Iona Cottle

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (97)

97 Stories

3033 karma pts

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“The Other Unofficial After-Party” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #93

There aren’t any glasses to raise, and holding a plastic cup to the centre of the room just looks like you’re begging for a refill, so Danny just shouts to get the room to be quiet. “Okay, everyone! That’s five o’clock, work day’s over. Thank you all for the very hard work you’ve put in today.” That gets a round of laughter and a few cheers, apart from Mr Peterson and Mr Davis, who both give a tight smile. None of their staff have done any work for the last three hours, and with the long weekend it’ll be midweek before anything else is a...

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“Alice and Patricia” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #92

Mum opens the door and clicks the light on, but the bulb doesn’t look like the ones at home. At home the lights are bright and white, except the night-light, which is warm and shaped like a bunny. This light is orange, and makes everything in the room look like it’s been covered in orange pop. If anything the shadows are stronger than they were before the light was on, stark dark contrasts to the sickly orange. “Here we are,” Mum says. “You get the whole room to yourself this time. A whole double bed! What do you think of that, Alice?” Mum...

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“Peace Reigns In The Library” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #91

The rain thunders down, an endless drum-roll, and the world holds its breath as it waits to find out what the big reveal will be. The occasional flash of lightning breaks the gloom inside the building, and every time it does the shadows are a little bit different. Free from the eyes of the world, the books sleep and dream.Peace reigns in the library.Something slams into the front door, rattling it in its frame. The library inhales, every bookshelf holding its breath as it waits to see what’s happening.Another impact, but this time the window...

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“The Bank Raid” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #90

Freezing water splashes over the bow of the boat and into my face, but I don’t dare take my hand off the side to wipe it away. The biting wind cuts through all the layers of my clothing and rags, and soon my bones are sore from the cold. Hargreaves leans over from where he’s clutching the rail next to me. “Makes a pleasant change, doesn’t it?” he laughs. “A change yes. Not so sure it’s pleasant.” The heat we were trapped in only a week ago seems like a distant memory, but at least my body didn’t ache so much there. I could also see the...

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“Nothing Good, Just Bye” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #89

Parties are terrible.The music’s too loud, for one thing. And it’s too hot, and there are too many people, and it’s all just… terrible.So yeah, that’s why I don’t like parties.The song flips for something else, and a whiny high-pitched singer starts bawling her heart out. Not only is the music loud, it’s also terrible. I stole the lead to the speakers one time and plug my own MP3 player in to see if I could convert anyone to decent music. They all yelled at me, and a couple even threw empty cups. I won’t try that again, especially as I’m try...

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“Though It Breaks Our Hearts, We Grow Strong” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #88

“Are you sure about this, your highness?” Princess Rosalyn kept staring out the window, chewing her lip as she thought the plan over. “No,” she said at last with a sigh. “But I can’t see that there’s any alternative. We have to do it. Don’t we?” “I’m sorry, your Highness, but for this the final decision has to be yours.” “No, of course not. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be putting you in this position.” “I live to serve, your Highness. And it is a privilege to do so.” Despite the knot of anxiety in her chest Princess Rosalyn smiled at tha...

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“All About Timing” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #87

The sun was shining and the streets were busy. Pedestrians weaved in and out of the traffic, calling to friends and family as they went. The occasional car horn went off, but in the heat there was no malice to it. No one was in a hurry, not when there was so much sun to enjoy on this glorious summer Saturday. Sat at a table outside the café Levy swirled his cup of coffee round as he watched. Everyone else was drinking iced beverages, yet Levy still had a hot one. Even in this heat he felt a chill in his bones, the chill of his old age. It ...

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“The Eyes In The Forest” by Iona Cottle

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #86

The forest was bright and warm, the sunlight dappled across the leaf-covered ground in a way that evoked images of autumn holiday brochures and children laughing. There was a slight breeze rustling the upper branches, but down at ground level all it did was bring the warmth of the sun in from out in the meadows all around. For everyone not working, it was a weekend to head out and make the most of the last of summer, before the cold settled in. It was, I thought, a terrible place for a murder scene. “All right Andrews?” my boss asked as ...

