Jane Andrews

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (82)

82 Stories

3270 karma pts

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“Too Late for Whale Watching” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #209

They had always planned to go whale watching in Iceland. The 4X4 rumbles through the snowy scenery, the sound of the guide’s voice washing over her. Gunnar is well versed in his country’s natural history – so far, they have seen fissures, extinct volcanoes and a waterfall; but he loves the land’s mythology too. Before he started lecturing them, Deirdre hadn’t realised that Catholicism and superstition were so intertwined in Icelandic folklore, or that the Huldufólk (‘hidden people’) played such an important role.  “You would call them ...

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“Cupboard Love” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #208

Trigger warning: references to abuse Lucy was six when she first discovered the secret of the cupboard under the stairs She had been trying to hide from her father when it happened – Daddy always said he didn’t mean to get angry, but he still hit her anyway. She stumbled into the cupboard, hoping to squeeze herself behind the vacuum cleaner, and found herself in a world of rainbows and unicorns. Everything glittered and sparkled – including Lucy herself; and after a while, she realised that she could unfold the gauzy wings that grew on her...

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“Have you heard about Scott and Abi?” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #200

“Have you heard about Scott and Abi?” The school bathroom’s deserted as Jodie sidles up to Fliss, her best friend. Jodie’s not usually one to gossip, but she can’t resist passing this on. “They hooked up at Danny’s party last weekend. I saw them getting hot and steamy with each other on the landing.” “Scott and Abi?” Fliss says in surprise. “I thought he was dating Lauren.” “Maybe they broke up.” Jodie pauses to consider the possibilities. “Or maybe he’s cheating on Lauren with Abi. I wonder if she knows…” “Poor Lauren,” Fliss says. It’s ...

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“Re-righting the Future” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #197

Most people live their lives in the present: looking back on the past; trying to anticipate the future. My gift – my curse – is that I was fated to foretell what will be. But the gods have a cruel sense of humour, for they decreed that no one would believe me when I spoke of things to come.Back then, I was Cassandra: daughter of Priam; sister of Paris. To be honest, I didn’t need the gift of prophecy to see that my brother’s desire for Helen would end in tears. She was beautiful – “the face that launched a thousand ships” is how one of the p...

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“Lies Hurt Less Than The Truth” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #196

It’s almost 9 by the time the obligatory drinks party is over and my jaw aches from smiling at people I don’t know while I listen to their self-indulgent self-promotion. I’m a last-minute replacement for Helen, my team leader, who has food poisoning. Allegedly. To be honest, I’m pretty sure salmonella is just an excuse: her way of avoiding yet another tedious conference with endless slides of sales figures and excruciating small talk with people who actually care about data systems.           ...

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“Spectacles and Sweater Vests” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #192

My heart sank when I saw who had been assigned to me as my lab partner for chemistry. Artie Johnson was the original SuperNerd. The thick, unflattering spectacles he wore didn’t manage to draw attention from his shaggy, overgrown hair – or his lurid sweater vests and ill-fitting corduroy trousers. His entire look resembled something that had occurred after an explosion in a thrift store – and I would have to spend several hours a week working with him.           Don’t get me wrong – I’m ...

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“Six Seeds” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #191

Hand in hand, we walk together through fields of barley, watching grain ripen as we pass. Persephone: daughter of sunlight; daughter of corn; child of Zeus; child of mine. I watch as sunbeams trace a path across your face: your father’s kiss. (Your uncle’s too.) Zeus: King of Gods; son of a Titan; my brother; my lover. Mount Olympus is populated with his offspring: he sows his seed up there as blithely as we sow our seed within the world of men. Scattering grain, planting crops to yield a harvest, we walk the fields tog...

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“The Yarn Merchant” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now,” the sultan’s voice thunders like a thousand waterfalls, “and tell me who you are and what you were doing in my private gardens.” “This story begins many moons ago,” I begin in a sing-song voice, “in a city very much like this one. I was younger then and very handsome.” (The sultan and his courtiers gaze at  my wrinkled face in disbelief.) “All the girls were in love with me, but I had eyes for only one of them: Fairuza, daughter of Hakim the spice-merchant.” I half-close my eyes as if thinking of her. “She was beautiful,” ...

