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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022
Submitted to Contest #280
The Debt. Kat was drenched in sweat. Not the sweet sweat that followed a fast-paced jog around the local high school track or the sweat that accompanied a mattress marathon; but that sweat that came with intense terror. Kat could smell the stench of her sweat and feel droplets forming on her brow. She had heard about hematohidrosis, the condition where people in a major crisis actually sweat blood due to intense stress; she didn’t know if this was an accurate summation or just hearsay, but if ever there was a time to sweat blood,...
Submitted to Contest #279
Megan crawled her way up to the beach, her fingers clawing into the sand, her feet digging in to give her purchase in the crashing waves. She was gasping for air and choking on all the salt water she had swallowed. When she felt solid ground beneath her, her arms gave out and she collapsed onto the sandy beach. She started choking again and soon threw up all the salt water that she had swallowed. She lay there for long minutes as her heart stopped pounding and her mind started to grasp the fact that she had made it to the beach. She ha...
Submitted to Contest #278
DEATHBED CONFESSION Bill Mason gasped for air. His hand reached feebly for the oxygen mask lying beside him on the pillow. He was so weak, he could barely grasp it. He fumbled as he tried to attach the elastic strap around his head, and ultimately found it easier just to hold it in his hand and press the cup to his face. He knew his time on earth was short. Any day now, maybe even less, he would draw his last breath and give up the ghost so to speak. He had been given the option of staying in the hospital under the care of the medical ...
Submitted to Contest #277
THE WAYS OF THE WICKED The staff room was almost empty, a few teachers were using their prep time to get some lesson planning finished. Ivy Thornton crossed the threshold and let out a loud sigh. “Hey there,” called out Mark McGuire, “How's it going?” He took a closer look at Ivy. “You look… stressed.” “Stressed isn't the word for it. Overwhelmed! Like I’m in a sinking ship. Like I’m going to have a nervous breakdown. Like I will be on stress leave by the end of the semester or maybe by the end of the month. Ivy gave a nervous ...
Submitted to Contest #276
THE BLIND DATE I applied the lipstick with care and precision. I wanted to look my best tonight. I hadn’t been on a date for a long time. It wasn't easy to start dating again after my divorce. I was feeling lost, raw, and vulnerable, and my trust in men was at an all-time low. But my friends and co-workers encouraged me to get a babysitter for my nine-month-old son and two-year-old daughter, and actually have some adult time in my life. I spent my days working with children and my nights and weekends as the sole support and careg...
Submitted to Contest #275
RUNNING OUT OF TIME I stared out the cell window. My hands grasped the cold iron bars, and the rough metal dug into my palms. From my vantage point atop the scarred wooden stool, I could see the castle bailey which served as the market square, and beyond … the gallows. It was a typical Autumn morning, windy and gray. I saw my cousin swaying in the wind, suspended from the gallows. An hour before, I heard his last pitiful pleas as they placed the noose around his neck and he begged for his life. All he received for his plea ...
Submitted to Contest #274
WHEEL OF MISFORTUNE I’m a bit of a control freak. There! I’ve said it, owned up to it, confessed it, and they always say that confession is good for the soul. I’m also a very analytical person and for a long time, ney, most of my life, I have long analyzed why I am such a control freak. It has to do with fear. Intense, utterly unrestrained, uncontrollable … fear. I remember the day, the fateful day, when for the first time and the last time in my life, thus far, I lost all semblance of control. The fear ran so deep that day, that ev...
Submitted to Contest #273
THE SPANISH GALLEON “Okay! Okay!” Riley looked around nervously, making sure the coast was clear. “Don’t tell anyone! You have to promise me.” “Dude,” said Trent, rolling his eyes. “What are you looking around for? We are in the boonies. There probably isn’t a living soul around here for twenty clicks.” “Yeah, well you can never be too careful.” Trent rolled his eyes again. “Got it! What's up? What’s the big deal?” “You have to promise,” stressed Riley. “What? Are we like ten years old or something? Do you want me to pink...
Submitted to Contest #272
Danelle Forester ran along the forest floor, dodging low-hanging branches and roots that threatened to trip her with every step. It was dusk, twilight, that in-between shadowy time; halfway between daylight and darkness where shadows deepen and one's heart starts to palpitate just a little faster, for no apparent reason. As the Shadows grow longer, objects seem to merge, forming an endless sea of darkness. In Danelle's case, the dusk only compounded the issue. In the distance, she could hear the baying of the hounds, drawing ever close...
Submitted to Contest #271
All my life, I felt like I didn’t belong. I always felt I must be a foundling, perhaps left in a basket on a doorstep in the middle of the night. A quick sharp rap at the door followed by running feet as someone dropped their unwanted load and beat a hasty retreat to nearby bushes or down some dark laneway. In my head, the scenario changed regularly. Sometimes I felt that the person who had abandoned me ran quickly away without ever looking back. At other times I felt that they may have hunkered down behind some bushes, watching and wa...
Submitted to Contest #270
The smell of the tea filled the air, strong and pungent; just the way Mark, her husband liked it. He called himself a “Tea Connoisseur” and enjoyed experimenting with exotic blends and brews. Callie did a second check of the tea tray to ensure that everything was perfect. It had to be perfect. Antique teapot on the right side of the tray, the single matching china tea cup, and saucer just below. Check! Sugar and cream to the left of the teapot. Check! The small basket of scones wrapped in white linen, piping hot from the oven. Check! Callie ...
Submitted to Contest #269
FOUND TREASURE “We’ve been walking for days. I think we are lost. I think we should turn back. We’ve already lost two sherpas.” “They are not sherpas,” corrected Reggie. “What are they then,” said Jake with sarcasm. “Oh please enlighten me, oh mighty brother?” “To begin with, Sherpas are Tibetan people from the Himalayas in Nepal. They act as guides for mountain climbers and hikers.” “Whatever! They are just our mules.” “You might be less condescending, more respectful, and more politically correct. We are not in Tibet, not even...
Submitted to Contest #267
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES - THE STORM The storm-tossed boat bravely tried to weather the storm. It was rocking and rolling with every pitch of the waves which threatened to overturn it. The bottom of the boat was filled with water, capsizing and tossing the occupants into the salty brine was a distinct possibility. The Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat, however, was designed for superior stability despite its lightweight construction. RHIBs were frequently used in military operations, therefore the specs required high-performance capabilities from th...
Submitted to Contest #266
THE RELUCTANT MUSE Mitch sat in front of his laptop propped on his oak roll-top desk. He opened several pigeonhole drawers at the back of the desk, looked absently inside them, and then closed them. He typed a few more words, then closed the roll-top desk carefully and lifted the lid just as carefully, listening as the slats of the sliding cover traveled along the tracks on the desk. He repeated this several times, after the third time he stopped and backspaced the few words he had written and typed a few more. He was working on deve...
Submitted to Contest #263
Gage sat in the window seat of his cabin and fidgeted with the pad of paper and pencil beside him on the dusty old cushion. He had picked them up at least half a dozen times in the last half hour. He had started to sketch the view from the window seat but hadn’t made more than a few half-hearted lines. Usually, his creative juices were working overtime, but today he felt like a parched lizard sitting by a cactus in the desert. He had nothing, zilch, nada. One big fat zero. He loved art, drawing, painting, and sculpting. It was his raison d’ê...
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