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Beth Jackson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2021

Stories (25)

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367 Followers

95 Following

25 Stories

1814 karma pts

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A Perfect Lie

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #148

She’s there. She’s always bloody there. In the driveway, with her white hotpants and pink oversized tee sloping off one shoulder at a jaunty angle.I slow to a jog and wipe my forehead. My face is hot. Probably red. And blotchy. Running doesn’t agree with me.I avoid eye contact as I turn into my driveway. She’s standing by the roses, secateurs primed, deciding which beauty she’ll castrate from the bush.Their garden is all straight edges and manicured lawns. Roses and dainty flowers jostle for space in the crisp flowerbeds. All pink and perfec...

57 likes

The Enduring Present

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #128

“Why don’t you have a cup of tea?” Gina sounded weary, even over the phone. “You know, take a moment to relax.” Her voice leeched its warmth. “There’s no one after you, Matt.”“I’m driving.” Matt adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “To your house.”Gina sighed. “Well, I’ll make one, then. Are you just leaving the farm? I’ll have it ready when you get here.”Matt glanced in the rearview mirror. Nothing. Just fingers of inky darkness stretching behind him.“Your doors locked?”“Yes, Matt.”“Don’t let anyone in.”“No.”“Stay away from the windows....

59 likes

Where You and I Meet

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #118

CW: Domestic Violence“Why are you so chipper today?” Gill asks, brushing bleach on her client’s hair in short, efficient strokes.I smile at her matronly interest in my love life. And her ability to sniff out gossip. “Nothing.”“There’s something.” She raises an eyebrow.I sweep the hair on the floor into a pile, ignoring Gill’s piqued interest prickling on my back.“It’s possible I’m seeing someone.” He has a chiselled jaw and an office with a view of the city. He's alluring and moody. I like him. Would she approve?Gill waggles her brush. “A ne...

37 likes

The Price of Life

Beth Jackson

Shortlisted for Contest #116 ⭐️

“It’s cancer.”Rose rested her phone on the kitchen bench and stared at Aiden standing in the entranceway, the raindrops on his jacket glinting in the light.“What’s cancer?” she asked. Her mind felt sluggish, fixated on the photo displayed on the screen.“The lump. Under my arm. It’s cancer.” Aiden ran his hands through his hair, sprinkling raindrops onto the ground.He stumbled into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her, his shoulders heaving as he sobbed into her hair. She slipped the phone into her pocket.“I went to the doctor today.” ...

66 likes

The Hallowed Ground

Beth Jackson

Winner of Contest #114 🏆

“Karl told me about a playgroup in Maraetai. Why don’t you take her there?” My partner stares at me in the bathroom mirror.I look away, the unspoken words prickling. “They’re not really my cup of tea.”The baby stirs, sucking on her hand. She’ll need feeding soon.“How do you know? You’ve never been.”I watch my partner shaving, each pass exposing fresh, pink skin in a sea of white, and a stab of jealousy twists in my stomach.“They’re for older children,” I say, pulling my dressing gown across my chest. “Not for little babies.”“Think about it. ...

182 likes

131 comments 131

The Sum Total of a Legacy

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #111

TW: Sexual ViolenceNo Divided by Yes“Don’t be rude, Kimmy. Give him a kiss.” Mum puts her hands on her hips and makes an angry-parent noise.Uncle Brian looms in the doorway, his bulky frame blocking the sunlight. His gut sags over his belt and wriggling chest hairs escape from under his shirt.“A kiss, Kimmy,” he says. “You heard your mother, don’t be rude.” He smells of sausages and shame.He puckers his lips. They’re thick and fat, like two pink slugs. Mum pushes on my back, her nails poking through my t-shirt.“Kimmy,” she hisses, and I...

31 likes

Always Check the Dryer for Crayons

Beth Jackson

Shortlisted for Contest #109 ⭐️

CW: miscarriage “It doesn’t hurt,” the radiographer says, her voice light and cheery. Youthful. She shakes the gel, it slaps against the ends of the bottle, the vulgar noise harsh in the softness of the dim room."It did last time.” The words escape. Their weight settles on my chest, and each wretched syllable wraps around my throat and squeezes, forcing bitter tears from my eyes.The transducer is cold as it skims the barren expanse above my pubic hair. She pushes hard on my bladder, and I squirm and hope it holds under the incursion.“Th...

61 likes

Inevitability

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #108

Travis and Ethan watched the house burn, with a brazen enthusiasm undignified for middle-aged men. Josh stared at the ground, scouting for potential hazards, lest he suffer a similar fate to the house.A glowing ember drifted through the night sky and nestled on Matt’s shirt. He smothered it and glanced at his friends.Just four friends, standing on the side of the road, watching a stranger’s house burn.Matt lifted his hand. A charred hole peeked from under his fingers. He closed his eyes and let out a slow, steady breath.Travis clapped his ha...

28 likes

Redemption

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #93

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Pete said, leaning on the bathroom door and picking at his nails. “Everyone would understand if you gave it a miss.” Claire perched in front of the mirror, scrutinising her make up. “My bloody lipstick’s bled. Doesn’t that only happen to old people?” “Just blot it with a tissue. You look fine.” Pete crossed the bathroom and put his hands on Claire’s shoulders. His hands felt warm and strong. She reached for a tissue, but Joe’s toiletries still sat on the vanity. “Can you get me one?” Pete’...

56 likes

Bats to Butterflies

Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #92

“For the love of God, Brian, why can’t you just get out of the flaming car?” Doreen put her hands on her hips and glared at Brian. She didn’t understand. No one did. Not really. “It burns.” The words sounded stronger than he anticipated, growing wings and roaring into life as they left his mouth, like wet-winged bats escaping a cave. Doreen sighed and looked at the sky. Perhaps she felt the fear too. Her brave face, a necessity in a mother’s armory. “God, give me strength.” She said it quietly, but God seemed to hear, and she smiled, g...

37 likes