Cydney Rose

“Love at First Harmony” by Cydney Rose

Submitted to Contest #149

Emery Dallos. There she is, appearing from behind the curtains to take her place on the stage. I take a sip from my martini glass, seeing that none of my friends surrounding the circular table have halted their conversation or taken notice of her upcoming performance. Currently, they seem to be engrossed in a conversation regarding suit fabrics and forbidden affairs. For all the times I’ve questioned why they got married in the first place only to have their head turned by every woman they pass, they’ve laughed in my face as if I asked the m...

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“Happiness: A Creation, Not a Discovery” by Cydney Rose

Submitted to Contest #148

I try to brush the wrinkles from my bright orange blouse, creased with lines from its eight-hour shift spent balled up and thrown into my designated locker in the changing room shared by five of us. Since moving back to New York City, I’ve been cast in my very first movie for the role of a character so insignificant I often feel like a much less fictitious, much more pitiful Joey Tribbiani from Friends. Of course, this ego-crushing initiation into the acting world would all be worth it if, for instance, I actually enjoyed acting.  And ...

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“The Future Through Youthful Eyes” by Cydney Rose

May 4th, 2008 Ventura is heaven on earth. Not large enough to bring in hoards of tourists but not small enough to get bored. Jack and I just surfed C Street, I on my longboard and he on his twin fin, just how I like it because it always guarantees that I catch more waves and rub it in his face. His older brother Grant, who always has to drive us since we’re only fourteen. pulls into their driveway. I can’t wait to be the one sitting behind the wheel. We each unstrap our boards from the roof rack before diverging, the two of them into thei...

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“Sweet Sickness, Literally.” by Cydney Rose

Submitted to Contest #133

Rhiannon fought to hold her book open as the wind sent the pages fluttering. Ominous clouds overhead threatened to burst at any moment, and the sand that stretched in either direction blew into her face. She sighed. Not the best day for the beach. A cacophony of laughs pulled her attention from the words of her favorite author. A group of surfers around her age trudged from the choppy waves, smiles beaming across their faces. With the weather this morning, they couldn’t have caught more than a couple waves. The three men and two women s...

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“Perfect Storm” by Cydney Rose

“Excuse me, excuse me,” I shouted as I hurled past dawdling travelers. I came to a halt at the end of the line for the TSA check, my carry-on suitcase slamming against my legs. It seemed that everyone was looking in my direction, some with disgusted expressions on their faces, others simply startled from the commotion. I sank into myself as I placed my belongings on the conveyor belt, muttering prayers that I would make it to my gate on time. The man ahead of me made to remove his watch and turned to offer me a polite smile, probably sensing...

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“Change of Heart” by Cydney Rose

Submitted to Contest #130

CW: Domestic Abuse Running water echoes through the washroom as Astrid waits for her hot bath to fill up. Each item of clothing she peels off reveals a bruise, some freshly black and blue, others yellow from weeks of healing. The girl in the mirror stares back at her in a body she hardly recognizes. Scars mingle with her generous curves; splotches pepper the pale skin of her abdomen. The most unrecognizable feature is the light that remains in her eyes, anything but a reflection of how she feels on the inside. Verin was arrested four days ag...

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“A Palace Unexpected” by Cydney Rose

Submitted to Contest #129

Bells chimed as I pushed open the heavy doors to the chalet, shielded from the harsh wind at last. Outside, the plush snow taunted visitors with its welcoming appearance, only to lure them into a hellish storm. “Finally back, Vi?” said my younger sister, Jessa. I scowled at her, fighting the urge to reprimand her for refusing to join me on my trip to the store. I only trudged halfway there before falling victim to the icy cold. Jessa sat with her knees to her chest, the book she had been engrossed in propped on the pillow beside he...

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