Allison Courtenay

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2020

Stories (10)

10 Stories

189 karma pts

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“My Own Personal Hunger Games” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #89

Leaves poke their heads hesitantly through the tree bark like Punxatony Phil on Groundhog’s day. There was still a chill in the air, but it's been sweetened with pollen and honey. The branches rustle making the static in my head audible to the world. I thought my thoughts were tethered to home but no--they’re tethered to me.  I used to read a lot when I was a kid. Harry Potter, the Hunger Games, all the Y.A. classics. Books helped me fly out of this world and into another. Now, they have the opposite effect; books ground me. They root ...

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“Father Time” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #78

My father used to work in the clock tower at the train station. Once a minute, he would erase the clock’s hand and redraw it one position to the right with a dry-erase marker. It took him almost half a minute to draw--the line was always straight as a bone. Once an hour, he would do so with the shorter hour hand, taking the full minute to make it perfect, knowing he’d have to stare at the flaws for the hour if he didn’t take his time. I can almost still hear the squeak of the marker against the face of the clock and smell the ink’s peculiar ...

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“Roommate ” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #72

I woke up the same as always, a tug-of-war with the promise of the day versus the comfort of my slumber. Rounds one and two of the game resulted in a draw, with sleep winning out in round three. The game lasted long enough that the world of my dream had flitted away leaving only dissonant puzzle pieces. The back of the head of a ginger boy, my bloody hands with no wounds, the high-pitch yap of a small dog. I tried to gather the pieces with a sudden urgency but they slipped through my fingers like sand. There was a weight in my stomach the si...

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“Falsi Dee and the Chilling Truth” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #56

Moments after conjuring him, Falsi felt his presence like a dark cloud passing over a sunny day.  “Well, well, well,” said the dark cloud sending a chill like ice down Falsi’s spine. “What do we have here?” The cloud, who goes by the name of Schaden Freude, sized her up. Falsi was a small girl; she was a twin and twins always came out smaller since they were only given half of the womb to grow. In the presence of the Schaden Freude, however, Falsi made up for her size by answering the cloud in a large booming voice; a voice that projec...

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“A Nearly Cloudless Sky” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #53

Her fingers resisted being pulled apart, her skin sticky like sap. Tangy citrus juice trickled down her finger, which clutched what was left of a melting orange popsicle.  It was one of those summer days that looked beautiful from the other side of a window, but as soon as you stepped outside, a thousand droplets of sweat pricked at your pores and you ached for air conditioning and an ice-cold shower. It was still one of those days that looked beautiful; so beautiful that you couldn’t help but sit outside on the curb with a tangy orang...

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“Overthrowing Queen Bee” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #50

“Hey! Hey, wait up!” Called a little boy. He rushed air in and out of his lungs, pleading his little legs to carry him faster through the tall grass. “Kay! Kay! Hey, you guys, wait up!”  He practically doubled over by the time he reached the trunk of an old oak where a skinny girl a few years his senior stood, picking the bark off the tree. She pried loose a long piece and waved it at the boy like a wand.  “It's ‘Your Majesty Kay’ to you! Come quick, Sir Jaxon! Sir Micheal is awaiting your arrival!”  The girl tossed the bar...

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“Worthy Of Sugar” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #48

She was a sugar plum fairy. Sweet as sugar, plump like a plum, and like fairies, very few souls truly believed in her. She had trouble learning how to fly. Hurtful words sat on her shoulders, weighing her down. She gave and gave, sprinkling pixie dust on any and all creatures that needed it, but no one thought to return the favor. She was left powerless.  After being beaten down, time and time again, she learned to have little needs. She became a plant. She fed herself with sugar she made from water and light. She sheltered herself by ...

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“The Mom In the Moon” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #46

The dreaded final bell rang announcing the end of the day. The classroom filled with the sound of the metal chair legs scraping against the tiled floor as all but one student stood up to leave. A little boy remained. He had long hair, about shoulder length. It was clear that although the boy attempted to take care of his hair, he had never been properly taught, for his wavy hair had been brushed with a small-toothed comb and poofed outwards engulfing his small face. A small hand--with nails painted in chipped blue polish--reached up to his h...

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“The Ocean That Never Waved Goodbye” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #44

With a WHOOSH and a CRASH, the glistening water formed a gleaming arch and then collapsed on the damp sand, just in time for the ocean to summon it back with a strong pull. The ocean left the shore longing for its presence, especially a small crab that had been residing nearby. The crab picked himself up onto all six legs and clenched his claws in rage. The sea had waved hi upon arrival, but did not bid goodbye upon its dissent. The crab thought this to be very rude.  “Heeeyyyy! Hey theeerrrre!” The crab called, waving his claws towards...

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“Luck And Lucy” by Allison Courtenay

Submitted to Contest #43

Luck. A word meaning a success or failure based on someone’s chances versus their own actions. Usually used positively as in “you have good luck” or “you are lucky”. Miraculously achieving or overcoming because the Gods above have swayed the odds in your favor for one reason or another. Luck is a pawn in the game called destiny.  I’ve been called lucky all my life, because of both my good luck and bad luck. I always seem to be in the 1%. I was born with almost all the recessive genes; red hair, albine-white skin, pale blue eyes. I’m eve...

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Author bio

The brain is wider than the sky. ~Emily Dickinson