Courtney Renee

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2022

Stories (7)

7 Stories

200 karma pts

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“The Carrier” by Courtney Renee

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #166

George Barnes was a mail carrier. The greater part of his fourty year career was spent taking the neighborhood of West Sagamore by foot. He was offered better routes over the years, ones with less hiking and houses that were easier on the eyes. As the years took their toll on George’s knees, he was encouraged to take another route. After all, he’d certainly earned it with his years of loyal service.Places like West Sagamore were meant for fresh faced carriers, with untried limbs and naive vigor. But with each passing season, George...

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“The Voices at Home” by Courtney Renee

Submitted to Contest #148

TW: Miscarriage and InfertilityColleen Richie wore bright clothes in the photos online, beaming over scores of 5-star reviews. She was no different in person. Bryce and I exited the elevator, where she stood wearing a teal two piece with chunky pink jewelry. The tiny red springs that were her hair were tousled atop her head in a bun. She walked with importance and reached her hand out to each of us.“So lovely to meet you two. I think you’ll just love this place. I mean the view…”We would have to follow her to find out what the view was, beca...

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“Love Languages” by Courtney Renee

Submitted to Contest #147

When I was a little girl, I was very close to my cousin Elaina. We were only a year off in age, and naturally liked similar things. We grew up on the same Disney films that all girls do. The ones where the princes save the princesses, and they fall madly in love.As we got older, we started reenacting our own love stories. We would plan elaborate weddings with barbie dolls, dressing them especially for the occasion- but not before concocting the love story that brought them together. When we were old enough to chuck the barbies aside, we...

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“The Perfect Storm” by Courtney Renee

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #144

My husband, an aspiring politician, revels in public relations. I knew what I signed up for when I married him. There was always an event around the corner where I’d be expected to pose at his side, his supportive (so beautiful) spouse, and tackle the ever-dreaded question. The one that inevitably falls from every stranger’s mouth when meeting you for the first time: “what do you do?” With time and experience, I learned the best answer was a simple one: I’m a photographer. I learned quickly to drop the wedding tag, because there’s n...

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“Afternoons with Ms. Witherspoon” by Courtney Renee

Submitted to Contest #142

Activity hour was a sweet solace, promised to me at 2 pm of every workday. For an hour I sent the children to another instructor for a break from the mundane. This was my time to recuperate, grade work, and restore the day’s destruction upon the classroom. Monday, they played music. Tuesday was art. Wednesday was athletics. Thursday was spent with the guidance counselor. Friday was with the librarian, Ms. Witherspoon. My second graders, naturally full of excitement, would return from activity hour with stories to tell, regardless of...

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“The Blue Mermaid” by Courtney Renee

Submitted to Contest #141

Grandmother June was what people call a giver. There wasn’t a moment she was around where she wasn’t baking something to gift, pressing a dollar bill into my tiny hand, or scouring her cupboards for something to send a visitor off with, even if it was just a 20% off coupon for the department store. If she was breathing, she was giving. I didn’t think much about it until she wasn’t anymore. It’s funny how life works that way, we don’t notice things until we lose them. Fresh baked cookies, dollar bills, and coupons suddenly held more value.&nb...

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“Grateful” by Courtney Renee

Submitted to Contest #140

My hand trembled as I turned the key to our apartment. I stepped over the threshold cautiously, my breath caught in my chest. My mother’s feet tapped behind me, and I heard her click the door behind us. The sound only intensified the sensation of being zipped in a time capsule, deprived of oxygen. My coffee mug was still sitting on the island that separated the kitchen from our living room. It was white, with playful gold lettering that spelled “grateful”. That mug once brought me a sense of peace, but seeing it now only brought knot...

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Author bio

Self Published Author of My Endless Distraction and The Lady on Lotus Lane on Amazon. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram @CourtneyReneeNovellas. I also write serialized stories on Kindle Vella and (occasional) short stories :)

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #166

The Carrier – read story

Contest #144

The Perfect Storm – read story