Bettina Karpathian

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020

Stories (97)

97 Stories

1720 karma pts

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“Audrey” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #275

I didn't believe in the supernatural until I met Dan. We worked in the same coffee shop at uni. I was studying English lit. He was in Fine Arts. There was something of the tragic poet in his dark good looks. His habitual melancholy fascinated me immediately, although he was so reserved that we never talked about anything other than work issues. I heard my late mother’s voice one evening when we were closing the shop.“Be careful. He has a lot of trauma in his past. Stop trying to rescue all the wounded birds.”I shook my head to clear it.“He’s...

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“The Heirloom Recipe” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #270

Jasmine whistled as she walked towards her grandmother’s house, hoisting her backpack a little higher on her shoulder. It had been a brutal semester, and she was ready to be spoiled for a few days. Her grandmother Peggy lived in a cul-de-sac of modest one level houses designed for the elderly. She had moved there a few months ago after being widowed, giving up the large house she had shared with Jasmine’s grandfather.“I love this small house. It takes no time to clean,” she said to Jasmine not long after moving in. “Now I can watch whatever ...

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“From Rags to Riches” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #268

12, Parsons Lane,Marshton,September 19, 1924Dear Lesley or Leonie,Or whatever you are calling yourself now. It’s me, Rosalind from Marshton village. I remember you with a runny nose and holes in your shoes at Marshton Primary School, though I know you’ve come up in the world since those days. I see your new film is coming out next month. I am sure it will do right well. You probably would like to show off to all your old school friends, dressed up in a fur coat and all the jewelry and that at the premiere in London. But it’s funny how y...

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“The Prodigal Daughter” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #266

The cuckoo clock chimed seven. Douglas listened to it all the way through before getting out of bed. He glanced at his reflection in the dressing table mirror. Not too bad for an old man of seventy-five. His bearing was erect, his steely blue eyes clear and sharp and although his hair was silver verging on white, he still had plenty of it. He showered, shaved and dressed and was in the kitchen by seven thirty on the dot. He started the coffee maker and began to heat the water for his boiled egg. He set the egg timer and went to consult the w...

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“YOLO” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #262

It wasn’t supposed to have been this way. Dave should have been squashed against her in cattle class, not the tiny white -haired lady who had introduced herself immediately they sat down."Hello, dear, I'm Nancy.""I'm Clare," Clare had said dutifully. Dave should have been sharing the armrest with her, elbows bumping as they tried to cut the food with tiny plastic utensils. Instead Nancy kept asking Clare for help to adjust her screen, her seat, reach the light switch, control the air and arrange her blanket. Clare had complied, her irritatio...

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“Italy” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #260

Maddie opened her eyes and stared, hardly daring to breathe, her heart thudding, as she tried to work out where she was. In the dim light she could ascertain unfamiliar shapes, high bedposts, a bulky, elaborately carved wardrobe, tall windows with heavy brocade drapes. She sighed with relief as it dawned on her. Italy. She and Chris were finally in Italy in a scenic town on the coast where ancient houses, castles, chapels and churches clung to the hillside and spilled in a chaotic jumble down to the coastline. They had scrimped and saved for...

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“The Graduation” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #259

Ethel sighed. The check-in line was moving at a glacial pace and she was getting more and more nervous. She had only agreed to fly because her niece Meghan had implored her to come to her graduation.“Auntie Ethel, please. You know it will be the first time Mom and Dad are in the same room since the divorce and the bimbo is coming too. Dad insisted on bringing her. I need an adult in the room.”Ethel hated to see her poor niece caught in the middle of all the drama. A shrill ringing interrupted her reverie. She glared around, muttering under h...

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“Macbeth” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #257

The reflection of a haggard, old man stared back at Arthur from the bleary mirror in the lift. It seemed that he had aged twenty years since he ascended in it that morning, a spring in his step and a gleam in his eye, though he could not pinpoint exactly what was different. His suit was still debonair, and his white shirt was still crisp, but something had changed. The door swished open, and he stepped out into the lobby. It was already deserted except for Esperanza, the housekeeper. Her grey dreadlocks, held back in a colorful print scarf, ...

