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Amnell Laughlin

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2023

Stories (6)

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6 Stories

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One Bell Left

Amnell Laughlin

The plan was underway. Cato peeked from behind the desk as a variety of teachers spread out among the hallways, their faces grotesque with pulled-back scowls full of sharp teeth, their eyes wide and bloodshot. Their hair pulled into buns or slicked back, wearing floral dresses and cardigans or ties and slacks, always with loafers. They glanced behind other toppled-over desks and chairs, bookshelves, doors ripped off hinges and used as ramps. Lockers were one of the most common hiding places, and Cato winced every time a teacher searched one....

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The Traditional Summer Crime

Amnell Laughlin

Submitted to Contest #262

August 22nd, 2019 “I don’t want to do this.” “Oh, shut up,” Melanie responded. “We’ll be fine. It’s tradition to go on the hottest day of the year every summer; no one’s been caught.” Summer shook her head, her brown eyes wide, looking up at the thin trees covering the forest. The short barbed wire fence had toppled over at the edge, a thick wood post the bridge between the parking lot and the Forbidden Forest. Beyond that, a field of corn waited to be harvested. At least, once October swung around. “I hate doing this, guys,” Summer whined, ...

4 likes

A Special Thanks

Amnell Laughlin

Submitted to Contest #261

April 18th, 1976 Nine-year-old Azalea nervously glanced around the arcade, swallowing as if off to her execution. Her half-brother still held her hand firmly, but Azalea knew he had a date to be at. Azalea also knew the wonderful lady he was going to date. Her name was Seraphina, and she was very sweet and caring, perfect for her brother. Azalea had warned Sera through shaky handwriting that her brother, Theo, could be bossy and mean sometimes, but that he was just broken. Sera had smiled sadly at Azalea and told her that “I’m sure I can h...

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Little Lost Things

Amnell Laughlin

When you fall asleep, you expect yourself to wake up in the place you fell asleep. After all, why should anybody move you? It completely scares somebody, waking up feeling out of place. I remember that feeling. I remember when I was little, I had visited my grandmother’s house overnight. My parents had been on a date, happy to be away from their two troublesome children: me and my little brother, Drew. My grandmother lived far away from us, so Drew and I didn’t visit her often. This made us unnecessarily hyper when we realized we were goin...

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The Archer and the Learner

Amnell Laughlin

Warning: mention of child death, stillborns, and miscarriagesRowan pulled the arrow on his bowstring, keeping one eye shut and the other fixed on the deer that was drinking from the stream. He tried not to put too much pressure on the bowstring. If he did, there was barely a doubt that it would snap. He mumbled, very quietly, so quietly that he couldn’t notice he was mumbling.“Rowan!”Out of surprise, the arrow loaded into the bowstring flew out of Rowan’s grasp and sped past the deer. Startled, the deer rushed out of the clearing and ran dee...

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The Dragon Lover

Amnell Laughlin

Jarla has always loved the dragons from the fairytales. She had been told they could breathe fire, do magic, and help villages. But their wonders could also be their crimes. In the land of Regsawlar, dragons are more often than not villains, not heroes. In the last decade, the only talk about dragons had been what villages they had tormented. There were the villages that were completely destroyed, like Thornmoor or Northhold or Stagdrift. There were the villages that were rebuilding, like Snowhollow or Mossfront or Ragefair. And plenty w...

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