ER Castaneda

“Another Romance” by ER Castaneda

TW: Eating Disorder The moment I wake up, my first thoughts center around the time and if it's time for food. I have to be at work by 7 am, but by 8 am, I am well on my way to slowly enjoying a protein bar and coffee. The protein bar is 170 calories and the coffee with creamer and sugar is 130. Sipping slowly, I savor each bite and sip of coffee, knowing that as soon as the meal is over, I'll be counting down the minutes until lunch. At 5'3 and 170 pounds, I am obese, fighting every day to lose weight and get food out of my mi...

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“A Recipe for Success at Accounting Solutions Select” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #270

Welcome to Accounting Solutions Select, a mid-sized company specializing in accounting in this nondescript building in the business park area at the edge of town. Our cubicle space is approximately 80 square feet per person, all cookie-cutter copies of each other with gray walls. If you want to succeed here, I encourage you to follow this recipe for success. First, you need a gallon-sized cup of indifference. Accounting Solutions Select is not asking you to try to find creative solutions to problems, efficiency, or even ways to boost company...

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“Beauty” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #268

TW: Mental Health/Body Issues Michelle Crawford spoke six languages fluently, earned two PhDs in finance and computer information sciences, could play the piano at a near master level, and earned in the high six figures as a senior executive at a global, tech company. She had traveled the world (38 countries and counting), eaten the finest cuisine, stayed on luxury beaches, and swam with dolphins while working courtesy of her employer. Knowing what an incredible asset Michelle was to the company, they allowed her flexibility in her comings a...

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“Purrfect for Each Other” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #264

 "When Stacy organized this wedding and said it was happening, we all were astonished. I have to admit, I thought it was a joke at first. We've seen Stacy say and do some peculiar things – all good, of course - but still on the atypical side. But Stacy, you make life more interesting, and I couldn't wait to see how this all turned out. And I kinda still think it's a joke, but it's really sweet. And I must admit that being among friends and seeing how much everyone supports one another, I think the shock has worn off a little. As long as...

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“The Cinema Butcher” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #263

Seventeen-year-old Steven Scott greeted the cinemagoers as they made their way out of the packed movie opening night. Holding the cinema door open and nodding his head as the last of the patrons made their way out, he grabbed his broom and dustpan, sucking in his breath as he made his way inside the movie theater. The sight that greeted him was one of horror, one that he had seen several times. Popcorn littered the floor, and it looked sticky. Hot dog containers, nacho cheese containers, and empty candy boxes—and candies—were also strewn acr...

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“Captured on Camera ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #258

Thirty-six-year-old photography hobbyist Jack Stevenson steadied his Canon EOS R5 at the pelican, hit the shutter button, and took a picture, all without making noise and scaring the bird away.  He took several more photos, watching as the pelican carried a fish in its mouth, and flew away. Jack smiled. Although his work had been featured in a few magazines, he loved nothing more than the stillness of taking photos at the beach early in the morning, before the throngs of people made their way to this particular beach, causing wildlife t...

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“My Best Friend ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #255

TW: Death My best friend died on a sunny Friday morning, two days before National Ice Cream Day. We had planned on going to Baskin-Robbins as we did every year for National Ice Cream Day, each eating one cone with a single scoop of ice cream - plain vanilla for her and a chocolate chip ice cream cone for me. We'd enjoy the cones on a picnic table right near Baskin-Robbins, licking the ice cream from the cones as fast as we could before the summer heat caused the ice cream to melt and drip onto the ground. Then we'd take a walk at the park ne...

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“Celebrity Insider ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #254

June 4, 2024  8:02 AM ARE ACTORS STEPHANIE SMITH AND CASEY REYNOLDS NOW DATING? Twenty-three-year-old actress Stephanie Smith is rumored to be dating her co-star, 30-year-old Steven Reynolds, from their new hit movie, It Takes Two to Tango.  Which would be sweet except that Steven Reynolds is currently married to 30-year-old Casey Reynolds, a high-end real estate agent. Celebrity Insider has included exclusive photos from a recent night, in which Reynolds is shown to be trying to sneak out of Smith's condo in the middle o...