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“The Courtyard” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #85

It was still daytime, but the last of the sunlight was smothered by the high ceiling of the building. The courtyard was full of dappled light, and in other circumstances it could’ve looked quite romantic. Geoffrey was feeling anything but romantic just then however. Besides, the place was full of mostly old men talking trade. That wasn’t likely to put many people in a dreamy mood. Geoffrey was leaning against a stone pillar, wishing it would swallow him up. Across the courtyard, Rufus was laughing with Mr Richards, the very man that Geoffr...

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“Wonky Smiles” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #84

I hear the alarm buzzing and groan as I flail at it. After a few attempts I manage to hit the button to get it to shut up, but my bed is warm. I know I shouldn’t, but I pull my arm back under and curl up in the duvet, just relaxing for a few minutes. “Bloody Mondays,” I mumble. I often talk to myself, just for the sake of hearing a voice, and if I get into a conversation it stops me from drifting off again. Rolling over I blink at the ceiling. “Wait. Is it Monday? Or Tuesday? What happened yesterday?” The answer to that is nothing, wh...

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“Save Our Spirits” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #83

The muck in the canal always upset Janie, but she’d gotten so used to it that she didn’t notice it any more. The half-submerged trolley was as much a part of her commute as the old oak tree at the end of the path, and now the only time she reacted to the garbage was when there was a new addition, or a particularly impressive piece of vandalism. The time that someone had managed to dump a temporary security fence in there she whistled; the time they’d gotten an entire sofa suite in there she’d stopped and admired it, until her stomach started...

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“Her Last Hope” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #82

The code scrolled up the screen, bright green on the black background, full ‘Matrix mode’, as her flat mate called it, in that sickened tone she always used when she had to reference sci-fi. Leah drummed her fingers on the desk as she waited for the test to finish compiling. “Come on, come on.” This one last tweak, to squash what should be the last glitch in the software, and she’d be on the home stretch. “Hm? What’s up, not getting through to Zion?” Marianne was sprawled on the sofa, channel hopping as she waited for her hair to dry. ...

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“Just Another Valentine’s Day” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #81

Marcie slipped the roses into the vase, tweaking them until they splayed out evenly, the three heads pointing in different directions. One for each setting, and the other one… somewhere else. “Oh dear,” Marcie laughed. She leant in close and held the flower head in her fingers, holding it still while she smelt it. “You’re the third wheel, aren’t you?” She inhaled deeply, sweet floral notes over the smells of the kitchen, and her eyes fell to the table. “Yeah. You and me both, buddy.” “Marcie! Are we ready?” Balancing the rose steady ag...

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“Everything Fades” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #80

Back home, in the kitchen she’d kept spotless, was a picture. It hung by the back door, and Anna-Lee had walked past it so often that she didn’t see it any more. If she’d been asked to describe her kitchen, she’d talk about the double stove, and the wonderful gas hobs. She’d talk about her large fridge and the separate freezer, and all the racks she had on the wall for hanging her utensils. With a sparkle in her eyes she’d talk about her herb garden, all the hand-painted pots that grew on a bookcase, so quaint and individual (or so she thoug...

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“Sisters Are As Sisters Do” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #79

There was nothing about the two girls that, from the outside at least, was the same. Roxanne was tall, athletic and loud, whilst Wren was short for her age, and though she was always smiling she rarely laughed. One drank the spotlight, whilst you forgot the other was in the room. The only thing that connected the two girls was that they arrived at the school at the same time, but as they were in different years no one noticed. During the school day their paths rarely crossed, and if they did no one spotted the smiles they saved for each ot...

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Author bio

My debut novel, 'Death Was Its Name', is out now! https://tinyurl.com/y46ymq94 I've been putting pen to paper longer than I've been able to write, and my first story – written age five – was about dinosaurs that lived hidden under a city. It’s an idea I'm going to come back to one day, because dinosaurs are cool. I'm keen to improve my skills as a writer, and would grately appreciate feedback on any of my stories. Leave a constructive comment on one of mine and I'll leave a comment on one of yours! Writers in this together :) www.ionawrites.co.uk https://www.amazon.com/author/ionacottle

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #57

Et Tu? – read story

Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #86

The Eyes In The Forest – read story

Contest #74

250 Days – read story

Contest #27

A Faithful Bet – read story