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Johanna L

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2020

Stories (14)

Comments

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8 Followers

8 Following

14 Stories

278 karma pts

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Man's Last Friend

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #312

Elodie used to tell herself that AI wasn’t alive—that it couldn’t possibly care about her. Lately, she wasn’t so sure. She sat by her home office window, her coffee cooling beside her, and watched the neighborhood hum with quiet life. The UPS driver made his rounds, a brown truck creeping down the street like clockwork. Her neighbor strolled past with his dog, pausing to let the animal sniff every mailbox post. Across the street, a young couple carried boxes into their new home, their laughter floating faintly on the summer breeze. It made h...

10 likes

Things I Never Meant to Say Out Loud

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #311

"I'd hate to say this, but your family is messed up." I stared at the text message from my co-worker and close friend, Sammy, confused. What was she talking about? Sure, my family is messed up, but we hadn’t talked about them in weeks. What prompted this? I sat there, tired and already nursing a headache, trying to make sense of it. My brain flipped through recent conversations, emails, and anything that might explain the sudden comment. Nothing came to mind. Finally, I gave in and messaged her back. "What are you talking about?" I let my ph...

11 likes

The Reluctant Nominee

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #310

It was supposed to be a stupid dare, not a life-altering moment. Hannah was the outspoken, opinionated member of her friend group. Spirited debates never intimidated her. In fact, she thrived on them. Some friends even joked she’d missed her calling as a lawyer. Whenever there was a city council meeting, a school board hearing, a town hall, or a political rally, Hannah was in her element, eager to learn the issues and speak her mind during public comment. One day, at a particularly heated city council meeting, the topic of eminent domain ca...

3 likes

A Season to Remember

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #309

* Content warning - mention of drunk driving and death from a car accident* I never expected to see someone from that summer in a city like this, but there he was, walking in to my office like he had been here all along.I had only moved here about six months ago to start a new job, eager for a fresh beginning. I’d left behind my college town, trading in the late nights, endless parties, and hungover mornings for a more stable routine. Even though I had been a good student with strong grades, actively volunteering, serving in student governme...

10 likes

The Distance Between Houses

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #308

** This story contains some romantic themes and may be on the more mature side. ** I never paid much attention to the house next door—until one evening, I glanced out at the patio and saw him there: barefoot, sun-dappled, and smiling at something only he could see.My day started out like any other. I was wound tight with stress from my telecommuting job with an insurance company, worn down by the usual battles—presenting audit files to clients who didn’t want to pay, dealing with account managers who couldn’t manage, and cleaning up after a ...

13 likes

The Artist's Alibi

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #300

Content warning: story covers themes of crime and a presumed suicideMost people looked at Bob’s paintings and saw peace. No one ever noticed the clues in the trees.From where I sat at my desk in the third precinct of the Sunset Valley Police Station, my wall was starting to look more like a gallery than an office — a gallery filled with Bob Ryan’s paintings.Around here, Bob was a minor celebrity. Everyone knew him: the calm, grandfatherly figure who taught weekend art classes at the library and spent weekdays inspiring kids at the school. Hi...

13 likes

Everything They Didn't Say

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #299

My parents’ wedding photo hung in the hallway of their home for years, yet it wasn’t until I looked closer that I saw the truth hidden in plain sight. As the scapegoat in a narcissistic family, I’ve spent the last three years in therapy, unraveling the tangled web of my family history to understand why I was treated the way I was. Along the way, my therapist and I uncovered just how much mystery surrounds my parents’ past. Early on, I struggled to answer even basic questions—about my mother’s relationship with her own parents and siblings, o...

7 likes

One Year to Vanish

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #296

To everyone else, the end of my lease is just a date on a calendar. To me, it’s a countdown to freedom. The only thing keeping me going through this anxiety-ridden year is the knowledge that next February, my townhome lease will expire, and I will walk away from the only life I have ever known. Every polite nod at the office and every strained family dinner brings me one step closer to vanishing. Faking it until I leave has become unbearable. Every interaction with my family reminds me why I need to go. Every cutting remark, every moment of ...

9 likes

Fractured Reflections

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #295

** This story addresses themes of mental health and a traumatic home life. ** My mother always said I had a vivid imagination, but I knew the house with the yellow siding existed. My memories of it were brief but vivid. We moved there just before my tenth-grade year, marking the start of one of the most turbulent times in my life. Our family was never particularly close. Conflict and tension defined our dynamic — a manipulative mother, an authoritarian and emotionally absent father, and a sister who had once been my companion out of necess...

8 likes

Unspoken History

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #294

The message blinked on the screen, a name I hadn't seen in years—one I never thought I would see again. Another restless evening had brought me back to the glow of my computer. Sleep was elusive, chased away by the familiar hum of anxiety. Family drama had a way of keeping me awake, sending me down endless rabbit holes of what-ifs and why-nots. Therapy had become my sanctuary over the past three years. I had untangled the snarled threads of narcissistic abuse, piecing together the roles my family played. My mother, the narcissist. My father,...

7 likes

Unseen

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #289

Trigger Warning: This story explores themes of difficult family dynamics, emotional abuse, and murder. It delves into the lasting impact of toxic relationships, trauma, and the struggle for independence and healing. The room is unfamiliar. I don’t know how I got here. Disoriented, I rubbed my eyes and took in the dim surroundings. Something felt off. I tried to piece together the events of the previous day, but the details slipped through my grasp like sand through my fingers. It had been about six months since I went no-contact with my t...

9 likes

A Dish Best Served Cold

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #270

The invitation never came. Amelia had known it from the start. She could feel the tension building in her mother’s voice for weeks before the trip was even announced. “Your sister and I are going to Europe,” her mother, Brenda, said with a tone dripping in forced casualness. It wasn’t a question or an invitation. It was a declaration. Amelia tried to pretend it didn’t sting, but it always did. For years, she had been the one on the sidelines, while her mother poured all her affection and attention into Amelia’s sister, Grace. Grace, the gold...

20 likes

The Story of Shawn and Josie

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #154

** This story might be difficult for those who have struggled with family planning challenges ** “We’re running out of time.” Josie’s voice broke as she sat in a therapists’ office with her husband, Shawn. Josie and Shawn have been married for almost seven years. Their marriage had its ups and downs, but they have stuck by each other through it all. Josie and Shawn fit together like puzzle pieces. Josie thought that this was why they have managed to endure all of the hardships of their marriage. Josie was a strong woman who supported he...

9 likes

What could have been? An autumn of memories and remorse

Johanna L

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I stepped out of the coffee shop with my usual half white chocolate mocha / half pumpkin spice latte. I took a brief moment to savor the blended flavors of my favorite fall drink and the scent of the fiery red and golden yellow leaves that filled the fall air. Although I am running errands downtown today, the streets are dead on this early Sunday morning. There was a feeling that the city is just waking up. This is my favorite time of the week to run errands and let my thoughts wander. ...

14 likes