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“Tropical Island” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #255

Sitting on the cool, firm sand under the palm trees, I taste the salt as the sea breeze caresses me. I squint, looking for Greg. He is a dot in the turquoise of the ocean. Just as I begin to worry, he emerges from the surf, sleek as a seal, and bounds up the beach. He flops down beside me, laughing as he shakes cold ocean spray all over me like a puppy. We are so engrossed in each other that we don’t stay on the beach for long.“Come on,” he says, helping me to my feet, a mischievous gleam in his eye. “Race you to the room.”I emerged from my ...

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“Good Neighbors” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #254

A loud knock on the front door almost made Lisa drop her coffee. Setting her mug down, she waddled around the boxes stacked in the hallway and peered through the peephole. A tall, dark-skinned woman stood there, a little girl at her side.“Great. The Witnesses found me already,” Lisa muttered, jerking open the door.“Thanks, but I don’t need whatever you’re selling.”The woman looked startled, then laughed, holding out her hand.“I promise I’m not selling anything. I just came to say hello. I’m your neighbor two houses down. I’ve brought some co...

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“Dear Journal” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #231

January 1, 2024, I hereby resolve:·      To go to the gym four times a week. (Resolutions look so cool when written by fountain pen!)·      To stop procrastinating and wasting time scrolling online.·      To keep my diary every day. It’s therapeutic, or so they say.·     To clean out closets and get rid of stuff I don’t need.·      To not shop for new clothes unless essential since the world is bein...

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“On Special” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #230

Horace. Horace! I’m talking to you. Turn that television down and pay attention. Here’s the list. Yes, you’re going to have to go grocery shopping on your own. I have reservations about entrusting you with this, but I’ve called everyone I can think of, and no one is available. Really, after all the little favors I have done for people over the years, it is very disappointing. A few people will not be on the Christmas card list next year, I can tell you. But we are almost out of certain staples and so I will have to send you.Yes, I know there...

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“Home for Christmas” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #229

Nina rolled her eyes as Lakshmi asked her yet again to stop so that she could take photos. The vistas of the mountains and trees were indeed spectacular, but Lakshmi seemed oblivious to the run-down trailers, the roadside trash, the pot-holed road and the shot-up traffic signs. The road wound upwards and Nina held her breath as her old car shuddered and wheezed. It was late afternoon, and the sky had a steely grey look that spoke of impending snow. She did not want to get stranded by the roadside here. Cell phone reception was spotty, traffi...

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“Sweet Nothings” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #228

Darla slumped in her armchair, trying to regroup. The thirty-minute drive from the airport to her sister Trudy’s house had terrified her more than her seven-hour transatlantic flight. Her theory was that the petite Trudy made up for what she lacked in inches with aggression, especially when driving. Trudy looked concerned as she handed Darla a glass of wine.“Are you okay? You look kind of peaky.”“Jet lag. It might be nine in the evening here, but my body thinks it’s four in the morning. Anyway, fill me in on what’s going on with Dad. Just do...

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“Peace on Earth” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #227

Carly eagerly threw the last couple of items into her suitcase, humming merrily to herself as she scanned her packing list.“Let’s see, passport, phone, bikini, sun block, yep. All done. Horace, get out of there. I don’t need my clothes all covered in cat hair.”Horace landed on the floor with a thud as she tipped him out of her case. He stalked off, his tail twitching indignantly. Carly laughed as she zipped the case shut and headed downstairs, bumping the case behind her. She stopped in her tracks as she saw her father sitting at the kitchen...

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Author bio

I am a retired nurse, originally from Scotland. My husband is Greek and we divide our time between the USA, Greece and Scotland. I like reading, writing, drawing, travel and animals.

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #134
Green Gremlins – read story
Contest #114
The Bake Sale – read story