Harlow Jones

“Pedicures and Salads” by Harlow Jones

“I can see it now,” Trina said, watching Natalie and Shanna hang up the pinata on the swing set. “Right? They’re twins,” Mark added. “They even have the same way of doing things.” Once they finished and dusted off their hands, Shanna asked her mother to dance with her. Afterall, it was her birthday, and her favorite song (NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye”) started playing on the radio. However, Natalie walked away, beelining to the kitchen to prepare dinner. *** “Hey, Mom. I’m here,” Shanna said, while entering her childhood home. “You’re late,” Na...

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“Lily and Rebecca's Tree” by Harlow Jones

Despite her salary increasing by forty percent, Lily broke her record for amount of time spent in one day checking banking accounts. If she wasn’t verifying transactions, she was thinking over and over about which investments to make. She had big dreams for her finances. She wanted to feel more free and fun, yet she kept herself from getting there. Instead of celebrating her new job and raise with a pair of shoes or a fancy dinner, she created a spreadsheet of monthly expenses. In spite of the frequency she daydreamed about throwing herself ...

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“Emily's Rebirth” by Harlow Jones

Trigger warning: domestic abuse She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to get home before she left. Could three years of dating ever outweigh a death threat? Emily loved Carter when he wasn’t mean, and he loved her when she followed his rules. To put her last bag in the car, she had to repeat to herself, “He threatened to kill me. He threatened to kill me. He threatened to kill me.” With every physical piece she needed to move on, she drove away. All she left behind was a letter for him, that she rewrote six times. Whenever a car passed, her ...

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“Ruth and Maria” by Harlow Jones

Ruth’s joy blinded her. “Over and over,” she sang along with her radio. “My friends say I’m a fool. But over and over. I’ll be a fool for you.” She danced through her apartment, skipping from the bathroom to the bedroom to the kitchen. Her feet were light, and her smile was wide. Just then, she heard the garage door open. She brushed off her skirt and waited for Donny to walk through that door. After the handle twisted, she saw his ratty fedora poked through. With glee that made him flinch, she greeted him, “Donny, you’re home!” Once he was...

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“Say No to the Tea” by Harlow Jones

Like many times before, he left his toothbrush behind. They both knew this but never moved the brush from its spot. At least three times a week, Colin would come over to Elena’s. They’d have sex. Sometimes, they’d get food and watch TV together. Once a week, he’d sleep over. On those nights, she’d envision them doing this forever. Every morning after, she’d make his breakfast, and he’d leave within two minutes of finishing his meal. This morning, he devoured his eggs and toast in record time. While Elena chewed on her mango, he said goodbye...

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“Running from the Movies” by Harlow Jones

Sarah tucked her hair behind her ear so many times she looked like a machine, wanting to stop but programmed to fidget. She was always a mess on second dates. The stakes were higher, especially after six years off of the dating field. One hand played with her hair, while the other fed her pieces of popcorn. She nibbled, unlike her tendency to inhale handfuls at a time. Next to her sat Jimmy. He sold solar panels for a living and dreamed of owning a boat and spending his retirement on a beach. He owned the same shirt in five different colors...

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“Eighty-Year-Old Exhaustion” by Harlow Jones

Three seconds in, and she peaked at the timer. She didn’t like to sit much. Getting up and down hurt her joints. Instead, she grew used to being on her feet all day. But the doctor said she had to slow down. Yesterday, she was discharged from the hospital. Blurry vision and confusion never boded well at eighty years old. The doctor prescribed rest and no work. She could no longer skip meals or go to bed late. Instead, she had to lead a whole new way of living. As an old woman set in her ways, she had no belief in herself and her new practice...

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“His Shirt” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #145

Wearing a boyfriend’s shirt is romantic, but what about a one-night-stand’s? It can’t be as beautiful. Maybe commemorative or celebratory. Congrats on the shag! But I think this guy’s different. It’s my first one-nighter, so I don’t have much experience in this department of sexual relations. However, I never knew a sleepover could be part of the deal. Too busy worrying about how I looked and what he thought about me, I only slept for three hours total last night. While he snuggled me in his sleep, I wanted to get out but never let go. I’m r...

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“Altar-ed Image” by Harlow Jones

At the peak of wedding season, May didn’t think she could get any more stressed. No matter how mean a bride’s mother got, she never lost her love for weddings. The color coordination. The flowers. The lighting. The emotion. Despite calling off her own day of matrimony, May was the proudest wedding photographer the world ever knew. “Hey, Alvin.” She visited her catering best friend for a snack before diving into her documenting duties. “What’s the read on this couple?” “They seem basic but agreeable,” he started while handing her a plate of...

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“New Life” by Harlow Jones

It took Maddy no less than two hours of moving in to cover her walls. She always hated blankness. A fresh canvas terrified her. She needed color, stimuli to distract her. With a splash of spite, she unboxed artwork that Lucy never enjoyed. These pieces had a new chance. The stained glass French Bulldog. The Napoleon Dynamite poster. Her new dwelling was smaller and colder, but it was just for her. This was her fortress. No more parties with her people she never liked. No cleaning around a lazy partner. No more dragging her girlfriend to brun...

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“Dr. Ficus's Manuscript” by Harlow Jones

With one day left to finish writing her autobiography, Dr. Ficus started the day spunky. We had spent the last 364 days trying to find the quietest place on Earth for her to finish her work in peace. After hiking through forests and crawling through deserts, we’ve come back to her hometown library. While she was bargaining with the librarian to let us rent out the place for the day, I brainstormed more strategies to get my boss to wear my noise-canceling headphones. She had excuses every time I offered them. “They make my ears itchy.” “They ...

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“Sherry” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #141

That was the day Shana lost all light in my eyes. *** “Shana, Bridget said you needed to see me.” I knocked on her door, one minute after service was scheduled to start. With superhuman speed, Shana opened the door, grabbed my arm, and dragged me into her sanctuary. There was where she meditated and recharged after every session. When she double-checked that the door was locked, I knew something was wrong. When I counted three sandalwood incense sticks burning, I thought she hit rock bottom. “I can’t go out there,” she started, while pacin...

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“Maria and Hazel” by Harlow Jones

Maria begged this backyard barbeque would give her a break from her mother. For the third time in the last ten minutes, she had to remind Hazel she was her daughter. Surrounded by family members, she prayed that one of them would relieve her of her caretaking duties, even if just for five minutes. Once her brother announced that dinner was ready, she took the chance to get away. She loved her mother, but that woman wasn’t her mother anymore. She flipped her off whenever she was upset and failed to filter every thought she had about the mailm...

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“Family and Finances” by Harlow Jones

“Grow up, Linda,” Helen said, while shuffling through papers. “Where did I put his damn card?” “That’s rich coming from you,” Linda muttered with arms crossed. “What did you say?” Her mother stopped her search just to ask her question with a bit of flair. Although she was the authority figure, she loved the melodramatic.  “That’s rich coming from you!” Her daughter yelled, hands balled into fists. She was used to repeating herself, but today she was finally pushed over the edge. “How could a mother use her own daughter’s college fund...

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“The Cicadas” by Harlow Jones

I don’t want to sleep when my parents fight. The last time they got loud like this, I slept. When I woke up, Mom was gone. After weeks of cereal and sandwiches, she came back. I don’t want to lose her again. Their fights are happening more and more. I can’t sleep. I keep falling asleep in science class. Mrs. Reed is so nice. She gives me extra time on tests. And my friends let me copy their notes. But the other kids are mean. They laugh when I show up late, and they put stuff in my hair when I sleep. Who ever told them it was okay to be mea...

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