Emily Hostetter

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2020

Stories (7)

7 Stories

131 karma pts

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“Until You're Mine” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #252

Tuesday, July 14th I could watch her all day. The way she curls her hair. The way she puts her makeup on. The way she does her laundry. Even the way she drinks a cup of tea.  Too bad she doesn’t know I exist.  At least not yet. But that’s about to change.  The sound of my knuckles rapping against the solid oak door echoes in the courtyard. In the distance, a dog barks at my intrusion on this peaceful summer evening.  My heart rate quickens at the sound of her approaching footsteps. Thump thump thump. The blood rushing in...

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“A Stupid New Year's Love Story” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #231

Ten. So this is how it ends? Nine. At the stroke of midnight, the illusion will shatter, and I’ll be turned back into a pumpkin.  Eight. That’s fine. Go ahead and laugh.  Seven. Just keep on dancing and drinking and having a grand old time. Six. Oh, another glass of champagne? Sure, why not. Five. None of this will matter in about five more seconds, anyway. Four. Go on, find your partners. Wouldn’t want you to miss out on your midnight kiss. Three. No need to worry about me. Two. I have my drink t...

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“13 Ways to Come Back to Life” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #231

**Sensitive Content Warning**Grief & LossNew Year’s Resolutions1. Learn to Breathe AgainI’m not sure when I stopped.But somewhere between the end and happily never after, I stopped breathing.I fear I’ve forgotten how.I fear that when I begin again, I will break apart at the seams. Isn’t breathing painful?The oxygen is suffocating.But they tell me it’s vital to my survival…Assuming that is my goal. It is. I think.Maybe I can start small—one breath at a time.Inhale.Exhale.2. Piece My Heart Back Together There are shards...

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“Day 201” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #192

**Sensitive Content Warning** Loss of a child & suicidal thoughts Day 84: Tik tok The clock on the wall mocks me. With every passing second, the darkness grows, weaving its way through my veins until I’m ice cold.  I wish I could tell you that I’m better now. After all, it’s been months.  But how do you put a time limit on grief? How do you tell someone to “just get over it” when despair runs this deep? Tik tok The microwave beeps at me, and I force myself to remove the twice-reheated coffee. Setting it on the cou...

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“Darkness, My Old Friend” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #190

**Sensitive Content Warning**Mental health & murder“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”No one is more shocked than I when my mouth is the one that opens. “I can’t.”My whisper may as well have been a shout in the hushed chapel.Every horrified look in the room is pointed at me. Guess I’ve finally snapped. I drop my gaze, too much of a coward to look at the pools of hurt swirling in my groom’s eyes. There’s no going back now. I open my mouth but quickly close it again, turning to look at my guests, hoping that someone has...

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“Regret” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #72

“Falling in love with you was never the plan, you know,” I stated, looking down at my hands, pretending to inspect my fingernails, but honestly, I was just trying to avoid making eye contact with him. “Rebecca and Frank tried to set us up long before we ever met, but I had absolutely no interest in dating the man that she described to me. “Rebecca told me all about how you worked for Frank’s construction crew down in Georgia, but that you came up here to Maryland a few times a year to help him with the rental homes, and that even though y...

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“Author” by Emily Hostetter

Submitted to Contest #62

In the darkest corner of the old library sat a book, forgotten about centuries ago. Its crumbling spine barely kept the brittle pages contained inside, and the dust lay on the cover like a blanket. But this was no ordinary book, for it contained the secrets of the past and wishes for the future and it sat waiting for its new author to discover it and fulfill a prophecy as old as the dawn of time.  Ella peered around the corner of the last bookshelf and wrinkled her nose at the dust and cobwebs she found gathering in the corner. For ye...

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Author bio

Writing Coach • Proofreader • Editor • Writer • Word Nerd • Grammar Enthusiast