Anne Reed

“Power Outage” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #210

It was a candlelit dinner. Three tall candles stood between the serving dishes, and the wine glasses glowed a dark red in the dim light. At the head of the table, Keenan Barber stood, his wine glass in hand, and his round, double-chinned face smiling at everyone, particularly his guests. "I would like to propose a toast," he said, raising his glass, "to our guests, the great visitors of Earth, the Binti....

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“Blood for Blood” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #203

The ICU room was quiet except for the rhythmic beeping of the monitor. In the hospital bed was an unconscious man. He had a full head of brown hair, but his skin was paper white and his cheeks gaunt, so that he looked old. Beside him stood a tall woman dressed in pink scrubs, clashing with her orange hair and bright, red cheeks. Her eyes were blue but oddly flec...

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“When the Song Has Ended” by Anne Reed

Angela Foster was familiar with rejection, but only in the giving of it. By the age of sixteen, she had broken up with two boyfriends. By the age of eighteen, she had broken up with three, one of whom she had cheated on first. It was not her fault, she thought, that she ran through boyfriends like the latest fashion trends. She knew she was very pretty, and if boys wanted to date her, then she ...

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“Saved” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #198

Kelly Chase knew there was nothing very special about herself, which is enough to make any child of thirteen resentful. In fact, she was quite sure that she was one of the worst people she knew, and she hated herself for it.  She had started her eighth grade year by being sent in to therapy. However, she refused to tell the therapist anything, including the reason why she needed therapy.  ...

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“The Writing Process ” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #197

Here I am again, staring at another blank page - well, not page, I write stories on my phone. You know those moments during the day when you have nothing to do at work so you take out your phone when no one is looking? Then you stare at the blank screen and commit yourself to the gods of writing, if there are any, but you’re fairly certain that if they existed, the writing gods would really enjoy tormenting the people wh...

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“Fall into the Sky” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #196

Across the light blue carpet of the living room lay the body of a woman. A floor lamp illuminated the side of her blond head that had been repeatedly bludgeoned. Blood drenched her face and had splashed over everything: her floral nightgown, the carpet, the sofa, the lampshade, and even a few drops had reached the green curtains drawn across the sliding door.  Richard Spencer stood with his back to the cu...

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“The Dream Trap” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #194

Tianna Bradley had arrived once more in the same dream that she had had for several days. Everything was exactly the same as the past several times she had visited the dream.  She stood in the hallway of an apartment, a single yellow bulb shining on a dark green carpet. There were no pictures on the wall, no decorations, but there were three doors. The two doors on the right were open, showing a ...

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“On the Run” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #193

It was after midnight. Stephanie Armstrong stood on the sidewalk in front of her apartment building, an odd figure for this time of night. Her brown curls had been pulled tightly into a ponytail, her face wore light make-up, and she was dressed in a black business suit. She had a white purse slung over her shoulder, and a suitcase stood next to her. Stephanie stared intently at the entrance of the apartme...

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“Lost and Found” by Anne Reed

Submitted to Contest #192

The sun had risen just above the horizon, though gray clouds lingered in the sky. The rain from last night was gone, but the roads were wet, and long stretches of water lay in the gutters. Kayla Black stepped onto the rickety porch of her small house, yawning and stretching. Her brown hair was tied up but disheveled and falling around her face like a ragged curtain. Her knit sweater was twice her size and...

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