Kaitlyn Wadsworth

“The Protagonist's Beef” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #266

Attention Kaitlyn,I have a beef with you, but not of the bovine kind.I can't even say who I am because you changed my name so many damn times during my character arcs. And it's not because I clamour from the wings to be in the limelight. You created me, and instead of casting me as a true hero, you gave me all these character flaws and foibles. In fact, I don't know who I am anymore despite trying to rise above the defective personality you cast me in. You put me into impossible situations in which you think you know how I will react. Agains...

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“His World is Rocked” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #263

Algernon Forbes' office entrance had locked, double steel doors and high frosted and barred windows. The perfect place for online surveillance and spying. Forbes sat at his desk in this dim basement office, scrutinizing his computer screen. With his cold eyes, square jaw, and hollowed cheeks, he commanded a mixture of fear and respect. Before him, a dozen staff worked diligently, staring at their computer screens - a cacophony of clicking and clacking on keyboards, the only sound until Algernon spoke loudly and imperiously."That Melissa, our...

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“My Summer Holiday - Frozen, Fried, and Frazzled” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #262

At Christmastime in December 1975, our town became unusually cold. No, I didn't misunderstand the prompt. It's summer. The lead-up to Christmas Eve had been warm. This is common for the Southern Hemisphere, where summer falls towards the end of the year, and a traditional Christmas dinner is often an outdoor barbeque. But a cold snap can happen with our oceanic climate, especially near the coast. Unfortunately, we planned to go camping and anticipated the usual steamy December.Our mother spent several days packing. Our entourage consisted of...

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“Her Eulogy - Diary of a Grateful Lady” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #261

The third of the calends of April in the year 1032, being the 32nd year of the reign of King Henry 1On the afternoon of my ride to the top of the hill, our hill, while Morag, my aunt, mother, maid, and friend (my everything), cared for my beautiful twins, Roland (your namesake) and Anna, I remembered the fateful day I met you. I regret my rudeness and cruelty at the time. Still, if I had not cursed you, you might never have risen to be the saviour I needed, the one whose self-sacrifice and courage have enabled my return to this blessed place...

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“Suspicious Partners” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #260

Percy Smart formerly lived alone in a palatial home left to him by his deceased parents. He is unmarried. Now, he shares his secure residence with an interesting houseguest named Adam. At least, that’s his cover story.He works on the design team for the game Fortnite at Epic Games. His brilliance in the field is only surpassed by his ability to play the game. As a player, he’s ‘cracked’ and sought after for team play. ‘Cracked’ means he is a dominant and skilled player.He is also a successful businessman, almost up with Tim Sweeney, the foun...

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“Marcus and the Trip of a Lifetime” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Marcus Trent caught a taxi to the airport after leaving his daughter Victoria. He had been so happy to attend her exhibition and be overwhelmed by the prolific and varied works on display the night before. His appreciation for the abstract and his daughter’s past had increased above and beyond. Many natural scenes from her life, either picture-perfect or abstract, and paintings of the people she had met along the way, assaulted his senses as he viewed them.She hadn’t expected him to attend. It surprised them that her aunt and uncle had volun...

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“The Audition - Being Anna” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Stacey slammed the door of her flat and headed down the road to the bus stop. The reverberation did nothing to dissipate her anger. How could Greg not give her the main part in their next play! She had received so much praise for her current role in a modern re-enactment of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. They’d called it Roman and Julia. Stacey knew her lines back to front and inside out. How could Greg pass her over for the lead in the next play? He offered her something else, but what? Probably demoted to the cast! Well, he could stick th...

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“Tenuous Teamwork” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #256

Mention of Sexual ViolenceVikky went shopping with Aunt Ruth after school on Thursday. Aunt Ruth chattered excitedly. You’d have thought young Thomas had asked her to be his girl at the school prom. This shopping trip seemed exactly like Ruth’s cup of Earl Grey. Yet, she appeared as overlooked as a solitary ham sandwich in comparison with a plate of tasty hors d’oeuvresHer niece, Vikky, stole the show. She commanded attention from the razor-sharp cut of her long black bob, her crisply pleated miniskirt and knee-high socks, to her chunky, bla...

