Jill K

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2021

Stories (6)

6 Stories

82 karma pts

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“The Invitation” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #291

I snatched the grinning skull out of my mailbox. Even before reading the scroll wedged tightly in the plastic mandible, I knew it was an invitation to LA’s pre-eminent Halloween party. It had red wax tears dripping out of the eye sockets and a jaunty gold ring clipped to the nasal cavity. With shaking hands, I pulled out the scroll and read: Have a blast at our Monster MashOctober 31, Ten o’clockThe Orlock HouseCome dressed as your favorite monster(You, too, Jeremy!)Prizes for best costumes I suspected that my invitat...

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“Her Majesty the Queen” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #290

“Shame, Tom!” William Berger frowned at the tollkeeper’s outstretched palm. “This is highway robbery!” The tollkeeper shrugged and silently re-counted Will’s head of sheep. “No getting around it, Will. Unless you are attending to Her Majesty?” He squinted at the large flock, pretending to look for royal guards. Will snorted. Queen Victoria, having ascended the throne less than three years ago, had not yet graced Telford with her royal presence. Were she to visit, she would cross over the Severn Gorge via the Iron Bridge, same as Will and h...

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“The Christmas Incident on Mount Major Highway” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #283

There are bluffs along Mount Major Highway where you can pull over and admire the Ossipee Mountains and the deep blue waters of Lake Winnipesaukee, a vast freshwater lake formed at the end of the last ice age. There are other places where the road twists and narrows, and your eyes dare not leave the road, not even for a second, no matter how thrilling the view. The week before Christmas I was driving along this highway toward my sister Julie’s house. I was thinking about the holiday itinerary we had planned, much of it involving old m...

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“Harrisburg” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #279

I wandered through the empty shopping mall. It was decorated for Christmas, but the all storefronts were dark, the security gates down. I looked for other shoppers, a maintenance worker, anyone who might help me exit the building, but the mall was vacant. Save for my own footsteps, the only sound I could hear was the worst holiday song ever recorded, on repeat. I concentrated on finding my original entrance point. If I could find that, I could locate my car. I walked quickly, lapping the mall several times, only to find JC Penney in a diffe...

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“Mrs. Esposito Says Hello” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #218

Mrs. Esposito Says Hello Could I please, the realtor’s voicemail urged, have the house presentable and smelling good by Saturday? The Esposito children want it sold lickety-split. No need to knock; the home is unoccupied – just push the front door open and start clearing up the junk. The children don’t want any of it. The realtor’s message made me sad, but I am a cleaning professional, and arrived at the house double masked with a trunkful of cleaning supplies. I’d cleaned enough hoarders’ homes to understand how the job a...

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“The Lesson” by Jill K

Submitted to Contest #119

“Listen... PORT-smith. PORT-smith.” I pronounced it slowly, then rapidly, the way you’d hear it in ordinary conversation. I pointed to the sentence I’d written on the board. “I’m currently living in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.” To a person, my adult students frowned. I could tell what they were thinking. “It’s spelled MOUTH. How can it be pronounced SMITH?” And, “Have I really been saying the name of this town wrong for the last three months?” My Taiwanese student cleared his throat. “Teacher,” he asked car...

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Author bio

Boo! My stories almost always contain a ghost or two. If speculative fiction & the paranormal intrigue you, read on. Your constructive feedback is very much appreciated (compliments are ok, too, haha). So glad to join everyone on this writing journey!