Kay Smith

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2023

Stories (7)

7 Stories

184 karma pts

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“Finding Holly” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #244

It was late evening. We had just finished dinner and as I had cooked, my husband was on clean-up duty. I was in my bedroom, reading. My oldest daughter, Holly, had just vacated the foot of the bed and was en route to grab a shower before bedtime. Though she had her own bathroom inside, she had recently become very adamant regarding privacy. We had a separate room outside off of the carport. I thought it was weird that she wanted to shower out in what was essentially our second laundry room. Granted, it was a private, spacious room complete w...

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“The Recruiter” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #214

I grab the watering hose and give a low, whispered shout to my daughter to turnthe faucet on full blast. I hear water, burbling, and gurgling, wending its waytoward me, emitting the random expulsion of trapped air, and after a flex ofthe hose, water begins to spray from the attached nozzle. I take care tospray the grass around the fire pit area. I had already carefully poured dirtand sand onto the embers of that night’s campfire. I turn the nozzle on thehose to the “rain shower” setting and s...

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“Warming Up: A Christmas Story” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #211

TAP, smack, smack! TAP, smack, smack! TAP, smack, smack! I make my way from the bottom of the wide staircase to the living room. The room is dark except for the soft, orange hue from the dying embers in the fireplace. Taking my time, I carefully navigate across the thick, multi-color, braided rug on the floor. At the fireplace, I lean my cane against the hearth and grab the two of the remaining logs, and feed them, one after the other to the fireplace. I stoop to grab some old newspaper that I crumple ...

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“R.T., Where's Home?” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #210

"Mom?" I hiss.Its pitch black; this house that belongs to her friend, where we are apparently staying for awhile. Carefully, I thread my way between stacks of unpacked, various-sized boxes, haphazardly spread in looming towers throughout the completely alien bedroom I am sharing with my little brother. Miraculously, I make it to the doorway. It opens onto a short, squat hallway. I blindly reach to my right and feel a deep void that I remember being a bathroom as I scurry forward. Not wanting t...

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“Voluntary Hostage” by Kay Smith

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #209

**Warning: Possible Triggers! Explicit Language, Mental Health, and Some Violence** “I HOPE WHEN YOU GET HOME, YOU GET DRUNK AS FUCK AND YOU BLOW YOUR FUCKING HEAD OFF WITH A SHOTGUN, FUCKING BITCH!” The voice; screaming , spittle flying, from the backseat through plumes of thick cigarette smoke b...

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“The Bonds that Bind” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #202

**** TRIGGER WARNING ****(Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Suicidal Ideation)*******I sit across the patio table from her. I watch her down beer and chain-smoke. She is bright pink toenails and make-up, smiling serenely out at something only she can see from behind immense sunglasses. She is as laid back and buzzed as a teenager on the cusp of their first real spring break. I sip some sugar-free, peach-infused iced tea concoction my mother made, ...

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“Hoe In The Garden” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #202

Imagine a meteorite hurtling blindly through space toward planet Earth, unintentionally about to wreak havoc upon it. Earth sits spinning serenely on its axis as the meteorite continues along its path, each oblivious to any discord one meeting the other might bring about. This scenario is not far removed from how events unraveled following my mother falling in love with and marrying a man who would have a lasting and deep impact on my life. At the time of my mother’s ...

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Author bio

Forty-five-year-old mother of three adult children, grandmother of two, and happily married to my best friend. Bibliophile. I am a perpetual student, employed over the years in several fields, devoted to my family, lover of literature and theatre, and autodidact, A cliched tortured artist who has survived too much for one lifetime, including a near-fatal stroke in November of 2021. My biggest dream is to write something worth reading before I croak! My Grandchildren are my gorgeous, nutty, little muses! I love reading books featuring strong women. JUST COMPLETED: Demon Copperhead/Barbara Kingsolver CURRENT READ: The Women/ Kristin Hannah UP NEXT: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store/James McBride Favorite Book So Far: The Frozen River/Ariel Lawhon

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #209

Voluntary Hostage – read story