Cynthia Grove

“REDEMPTION ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #95

Thea heard the door slam downstairs. Alexander was leaving. He was leaving the country to return to his homeland. He was leaving her with a decision to make. She could either leave with him tonight or never see him again; leave her isolated, unfulfilled life with Mother, or symbolically leave her heart’s desire by staying, allowing him to cross the sea that would separate them forever. Her choice was frighteningly obvious: leave her inheritance or allow her destiny to leave her heart-broken, empty and alone. To most people, the choice would...

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“The 32nd of December ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #74

It was the 32nd of December and another tally mark had been entered on her prison wall. New Years never came anymore. It wasnt allowed. No large crowds in Times Square or anywhere due to the great Plague. Soon keeping track of new days, weeks, months, and years had all stopped. No more birthdays, holidays or anniversaries. Gathering together was prohibited. Memories and Memory were erased. The great apocalypse had slowly begun. Some say it was predicted by the ancient prophet Nostrodamus ages ago. “The year of the great seventh number...

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“The Soulless ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #60

  It started with a gasp. It continued with a scream. It ended with a tear. The Apocalypse had been long overdue. Millenniums of anger, war, hatred, and hostility towards each other had persisted. Mankind had finally been conquered. Man was conquered by the refusal to conquer his harmful tendencies, his poisonous emotions and his damaging, careless habits. However, the price paid was not brought on as much by mankind, as by his judges, extraterrestrial visitors from another universe.It was a torrid, seething day around the world. B...

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“The Reflection ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #59

The world could be a cold place at any time of the year. Living in the city seemed to make it even worse. In the summer the city could hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade and a chill would still settle inside your bones. On a sunny day, the tall buildings wiped out the sun’s reflection and cast shadows that would rival any nightmare stalker. During the merriment of the Christmas season, with lights brightening the buildings and holiday music all around, the suicide rate ironically went up everywhere. But, she thought, living in a city mu...

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“Monsters in the Elevator ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #58

Meredith woke up in a shroud of darkness. Her head throbbed and she felt a mass of warm sticky blood oozing from the side of it. She could taste the metallic tang of blood on her lips and in her mouth. Her body ached from the fall and attacks he had set upon her. She throbbed with pain, trembling in the oblique cover of blackness surrounding her and anticipating every sound outside the elevator where she was now trapped. It seemed as if she had been running from him her entire life, although she only really had known him a few months.Yet, h...

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“Song of the Nightingale ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #57

Tonight would change Emily’s life forever. It was the annual Harvest Ball and tonight was to be the announcement of the engagement of Emily Edwin and Charles Dawson. This engagement had been arranged practically and harmoniously between both families since Emily and Charles had been children. It was the epitome of compliance, societal demands and regeneration of the family hierarchy for both of Chesire's most respected and admired families. The prestige of belonging to this nobility was envied and desired.The sky blue silk and lace gown was ...

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“A Parallel World” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #56

Trigger warnings: reference to drug use, suicidal thoughts   The sirens to take shelter had ended minutes ago. Hope sat huddled in the corner of the abandoned building not wanting to leave. There was no one else she wanted to encounter, no other place she wanted to be except here. Alone, with her thoughts, with her fears, with her apathy towards what would happen next. She no longer cared.   The lockdowns had been going on since March. At that time Spring was but a promise; a promise that had been broken by humanity. Oh Spring had ...

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“The Composer” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #55

Cassandra never really did understand why they had sealed off the fireplace in that particular room. Massively made of beautifully carved marble, it stood its stance in the sitting room like some awesome sentinel guarding his post. When Cassandra bought the house, (literally for a song), she discovered its age and history to be enchanting. It owned a presence and displayed a sense of character to which few houses could dare attest.When Cassandra said she bought the house “for a song”, she’s was not being metaphorical. The eccentric, aged com...

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“The Proposal ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #54

He had never really left her. He would stay in her thoughts, night and day, week after week; year after tiresome year; every birthday, every holiday, every single day of her life. He was in her mind, in her heart, in her empty soul; her empty being made up of thousands of thoughts of him. Nothing would free her, exonerate her or rescue her from the endless consummation of his presence, or from the encumbering prison in which he had sentenced her. Nothing was consummate, everything was undetermined, indefinite, unjustifiable except for the th...

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“MELTED DREAMS” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #53

Wendy sat on the curb outside of her house bored, hot and sticky. The Creamsicle she had taken out of the freezer melted slowly in her hand. The orange ice blended with the vanilla ice cream slowly dripped like an IV tube in someone’s arm who was bedridden in the hospital. The mythological, but all too-real “dog- days” of summer were upon them. Even a thoroughly frozen popsicle couldn’t stand up to the ravages of the 99 degree and climbing weather, with a heat index of 105. Humidity was crazy in this State and exacerbated the rising heat, ma...

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“Together Again ” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #52

The day started like any other. With a startled jump at the persistent, vengeful alarm clock, piercing her ears. The sunlight charged through the window, attacking her as if she were sitting under lights in an interrogation room in the presence of witty, brutal detectives. Why won’t you wake up it screamed at her, while she took revenge by reaching for the clock and vehemently turned the nagging little pest off until its next assault tomorrow morning. The dream! Again the dream had crawled into her thoughts, snaking through the cobwebs that ...

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“A Case for Bastet” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #51

Tangee was practically alone in the world, except for Naomi. Naomi was her black cat, or as Tangee described her, her familiar. Naomi had wandered in one night during the ravishes of a late night summer storm. It was a storm not unlike the one brandershing itself outside right now, except this was October. To be exact, it was October 30, 1966.Naomi had claimed her territory on June 6th of the same year, and weaving her feline magic, had also taken Tangee's home, hearth, and heart by storm. Tangee called Naomi her stroke of luck; luck because...

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“When the Rivers Rage” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #45

It was the 60's. Or to quote Dickens, "It was the best of times. It was the worse of times". One can argue that this can be said of any era. But it was, especially for someone growing up in that time, a time during, about and, definitely, a time for change.I grew up as one site on Facebook now calls it, a South Trenton River Rat. My home, rented to us by owners of the local Polish bakery, was attached to the bakery on the end and to other houses on the side. It was part of what were called row houses. The house was made up of what my mom cal...

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“The In Between” by Cynthia Grove

Submitted to Contest #44

It was time for a change, but that change didn't come in time. At least not in time as people usually understand its passing. My name is Annabelle, or Belle as I was known to my family and friends. The Belle of the Ball they use to tease.I was always considered one of the privileged and well educated in our community. But people rarely understand the fact that well educated doesn't always exude awareness nor does it exclude ignorance. Privilege can sometimes be a hindrance to possessing the right kind of knowledge.Considering my current plig...

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“Eternally Yours” by Cynthia Grove

The snow had been predicted for days. It started wet and light yesterday morning and by 7PM the weather forecasters were finally claiming victory over their successful predictions. Freya Wiles worked at the County Morgue in Lansdale, PA. By the time her double shift had ended, the entire area was entrenched in a sheet of dead ice layered with bodies of asymmetrical snowflakes that overtook the town in a rapid white shroud. How would she get home in this?! Heading to the car, she proceeded to clean it. When she started the ignition howe...

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