Helen A Smith

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2022

Stories (29)

29 Stories

2293 karma pts

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“Rumour Has It” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #200

OAKWOOD FOREST, 1350.Like any right-minded boy of nine and a half, Tom had always dismissed the rumours as unbelievable. Too good to be true.“Stuff and nonsense,” his mother said. “You are to ignore them.”“But what if they are true?” he asked her.“They are not.” She shook her fist to emphasise the point. “You must stop your foolish chattering. There have been no sightings and even if there were, the king has forbidden such talk. Haven’t we enough troubles, without adding to them, Tom?&nbsp...

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“Borderline ” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #198

JANE, May 1985Everything changed when I got the news. I’m as scared of dying as the next person, but knowing my time here is short makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. While the blood pulses through my veins, a courage I never knew I had makes me want to live.All my breaths are concentrated as I will my body to continue living; the things that were once bland, frightening, or anything in between, no longer have power over me. With everything in sharp focus, I no longer feel trapped by indecision and fear.&nbs...

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“Blackout ” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #197

The 1980’s smokers are discussing the trials and tribulations of their beleaguered colleague, Jane Weeble, in their staff room.“She’ll be along any minute now, tottering in her heels. Beats me why she wears them,” the maths teacher observes.“What do you mean by that, Denis? Why shouldn’t she wear them if they make her happy?”“I don’t mean anything by it, Brenda. It’s just they’re strangely at odds with that faded cardigan and dress with the pocket she always wears. I always think she looks like something fr...

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“Rome Wasn’t Built…” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #195

More than twenty years ago, I trudged through a rain-lined street that led to a shop where I was about to start my new job. It was a day early in December, not quite cold enough to be comforted by a blanket of snow. A fog hung like a damp cloak in the air and the streams that ran through the town were full almost to the brim even before they spilled into the dark flowing river. Before I left home, I’d had a hard job deciding what to wear that first day as the new manager of the charity shop. In the end, I had opted for a smart ...

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“Lost And Found” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #192

Wakened by birdsong, Pat pulls off her duvet. After a few seconds of running her feet through the sheepskin rug, she slips on her dressing gown and steps blearily into her new garden.The magnolia tree’s velvet jackets have split open and transformed into lustrous white petals. She wants to wrap herself round the trunk of the silver birch, feel its comfort, but it’s too cold. The birch’s catkins slowly cascade to the ground like tiny helicopters, each one landing and forming a frizzy overcoat on the patchy grass. There’s a slight hi...

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“True Beauty” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #188

Figures differ depending on where you live, but here I’m one of the 1,300 born with a cleft lip. A genetic fault caused part of my upper lip to split on the right side reaching to my nose in the early stage of my mother’s pregnancy. ***It could have been the perfect lesson. If it weren’t for one thing! Or one person, to be precise.If I’m going to talk about this, I should at least be honest. It was more than one person, but she was the kingpin; the skittles would not have fallen...

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“Clubbing At 49?” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #186

TW: some swearing and mention of self-harming“Aren’t you a bit old to go clubbing?”“What makes you say that?”“Well, you’re hardly love’s young dream. You look ridiculous in that getup. You can’t get away with a pink skirt and blingy gold top at your age. Clothes like that are meant for the young and gorgeous which isn’t you. Exposing your midriff is hardly a turn-on. For fuck’s sake, tuck it in.”“Stop swearing, you know I hate it. I wasn’t brought up to swear. I like wearing these clothes and ...

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“A Twist In The Tail” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #184

“HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.” Margi’s heart hammered as she uttered the words she hoped she’d never have to use…… When Fred had come into her life three months earlier, he’d brought with him joy and a sense of purpose only a pet can bring. There was a reason to get up in the morning. He had released Margi from the loneliness that had haunted her after losing Bruno, her beloved dachshund a few months earlier. Margie was determined to g...

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“Charmless ” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #180

Put me next to my sister Charmaine and I fade into the background. It’s a twist on ugly duckling/ beautiful swan syndrome. The fact I’m two years older only makes matters worse. I’m eighteen and Charmaine is sixteen. She’s everything I’m not. She has brilliant green eyes to my hazel ones, golden hair to my light brown, and a figure to die for. But it’s more than that! Every pore oozes sexuality and confidence. She only has to crook her finger and the boys come running. &nbs...

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“Resolutions ” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #179

New Year’s Eve 2022. Just think, tonight I might have been one of the luckiest men alive. Except I’m not.The city in which I was born and still live is pinnacled by spires and towers. It has ancient medieval colleges, museums, galleries, theatres, amazing bars and restaurants and quaint shops. It’s also plagued by streams of tourists and having to dodge endless bikes. The river, the city’s soul, carves its way through the centre before its fast-flowing currents are controlled by locks further on. During the fi...

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“There’s Always Monopoly” by Helen A Smith

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #177

I’m feeling extra grouchy today. It’s unfortunate because ‘giving out’ to others is what I do. But then, being driven half-crazy by scratching whilst lying in wait on my futon can do that to a person. Especially during the middle of the night. It seemed to be coming from the back of the skirting board. The intermittent scraping put my teeth on edge. So much so, I barely slept until the last hour. My heart rushed as the morning alarm jolted me awake; it was too late to do my daily exercises (a vigo...

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“Never Say Never” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #175

At precisely 6 am, Yvonne Strong rose, opened the blinds and peered onto a garden shadowed by the night’s dark shroud. Shivering involuntarily in spite of the underfloor heating, it was only a matter of time before a frost wreaked havoc on all her hard work. Gardening which kept her going through the worst times was impossible now. She’d brought the potted plants indoors, but others needed covering over with a fleece. The leaves of the normally hardy palm would have to be tied up. Winter, the colourless enemy truncat...

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“The Cup” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #173

If only good things lasted. Maybe not forever, but for as long as we need them.As I stroll along the city’s winding riverbank, there’s a chill in the air and my feet scrunch along the rain-sodden ground. Ancient half-bare trees sway in the the wind, their curling leaves rapidly falling. Soon, they will be nothing but skeleton trunks and branches, and passers-by will clump along carpets of rusty red and gold. Wallowing, I collect my scattered thoughts, waiting for the river’s activity to abate a little. ...

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“Journey Past” by Helen A Smith

Submitted to Contest #171

This story contains sensitive themes. Bill Jarvis sat bolt upright in the hotel bed bathed in a cold sweat. His accommodation was part of a building where his company annual conference was being held. His heart was pounding to a familiar and terrifying refrain. The dream had reasserted itself with a vengeance. From the moment he’d seen the updated list of managers in his region, one...

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Author bio

I’ve always enjoyed writing but in recent years it’s become a real release. Writing gives life meaning in a topsy-turvy world. I hope my stories can inspire others. Even when you feel discouraged, don’t give up. Keep writing and supporting other writers by commenting on their work. I’m learning so much from others reading and critiquing my work. It’s good to reciprocate.

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #177

There’s Always Monopoly – read story