Heather Ann Martinez

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2020

Stories (64)

64 Stories

1133 karma pts

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“Did You See It?” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #105

Did You See It? By Heather Ann Martinez 6 AM Ryan realized his alarm never went off because he forgot to set it. He scrambled to get dressed and ready for work. He brushed his teeth while attempting to shave. He slapped aftershave and cologne and decided to skip breakfast as his face was burning. He ran down the nineteen steps of his apartment building and threw the door open towards the bus stop. His mouth was dry. He smelled fresh ground coffee and periodically turned his head to see if he could pinpoint where the intoxicating arom...

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“Meet Me ” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #103

Meet Me By Heather Ann Martinez It had been weeks since the fire swept through the land. It did not discriminate between the homes of the very wealthy and the very poor. No one knew what would remain if anything at all. As the smoke lifted, the residents of this small valley returned to sift through the rubble. Among them was a woman named Dragna. She had been a gypsy of sorts most of her adult life. She carried very little with her but favored one treasure among many. It was a key that had been left behind when she was forced to aband...

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“Yam Soup” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #102

Yam Soup By Heather Ann Martinez As the leaves began to turn and fall from their homes, I knew a season of change was upon our small little town of Ithica. I just didn’t know that it was more than leaves that were changing. Ithica used to have a coal mine that closed decades ago. When the coal mine closed, so did many other businesses and most of the residents left. My family chose to stay. My grandfather built the house my sister Penny and I grew up in. Penny is in her thirties now and moved out of Ithica although she comes to visi...

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“In the Mirror” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #101

In the Mirror By Heather Ann Martinez The champagne bottle popped. Larry jumped back. Izza gasped and Ginger started laughing. Frank sat nursing his cocktail at the end of the bar. He wasn’t amused. Larry began pouring the champagne into glasses and Ginger passed one to Izza and Frank. Frank nodded at Ginger. He had had a crush on Ginger since they were in preschool. He was married to Izza. She was a beautiful Italian princess in his mind. She was fifteen years his junior when they met and they married three years later. Frank was...

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“That's A Wrap” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #100

That’s A Wrap! By Heather Ann Martinez Every Sunday evening at seven o’clock, we sat down to eat at Joan’s Bed and Breakfast. Joan would cook all day after church. She called us her kids. She would tell everyone she met her kids were coming home for Sunday dinner. We weren’t her kids at all. We hadn’t even heard of Joan or each other for that matter prior to the new train stop being added between Milwaukee and Chicago. We could commute on the train into downtown Chicago and stay at the bed and breakfast during the week. Then, we could co...

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“Will This Day Ever End?” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #99

Will This Day Ever End? By Heather Ann Martinez Supermarket Apology If you were at the supermarket on Lake and Fourth at two o’clock, I really want to apologize to any of you who were injured or had fruit thrown in your face. I know some of you can relate to having a day that never seems to end. This one is definitely that for me. Some Back Story My name is Abby Trait. I’m married to Syler and we have five daughters and two sons. Syler and I are selling our house, moving in with my parents until our new house is built. Did I mentio...

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“In a Sea of Stars” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #98

In a Sea of Stars By Heather Ann Martinez There were nights I would go out and walk up the hill to that spot you once took me to. You called it the best seat in the house and you would say we were looking up at a ceiling. We would be settled on one of my throw blankets and you would tell me all the names of your stars underneath that celestial canopy. I never felt more secure than in those moments, and I imagine you are there in your sea of stars. Unfortunately, I do not know where you are. I can only imagine what is going on in your l...

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“Past Due” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #97

Past Due By Heather Ann Martinez Brenna woke up suddenly. It was the middle of the night. She went to her bedroom window and looked at the moon. There weren’t any stars. She thought about her childhood and the promises her parents made to her and her four brothers. Her parents promised that there would always be food on the table and a roof over their heads. Her parents would go without if that was necessary. Fortunately, they always managed to find work. They saved as much as they could. They never had fancy clothes or went on luxurio...

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“If the Walls Could Talk” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #96

If the Walls Could Talk By Heather Ann Martinez The young man opened the creaking door and started making excuses for all of the noise. I didn’t pay any attention to his ramblings. The house was old and this guest room was the second room built after the master bedroom across the hall. The young realtor refused to let me get a word in edgewise so I rudely interrupted him: “This is where they lived, isn’t it?” I asked. “This is where who lived? Really, Ms. Burch. I don’t know what you’re talking about. There was only one previous owne...

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“Door Number Two” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #95

Door Number Two By Heather Ann Martinez To be honest with you, I don’t remember a lot about my high school days. I know a lot of people have fond memories of Friday night football games, playing instruments in the orchestra and acting on stage in the drama productions. At the time, I was very shy. I preferred to hang out with my best friend and watch movies. I didn’t like large crowds. I felt awkward in classrooms full of thirty kids, and I didn’t fit in anywhere. In many ways, I felt invisible. For some reason though, I wasn’t invisib...

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“In the Back of Your Mind” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #94

In the Back of Your Mind By Heather Ann Martinez If you think about it, your life is a series of choices that can take you in so many different directions. There are some choices we make that can change the course of our lives and others that we know will only result in a stomach ache the next morning. There are some choices that linger in the back of your mind. These are the ones that cause you to question your faith, your abilities and many of your other decisions. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to imagine what it would have been like...

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“At Shay's House” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #93

At Shay’s House By Heather Ann Martinez The air was filled with the scent of burnt coffee, wet newspaper and tobacco. We couldn’t wait for all of this to be over. Shay, I think, most of all. The after-graduation party was at Shay’s house. We all saw on the news three men escaped from prison. We didn’t know that the prison was so close to Shay’s house and the prisoners had a plan, not only to escape, but not to get caught again. It started out as a great party. We ordered from our favorite pizzeria on the bay. Shay’s parents owned ...

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“Dark Spots” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #92

Dark Spots By Heather Ann Martinez All I could do was stand in the darkness. It was intimidating and cold. I had not invited its presence but only knew it had to come in order for the light to come after. The darkness prevented me from seeing anyone or anything clearly. If I moved to the right or to the left, I would not be welcomed back to this stage. I felt the cold tingling along my hamstring. I wanted to walk off the stage, but I didn’t feel as though I had permission to leave. After all, I worked very hard to get here, to perform ...

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“Ten Years Overdue” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #91

Ten Years Overdue By Heather Ann Martinez If you were to visit my home, you would see a very simple, organized space. There are sticky notes on the mirrors and a growing “To-do” list hanging on the fridge. There is a bucket list journal on my nightstand and symmetrically arranged flowers in the vase on my dining room table. Groceries are picked up every Tuesday and Friday. Bills are paid every Wednesday. Normally, everything runs like clockwork. It was on a Sunday that I received a call from a former college roommate who said some of my ...

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“Pinwheels” by Heather Ann Martinez

Submitted to Contest #90

Pinwheels By Heather Ann Martinez Josiah was sitting on the left side of the crowded train. Periodically, he smiled at the elderly woman who woke herself up each time she kicked his leg. Josiah was tall and tried to curl his arms in and crossed his legs out in front of him. The woman next to him stored her suitcase underneath the seat they shared across from the elderly woman and three young men dressed in army uniforms. It was difficult for all of them to not touch each other as every other row of seats were equally crowded. There were ...

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Author bio

I feel like stories write themselves and I give souls to my characters. I am a collaborator in their triumphs, their failings, and their complexities. I read to inhale, and I write to exhale.