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Hannah Lynn

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2023

Stories (94)
Comments
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182 Followers
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94 Stories

3503 karma pts

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It's Over - Over and Over Again

Submitted to Contest #229

He sat back in his Lazy Boy chair listening to the crackle of the fire. He closed his eyes thinking, “Damn, life is good.” In a few hours the kids would be arriving for Christmas dinner, the first time the gang was all together in what felt like forever.  Click, click, click in walked Marilyn all dressed and ready for the festivities. She looked … well, she looked spectacular.  “Honey, is that a new dress? I don’t remember seeing that one before?” He asked, looking at her appreciatively.  She sta...

12 likes 4 comments 4
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Sixteen to Sixty - A Love Story

Submitted to Contest #229

I don’t remember why we stopped seeing each other but I do remember that we always went back to each other. And then we got married. But not to each other. And then we had kids. But not with each other. On and off for over thirty years I thought about him. Not in the heat of a fight, not in desperation or regret or longing, just in passing. And I would think he’s thinking of me too. He wouldn’t forget me. It’s not possible. And one day I would see him again and I would tell him I love him. I would s...

17 likes 11 comments 11
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Chatter at the Market

Submitted to Contest #228

Another event in the desert where it’s 100 degrees in the shade and by shade he meant the canopy that he himself had struggled to put up. The website had shown a lot of chatter regarding that food market, so he had submitted his application and rented a booth.It was an annual event, always blistering hot and always packed to the gills. He had been there as a customer many times over the years indulging in the comforting Tex-Mex cuisine, but this was his first time as a vendor. Being a computer programmer by profession and not ...

14 likes 8 comments 8
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Have a Nice Day?

Submitted to Contest #228

Twisting the phone cord around my finger, I didn’t know what to do. I stood still for longer than I would have liked before I decided to dial the number. “You ok?” My mother’s voice sounded breathless as she answered.  “Yes. Fine.” I heard her exhale. “Ok. Good.” “I’m just scared.” “Aww I know.” “Can you come over? I’m afraid to be alone.” “Sure. How about I take you to breakfast?” “That sounds great. Thanks!” *** Sitting in the tight booth at IHOP I felt anxious but safer than...

13 likes 6 comments 6
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Jane, Null and Void

Submitted to Contest #227

(TW … mention of assassination, hanging)(Note, can be read on its own or as a continuation of previous story “Essy 37 Head of State” submitted in contest #224)The assassination went off without a hitch, shocking the world and those closest to him who did not see it coming. After years of oppression and cruelty, the freed citizens fled in droves, leaving Washington DC abandoned by all.All except Jane. Jane wandered the empty halls fighting the urge to continue her job which was null and void. The offices sat silently, the phone...

13 likes 2 comments 2
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Mrs. Jackson's Pumpkin Pie

Shortlisted for Contest #226 ⭐️

“Come on, we’re going to be late,” she pulled his arm, dragging him along. Yanking his arm away from his sister’s grip, he scowled. “Don’t touch me.” “Whatever.” She rolled her eyes, her typical reaction. Luke hated it when people touched him, especially his arms or wrists, always commenting on how skinny he was. “You’re all skin and bones,” they said, making him feel less of a person, even smaller than he actually was if that were even possible. The school nurse had said not to worry, he would grow out of it, would...

34 likes 34 comments 34
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Mac and Cheese and Muffin Mix

Shortlisted for Contest #226 ⭐️

The line was already forming as Margaret pulled into the parking lot of the small, unmarked building tucked into the residential neighborhood. The usual characters were front and center waiting at the locked door.  “Good morning,” she called out, juggling several brown paper bags, careful to keep her keys on hand to unlock the pantry. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!” She was met with smiles and cheerful holiday greetings. Those closest to the door shuffled to the side allowing the older woman to pass. “Please stay...

