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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022
Submitted to Contest #303
Jake and Haley huddled together at the rear of the bus. Neither one of them glanced out the window at the passing sights. “What are we going to do?” asked Haley tearfully. “I don't know! I can hardly think now. I never expected this,” sighed Jake. “What did they say I have again? After a while, my brain just shut down while the doctor was talking. My mind just went blank. I think I was in shock.” “He said you had COPD, there was a longer name.” Jake pulled a crumpled pamphlet out of his jacket pocket. “Ok, it's Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary ...
Submitted to Contest #298
He opened the door to his office and poked his head into the comfortable waiting room. There were no typical waiting room chairs; instead, the waiting area looked more like a cozy lounge, with couches and several chairs that one could sink into. Quiet, soothing music filled the room, creating a peaceful environment. A young woman sat on the edge of one of the chairs, moving restlessly, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She was gnawing at her lips, and he could see where she had pulled the skin away from her lower lip. She had large g...
Submitted to Contest #297
BACK OF THE BUS, GUS It was minutes before midnight. “The witching hour” was how some people put it. Devon Devonshire stood deep in the shadows of the old willow tree, its branches forming a shadowy veil around him. He longed for a cigarette but knew that sometimes, you just had to focus on your goal, so he waited, biding his time while his body stood at high alert. He was used to waiting, had in fact, spent his whole life waiting. Waiting. Waiting for something to happen. Waiting to make his mark on the world, for someone to finally acknow...
Submitted to Contest #295
“Mandy would have loved the flowers,” whispered Isla as she stood a little ways back from the casket. “Oh, I know, they are to die for,” whispered back Karen. A heartbeat later, her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes widened in shock as she heard her words reverberate in her head. If she could only take back her insensitive words. Isla stared at her and then quickly looked around at the mourners nearby to see if they had overheard Karen’s uncensored words. “Oh my Gosh,” sputtered Karen. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m so sorry. I feel t...
Submitted to Contest #294
THE SILENT SCREAM Trent lay quietly in the bed, mentally assessing the damage. His head was swaddled in some kind of gauze bandage, his left arm wrapped in a heavy plaster cast, and tubes were running here and there across his chest and into his nostrils, hand, and finger. There were several monitors beside the bed, emitting quiet beeping noises. Although his arm ached slightly it was his head that felt like someone was playing conga drums inside it. He cracked his right eye open a fraction but closed it quickly as the lights on...
Submitted to Contest #292
The Girl in the Magenta Dress You could see her coming a mile away. Walking confidently along the heavily populated sidewalk like a model on a catwalk. She oozed confidence, style, grace and elegance. Her body was tanned and as she came nearer I could see it also looked flawless. Her hair was as dark a black as a raven’s wing and swished to and fro as she sashayed along the boulevard. Heads turned as she passed the people on the sidewalk. A small child reached out their tiny hand to her an...
Submitted to Contest #291
Obsessions I stood at the kitchen window watching my children fight and argue with each other as they waited for the bus to arrive. It was a day pretty much like every other day, I had cooked my children, husband, and myself a nutritious breakfast. Scrambled eggs with fresh herbs that I grew in my kitchen garden, peameal bacon, homemade home fries cooked in the air fryer, whole wheat bread, an...
Submitted to Contest #290
THE STRAY The windshield wipers on my car beat a steady tattoo and I could hear the raindrops falling loudly on the roof. It reminded me of when I would lie in bed in the loft of my small cabin and hear the rain hitting the metal roof. I was heading there now … to the cabin. I had four weeks of holidays due and meant to spend every possible moment there. It was my escape, my retreat, my all-about-me time. Most of the time, my life was a clutter of “be here and be there” or “do this or do that.” The proverbial hamster in th...
Submitted to Contest #288
THE CRY OF THE GULLS Delaney leaned against the palm tree. The rough pseudo bark poked relentlessly into her skin. She didn't move. The tropical breeze caressed her cheek and gently lifted her hair so that she felt the warm wind envelop her. Several seagulls hovered overhead, riding the winds, their wings outstretched while dozens of their companions littered the beach, their hungry squawking, creating a din in her ears. They searched among the small crabs, fish, and shells that lined the beach after the tide went out...
Submitted to Contest #287
THE STONE MASON The yard was a veritable English garden complete with stone pathways separating the garden's various sections, neatly defining each area in splendor. The lush green lawns peeked out from under fragrant heritage roses, some were more than one hundred years old. The roses grew in abundance, as did the peonies, dahlias, and hollyhocks. Dr. and Mrs. Olsen had been working on their garden since they had moved into the stately home six years ago. This summer’s project was an ambitious one, but necessary according to Mrs. Olse...
Submitted to Contest #286
Wade Hunter picked up a handful of flat pebbles off the rocky edge of the pond and skipped the first one five times over the water's surface. Not bad! He thought to himself. I probably haven’t tried skipping stones since I was a teenager here on the farm. He stood for a few moments, basking in memories, skipping stones, and taking one long look over the old farmstead. Over the past decade, there had been no time for simple idle pastimes like skipping stones; he had been busy starting his career, building his business, and establi...
Submitted to Contest #285
THE ESCAPE I remember those days. Days and nights of what felt like endless torture. I was forced to live in very cramped quarters, an area so small I was compelled to curl up tightly into a fetal position. There was a long slimy rope wrapped around my body, holding me in place. For the most part, all I could do was wiggle. Occasionally I would punch or kick out with my feet, trying to smash down those walls, trying desperately to be free. I had no recollection of how I came to this place, my memory of another time an...
Submitted to Contest #284
LOVE CONQUERS ALL The elegant swan ice sculpture sat on the circular table in the great hall where it had presided for the past few hours as the wedding reception proceeded. Small droplets started dripping from its beak under the dozens of chandeliers that lit the ballroom, their crystal prisms shimmering. Pristine white tablecloths covered each table, adorned with gleaming china, elegant crystal, and a large and confusing array of cutlery. Dead centre of each table was a centerpiece with cream-coloured roses, ivy, and tall stately ca...
Submitted to Contest #283
KYLE’S CHRISTMAS Kyle slammed the car door and balanced a pile of gifts in his arms. He walked carefully up the snow-covered walkway. That’s strange, he thought. Dad was usually on top of chores like that. But Dad was getting older now and since his little stroke a few months ago he was a lot more fragile than he had been. I really should come by more often and do more things for the folks, thought Kyle. He was only across town, a ten or fifteen-minute drive at best and Mum had fallen last week on the ice. She had hit her head b...
Submitted to Contest #282
A CHANGE OF SCENERY I jumped a little as the steel door clanged closed behind me. I stood frozen stiff for a few moments. It was as if time stood still. The grass seemed greener, the sky a more vivid shade of blue, and even the birds in the nearby trees sang sweeter than I had heard them sing in years. I listened with intensity. A sense of peace descended on me, and fear that had resided in me for years fled. Possibilities seemed endless. I finally understood the phrase, “Hope springs eternal.” Well, maybe I didn’t fully understand it ...
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