Kate Rucker

“I Won't Tell If You Won't” by Kate Rucker

Submitted to Contest #76

“Hey.”“Hi!”“…So…Lisa…”“Yes?”“Would you wanna--"“Yeah?”“Maybe--"“Uh huh!”“I don’t know--"“Sure.”“Stop that!”“…”“Do you wanna go out?”“YES!”—————“Woah.”“What?”“You look—I mean…you are….you’re beautiful, Lisa.”“O-oh! Thank ...

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“Learning to Breathe Again” by Kate Rucker

Submitted to Contest #52

I stared at the letters until they blurred. His handwriting was terrible as always but the sentiments were sweet, so I guess that didn’t matter. The paper was crumpled though, which was the mail’s fault. Charlie would never be so careless.  I traced the line of one of the deeper crinkles. The paper was rough and I could feel the letters as I ran my fingers over them.  “Um, miss?” A man was standing in the...

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“Uncharted Stars ” by Kate Rucker

Joe stared herself down in the mirror, almost challenging her reflection to stop her. When it didn’t she spit out her toothpaste and pointed her toothbrush, bristle side, to her glaring image. Weapon-like she wielded it, white spit clinging to her lower lip. “You can do this.” Joe said in her most convincing tone. “You’ve practiced what you’re going to say a million times. You know those words by heart.” Her reflection stared back at her, looking unconvinced. She felt her confidence waver. If she couldn’t even do this n...

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“A Matter of Words” by Kate Rucker

Submitted to Contest #38

They come for me at night.  I doubt they will stop and I can’t imagine I will either. They seem to enjoy the darkness, thrive in it even. They sneak from my ear and whisper hateful things. I catch the words in my hands and stuff them deep inside my pockets where no one can see them.  Once ‘worthless’ came floating out of my ear like an apparition. But unlike in the darkness where it was a numbing throb, in the light of the day it felt like a lead weight settled painfully on my shoulders. Like I was holding up a sig...

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“To Escape ” by Kate Rucker

Submitted to Contest #34

Emily stared tragically out the window. She was beginning to feel a consuming pull of depression drag her down to its abject depths. From which, she was certain she would never return. Somehow, her chest hurt even more at that thought, and a pointlessness seemed to emerge to claim her. This quarantine, this social-distancing, it was more painful than she ever expected. She didn’t necessarily consider herself an extrovert but the need to be around people and feel the love of others was a strong motive to leave her h...

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