Karen Corr

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2023

Stories (18)

18 Stories

665 karma pts

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“Nectar of the Gods” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #226

Gideon stood before the back door of the restored Victorian home, then entered the kitchen where steam rose from several pots on the stove, and a youthful stranger stirred the cranberries. He'd never been here before."Gideon," he said as he smiled for the introduction, extending his hand for the shake."Naomi," smiled the young woman, but she bypassed the hand and embraced him instead. "Uncle Gideon, you mean. Don has told me all about you." She sounded tipsy. There was a little slur in her words. "I think he said you drank mead.""Well, ...

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“Deus ex Machina” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #224

"I can't sleep."John lay awake in the dark, eyes wide open, staring at nothing, while his wife Breana slept soundly beside him. His hands were clasped behind his neck. Every time he closed his eyes, dreadful thoughts reopened them. He hadn't slept well since Breana told him what she had done.I can't go on like this, he thought. He climbed out of bed and took his phone into the living room. He keyed in the number he'd seen written on a city bus advertisement. "Need a miracle? Call anytime."John called now. "I need help," he whi...

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“The Instructor” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #222

**Contains violence and death in a disturbing dystopian world**Good morning. You may address me as Instructor. Please take your seats, was written on the blackboard.A man in a white jumpsuit adorned with medals stood before the board with his hands clasped behind his back and watched the students file in. When they seemed ready, he began the class with a question."How many lives does an E-Fighter have? Some have only one, you see, and that leads to the next question. How many lives do you have? If you do indeed have ...

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“Almost Angels” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #221

**Contains smidgeons of murder**"I dare you!"Meryl couldn't resist a dare. She never could.She opened the car door and ran out into the cemetery.It was a night in a million. Not fog, but low clouds hovered around the gravestones. So satisfyingly spooky.There were no stars, but the overcast sky above was bright with moonlight. Meryl could see her way just fine and hid behind a tall stone that read Margaret Lesko 1840 to 1913. A woman who died over a hundred years ago and her stone yet survived."Here I come," said Lucas.Meryl held her breath t...

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“The Gates of Hell” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #220

Jaxby staggered through the desert with two empty water jugs in his backpack, but the heat weighed him down. The protein bars were long gone, but that was just as well because he couldn't have swallowed them anyway. He didn't have any saliva. Step by step, he began to accept that he was going to die. Buzzards circled the sky, watching their supper cook. All he had to do was lay down. His legs and feet wouldn't hold him up much longer.Soon, he thought.The landscape that hadn't changed since he began this journey was suddenly different as some...

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“What Money Can Buy” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #219

*Frightning and nightmarish*The boy says, Devil, don't you steal my soul'Cause I'm down on my luck and out of controlAll what money can buy, and I want it so badDevil just smiled said, come with me, lad -kcThe name Van Burristron had once dripped of power and money. Not anymore. The money lasted well through the private schools and grand vacations in Europe and various Pacific islands, but by the time Hamilton stepped into adulthood, all that was left for him was a mansion in disrepair with the taxes paid up for a few years and a trust that ...

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“Until the End of Time” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #218

Jeffrey's eyes were open, but he couldn't see. He inhaled water and choked. Salt water. The ocean. He tried holding his breath, but it was too late. Cold waves of panic washed over him as he realized he was about to die in this dark world of muffled splashes and inaudible voices.Suddenly, a pair of hands jerked him from the water by his shirt collar and forced him to his feet. They pounded his back in what seemed to be punishing anger.Jeffrey's sight returned as he threw up all over Mr. Montgomery's white shirt. He found himself standing in ...

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“The Other Side of Ever After” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #217

Day 643Some say we're not human anymore and that we've become something else, but the sun still warms our faces, and the ocean wind still lifts our hair as the waves ebb and flow over our bare feet.Love is still love. I kiss Jess. He smiles.We hold hands while walking along Ocean Beach in San Diego. Other couples walk nearby, and some families too. No one walks with dogs. The seagulls ignore us to fly further out over the water on their endless quest for food—survivors like us. By now, they know we won't feed them. Food is too dear.SeaWorld ...

