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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022
Submitted to Contest #318
Stampede, or it felt like it could be. Caro had made it on time to Railway Central, but there was thick grey smoke lingering in the air. People were trying to turn back to reach the top exits, the commuter trains were all cancelled, ramped up in rows. No one was getting anywhere near their home suburbs that night in any hurry. "Stop panicking!" Caro tried to tell herself, as she could feel the familiar gasping for breath of her mostly forgotten anxiety disorder. Finally, she arrived at the exit, and started wondering how to get home. The neo...
Submitted to Contest #317
It was another beautiful Saturday for Cayden, at home. Just then, "Cayden!" his mother called to him."Yeah, what?" Cayden the puny wimp answered from his upstairs bedroom. "Get in the car right now, we're going to the shops to buy your shoes and some books. Get you off that phone.""Oh, do I have to?" Caydent was busy enbancing his devices, developing his own programs. "Ask Jaz and Cuz to come too, we'll have lunch in the food court. Maybe a movie, if you three behave yourselves, for once.""Now you're talking," Cayden quickly texted his two b...
Submitted to Contest #316
Cayden's father laughed like a hoon, saying loudly, "Twits on tour!" The family car left the driveway, as Cayden did roll his eyes, as he yelled, "Plant the foot, Dad." His Dad zoomed away from home, this was a boys' own adventure approaching. Cayden had already switched on his digitally enhanced phone, while his two best mates, Cuz and Jaz, were listening to their music.The three boys in the back seat all grinned and gave his Dad the thumbs up. They were off! Summer holidays were here again. It was time for summer shorts, swimmers, T-shirt...
Submitted to Contest #315
Antara had accepted embarrassing some hours ago. Here, at her debut evening, the long hours had ticked by till midnight, and her parents could take her home. Antara was their youngest offspring, the ugly sister who had never developed into a swan, as she was still encased in her puppy fat. Her expensive frock made her look like a barrage balloon.As if that was not bad enough, Antara's one and only friend at her devout school had confided that she was three months pregnant, and a hasty wedding was being arranged. That was the end of their pla...
Submitted to Contest #314
It was the hottest day of the year, and Cayden the super wimp was in trouble again. He had woken up that morning in a really naughty mood. He started an argument with his Mum, yelling at her, "Stop nagging!" He ran off to the kitchen.Cayden quickly grabbed some drinks, as well as party packs of lollies and chips. He stuffed all these bags into his backpack. His mother called to him to stop being so rude.Cayden did not know why he was doing this, but he said, "Don't care. I'm running away from home!" His Mum tried to catch him, but Cayden wa...
Submitted to Contest #313
"Are you there, God? It's me, Lennox. Do you ever hear my prayers?" Lennox wondered. Long ago, he believed. Lydia was his mother, and she took him to Sunday School along with his older sister. There he learnt about Jesus, and God blessing all the children, never too busy to hear anyone praying. Lennox learnt about the wonder of Heaven and Eternal light and love.But Lydia passed away too young, always yelled at by his father. His sister wed very young, so Lennox was brought up by his father, Joachim. Due to his own paternal survivor baggage o...
Submitted to Contest #312
Huntah had been celebrating his 14th birthday. It had been low key family fun, his favourite steak for dinner, a birthday cake, after playing basketball for his junior team. His mother, Eden, smiled almost wistfully, as she eyed her tall boy. His father was Jeb, the local builder, who said with a grin, "Stop feeding him so well, time to measure him again."Huntah was now 6ft 5 inches tall, and rising fast. He loved sport, and focused on his basketball season. He quite liked school, but hated doing what everyone else said, like the teachers....
Submitted to Contest #311
Sad Sam looked around his kitchen at home. How was he going to unleash this bad new for his loved ones? There was his wife, Nadia, who worked her days at the supermarket, stocking shelves of vegetables. At the stove stood his mother-in-law, newly arrived from her homeland near Ruskovia. It was a satellite country, on the border of yet another unwinnable armed conflict with the powers that be, somewhere in the Kremlin. Sad Sam's son was named Robertino. He was supposed to be at school, but these days no one could make him obey anything. He wa...
Submitted to Contest #310
Odette was still wondering if this was really her next step. She had taken a step back from the rat race and her family for a week, due to her burnout and exhaustion. Her mother and stepfather were holding the fort at home, looking after Odette's three sons and the house. Odette had signed over a small fortune to stay at this Wellbeing is Us centre for the next seven days. The brochure had been so promising, she was planning to focus all her chakras, ground her soul in holistic and restorative meditative zen, then refresh with vegan meals, t...
Submitted to Contest #309
Pundits might tell whoever really listens that the fates upstairs, wise women one and all, sit there and weave all souls on our beautiful planet their destiny. We can factor in human failings, chance, wrong decisions, and still follow our path, whatever the hand of fate brings us, including male humans.Thus begins a tale of Clay, short for Clayton. His mother's pride and joy, son of an Aussie digger who fought for democracy in New Guinea, so long ago. Clayton was a kind, supportive and capable lad, who studied hard to become a maths teacher....
Submitted to Contest #308
This whole day was ending in a very mysterious manner. Farouk and Mariam were 21 year old twins, the eldest offspring of their cook-a-lot mother, Fatima. Farouk and Mariam lived there at home with their six younger sisters and brothers, in a crowded house. Their suburb was basically a cross between Little Asia and Little Dubai. It was only supposed to be a short 18 minute drive to the big city. But that bold statement totally disregarded the perpetual gridlock that motorists overcame to drive to the freeway on-ramp."Never mind. East, west, h...
Submitted to Contest #307
So, there they had it. The Tree Change. Finally. Gordon was tall, greying, plump, affable, genial, newly retired, 64 years old. He still loved Raelene, his bride of nearly forty years. She was shorter, fatter, grey, and had taken a large early retirement package from her managerial position. The couple had decided, many years prior, never to have children. All their married life, they had been 'double income, no kids' or 'DINKS'. Total sybarites. The Tree Change. Finally. Gordon put his arm around Raelene when they stood on the front veranda...
Submitted to Contest #306
Sadie was now grey, retired into her golden plateau. She had once been a caregiver. That had all passed away, these days she was nurturing herself, sometimes laughing at 'herstory', not 'history'. One of her sisters got in her ear about the holistic benefits of gardening as hobby, potentially growing abundant fresh vegetables in her vegetable patch. A greying cyber pal of Sadie's had also been extolling the glories with his own praises of growing his leafy greens. He was cooking them, and sharing the excess produce with his friends, neighbou...
Submitted to Contest #305
Brody sat down in his plane seat with a deep sigh, and and even deeper thirst on him. He was balding, chubby, a single middle-aged male, in his early fifties. He was divorced, and estranged from his young adult children after all his girlfriends and melodramas. That was no one's beeswax.Next to him sat Mrs. Betsy Bland, an obese, senior and very garrulous woman, a real sticky beak. She quite liked that title, dispensing her pearls of wisdom whether her audience wanted them or not. She was also a God-fearing woman, and welcomed any chance to...
Submitted to Contest #304
Friday morning, and the sun had already risen, as Charlene tapped gently on Bindi-Lou's half-open bedroom door. Bindi-Lou was softly snoring, sprawled across her bed, oblivious to the rays of sun peeping through the curtains. Charlene was nearly late for work, but had noticed that Bindi-Lou was too, she was supposed to be compiling a big project. "Bindi, you've slept in again, can I come in? Do you want a cup of tea before I get to work? It's past eight o'clock. " Bindi-Lou emerged from under her bedcovers which were in total disarray. She b...
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