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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2024
Submitted to Contest #297
I blinked my eyes, unable to believe fortune was smiling on me. The open end of the bottle pointed at me. Tara, seated to my right, squeezed my hand and strangled a squeal, trying to escape from her throat. She knew what this meant for me, though I rolled my eyes to convey to the others how bored I was by accepting the task for which I was just selected.I stood and stepped over the bottle to follow Jimmy McAllister to the basement closet. He turned the worn brass colored knob and the wreck room filled with the requisite sound of a drawn out ...
Submitted to Contest #296
Before reading: Note that this story takes place on a plantation in Kentucky in the 1800's. It will be difficult to sympathize with the main character and dated terms are used in the story which are offensive in our present day.Jonathan William Smith sat on the swing beneath the cover of the porch at the entrance to his home. He watched the members of his household scuttle around as they went about their chores. Marcus, clad only in a pair of britches several inches too short, struggled with an ornery mule. The beast was refusing to pull the...
Submitted to Contest #295
Exploring the rental property hadn’t been on Laura’s “to do” list for her first trip to Norway, but the charm of the cottage forced her hand. She went out the front door and headed to the left. She admired a garden created from rocks, with some pretty flowers speckled throughout. The requisite lawn gnome-statues peeked out from natural hiding spots. Laura continued to the end of the front lawn and turned left to find a set of barn doors. Laura pulled the left door and it swung open. Wishing she had investigated the possibility of Norway hav...
Submitted to Contest #294
Be aware this story involves the loss of a child and may trigger an undesirable emotional reaction in some readers. My mother will not stop talking. I’m trying very hard to focus on this instead of the flood of thoughts dammed up within my mind. Mom is peppering me with bits of information about today’s weather and my brother’s baseball game. Shockingly, he snagged himself a no-hitter this morning even though he is a mediocre pitcher. I imagine the other team must have been atrocious. I want to interrupt and ask if the rest of the team made ...
Submitted to Contest #293
I picked the wrong seat. This was supposed to be my new beginning, and every minute was supposed to be a new and exciting moment to catalog in my mind and retell to the grandchildren of the future as a beloved memory. Instead, I am staring at the crinkle-faced child in the seat across from me while her mother ignores the hideous wailing sounds the kid is emitting. I might need to rethink the ‘future grandchildren’ part of my plan. I am starting to believe I won’t even make it through having children, let alone surviving until the birth of th...
Submitted to Contest #292
Kylie laughed to herself as Talf hurried back. She had seen the arrow land at his feet, but she was unable to see the shooter. She knew Talf had seen him though and he was making good speed on his way to the tree line. As the prince approached, Kylie turned and started off again, angling away from the castle. The archer would have little chance for a shot if they moved deeper into the forest. “Come on now! We’ll need to move a little faster if we want to lose him,” Kylie said.&...
Submitted to Contest #291
“Slay the beast!” The call echoes through the chamber. I stand with over a hundred of my compatriots, listening to the call to arms. I hadn’t meant to find myself in the middle of a rally, but this is where Gwyneth is, so this is where I want to be. Honestly, I found it a bit hard to believe that a sweet female such as Gwyn would be interested in the rantings of a brute such as Ragnor, but she was. This meant I had an interest in Ragnar’s speech as well. ...
Submitted to Contest #290
HPD-2058Myrna buried her nose in the dirty laundry and drowned herself in the scent. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the wall. From experience, Myrna understood she needed to enjoy this moment while she could. She only had minutes before she would no longer be alone. When the cold from the cement floor started seeping into her skin, Myrna opened her eyes and struggled to her feet. She pushed herself up the wall so she would not drop the armload of Landis’s laundry. &...
Submitted to Contest #289
Keeper of the God StoneThe sun beat down on Meara’s mottled skin and she wished, not for the first time, that she looked like the other tribe members. The deep reddish-hued skin tone, unique to the Yahkanah people, must have evolved from a need to protect itself from the sun’s rays. Meara’s skin only had some of that protection. She was unsure if her skin was deep brown with bright patches, or pink with dark brown patches. Either way, it was only half-decent at protecting itself from being burned by the sun. Right now, the lighter skin patch...
Submitted to Contest #288
Answering the Call “Nope!” Samuel slammed the door shut and narrowed his eyes at it. It had only been open for seconds, yet a dusting of snow glistened on the stone floor of the small entryway. He turned toward the fire, blazing in the hearth, as the flakes morphed into small puddles. Samuel considered the overstuffed chair before the fireplace. He could curl up with his book. The fairies would be there after the storm. There was no need to rush. It only...
Submitted to Contest #286
No One Needs Rosalie“Just forget it.” Rosalie said. “It’s not important.” Rosalie’s husband furrowed his brow and contemplated his reply. He decided the best reply would be to make none. “Don’t you have anything to say? It’s your fault they’re not coming. The least you could do would be to say something.” &nb...
Submitted to Contest #285
Get On Your Glad RagsTaylor blinked her eyes, trying to reconcile the previous moment with the one she was currently experiencing. Minutes ago, she had been staring at the computer screen before her, trying to hold her eyes open, but now she was on a bustling city street. Taylor looked down at herself to check for decency. She had been in her favorite flannel pajama bottoms and a bright pink hoodie when she’d last checked. Thankfully, she was in a dress...
Submitted to Contest #284
With what felt like the last of my strength, I heaved the remnants of my front door out of the way and stepped out onto what should have been my front porch, but was now a pile of rubble. The sun blinded me after being in darkness for so many hours. I felt no pain as I enjoyed the feeling of being alive and free from the debris that rained down upon me early this morning when my own home tried to kill me. I turned to look at the tomb from which I had jus...
Submitted to Contest #282
We purge the land of those seeking to destroy,Our weapons beside us, ready to deploy.The darkness pulls, ever trying to entice,But we stand firm; faith through sacrifice.We will muster to war and defeat the last,And we await The One to emerge from the past.Out of the darkness and into the light,Give us the strength to sit vigil tonight. Moxi raised her head from the pommel of her sword and looked up at the stone façade of the ancient ruins from her position on a single, bent knee. She felt warm, despite the darkness. Moxi turned toward Fion...
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