Katharine Widdows

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (73)

73 Stories

3206 karma pts

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“The Radley Place” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #102

TRIGGER WARNING: injury detail, arson, suicide, murder. ‘The sign’s down at the Radley place.’ Lucy picked up the spoon the waitress had brought and dug into her tropical sundae.‘Really? Is that why your aura is so muddy? Disappointed?’ Helen followed suit, attacking her banana split in its creamy middle.‘I’d do anything for my parents to buy that place. But that For Sale sign is down. The timing couldn’t be worse. They were going to put in an offer tomorrow, the price has finally dropped low enough. We could have moved out of The Dump once ...

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“Mirrored” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #101

She cut Dad that particular frown, and cut through his harsh exterior. A trick I had never learned despite having exactly the same face as her.‘If you lock me up here any longer I’ll run away. I swear you will just wake up one day and I’ll be gone.’ Marie stomped up a couple of stairs then stopped and turned as if to yell some more.‘OK, OK, you can go, but back by ten.’ Dad said, leaving the room before he changed his mind.‘How do you do that?’ I curled my lip.‘I’m the favourite. I was born six minutes earlier than you, they’ve loved me long...

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“One Perfect Day” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #100

TRIGGER WARNING: Terminal illness, murder, suicide..................................................................................................... ‘Oh Frank, I’m so sorry. It’s the cancer that keeps Elsa in bed some days.’ The Davidson house was on my afternoon round and I tried to explain this to the old gentleman about once a week.‘Cancer?’Sometimes he would cry, this was one of those times. Tears ran down the sides of his nose, he dabbed at them half-heartedly with a crumpled hanky.‘Let me put the kettle on.’ He said with a shak...

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“Subject 17” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #99

TRIGGER WARNING: Kidnapping, murder, injury detail, swearing.I lie here, suddenly awake. Unable to move, but I can feel. I can feel the blanket over me and the heavy cuffs at my wrists and ankles. I seem to be paralysed. An intermittent beeping reminds me of TV medical dramas, hospitals. I will my eyes to open, straining the muscles around them.My last memory is of being attacked from behind in the alleyway at the back of the Reaper Club. It had been a good night, a very good night. I was woozy from the drink at 3am but only ten minutes from...

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“Raykin's Mirrors” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #98

Raykin tripped over his candle lamp, stumbled, and caught his knee on the corner of his bed as the light went out. He gasped, rubbed his leg and hopped across the floor, grabbing at the curtains. The curtain pole detached from the wall, unsteadying him further as he fell into the nightstand. The nightstand tipped and a small collection of precious objects slid off the top.‘No, please no!’ Raykin said as he watched his only banishment disc roll across the floor, glinting in the moon light, and slip between the floorboards.He scrabbled around ...

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“The Windows To The Soul” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #97

(Trigger warning: alcoholism, car crash, murder.).............................................................................................The stooping woman brushed a few wild white hairs from her wrinkled face and fought to contain them behind one arm of her heavy spectacles. She gestured unsteadily towards a set of bottles and whiskey glasses on a table in a dark corner of the room.‘Can I offer you a drink?’Ben cleared his throat and looked away.‘Some people find it helps.’ She said, shuffling towards the liquor and offering a thin smi...

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“Destiny and Volition” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #95

Men do not shape destiny, Destiny produces the man for the hour Fidel CastroIt is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped Tony Robbins. . .At least thirty people were queuing between the trees as the light playfully dappled among them. The doors were busy this year. With his dusty top hat and tails, long grey beard, and twisted wooden walking stick the hunched man hobbled towards Christophe and Lavender. They stifled their smiles and offered him nothing but respect. He spoke to everyone in the queue in turn, answering their q...

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“What Happened on Wednesday Night?” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #94

TRIGGER WARNING: Arson, injury detail, murder, suicide ____________________________ “She who blows on the fire will get sparks in her eyes.” – German Proverb. Emily Chester ran her bare toe along the dirty line of grout between the two tiles she had been studying for the last half an hour. Head tipped forward, faint smell of sulphur in her nostrils, elbows on knees. The floor felt as hot as the air around her. The tiles were pale cream and both cracked at the corner forming a grim smile in the floor which taunted ...

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“Murder in the Dark!” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #93

Amber wasn’t sure which came first, her internal melancholia or the sad tune she hummed to herself more and more of the time. They were certainly interlinked, and both increasing in frequency since her suspicions had been aroused. She hung up from her latest call, logged the final details into the database and took a breath. Perhaps she never should have followed James to Phoenix.The call centre lights dimmed and then went out, Amber’s monitor went blank. Her colleagues were still chatting away to callers in the dark but apart from the phone...

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“Evelyn's Candle” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #92

Lucy heard the clunk of the letter box and got up from the breakfast table, half a slice of toast in one hand. Three envelopes lay on the mat. Two formal looking ones, addressed to her mum, which probably contained boring grown up bills or bank statements and a third addressed to her. Apart from birthday cards Lucy never really had mail until her Grandmother died last April. Since then the letters came every month without fail. The envelopes were hand written and sealed with a lily, stamped into gold wax.Lucy brought the post back to the kit...

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“Mrs White in the Library with the Lead Piping” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #91

‘I rolled another six! That puts me in the library.’ Colonel Mustard laughed heartily through his bushy moustache. ‘You have that look about you, would you like to make an accusation?’ asked Miss Scarlett, fiddling with the hem of her striking red cocktail dress. ‘I would, I’ll write down my conclusions.’ Though the house was empty, other than the players and the staff, the rest of the group still felt the need to keep their voices down while playing in the actual library, especially after hours. ‘Is it true that the house is an...

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“The Human Library” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #91

‘Shh! They’ll see you.’ Cassie crouched behind a large oak, signalling to her twin to do the same. Kasey ignored her, stepping closer to the edge and peering over the drop. Below them their father and uncle galloped along the forest path following the witch who ran, scared, through the trees to the east. ‘She’s dropped something!’ Kasey hissed back to her sister. ‘Just leave it – we’ll be beaten if they find us out here.’ ‘I won’t get caught, I’m quicker than you.’ The two horsemen dashed past. Seconds later, bow in hand, qu...

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“The King's Last Smile” by Katharine Widdows

Submitted to Contest #88

The young Princess Lydia scratched her head and looked nervously around the forest clearing. She was right on the edge of troll territory and didn’t want to stay there long. The witch soon appeared in the dappled light between the copper birches. ‘You’ll swap them today?’ Snarlock passed a leather purse to the princess. ‘Yes. You’re sure you can get me out of the palace?’ ‘I’m brewing a potion to make you entirely inconspicuous. Leave your window open. I’ll bring it to your balcony then we’ll go to the rendezvous point. Someone ...

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Author bio

I'm here to learn and practice in an attempt to improve my writing so any critique is very welcome. If you thought something didn't work, or could be better, I'd love to hear from you and will show appreciation for your comments. I tend to keep my stories on the darker side, so expect a few twists and bumps in the night. I never use AI in my writing - and I don't want to read AI generated works. If I follow you it's because I genuinely admire your work and intend to read your stories. Copyright of all my stories belongs to me - do not reproduce them in any way without my written permission.

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #200

Three Questions – read story

Shortlisted 4 stories ⭐️

Contest #244

Safe and Sound Safe and Sound – read story

Contest #155

Cash Cow – read story

Contest #154

Blawan – read story

Contest #141

No Returns Policy – read story