34 likes 13 comments 13
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Mirror of Truth

Submitted to Contest #225

Antique stores trigger memories of my grandparents’ kitchen. There was that white cabinet in the corner of the room that held my curiosity but never allowed me entry. Had I been older or less of an introvert I would have asked to see inside rather than just looking at it wistfully. I suddenly felt a sadness at the missed opportunity of my grandfather sharing with me stories of his antiques and how he bought and sold them.The bells jingled as I pushed my way in the day before Thanksgiving. Would the shop be crowded with cu...

17 likes 5 comments 5
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Vanity Mirror

Submitted to Contest #225

“Good morning, Sunshine. Another day, another dollar. Are you ready for the insanity?” She leaned into the mirror studying her reflection. “Wow, you look exhausted,” she told herself.***“Hey!” MI Jane got defensive. No sooner did the words come out of her mouth than she felt the pressure of her supervisor’s hand on her shoulder. Just the slightest bit of a squeeze and then release. Enough to make the point. She was out of turn. Her job was Mirror Image Jane, nothing more, nothing less.***Jane...

11 likes 2 comments 2
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Reflections of Motherhood

Submitted to Contest #225

“Happy Birthday, Mommy!” Startled out of a deep sleep, Julia woke to the twins jumping on the bed like two little monkeys. “Get over here.”  She smiled, reaching out for the children. As they tumbled on top of her with their hugs and kisses, she had to laugh. It was a good way to start her birthday. “Are we going to the carnival, Mommy?” “Did you think about it? Can we go?” “Can we, Mommy, can we?” The questions came at her in rapid fire succession. She felt the exhaustion and slight headache lingering fr...

15 likes 8 comments 8
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The Other Version

Submitted to Contest #225

She sat on the edge of the bed looking at the sleeping child. Her cheeks were rosy from the summer day, her hair tousled about her face. She looked happy, peaceful. She once again examined her feelings towards this child, her child. She cared for her, perhaps even loved her.  The child would be taken care of, continuing down the path that had been so carefully arranged. With the evidence of high intelligence and increasing self-confidence there was no doubt that she would continue to thrive.  She was ca...

13 likes 3 comments 3
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Hush Little Baby

“I can’t sleep, Mama.” Feeling the rustling of the bed sheets behind me I knew my mother had heard my despair and climbed into bed with me. She comforted me, being the big spoon and allowing me, her youngest child, to be the little spoon. “It’s ok, love. I’m here.” Her voice fluttered into my ears. “I’m scared, Mama.” With my eyes glued to the baby monitor I confessed my deepest fears. “I’m lost. She deserves better.” “All new mothers feel like this.” “Even you?” I couldn’t imagine my mother feeli...

2 likes 0 comments 0
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The Appointment

Submitted to Contest #224

He was feeling particularly miserable that day. Who wanted to get up before dawn for that appointment? What had the world turned into? It had been building over the years little by little, another rule, another regulation, another appointment. Who did these people think they were trying to control every single aspect of our lives? Where did it end?  Guzzling down his morning coffee he grimaced as the bitterness hit his empty stomach. What if he just decided not to go? Returning to the crumpled bed sh...

10 likes 10 comments 10
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Change of Plans

Submitted to Contest #223

“Shot of Jack Daniels.” “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” “Did I ask what you think, or did I ask for a shot?” “Bitch,” the bartender mumbled under his breath loud enough for me to hear. He was right. I was being a bitch, in one of those moods where nothing felt quite right. The agitation was getting worse day by day, had been building for months. Looking back, the entire semester was a shit show of anxiety.  “What’s your problem?” Gen grabbed another handful of stale pretzels, grimacing, but eating them...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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Beneath the Lobby

Submitted to Contest #223

My stomach lurched in perfect rhythm with the elevator’s herky-jerky ride down to the lobby. I held my cart for dear life praying that I wouldn’t see an encore performance of last night’s shots of liquid courage. Those books didn’t deserve the misfortune of that mess, they were innocent little stories just waiting to go back to their homes assigned to them by the Dewey Decimal System. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes in an actual cold sweat. Please let me get through this shift. Four hours isn’t asking too much. ...

19 likes 5 comments 5
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