Julie Grenness

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

Stories (118)

118 Stories

2510 karma pts

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“Stranger than a Yeti....” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #218

It should have been raining. But there was no comforting sound of pitter patter steady on the roof of the convent. All was silent, except for the television. Winter time was setting in for the nuns in the retired teachers' convent, somewhere there in the hick town of Old Blithering. Luckily, the night was clear, very frosty. All the nuns were in their usual armchairs, viewing their weekly favorite television show. Only the national broadcaster made it on the airwaves at the Back of Beyond. After these devoted clergy had gazed at the mind n...

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“Sleepyside Summer. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #217

Sleepyside at summer again. Sister Heloise, the young one, had escorted the much older nuns to their summer retreat. They were on vacation, to relax on a sunny shore, rest, replenish, paddle in a sparkling bay. Their summer abode was the usual very old-fashioned timber dwelling, by now familiar. Sleepyside was a slow old place, only one store, with a petrol pump at the front. People went to Sleepyside, off the beaten track, to replenish their wellbeing on a sedate type of holiday. Sleepyside was not yet trendy, a place where time passed, th...

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“Not Another Adventure!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #216

"That's it" Zaine said, as he popped some banned bubblegum into his mouth. It was the start of lunchtime, the hour before the Nationwide Literacy test, compulsory. Zaine said to his lifelong friends, Neehan and Beau. "Miss Meanie, in fact, this whole school and their tests have really got on my wick!" "Hey, you!" Zaine called, "Yes, you, Kerrie, you're the bell monitor. Over here, now!" "What for?" Kerrie asked. "You're the bell monitor. Come with me, you'll thank me for this one day." Puzzled, reliable girl Kerrie followed Zaine to check t...

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“Back of Beyond.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #215

"Bless your heart!" Sister Heloise smiled, as she cycled along the hot and dusty main street of Old Blithering. It was the middle of a long, parched drought in summer, way off there in the remote rustic town, 250 km away from the Big City. She pedaled past the row of old stores in Main Street, most with 'For Sale', or 'For Lease' signs. Sister Heloise was on a mission. Her normally sedate old home town had been rocked by a scandal. Suddenly, no one was smiling back at any clergy. The whole little community had once been so religious, praying...

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“Trip to Moonstone Bay. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #213

Winter vacation at last. Jennifer Louise, one of the Blessing family, and her bestie, Darya, were so thrilled. Ma Blessing was taking them on this plane trip to Moonstone Bay. There it was hot and sunny, a sparkling bay of seaside fun, with a cool forest on the nearby hills. Ma Blessing was very keen for Jennifer Louise and Darya to attend the spiritual center fair there in the remote center of magic at Moonstone Bay. It was convention time, a chance to feel the power of women of grace and enchantment. "This is definitely a chick thing." J...

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“Meeting Witch Little. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #211

Super duper Saturday had dawned. Jennifer Louise lived in a land far south of Witchelina. She came from the Blessing family, from a long line of strong women. Although Jennifer Louise was quite short, she was a local star at their Tae-Kwon Do classes, claiming many trophies and belts. Her best friend was Darya. Together they had planned their weekend with a sleepover, and a day of fun. Near the Blessing family homestead there was an open meadow. Beyond that, there was an entrance to a magical world in a singing forest. "No, Jennifer Louise,...

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“Yum Boy the Dinosaur!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #210

"Come on! She's not looking!" Zaine pulled his hoodie up in disguise. He walked quickly to the gap in the fence, down there behind a small bush. Leading the way, he guided Neehan and Beau to his discovery. While he had been exploring in the forest behind the school, he had found a real treasure. Yes, it an old cubby house, built of timber planks, with open windows. It was propped between some trees, hidden from the track from the fence. "Hey, what do you say now?" Zaine asked, Neehan and Beau looked around, impressed. "Very cool." Beau said...