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“The Snow Bride” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #189

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling and it was almost dark as Harry opened his eyes and came out of his reverie. He had always though that Jeremy, his eldest cousin, would inherit the family estate one day. However, to his great surprise, a series of unfortunate events had ensured that every one of his cousins perished before reaching the age of thirty – with the result that Harry suddenly found himself heir to Locksby Hall and to a lifestyle he had never dreamed of.He was around twenty-five at this time – a pale, dark-haired boy, good...

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“The Wrong Marina Jensen” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #188

How could she have known they’d booked the wrong Marina Jensen? It seemed relatively straightforward when it started: the email from someone she’d never heard of before, waxing lyrical about her ‘seminal study’ and inviting her to be the keynote speaker at a conference in Romania. Marina couldn’t believe her eyes when she read it. Yes, she’d recently published a book on Amazon, but she’d considered it light-hearted fluff: a thinly disguised account of her own dating disasters, written in Bridget-Jones-esque tones. Still, if the Universit...

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“Family Secret” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #186

Trigger warning: sexual abuse, self harm, suicide As darkness settles into every corner of the bedroom, fear begins its nightly assault. She lies immobile, watching, waiting. Soon, the nightmare will be at her door; the heaviness inside her grows as she thinks about it. His hands holding her down. His knee forcing her legs apart. Tears staining her face afterwards. Dread builds as her ears strain to listen for the thud of footsteps, the gentle sound of the door being opened. Strange that a monster can be so quiet, that a frame so large c...

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“In Pieces” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #186

Trigger warning: mental health, physical violence, suicide.Author’s note: This is a dadaistic piece and is composed entirely of fragments of lyrics from the following songs (in alphabetical order of artists): ‘Where The Wild Roses Grow’, Nick Cave; ‘Fix You’, Coldplay; ‘Afterglow’, ‘In the Glow of the Night’, ‘Snowbound’, ‘The Last Domino’ and ‘Throwing It All Away’, Genesis; ‘Burning Buildings’, Elton John; ‘Crying’ and ‘It’s Over’, Roy Orbison; ‘Smallcreep’s Day’, Mike Rutherford; ‘You’re Not The Man’, Sade; ‘How Can I Tell You?’ and ‘Ruby...

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“Broken Hearts and Baronets” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #185

Henry Davenport was broke. He’d frittered away most of the fortune his father had left him – wine, women and cards were expensive hobbies – and was down to his last few hundreds. “You need a rich wife, Harry,” Josiah remarked as they cantered through the forest one fine autumn afternoon. “A girl with enough money to keep you in the manner to which you’re accustomed.” Henry nudged Lady’s reins gently. The mare was spirited, but he managed to let her know who was in charge. Women were a lot like horses: once you’d broken them in, you could e...

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“Memories and Dreams” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #184

Sensitive content: mistreatment of indigenous people; mental healthIt started with the nightmares.Jed was jerked out of sleep by a frantic hammering on the door of his house. Stumbling a little in the darkness, he fumbled for his pants. He couldn’t let the townsfolk see the sheriff in his long johns.Hal Avery’s boy stood there. Wild-eyed. Staring. Behind him, his mother clutched a shawl about her shoulders with one hand, the other soothing Tom the way you’d gentle a horse.“It’s mighty late for a social call,” Jed remarked, noting the ha...

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“Klingons Have Feelings Too” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #183

“Ah, Mr Chekhov, I was just admiring your gun.” As a chat up line, it isn’t great, but we’re at a Star Trek party (the original 1960s TV series, not any of the spin-offs or the much cooler, recently reimagined films), organised by my friend Jake, who just happens to be Nick (aka Chekhov)’s housemate. “It’s not a gun…” – his words are laced with flirtation – “…I’m just really pleased to see you.” He’s lying, of course – no one, no matter how well-endowed, has a detachable member that he can conveniently tuck into a holster at his side. But...

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Author bio

Jane Andrews is an English teacher and indie writer living in Birmingham, UK. She is the author of the YA 'Sarah and Steve' trilogy, the YA 'Dreams and Shadows' fantasy series, and a number of other novels. She also writes short stories across a range of genres. https://writingatjaneandrews.com/

Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #257
Chasing Juliet – read story
Contest #248
Paradise Lost – read story
Contest #182
Mike didn't come home last night – read story