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“A Moment in Time ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #253

The weather is sunny and moderately windy at Carol's Carnival Rides, a pop-up traveling carnival that has arrived in our area for the weekend. I'm surrounded by carnival games like The Milk Bottle game, Whack-a-Mole, Water Gun Race, Apple Basket Toss, basketball game, and more. To the right of me, I see a Balloons and Dart game, and a boy of about ten jumping up and down, hysterically happy after he manages to break a green balloon with one of his darts. "I can't believe I did it!" he proclaims eagerly to his pleased parents, ...

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“The Woman Beside Me ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #252

It started in Target, where I was picking out some creme-colored, large towels for the bathroom. She, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-40s with a blonde, short, choppy, inverted bob with a side-swept fringe and chunky highlights, looked like the definition of a Karen. Because I never did learn her true name, she inwardly, was always "Karen" to me. 'Excuse me," said Karen when she bumped into me when I unfolded a bathroom towel to make sure it was the right-sized towel. She looked almost comical in her baggy capri pants, t...

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“Pages and Ages ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #251

Twenty-five-year-old Max McReynolds walked into the small bookstore, The Book Buffet, every Saturday precisely at 9 am, once it opened. The Book Buffet was the only small, business-owned bookstore for miles around, accepting and selling donated books. Max always arrived promptly when the store opened, and checked out the area for new donations every week, knowing he needed to keep buying as many books as cheaply as he could as he read books at an unquenchable pace. He loved to earmark pages, highlight or underline specific passages...

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“Sexy Interruptions” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #250

"Hi, Ann!" I uttered as soon as Ann opened her front door. "I've got some juicy dets," I practically shouted, embracing her in a hug. Chuckling, Ann hugged me back and responded, "I can't wait to hear all about it." "Aunt Susan!" Corey yelled as he ran from the adjacent room, toward me. "Did you bring Hot Wheels for us?" I turned toward five-year-old Corey. "Hey there, Corey," I gave an awkward little wave. Behind Corey, Aaron, Corey's two-and-a-half-year-old brother and practically shadow, followed him into the room...

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“Desperate Remedies ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #248

TW: eating disorder; mental health A mixture of black, white, brown, and yellow foods combined with bile and red blood comes out of my mouth as I forcefully vomit, pushing my two fingers deeper down my throat. I grin as I see the package of Oreos I ate come back up, the half pack of bread with cheese and ham, and Lay potato chips. The food lands in the toilet bowl with a sickening plop, and as soon as my stomach feels empty, I flush the toilet and watch my shame swirl away.  I pace the room, willing myself to stop thinking of food the ...

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“Doubt rhymes with Workout” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #247

Alyssa put her hair up into a ponytail, got out of her car, and walked toward a place she never thought she would ever allow herself to enter.  A gym.  Twenty-five years old and overweight, Alyssa had promised herself a long time ago to never focus on the weight on the scale, to eat the foods that made her happy, to accept her body for what it could do. She went on leisurely long walks to enjoy nature, but refused to go to the gym because it held no interest for it. Why would she want to exercise in a dull place?  But onc...

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“The Ultimate Prankster ” by ER Castaneda

Submitted to Contest #246

"Ahhh!!!" she screamed, as the dark figure in a Jason mask popped out from a hidden corner in the hallway. She kicked the figure in the groin. The figure clutched his groin in pain. "Hey!" the figure yelled. "It's me!" "Justin?!" screamed Stephanie as she searched for the light switch in the dark. Her fingers finally grasped the switch and she flicked the light on. "Are you kidding me?" It's three in the morning. I have been begging you to stop these awful pranks." "What's going on?" asked Mark, her husband, stumbling from the master room in...

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