Janie Holliday

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2023

Stories (4)

4 Stories

67 karma pts

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“A Meeting on a Moonless Night” by Janie Holliday

The place where the moon normally nestled amongst the stars was dark. The village square would have been empty on most nights, but not tonight. Tonight was the first black moon of the year, during which one of the most anticipated events of the year took place. On the first black moon of the year, children became adults. I didn’t imagine it to be quite so dramatic, as the older generation described it. Even as a child, I remember some of the now-adults when they first embarked on their journey. They came back looking precisely the same, tho...

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“Trouble Walked In” by Janie Holliday

Submitted to Contest #204

The saloon door creaked open, heralding a hot breeze and a figure silhouetted by midday sun. Not a few eyes glanced up from their mugs to squint at the shadow as it meandered through the doorway. The bar man — a man with a bushy beard who was wider than he was tall — paid the figure no mind until they strolled over to the bar. He continued polishing a glass stein as the stranger poured themselves into the seat in front of him. The character was as distinct as they had attempted to make themself indistinct. They wore a wide-brimmed hat, ...

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“The Midnight Inferno” by Janie Holliday

Submitted to Contest #203

The roof collapsed in on them. Flaming debris fluttered down from the hole in the ceiling. The two young women cowering inside the building stared up in horror, though they couldn’t see anything through the rising smoke. A shrill scream ripped out from one of their mouths, but it got lost in the commotion outside. Shouts and screams filled the air, combining with the roar of the flames and the cracking and collapsing of the nearby buildings. “Go, go, go! We’ve gotta get moving!” the one who’d been silent shouted once her senses returned...

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“A Fragile Faith” by Janie Holliday

Submitted to Contest #202

I am a heretic. There had been a time I would have never understood the path I am on now. A time I would have chosen not to understand. It hadn’t been so long ago.  The sacred texts had explicitly stated that my actions constituted heresy. Or, at least, as our teachers had told us repeatedly. I have never read the sacred texts, nor anyone I know personally or those who claim to be its protectors. I will not begrudge them their faith; I, too, believed in the words of the Holy Doctors when I was younger. As a child, I dreamed of being o...

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Author bio

I'm a fantasy writer based out of NC. I've always enjoyed writing, even if I rarely let my work see the light of day. I would love to be published one day, but I'm trying to take it a step at a time. I figured answering one prompt a week would help me sharpen my skills.