Kathleen Fine

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2021

Stories (38)

38 Stories

2718 karma pts

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“The All-Star” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #151

Theodore Hurlbutt III scratched at the poison ivy inching its way up his twig-like, pale arm as he heard a whistle blow from across the field. Good thing I never got chicken pox, he thought as he picked at the bumpy blisters on his skin- clear liquid oozing out. He couldn’t resist a good scratch, even if it might spread the dreadful rash.He’d gotten the outbreak the weekend before on a camping trip with his father in West Virginia. “It’ll be good for your bones!” his dad had announced as he packed up his Chevy Tahoe with a tent, sleeping bag...

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“The Shortest Movie in the World” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #147

As the movie credits scrolled onto the screen, Lane clutched her arm rests as if her life depended on it and angst filled her abdomen. She turned and studied Charlie as he scooped a handful of buttery popcorn from the oversized bucket on his lap. She smiled as she watched him shove the kernels into his tiny mouth, several pieces landing on his Spiderman shirt. The last time she saw him he was obsessed with Pokémon. This time, it was Spiderman. She leaned her head against the seat, hoping there would be some sort...

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“A Bright Red Lipstick Smile” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #145

Tilda pulled the tablecloth out of the trashcan located behind her house. She lifted the long, gold and red linen to her face and rubbed it to her cheek, enjoying the soft fabric against her skin for a moment. “Mama?” she hollered to Mama through the ripped screened door leading to the kitchen. “Don’t go yellin’ at me like that Til,” Mama yelled back, “I’m tryin’ to cook ya’ll dinner.” “What’s this tablecloth doin’ in the trashbin?” Tilda queried, dragging the heavy cloth behind her as she walked into the kitchen, slamming the back...

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“The Talk of the Town” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #144

“Mom, there are some packages at the door!” Geneva hollered to her mother from the bottom of the stairs. “Be right there!” Holly shouted back as she clipped in her pearl earrings and double checked her crimson lipstick. She slipped into her floor length, satin gown and squeezed her feet into her uncomfortable patent leather pumps. She wasn’t Audrey Hepburn, but thought she looked good enough for the annual black-tie charity event that Colin’s company hosted every year. A night filled with small talk, fake smiles, champagne, and bite size...

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“One Day at a Time” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #143

“Excuse me, Ma’am, can you help me?” Errol asked the woman wearing a green vest, indicating she was an employee at Spinney’s Gardens. Minutes ago, he had approached two different men asking for help, who were quick to tell him that they did not work there. He was still flushed in mortification from the awkward interactions.The woman turned from watering purple flowers with a hose and faced Errol, a bead of sweat trickling down her cheek. “Yes, sir?” she asked, wiping her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. Errol could smell the scent ...

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“Jack the Ripper” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #142

“What can I help you with?” Jack asked the middle-aged woman standing in front of him at the information desk. He was always happy to help. The woman’s wiry, grey streaked hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in days. Jack rubbed his hand over his bald as he looked down at the woman, glad for once that he didn’t have to worry about hair care.“My book is missing the last page,” she said urgently, pushing a copy of The Help towards Jack as if it were diseased.Jack frowned and put on his glasses. “Missing, you say?” he questioned as he picke...

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“Ratebook” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #141

“No, it’s Ji-wi-an,” Jillian repeated herself to the beady-eyed woman sitting behind the glass at the county clerk’s office. “That’s what I said, Ma’am,” the woman gazed up at Jillian, revealing her irritation, “Jiwian Wester.” Jillian heard two little girls behind her giggle, clearly eavesdropping on her conversation. She turned around to see what-must-be their mother, grinning at her, not stopping her daughters from ogling at Jillian. She felt like a circus act. Jillian felt her eyes well-up in tears. “Ji-wi-an Wester. Not Jiwia...

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“Egg Casserole for Christmas” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #140

“This was one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had,” Hope said, leaning down to give her mother, Alice, a kiss on her furrowed cheek. Clara smiled and held up her glass of fizzy citrus to cheers her sister. “Merry Christmas,” Clara said as she swallowed a mouthful of her mimosa, spilling a dribble on her fleece, snowflake patterned pajamas. “This was second to the Christmas when we got that amazing Barbie dream house.” “I want a Barbie dream house, Mommy,” Clara’s daughter, Meg, said as she took a bite of Alice’s famous breakfast cass...

