Kim Olson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2024

Stories (34)

34 Stories

975 karma pts

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“Doing Hard Time” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #261

I met my boyfriend in prison. Shocking, right? Who would want to date someone who was in the big house? Well, it’s okay. You see, I was in prison too. What did I do, you ask? And what did he do? What crimes did we commit?The answer is simple. None. We worked there. I am writing today, from first hand experience, to say that anyone who works in a prison for a prolonged period of time is an unsung hero. Prisons are dangerous, depressing places. I couldn’t hack it, so I escaped after five years. Yes, I flew the coop. I freed myself af...

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“El Centro” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #259

The restaurant El Centro was now in a new neighborhood. It was no longer, as its name implied, centrally located. The events of the past horrific year had forced it to relocate to a new building on the far southwest side of town. It was now in a cramped storefront that had previously housed a Hungry Head sandwich shop. Business, at first, had been slow, but was now slowly picking up. Every Tuesday morning around ten o’clock, a large group of elderly women took over two large tables, pushed together. There were usually about ten people i...

4 comments 4
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“The Mystery Girl” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #258

Carol opened the shoebox of old photos, most of them black and white. She felt like she was taking a trip down memory lane, seeing the photos of her family over the years. Growing up in a family of nine children, there weren’t as many photos as one might think. Her parents were not sentimental people. Still, by virtue of having nine children and countless relatives, there were nonetheless a fair amount of pictures.The first picture she glanced at was a hallmark 1970s shot. Her second oldest brother, Bill, had long hair and tight athletic sho...

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“The Calvaryman” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #257

Wisconsin 1861It was several months before Grace received her first letter from Joseph. She knew that it was hard for letters to get through, however. It was one of the many problems of war. She was ashamed to admit that she didn’t know if she had forgiven him for enlisting in the Union Army. While they both agreed that slavery was inherently wrong, it seemed like it happened so far away that it didn’t affect her or anyone she knew. Still, she knew Joseph was a moral, upright man and in good conscience, he couldn’t allow the South to secede ...

9 comments 9
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“The Game” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #256

You cry to me on the phone,Everything’s gone wrong.He’s hurt you,Broken up with you.And you still don’t understand why.You experience the worst painYou’ve ever felt,A stabbing knifeStraight to your still beating heart.No one will ever love you again.No one will ever be as good to youAs he was,But no longer is.What if you never find such aGreat love,Ever again.What then?How did this happen?It’s a mystery and nightmare,Wrapped in oneThrobbing ball of pain.You miss him.He was not only your true love,But alsoYour best friend.What are you going t...

14 comments 14
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“Land, ho!” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #254

George looked out over the ocean. As far as he could see, there was nothing but deep gray sea, teeming and rolling under equally gray, cloud filled skies. He felt his spirits plummet. He had hoped to see faraway, distant shores, some sort of mark on the horizon. The mark of Terra Firma. Mother Earth, land. It wasn’t to be. At least not yet. He didn’t know exactly when that momentous occasion would occur. The moment when one of the sailors on board would yell triumphantly “Land, ho!”George had almost forgotten what day it was and how long he ...

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“A new man” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #253

It was amazing how easily a biker could transform into a businessman with so little effort. All it took was a haircut, clean shave, and a brand new set of fancy clothes. In Cal’s opinion, whoever said that clothes didn’t make the man didn’t know what he was talking about. Cal was now a new man, a suit wearing man, whereas previously, he had worn heavy boots and black leather. Thanks to his fashion makeover and new identity issued by the FBI through the witness protection program, no one would ever trace Cal now. He was safe, if not free. His...

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“Stay Out” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #252

“You really want to go undercover at Stay Out?” the sergeant asked him. “You know there was a shooting there last year, right?”“I know,” Detective Ziccarelli, or Zic as everyone called him, said. “But our snitch told us there’s a regular dealer who comes in there almost everyday and sells to the customers. I really want to make my first drug bust.” “Well, be careful what you wish for. It’s a dangerous place,” the sergeant said. “Thanks Sarge,” Zic said. “I’ll do my best to stay safe.”Following that conversation, Zic was ecstatic. H...

