Kathleen Fine

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2021

Stories (38)

38 Stories

2718 karma pts

?

“California Dreaming” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #132

Miriam sets her suitcase on her twin bed and carefully begins to place her folded clothes inside, taking her time. Her pink bedspread and sheets are already packed up in a cardboard box across her room. She only has a few more hours left in this bedroom and she’s trying to savor the last moments she has in it. Miriam has conflicted feelings about moving. This has been her home for the past 14 years since she was born. When Miriam hears songs about California on the radio, she hears people sing about beaches, palm trees, and sun-kissed s...

Read story

“Birria for Dinner” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #131

Emilio Elena pulls her van up to the brick rancher on Shady Lane. She slowly stops, the sound of wheels crunching on brittle snow. The walkway up to the house is freshly shoveled and Emilio notices an old statue of a dog in the yard. He wonders what kind of person puts a dog statue on their lawn. Obviously, some sort of nut job. “Shady Lane, huh?” Emilio asks Elena as he eyes up his new residence. “Sure looks Shady to me.” “Basta, Emilio,” Elena says in her kindest voice. “This one’s gonna work out. Not like the last one.” “Last t...

Read story

“ID” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #130

“Gina Fortier? Here’s your new New York State license, ma’am” the lady sitting behind the glass at the DMV slides Gina’s new license under the partition. Gina lets out her breath, not realizing she was holding it. She picks up the shiny new driver’s license. New York State. Gina Fortier. Sex: F. Eyes: BL. HT: 6-02. Gina wipes tears away from her eyes and rereads. Gina Fortier. Sex: F. For the last 14 years her ID said something different. SHE was someone different. When she came into this very same DMV at the age of sixteen, she was a yo...

Read story

“Seagulls” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #129

Alex O’Hara doesn’t ski. Growing up in St. Lawrence with an overabundance of snow every year, one would think she would. But skiing is a privilege Alex didn’t grow up with. The closest thing to skiing Alex did was duct taping two pieces of trash can lids to her feet and walking around West Parishville State Forest when she was ten years old. She ended up almost getting frost bite on her toes and got a whooping from her dad for being out past dark. Alex shakes the thought of St. Lawrence from her head as she takes a sip of her coffee ...

Read story

“Another Chance at Life” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #99

Sally Birmingham shouldn’t be driving; she knows. She drank three big glasses of red wine at dinner earlier and is still feeling a little tipsy. But when Charles mentioned his mother, Bridget, is coming over for brunch tomorrow, she realized she had completely forgotten the eggs for the quiche. Bridget is so Hoity toity that if Sally doesn’t have a quiche with Sunday brunch, she will never hear the end of it. So here she is, drinking and driving on a Saturday at almost midnight. She pulls into the local grocery store, making sure to park her...

Read story

“Florence and the Machines” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #98

Florence can sense something bad is going to happen as soon as she wakes up. She rises from her bed and peers out of the bedroom window of her assisted living community, Chestnut View. She lives in the Striped Bass apartment whose one-bedroom floorplan has a smaller bedroom and larger living room. She had picked this apartment out seven years ago when she moved into the community. There were five floor plans to choose from, Striped Bass, Hickory Shad, Spotted Seatrout, Blue Ridge Sculpin, and White Marlin; all different names of fish found i...

Read story

“My Lucky Day” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #98

“4 23 24 35 54 Power Ball 13,” I tell the overweight cashier behind the smeared plexiglass. My hands begin to shake as I get out the wallet from my purse and spy some mini bottles of Jack Daniels in the neat little basket sitting next to the credit card machine. My mouth begins to water. “And two of these,” I say as I push the bottles towards the cashier before my subconscious can talk me out of it. The cashier glances up at me, raising an eyebrow. “I.D.” he says. I reach into my wallet, pull out my driver’s license, and slide it...

Read story

“Stained Glass” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #97

I bend down and pick up the pieces of broken stained glass from the sidewalk in front of the church. Six pieces. Red. Orange. Blue. Pink. Green. Yellow. Colors of the rainbow. I wonder if Miss Angie can help me put them back together again. I could put them in the window in my room. “Dolores, get in the Van!” Sampson calls from the driver’s seat. I look around to make sure no one sees me with the glass in my hand, unsure where to put it. I don’t want no one telling me I can’t bring it home. I realize I don’t have no pockets in my lavende...

Read story

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