much happen in one year? You would feel sorry for her and the grief she still held since her husban...

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Author bio

I worked in the medical field for 49 years. I have an MSN in Anesthesia and am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesiologist. In July 2022, I completed my first semester toward my MFA in Creative Writing. The journey has begun! I retired in November 2022, and now have more time to dedicate to my writing. I'm working on a novel for my MFA thesis that involves the medical world, of course, since that's what I've lived.