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“Desperate Times, Desperate Measures” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Rosheen of Saelmere CastleWhen Rosheen arrived home at Saelmere, the same sunny afternoon she had first met Lord Roland, trouble brewed. She had escaped her servant, yet again. Morag met Rosheen at the door to her rooms. Hands on hips, she scolded, “I know about your conduct. It’s for your safety to have a servant with you, Rosheen. Your independence is folly. I know by your face, something happened!”The girl looked down her face hot. " Morag, don’t fuss. I rode to the hill and back.” “What hill? We don’t have a hill.”“The hil...

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“Percy Smart in Denial” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #255

Percival Smart, Percy for short, lives alone in a palatial house left to him by his deceased parents – not that fellow humans can confirm this. It is no ordinary home. The security resembles that of Fort Knox. The entire property is surrounded by high, spike-topped walls; it has a security gate and camera surveillance. Percy likes his privacy. As no one can get in to check the extent of his precautions, rumor has it that there are electrical devices and mines to eliminate the uninvited. This is reckoned by neighborhood children who are ...

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“The College Tattler - Richard's Blog” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Rejected and SelectedSeptember 7, 2020Rumor has it that Derek Rogers is going to the Homecoming Dance. This is scheduled to be held in the College Auditorium on Wednesday September 23, 2020. I heard on good authority, a young lady on campus has asked him to the dance. Last week, he was firmly rejected by a girl in his class and the nasty gossip about it did not circulate from me! We are very excited for you, Derek. Good luck to you and your lovely lady. We can’t wait until we know who she is. Speculation runs rife. An interview is pending.De...

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“Debacle at the Ball - A Regency Romance” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #254

Dear hearts and gentle people, let me tell you the tale of the dreadful scandal at Viscountess Agatha Grenville’s Ball. DEVONSHIRE 1812 CEViscountess Agatha Grenville’s Wentworth ResidenceOut of kindness, Lady Agatha had invited her widowed niece-in-law to stay at magnificent Wentworth Hall. This is the notorious Mrs. Rowena Findlay, formerly married to Robert, the son of Lady Agatha’s brother Stuart. Rowena’s Aunt, by marriage, wanted to provide her with company and pleasant surroundings to lift her spirits after her tragic loss. Rowena had...

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“The Holiday - Breaking Point versus Point Break” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #253

Percival Smart, who had a lifetime interest in robotics and AI, realized his secret was now public knowledge. From all the nudges and winks his work colleagues gave him, he realized that Brenda had, at the very least, told them about his home. At the most, she may have divulged that she had gone to Percy's for a date. He should have asked her to sign a confidentiality statement. Is this a thing you do after a date? Surely, Brenda should have realized that a date with a work colleague isn't a hot topic for gossip.At home, Adam raced downstair...

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“The Houseguest” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #252

Percival Smart, Percy for short, had a lifelong interest in Robotics and AI. Not in the same sense that Mrs. Agatha Brown, two doors down, had a passion for award-winning roses, which she tended daily and had memorized all the names of. Percy’s interest couldn’t be described in terms of rose cultivation.If Percy’s interest in Robotics and AI could be defined in terms of mountain climbing, he had climbed Mount Everest more times than Sir Edmund Hilary had done in all the mountain climbing realities and dreams this famous man had ever had whil...

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“In The Dog Box” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #251

Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. No dog experimentation was done before writing. This story is about me, Nancy, and my husband, George. After unpacking and settling into our new home, I ventured up the narrow stairs to the attic. We had seen it briefly before we bought the place. The room sat empty now. Glimmers of light shone through the chinks and tears in the ragged curtains. I saw and tasted the floating particles of dust. Before, items of discarded furniture, boxes, and cases had proliferated and been enshrouded in ...

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