Iona Cottle

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (97)

97 Stories

3033 karma pts

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“That Day and Now” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I’d seen the leaves change colour every year, but that day they seemed brighter than ever. They weren’t just red and orange; there were still hints of green every now and then, which gave the fire more depth. “Are you all right?” Jason asked as I stared at the trees. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine. I mean… Are you all right?” “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll manage.” He took my hand, and his skin felt as hot as the fire flaming through the tree tops around us. “Come on, let’s go the scenic way home.”...

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“Escape Trajectory” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #62

“Some witness protection scheme this is,” Sheena muttered as she stared at her reflection in the glass of the unit. Automatically she tried to adjust her hair, only to realise that there wasn’t enough of it left to adjust. With her hand still halfway to her head she sighed and stared deep into her own eyes. “Is it worth it?” “What was that?” Yohan asked as he blundered into the room. “Nothing,” Sheena replied. Her words were lost in the thunderous crash as Yohan tipped the stack of boxes he was carrying to the floor. “Sorry?” Sheena ...

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“Sickly Sweet” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #61

The music was pounding, and Jason already had a headache. He kept the smile on his face, knowing that he couldn’t be seen to be grumpy, not today of all days. Everyone else in the room was grinning, a whole host of rictus skulls in various states of inebriation. The group bobbed along to the music, shaking the floor ever so slightly out of time with the bass from the speakers, as though the dancers were fighting the band.And there, no longer in the centre of the crowd but still orbited like the sun, was his sister Carol. The ridiculously lon...

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“The Stash” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #60

The wind whistled across the car park, rattling abandoned cars and tossing about the accumulated rubbish from the last six months, like a child discarding all the toys they were bored of. If the breeze carried a smell, Lizzie didn’t notice. After so many months, smells didn’t register like they used to. Now she panicked when the air smelt fresh, not when it didn’t. “Are you sure about this, Charles?” Rob asked. “Look, we’ve been over this enough,” Charles whispered back. “There’s a stash in there, and now’s the best chance to go and get...

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“One Of Us Is Comfortable” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #59

“You don’t have to come with us, you know?” Jack started, not having realised that Rowan was looking at him. “Nah, it’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be fine? It’s fine.” “D’aww, what’s this?” Alice said, leaning over Jack’s shoulder. “Is my little brother embarrassed?” That much was clear to anyone walking past them on the street. Jack’s cheeks were redder than the traffic lights, and despite the cool autumn air he had a thin trail of sweat down the side of his face. At being called out though he clenched his jaw and squared his shoulders, sh...

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“The Silent Hum” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #58

There was always a hum. Always had been, and always should be. So when Tobias woke up, and the world was quiet about him, he knew at once that something was wrong. It took him a few moments to work out what the problem was however. The background hum was so much a part of his world now, as it had been for the past two months, that normally he didn’t notice it. It was like actually noticing the sun was up, rather than just seeing that it was light. He wrestled out of the blankets, which were all tucked up under his legs to keep the chil...

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“Et Tu?” by Iona Cottle

🏆 Winner of Contest #57

The lights had been dimmed in the auditorium, and this was Melissa’s favourite time. Okay, perhaps auditorium was too grand a word for the little box room tucked into the middle of the exhibition, but with only the light from the projector she imagined it was her great stage. Then she could pretend she was presenting her stunning PhD thesis, rather than re-reading the script the museum provided. Sure the job was fun, but it hardly had the grandeur she’d been aiming for when she went into academia. As soon as that started paying properly, she...

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“The Same Boat” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #56

Melissa The court house is a dull building, exceedingly so given the dramas that unfold inside it. It’s imposing, but only in the same way that 1960s office buildings are, all sharp edges and bland colours that drain the personality out of you just by looking at them. Just the sort of place you want to spend a day’s holiday. Not. “You didn’t have to come you know,” Andrew says to me as he catches my expression. “I know.” He said it often enough last night after all. “But it’s not fair to make you turn up by yourself.” Besides, I don’t ...

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“Abandoned?” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #55

“Can you keep a secret?” he asks as we wait for the train. Of course I can, I think. I’ve never told anyone about my childhood crush, and how we used to make out behind his shed. I’ve never mentioned the night I came downstairs and saw my mum kissing my father’s brother – mostly because I’m not entirely convinced that was what I saw, but still. But this… I sigh as I take his hands again. “Yes, and I will if you want me to. But are you sure about this?” Once again there’s that stupid grin, half-scheming, half-proud, with a faint hint of...

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“Month by Month” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #54

Month One Ronan looked at the slip of paper in his hand, then up at the cafe, then back to the bit of paper. The letters all matched up, so there was no avoiding it. This was the place, and the time. All he had to do was walk in. Or he could walk away. No-one knew he was here, so no-one would know if he just left. He didn’t have to do this. That was what shops were for, as he always said. With a sigh Ronan headed inside, the clipping clutched in his hand like a safety blanket. It was old-fashioned he knew, checking out groups in the lo...

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“Ice Lollies and Lifeguards” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #53

The first thing Kaylee noticed was the sticky, mucky warmth across her forefinger, as the bottom of the ice lolly she was holding finally succumbed to the inferno of sunlight battering down on them all. The second was the scream. There was a name in the sound, but the woman’s desperation drowned out the syllables. She stood down at the water's edge, hands cupped around her mouth. Just in the surf there was some manic splashing, and Kaylee felt a flood of relief as she saw a gangly man wading forward. That's okay, Kaylee thought, the ma...

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“Her Choice” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #52

The prosecco has gone straight to my head, and now I can’t tell what’s excitement and what’s alcohol. I’m floating round on a happy buzz, and the slight asphyxiation from my dress doesn’t help. “All set?” Elsa, my maid of honour, asks. “Yup.” She continues to fuss about, checking and double checking I have all of my ‘good luck’ charms; something borrowed, blue, old, new and the sixpence. It’s hard not to smile, seeing how seriously she’s taking her duties. At her wedding I was only a bridesmaid, but as soon as I asked her to be my maid...

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“Pretty Without Tears” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #51

The sky overhead glistened with stars, but Olivia barely registered them.“How can they do that?” she asked.“Hmm?” Sat next to her, Dana turned and frowned at the random question.“The stars. How can they just… carry on, like nothing’s happening?”Dana breathed in deeply and exhaled before answering. “For them nothing is happening.”“That’s not fair.” Olivia looked down at the phone in her hand again. One stupid little lump, always so close to breaking, yet it was her life that was breaking instead. “I could just drop it in the bin, I suppose.”“...

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“Emily vs Suki” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #50

Emily stared down the dog, who sat at attention in the middle of the living room. “Right,” Emily said firmly. “How hard can it be?” She held up the harness, and the dog was gone. “Oh god damn it.” There was a crash from the hallway, but by the time she’d made it there was nothing but the shattered remains of that old, lime green vase that had sat there her whole life. The vase looked awful, and Emily had lost count of how many times she’d tried to get rid of it. Seeing it lying in pieces on the floor stopped her in her tracks though....

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“Inappropriate conversations with strangers at bus stops” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #49

It wasn’t quite raining yet, but the sky was threatening it. Great, Ruby thought, just what I need when I’m late for the bus. She grabbed her handbag and was halfway out the door, when she lunged back and grabbed her keys as well. That was lucky. Her landlord wouldn’t be pleased at being called out for the third time in two months if she locked herself out again. On the way to the bus stop she dug about and made sure she had everything; phone, keys (just!), purse, and all the other random bits that lived in the bottom of her bag. The chanc...

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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