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“Home in One Piece!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #209

Hilary, aka Hilaria, shrieked with joy. Queenie, her cat, startled, then glared. Old Ben, her television addict husband, still snored, did not even notice. Hilaria did her happy jig, all cellulite wobbling. She so did not care about this apathetic response. She and her friend, Josephine, had won! What had Hilaria won in her lucky undies? Why, a free flight to Sin City, and a free hire car to drive to Sin City Craft Emporium, the biggest wool shop in the whole land. Bliss bombs time! Josephine was Hilaria's particular friend in their older la...

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“Dikileaks!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #208

Yes, she was generally happy she was widowed and old. Shaz, as she was affectionately known, believed her grey hair was the new blonde. She could frock up all right. She was looking forward in her golden years, to her latest epic adventure. At that moment, Shaz was putting the final touches to her latest craft project. Shaz did believe in expanding her social circle, so she had joined a local craft center in her community. A visiting tutor from Canada had lectured the good ole girls in the noble art of doll head crafting. Shaz felt inspired ...

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“Lucrezia and Lazarus.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #207

Yes, it was a good scene and time for nostalgia. Nouvelle Lucrezia sat and scribbled, reminiscing about another time, when the past was a different era. "Once upon a time," she wrote, " I got married in a cloud of white optimism. Looking back, I can say there was a magician at work. I shall let you now all reflect on that little mage, Cupid. He is a blind drunk." She paused, then kept writing. "Never mind, little women. You too can survive survivor baggage, and raise your expectations in life. This beautiful world of ours can really be des...

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“The Last Generation. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #206

Jackson Lidgefield was bravely arrested today. As the local police hauled him and his friends away, he hoped his father would bail him again. "Bailed and adjourned, don't waste my neurons!" That is all he had to say to the expectant media journalists. He had pre-alerted to the student protest this day. It had been that time of a Friday for Jackson and his coterie of protesters. They had walked away from their elitist secondary college classrooms. Changing into their trending ripped designer jeans, they had defied the authorities of their al...

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“The Real Meaning of Love.” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #205

It was happy hour again. The week had rolled by, dramatically. Nate sat at the bar, he was the wise old owl of his engineering firm. His juniors were pussy footing around him, trying not to be insensitive. Nate's week had not kicked off so well, not great at all. On Sunday, his long time society wife had sat him down, for the 'talk'. She had fallen in love with a society doctor, the man of her dreams. Nate felt absolutely nothing, as she left the scene with her designer suitcases. His wife no longer had anything to say, neither did he. Nate ...

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“Rak Off, Hairy Legs! ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #204

Kylie Doll was in her reflection mode. She arose early, as normal, and lit her penny candle. These days, all was going well, so she said her morning devotion of gratitude, to accentuate her positives. It was her fiftieth birthday. Despite some setbacks, she had found somehow a plateau of peace and love. Kylie Doll internally wound back some of those years. Once she too had believed in love and marriage. She had been a reasonably attractive bank teller, enjoying being young. Along had come Cheetham, that older man everyone warned a young woma...

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“Thrillseeker Three” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #202

The Thrillseeker Three had agreed to be lifelong best friends. Off they set one morning. Zaine, Neehan, and Beau, all ten years old, the future of society. They were going to be adults one day. But in the meantime, the boys wanted fun, not yet more Maths tests. Zaine did not listen to a word his father or teacher ever said. He was in their face all the time. He was the king of the class, hoping to be lazy, naughty and rude. Made it! Neehan and Beau had been his friends since kindergarten, following every one of Zaine's ideas for fun. Zaine w...

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“The Minion's Grail....” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #200

WTF--"With The Family". Janelle was ready for the family vacation. She was holidaying with her husband Jack, the jokester. They were driving to the Lakeside Holiday Inn. Janelle and Jack were not planning on a second honeymoon. They were taking along, in their large car, their five daughters, and her late mother's old apricot poodle, Beau. Janelle and Jack's daughters were a geographical lot. Ranking in order of age, they were as follows. Africa, aged 12, ( really born 40 years old); Georgia, 9 years old; Nevada, aged 7 years, Savannah, now ...

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Author bio

Hi, my name is Julie. I am a retired educator. I am an author and poet in Australia. I also write under my pen name, Barbara Binland. I am aiming to polish my writing. Cheers.