Amy Sutch

“Saying Goodbye” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #258

The late afternoon sun shone through the slats in the fence, casting a ladder like pattern across the sidewalk. Ellie sat on the warm, cement stoop sorting through the last box from the attic. Every now and then the breeze would stir the honeysuckle, reminding her of its sweetness. Cleaning out the house stirred lots of memories.             “Ellie, where are you?”             “Back porch,” she cal...

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“Making Amends” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #142

“Even though they had always been friends, James looked at Jenny as if for the first time,” Carrie read to Hannah. “There was something in her expressive eyes he had not seen before,” she continued. “It was desire!”            “Oh, now to the good part!” Hannah exclaimed, from her hospital bed, her eyes twinkling with mischief.            Carrie scanned down the page of the book she was reading, and her bro...

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“Pieces of Me” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #102

It was 1977, and I was 12 years old when I found out I was invisible. It happened in the cafeteria at school when Jimmy Moyers asked my best friend out. We were eating lunch, and I was sitting right next to Marybeth, but he never saw me. We’d been in some of the same classes for a year, but his eyes have never met mine. I was a non-entity. Marybeth knew I liked him of course, but she seemed to forget that when she agre...

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“The Glass Reflection” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #101

The apartment building was old with cracked linoleum in the entryway. Rissa wrinkled her nose at the moldy smell in the elevator. It shook and rattled so much, she wished she’d lugged her two suitcases up the stairs instead. The elevator finally spit her out on the third floor, where she was greeted with paper thin carpet that looked original to the building.              Rissa dragged her belongings to 304 and si...

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“Grandma's Magic Touch” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #100

The small galley kitchen was filled with the aroma of blackberries bubbling on the stove. Sylvie stirred the berries and inhaled the smell of her grandmother’s recipe; the steam from the pan lifting her long, honey brown bangs. The pie had to be perfect.              Just like her grandmother taught her, Sylvie put in a generous pinch of cinnamon while casting her spell. This, her grandma Lu told her, was ke...

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“Down Memory Lane” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #99

Kari Michaels just quit her job. Again. Mel would be here any moment and Kari dreaded revealing the news to her older sister. If Mel knew, she’d never agree to their road trip and Kari needed this trip.              Their plans had been in the books for eight months, since their mother’s funeral. Kathy’s dying wish was for her daughters to reconcile and visit their favorite vacation spot from when they were chi...

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“The Masterpiece” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #98

Dani was running late. Again. It didn’t help that it was pouring rain and her only umbrella was broken. Skipping a McDonald’s run, she pulled into work and prayed her boss was late as well. She sprinted to the building, dodging puddles but managing to soak her shoes anyway. Discarding the broken umbrella in the trash, she went in.              “Morning Danielle,” Marissa, her boss said, spotting her first thing, ...

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“Season of Change” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #97

Lyddie leaned her forehead against the cool window. It was a moonless night with the rain running in rivulets down the glass. This was the third night she’d woken up restless and worried. It was 3:00 am and she had to get up in 3 hours, but she was wide awake. The wind moved through the trees, splaying the branches like long, reaching arms. Normally the ping of the rain soothed her but not tonight, even her deep breath...

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“The Hummingbird Cafe” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #96

           On a hot Wednesday afternoon, with the heat rising off the pavement like fog, a huge RV lumbered into town making a clackety noise as it drove down main street and came to a rolling halt at the Methodist church across the street.            Angie flipped her magazine shut and began wiping down the counter, as she watched a woman emerge. The woman had bright red hair piled onto her head, which had to be ...

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“Their Own Kind of Family” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #94

Joyce had just put her pan in the oven when there was a knock on her door.            “It’s open,” she called, as Paisley, her tortie cat, wove between her legs.            “Hey,” Kenny said, coming on in, carrying a six-pack. “Something smells good,” he said, helping himself to a beer then sticking the rest in the fridge. “Want one?” he asked, his hair still damp from his shower, falling in his face.

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“The Bridal Shower” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #93

“I think it went well,” Suzie remarked to her friend, as the last guest left. She kicked off her heels and tucked her shoulder length hair into a messy bun. “It went great!” Kerry assured her, heading for the kitchen with an armful of leftover hors d'oeurves. “Except for the cake,” Suzie pointed out, always a perfectionist. “It was kind of funny, really,” Kerry snickered. “Congratulations Rac...

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“The House in the Meadow” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #92

It was a perfect day for hiking. The cool spring day would only reach about 62 degrees. They’d been stomping through the woods for an hour when Kelsey stopped at a fork in the trail.            “Which way do we go?” she asked her friend Rachel, who came up beside her.            It was a narrow, dirt path that was poorly marked. A canopy of trees shaded them from the sun, which was playing peekaboo with the...

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“Olive Rose” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #91

Olive Rose had a plan. For everything. She planned her outfits, her meals, and even who she would marry, although she hadn’t met him yet. He would be practical, like her, and responsible, predictable too. Olive didn’t like surprises.            Before her feet hit the floor each morning, Olive reviewed her list for the day. Her handy, leather-bound journal was filled with lists. It gave her confidence a...

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“A New Adventure” by Amy Sutch

Submitted to Contest #90

          There was the usual strain to get on the train at once. Shoulder to shoulder we pushed our way into the crowd. All the seats were taken with commuters, so I hung on to the bar and tried not to bump anyone as the train took off. My new shoes were already starting to hurt, but I needed to look my best for this interview.            “I am confident,” I said to myself, as I tried to psych myself up. “I can d...

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“The Break Room” by Amy Sutch

Hitting the print button on the last of the reports, Sharon sat back and squinted her tired, old eyes, deciding she needed a break.            Tidying up her work area, she grabbed her favorite mug and headed for the break room, throwing her long, silver hair into a scrunchie.            She was glad to see the room was empty. As she microwaved water for tea, she thought about the work still ahea...

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