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“What Lyeth Behind the Blinding Light” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #216

First dateA blind date for her cousin's wedding. Why had Shawna agreed to such a thing? The date was two weeks away, and already her family was battering her with advice."Do not wear socks with your heels again.""I know that. I only wore them that one time to make the shoes fit. I thought the dress would cover my feet.""Don't show up with wet hair.""My hair dryer wouldn't turn on. None of these things were my fault anyway. Everything is because of….""Shh! Don't say it. Do not talk about that. Don't mention it on your date either."~*~Ebenezer...

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“Death for Dinner and Screams for Dessert” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #215

**Warning: Contains a house with a violent past, Hollywood passion, loose morals, and death**Arthur Macon wanted an authentic haunted house for his next movie. A place with a history of suicides, murders, and ghostly sightings.The house he chose was built in 1894 on the outskirts of Milwaukee, a ten-bedroom Victorian with deep porches and myriads of gables and chimneys. Three people died during its construction. Johann Buxley, the original owner, hung himself in an attic room in 1910. His oldest daughter, only sixteen at the time of his deat...

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“The Uninvited” by Karen Corr

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #214

The story begins with Jason tossing his camping gear down the steps. Then he kicks it. Then he hits the wall with his fist. His mother's boyfriend, Kyle, steps into the living room and gives him a look. His mother starts to say something, but Kyle silences her."Get ahold of yourself, boy. You know what to do. Just because life unravels doesn't mean you have the right to unravel along with it. At fourteen, you've come to the age where you're too old to act this way. We've talked about this before."Jason takes deep breaths, then sits down on t...

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“Recipes for Revenge” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #213

Vengeance began with a cobbled street, a secondhand store, an unexpected find in a pile of ancient cookbooks bearing women in aprons and high heels, and a purchase made with spiteful intent. Constance laughed as she drove away. She opened her find as soon as she got home and began to read.Recipes for RevengeIntroductionThe world is unfair. If you have ever wondered how the hateful make it to the top or get the girl/guy or the job you wanted, there is no simple answer, and you won't find solutions in this book. What I offer is balm for batter...

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“Rats in the Dungeon” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #212

**Beware of gothic gore! **Dear Diary,The winter weather arrived more than three weeks early this year with a blizzard that caught us by surprise. We've had to make accommodations to keep the daytime help here in the Château instead of sending them home. The path leading down to Gilberta is too treacherous for travel and will probably remain so for many weeks to come. -BayleDear Diary,Monsieur Traver and Mademoiselle Gwendolyn arrived unexpectedly from Paris this morning. From out of a white windy storm, the front door opened, and there they...

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“Annual Old-Fangled Board Game Night” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #211

The invitation landed on Hannah's formal dining room table with a ring of a bell, a puff of smoke, and a scattering of gold confetti.Win or loseYou can't refuseLose or winIt's time againAnnual Old-Fangled Board Game Night2023 Middlewoods WayMidnightRefreshments providedBring your own potions!Hannah chuckled to herself as she wiped up the confetti. Maudie was so creative. It was hard to believe a year had passed since the last time they played. She and Amos, her late husband, had attended the gathering together the previous year. There had be...

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“Happenstance on the Third Planet” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #210

Samantha had suspected for months that the family in the blue house across the street was not from this world. Now she was certain. She fumbled with the lock on her front door, then locked it behind her, not stopping to take off her shoes or drop the mail on the side table as she hurried around the house, pulling the blinds closed. She also kept her purse on her shoulder and the shopping bag she carried on her arm. Lastly, she checked the lock on the back door before collapsing at the table in her neat-as-a-pin eat-in kitchen.As she sat with...

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Author bio

Writer of uninspiring poetry and fair-to-middling prose. Creator of improbable worlds. When it's cold I write beside the fireplace, but there's a back porch with a summer chair for whenever it's warm enough for squirrels, chipmunks, birds and insects to distract me. My family resides on the other side of my pen—but for them, I'd be forever lost in my muddles of words. “Every storm runs out of rain." -Maya Angelou "A word after a word after a word is power." -Margaret Atwood "All that you touch you change. All that you change, changes you." -Octavia Butler "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do." --Proverbs 4:23

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #214

The Uninvited – read story