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Bettina Karpathian

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020

Stories (104)

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79 Followers

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104 Stories

1830 karma pts

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Tropical Island

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 ...

3 likes

Good Neighbors

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...

5 likes

Dear Journal

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...

12 likes

On Special

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...

6 likes

Home for Christmas

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...

4 likes

Sweet Nothings

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...

7 likes

Peace on Earth

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...

7 likes

Upon Reflection

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #225

Scott staggered as Amanda fumbled her front door open. He was struggling to hold her latest antique shop find, a large gilt-framed mirror. Sweating and swearing, he lurched into the living room and deposited the mirror on the floor. Amanda inspected it. The ornate gilt frame was as beautiful as she remembered despite the dust in its crevices. Her face peered back at her from the blotchy glass, mousy brown hair framing a clear but pale complexion and large, expressive brown eyes almost hidden by heavy lensed glasses. She sighed. Totally nonde...

7 likes

A Lone Star Church Fete

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #219

Marion had not expected that being the Ladies’ Guild hostess would be so stressful. She surveyed the table for the umpteenth time to make sure that the teacups, saucers and plates were set out just right and the cloth napkins folded neatly. Despite occasional muttering in the ranks, no one had yet dared tell Mrs. Thistlewaite how much easier it would be to use disposable cups and paper napkins. She was the widow of the late Major Horace Thistlewaite, last of the Thistlewaite family who had lived in the Manor for generations, and she was not ...

6 likes

Night Train

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #218

I woke up as my head bumped on the window. Disoriented, I looked around the compartment, blinking. I saw my reflection in the dark window and sighed in relief. I had not been drooling. I suddenly realized how quiet it was. It was like being underwater. I could feel the rocking of the train, but there was no sound of any kind and the whole scene was bathed in a weird green light. I looked around for my fellow passengers. Where was the perspiring, overweight man who had squeezed into the seat next to mine at the last minute, talking loudly on ...

4 likes

Ghostly Inheritance

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #217

Mary was grateful for the cold, white light of the full moon as the car lurched down the potholed driveway. Branches and briars from the overgrown hedges scraped the car like nails on a blackboard. The skeletal black shapes of bare trees swayed in the gusty wind, sending grotesque shadows dancing across her line of vision. She pulled up in front of the mansion, slumping in her seat with relief. Parking in front of an impressive set of stone steps which led up to the front door, she sat for a moment, eyes closed, taking deep breaths.A knock o...

5 likes

Uncle Louie and the Devil

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #215

Nellie kicked off her shoes and sailed her good black hat across the room like a Frisbee. Stretching, she felt her neck and back pop as the tension released. It had been a very long day so far. She changed into her sweats and went to put the kettle on for tea, keeping a wary eye out for her cat Fuzz. He loved to thread himself between her legs especially when he’d been alone for several hours. As she filled the kettle, it struck Nellie that she hadn’t seen him since she returned home.“That’s odd,” she mused to herself, scanning the kitchen. ...

9 likes

The Pond

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #213

Marjorie wondered if the pond was natural or man-made. The vivid autumn reds and oranges of the trees were reflected in its tranquil surface and a couple of ducks glided across the water towards the far bank. She admired the beauty of the scene, although crossing the rickety wooden bridge which spanned the pond had been terrifying. Its wooden planks were cracked and sun-bleached with age and creaked alarmingly with every step. Neil was in a good mood for once this afternoon, and she did not want to spoil the atmosphere by complaining. S...

10 likes

Dear Gracie

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Grandma,I wanted a hiar band and a Bardie doll for Christmas, but I got something better. Santa Claus gave me a kittin. He is grey and white. I have called him Patches. Thank you for the coloring pencils. I will draw you a picture of him,Lots of love, GracieDear Gracie,Thank you for the picture of Patches. I have put it in a frame, and it is in the living room. I hope you are doing well at school and listening to your mother and father. It was so nice to have you here for a visit. I can’t believe how fast you are growing up,Love, Grandm...

4 likes

Feline Alien

Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #210

Nellie awoke, momentarily disoriented. The last thing she remembered was sitting down in her recliner to watch her favorite soap opera, ‘Passion and Pride’. Now the closing titles were scrolling past and it was almost dark outside. She stiffly scrambled upright, annoyed with herself. The main character Stephanie had just been about to find out that she had married her fiance's identical twin brother by mistake. Nellie hoped her friend Henrietta had watched the episode and could tell her what happened. Her grandson Jack had offered to show he...

7 likes