Kat Gruszka

“Full Moon Child” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #205

Things have order, sequence, and plans. Except for, maybe, this baby. I shook my head, started the car and made my way to the hospital. Planned induction, at noon, and hopefully, a baby by early morning. I was committed to the schedule. Every plan I had made for my marriage, my family, and my life had recently gone awry. But, I was determined to stay in control. Or, as in control as someone can be while very pregnant and newly divorced.Getting to the hospital was more comforting than I expected; everyone had a role, everyone had their script...

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“Lights Out” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #58

The scream echoes into the neighboring houses. An equally horrifying silence follows. A silence brought on by ear drum damage or the need for silence after such a loud decibel has been reached. "It's okay." I soothe. "The power just went out. We’ll be fine." "But... my show," sobs Donna, my seventeen year old. "I think you'll survive," I answer back. "Honey?" my beloved of 20 years shouts from the floor above,"Everyone okay?" "Yes dear. You have Charlie?" I ask about our ten year old. No answer starts to move fear towards the fro...

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“Send them away and kidnap new ones!” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #55

“You cannot be suggesting what I think you’re suggesting,” she asked while facing her counterpart sitting across the table from her. She was not a small woman but neither was he a small man. Both of them had more hills than valleys adorning their frames. The other elders sat quietly at the naked circular oak table, staring at their well-worked and dirty hands. The barn, which served as their daily convening location, offered little warmth and this discussion had continued deep into the night hours. None of the members dared ask for a reces...

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“Unwelcomed Reunion” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #54

"I'd like to speak to your manager." He hated resorting to this; it made him feel pompous and self rigorous. Yet, sometimes it was just necessary to ask for more assistance than a young associate could offer. Besides, all he wanted was a discount he saw online to be honored in the store. It wasn't even a high discount, just 20% off, but he liked getting a deal. Sure, past lovers had called him cheap because he enjoyed eating at home instead of crowded, unnecessarily noisy restaurants. He enjoyed cooking and hated wasting food. Why buy someth...

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“Quarantine Love Letter” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #53

To the love of my life, This straight up sucks. I hate that I cannot see you this summer. This is the worst year of my life. Scratch that - ever! This is all stupid. I hate that the airports are shut down that I have to wear this dumb mask everywhere and worst of all, I hate that I cannot see you.   Allow me to continue on this hate tirade. I also hate that we never talked about our future together. All we would ever dream about was the upcoming summer, which has now been taken away from us. I wish I would have gotten to you soone...

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“Her Perfect Day” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #52

Chloe dismissed her bridesmaids from the bridal suite, about an hour ago, for some introverted re-centering. She had needed the time before becoming the center of attention for the rest of the evening. After doing some reading on her phone, in a high winged back chair, she determined that her battery was full enough to be social again.  Thinking about her bridal party, she assumed they spent the time mingling with the boys, drinking mimosas, outside the bridal suite, in a large lounge. She cracked open the door just slightly to see if...

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“URGENT: Please Read” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #51

I am a carrier. There is no other way to adequately convey the disease that plagues my life. There are others like me. They may not know it yet, but they will find out one day. One day, when they lose the love of their lives. One day, when every person around them suffers from terrible illnesses, yet they remain unscathed. One day, when every person they touch ends up sick, or more likely, dead. But until that day, they will think themselves a god. They will think they soar higher than eagles and roar louder than lions. They will never fa...

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“Don't Ever Grow Up” by Kat Gruszka

I’ve never been able to differentiate birds and their unique songs, but that has never stopped me from enjoy them. I assume they’re all perched upon the tall trees surrounding us, that I also cannot identify. I position myself behind one of those tall trees, filled with bright green leaves. Its trunk wide enough to hide my post-baby body. I seem to always forget how sharp the bark feels against my open palms. And how unpleasant the barren circle surrounding the trunk is on bare feet. I stand just long enough to hear you call my name. I ca...

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“Waiting Alone” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #49

I just finished the last bit of available food. That should last me a little while. I worry how I’ll find more food. I’ll worry about that later. I still have plenty of water. As long as the deep thirst doesn’t hit me. If it does, I’ll need to ignore the urges. They come on so strongly and quickly. I must be strong. The food will take a while to process. But if I drink, I’ll need to relieve myself. There is no place for me to do that. I would have to use my bed. Well, the pile of blankets in the corner of the room that I use as my bed. T...

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“Violet & Mr. Anx” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #48

“Ready?” Mom asked as she shut off the car. I nodded in return, unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened my door. Grocery shopping may not seem like a great adventure, but I always enjoyed seeing the organized rows of products and creative end caps meticulously put together. I was sure this would be a quick trip to sustain us for the couple of days that separated us from a weekend, when the real shopping extravaganza occurred. At the start of this adventure, mom and I had exchanged a short conversation about each of our days. Neither of us ha...

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“Helpless, Magic-less & Forgotten” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #36

Hello Journal, It is currently 3 in the morning over California and I should be diligently at work as opposed to writing this entry. I should be feeling how heavy my wings are; my arms should be sore and tired, and I should be happier than ever. But instead, I am feverishly throwing words at this blank book, while I exhale loudly through my nose about the stupidity of it all. Other people would relish in the idea of having a day off, but not me. No way; this is a sign of the end. This is the end of the line. I’ve seen this before. Do you rem...

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“My love for You” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #28

I’m jealous of pregnant women. I’m envious of their swollen feet and morning sickness. I’m jealous of new dads with infants strapped to their chest, baseball caps over their too-busy-to-shower hair and sunglasses covering their sleepless eyes. I’m angry about new families with their matching outfits in family photos and their disorganized grocery shopping trips which include chases down aisles and tantrums regarding cereal. I never wanted to be a mom. I never actually thought I’d be a wife. I was an untethered soul focused on world dominance...

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“It ends with a twist” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #27

Her hair was missing. He could not get this image out of his head. She had the most beautiful hair. He was sure every father thought this about their daughter. However, her hair was always perfect. It was smooth and shiny and this beautiful blend of blonde. He chose to believe that it was her natural hair color, but at this point, he didn’t remember. There was also a slight wave towards the bottom. She used to call them her “beach waves”. His vision started to blur a little. I guess it made sense that she ended up on a beach. She a...

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“Anonymous Donations” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #26

Dear Ms. Thumbern, we are holding this year’s gala in your honor. We would be thrilled to have you attend. Your considerable donations for the last 20 years have been extremely generous, and we would like to recognize you… She didn’t need to read the rest; she knew she couldn’t attend. Yet, she had worked hard for this. She could not imagine another place more deserving of her money. Actually, their money. “Ms. Bloom?” She hadn’t even heard the first grader walk up to her desk. She casually put the letter back into her purse, “Yes, Mich...

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“The Year” by Kat Gruszka

Submitted to Contest #25

It had been the worst year of her life. She couldn’t even remember when the good ended and the bad started. Everything seemed to just roll into one long period of time. Thankfully, those little white pills just made everything nothing. It made her forget about the cold draft that filled her new apartment. It was new to her since, maybe May. When had she met Jon? It must have been warm outside because she remembered sunshine coming in through the window after the first night she stayed over. Did the sun shine during the winter? When was ...

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