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“The Rainbow Bridge” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #250

“My dad said that Blue is going to cross the rainbow bridge tomorrow. They’re taking him to the vet for the procedure. ” Jack heard his dad say.Jack knew that when his Dad talked about his dad, he meant Grandpa. Grandpa was his dad’s dad. Blue was Grandpa’s dog. He wondered why his Dad was talking to his mom about Blue. And what was the Rainbow Bridge? Was the bridge at the vet’s office?“Oh no,” his mom sighed. “That’s so hard. So very sad. How are we going to tell Jack?”Jack's face grew warm as he heard his name. He didn’t want his parents ...

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“Desperate Remedies” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #248

“Did you ever see the movie ‘First wives club’?” Tiny asked the other two guys seated next to him.Everyone in prison had a nickname. Tiny was so named because of his size. He stood a hulking six and a half feet tall and looked like he could play linebacker for the Green Bay Packers. He and the others were sitting in the day room, shooting the breeze. There was a lot of time to kill when one was in the joint doing time. The day room was surprisingly empty save for their little group. Most of the other inmates had gone back to their cells afte...

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“Bon voyage” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #247

The photo showed my mom and dad along with their best friends standing in the basket of an air balloon, smiling and looking excitedly towards takeoff for what was sure to be a grand adventure. Looking at that picture, I couldn’t help but smile. I am sure that picture brought back many fond memories for my mother. Could anything be better than sharing such an experience with her beloved husband and their lifelong friends? It was one of the many trips they had taken together over the years. This photo had been featured in a montage of rev...

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“Homecoming” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #246

It was the day before the Homecoming football game. All week long, momentum had been building towards the big day. In a small town like Cedar Grove, things like Homecoming held great sway. The whole town participated. Earlier in the week, perky high school students decorated the windows of the storefronts facing Main Street. They used a special kind of frosted paint to paint the glass in bright colors. We’re #1! Go team go! Beat the Raiders! The students fervently hoped their strident messages would bring about victory. Whatever the game’s o...

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“The Moon Spoke the Truth” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #245

The moon spoke the truth.The truth set me free.I heard its truthAs I drank my bubbly.My moon viewing glasses,Splashed with fine wine,Saw you quite clearly,Just that one time.The wine loosed my tongue,I delivered a grape crushed blowYou were “The man”,And I failed to stroke your ego.Don’t ‘member what I saidEn vino veritas, I had sass.You the king, the ruler,Maybe I called you an ass.You showed me the truth,With the back of your hand.A mark on your queen,Darkness o’er the land.But in marriage unspoken, The spell it did break.And sober ki...

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“Summer Watch” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #244

“I received a photo that I really should never have to see, as Beach Supervisor. I want you to look at it and tell me what you see.”My boss was sitting behind his desk facing me. I had been summoned to see him. I couldn’t imagine what he was talking about. Was someone skinny dipping on the beach? If so, why was he sharing it with me? He used two fingers to slide the photo over to me. I glanced down and gulped in surprise.“It’s me, obviously, sitting on the beach, at work. Watching the water.”“Are you really? Watching the water, tha...

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“My friend Mac” by Kim Olson

Submitted to Contest #243

Turn me on, you know you want to. I don’t care what they say about insomnia and my blue light being bad for you, keeping you awake. I know they say that it's better to read from a hard copy book when you can’t sleep, rather than my bright, glaring screen. Still, my possibilities are limitless. I have so much more to offer than flimsy pieces of paper bound together in one single volume. Besides just reading, you can surf me like a wave and travel anywhere you like, find out anything you need. You can reach out to others. You can watch movies,...

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Author bio

I am a librarian and I love to read. I am having fun trying Reedsy and creating my own stories. Thank you for sharing your work and reading mine. Happy writing!