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“Diary of an Answering Machine” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #139

July 18, 1985 “You’ve reached Matt Nicholson and Buddy. Buddy say hi: Woof! We can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks!” BEEP “Matt, it’s mom. Are you still at work? It’s nearly seven thirty; you should be home by now. It’s time you settled down; you’ll be thirty in two weeks-you’re too old to be barhopping and galivanting around. Anyways, it’s Kelsey’s baby shower tomorrow and I wanted to know if you’d like to carpool with me and dad. No use in takin...

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“The Pest Cowboy” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #138

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” Norman breathed to the wide-eyed racoon gaping at him from across the crawl space. “Daddy’s not gonna hurt ya,” he muttered calmly as he army-crawled towards the creature, hoping it was not rabid. He’d had one rabies scare in his nineteen years of pest management. He didn’t want to have to go to the ER today to deal with a coon bite; it was 75-degrees out and he wanted to go fishing when he got off work. The racoon rubbed its paws over its eyes anxiously, darting its little beady orbs back and forth. “Don’t hu...

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“The Hate They Gave” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #137

“We’ve called you in here today to discuss the concerns that numerous parents have voiced over the past few weeks,” Scott said calmly to Nadia as he crossed one leg over the other. Nadia glanced at Scott, the head of Trinity Lincoln School, and then looked at the other members of the board in front of her. They were all coincidentally white, leaving Nadia as the sole, brown-skinned person in the room. Nadia couldn’t help but notice that her colleagues all somehow looked like someone jammed a pole right up each of their asses and they couldn’...

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“One Last Chance” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #136

“You need anything Mr. Abbott?” the nurse asked as she completed pumping nausea medicine and steroids into the bag that the chemo would drip from. “Michael,” Michael said with a warm smile as he retrieved a novel from his knapsack and placed it onto his lap. “Michael, I’m Mary,” the nurse corrected herself. “What book are you reading?” she asked, looking down at the novel that appeared on her patient’s lap. Michael glanced down at the novel and ran his hand along the front carefully, admiring the cover. “My granddaughter wrote thi...

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“Metropolis Angst” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #135

Clark took a sip of his coffee as he scrolled through the news stories for the day. “Shit!” he cursed as a dribble of coffee dripped down his chin and spilled onto his notepad. Even though he had been working remotely since the pandemic hit, he couldn’t get used to the cramped workspace and tight living quarters his apartment had turn into. He clicked on the link to the story he submitted yesterday evening for The Daily Planet and read: Burglary on Main Street By: Clark Kent Yesterday evening, there was a burglary at Pop’s Drug Store o...

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“Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #134

Chandra Lal peers through his telescope at the deep, ebony sky. It’s a clear night, his favorite kind of night for star gazing. Although he’s in an attic and not outside like he would prefer, he’s pushed open the window to get a clearer view above him. He focuses the lens to get a better look at two of the four Jovian moons which rotate around Jupitar. As he turns the tube towards Saturn to see if he can get a glimpse at any of its visible moons, he hears a couple dogs barking below him. He checks his watch to see how much time he has left b...

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“Roses for Ruby” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #133

Simon meanders through Charbel Chocolatiers searching for the perfect heart shaped box for Ruby. He remembers she likes dark chocolate; she hates white. He read she once was forced to eat mouthfuls of white chocolate pretzels while filming a commercial as a child and has never been able to take even a nibble ever since. Simon plucks up a large, ruby-red, heart-shaped box with assorted dark caramels and determines this is the perfect box for Ruby. As he carries the present up to the register, he grabs his wallet from his Levi’s and fingers th...

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Author bio

My debut novel, Girl on Trial, published in October 2023 by Camcat Books, has recently won Gold at the IPPY Awards for Best Juvenile/YA Book. It has also garnered praise from reviewers like Forward Reviews and Kirkus Reviews, affirming its impact and resonance with young readers. Having received my Master’s in Reading Education from Towson University and my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from the University of Maryland, College Park, I have dedicated much of my career to nurturing a love for reading and writing. I am a member of the Maryland Writers Association, International Thriller Writers, and the Author’s Guild. My short stories have appeared in publications such as Litro Magazine, Pen in Hand, The Maryland Writer’s Association Anthology, and The Indignor Playhouse Anthology. Check out my website: https://www.kathleenfineauthor.com/ And follow me on Instagram! @kathleenfineauthor Email me at: Kathleenfineauthor@gmail.com

Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #263

The Ex – read story

Contest #158

Love Letters from Lexington Prison – read story

Contest #156

The Liar – read story