Laura Ethington

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2022

Stories (23)

23 Stories

451 karma pts

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“A bitter choice” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #287

The first thing he could recognize was an old, musty, wet scent. He's groggy, his mouth is dry, and his head hurts, but he feels warmth on his face. With that, he hears a crackling fire; attempting to lift his hand to his face, he realizes his hands are tied. His feet are tied. He opens his eyes and can see that he is tied to a chair. His eyes get used to the fire's dim light, and he is seated in an old, dusty room with wooden beams at a small round table with a teapot and teacup in the middle. He smells the scent of steeping tea. He starts...

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“Can we just stop!” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #285

Leah sat staring into her untouched latte while her senses were slowly overwhelmed. It was the first time she'd left the apartment in the weeks since she'd been back in the city. The coffee shop smelled of roasted beans and cinnamon; its warm hum of quiet conversations and the clinking of glass cups provided what would normally be a soothing scene, but it was just too much for her. She sat across from her best friend, Zoe, seeing her lips moving but not hearing her. The steam swirled upward from her cup, dissipating before reaching her face....

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“Just Try” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #284

The blue glow of her phone lit the dim, undecorated room as she lay in bed, scrolling aimlessly through TikTok. It was still early, barely 8 a.m., but the endless stream of videos had already set the tone for the day. Families in matching pjs danced in front of their Christmas trees. Couples in snowy cabins exchanging heartfelt gifts. Her thumb paused on a video of a couple laughing as their dog played with the mangled paper and bows from the gifts they had given each other. She didn't even realize she'd sighed until the sound escaped her li...

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“Not a creature was stirring, except this mouse” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #281

Content warning: This story contains sexual themes, violence, and murder.They say it's the most wonderful time of the year, but I loathe Christmas. But not for the reasons you think. I used to adore the holiday season. The smells, the lights, the joy, but especially the food. I loved how easy it was to feel magic in the air. Then it all came to an end; I now shake with anxiety the second the last dish from Thanksgiving is done. And no amount of holiday cookies or cozy movies by the fire can help; I am a ball of ...

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“The Hare's Lament” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #277

The table stretched long and uneven beneath the twisted canopy of the Mad Hatter's garden, covered in teapots and stacked like lopsided towers, mismatched cups, and crumbs from cakes no one bothered to finish or clean up. Laughter rang through the air; each clinking of glass made his eye twitch. The March Hare was singing at the top of their lungs, off-key, he noted. Somewhere down at the end of the table, the Dormouse was drunkenly recounting a story no one understood while the Hatter himself twirled a spoon while looking dreamy-eyed at all...

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“Crumbs of Love” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #276

Boston was wet that night, the misty drizzle that makes a whole city feel like it is under a giant dewy lens. The streets glow, and so did I, but probably for different reasons. This was my 20th first date this year, and it was only February. They weren't all gems, not even kernels of fool's gold found in dirt. It was rough out there, kids. Let's just say the local sex shop knew my first name and vibrator preference. I'll admit, it's been a bit of a dry few months...fine a year and a half.I was about to meet someone new, someone who had—in o...

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“Finis historia” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #266

Evelyn stared at the blank page on her laptop, her head in her hands, staring at the keyboard, praying for some divine spark to ignite her creativity—or at least the first sentence. The blank page mocked her as she watched the cursor blink. The words wouldn't come, and they hadn't for days. She's done everything she normally would to inspire her next psychological thriller. Baking, drinking, numbing with casual dates on dating apps, even visiting her mind-numbingly boring sister and her 3 kids in Omaha. But nothing. She'd been suitable for t...

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“Champagne makes everything a party” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #246

Sarah yelped as lightning cut across the sky. A loud boom followed, breaking the silence on the playground. Rain was pouring down on her as she slowly rocked back and forth on the swing she had been perched on for the last 30 minutes. She barely noticed she was drenched. She felt numb; she didn't even have the energy to go over everything from that evening. "What time is it?" Emily asked, swaying on the swing next to her.Reality slowly returned to her. Sarah looked down at her watch. "It's almost 2 a.m.," Sarah said. Unsure what they were wa...

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“Ain't life a dream” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #239

"Jessie." An echo rang in her ears. She felt like she was being pulled out of a pool of water. Everything felt slow and fuzzy. "Jessie. Wake up." The voice said, louder this time.  The next thing she heard were birds. Then, the smell of damp moss and a forest after rainfall. She couldn't move yet. She felt the earth under her, wet but not muddy.  "There you go, you're okay. You're safe." Safe? Why wouldn't she be safe, she thought as the voice rang clearer in her ears. Gaining the feeling back in her hands, with a brush of ...

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“A Demon Whispers” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #238

The early morning light was blinding as she stumbled out of the forest, confused and cold. Her dress was ripped and covered in mud. Isabella walked into the early morning sun, scared and off-kilter, but not knowing why. Early morning was her favorite time to forage, but for some reason, she could only think about getting home as quickly as possible and sitting In the warm safety of her hearth. While returning to the path she usually walked, she looked down and realized her basket was gone. The familiar weight of it missing in her arms. But s...

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“Maestra” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #218

Eve followed the cobblestone to the heart of the quiet, picturesque little town. Setting down her bag and worn violin case, she looked around at the sleepy square, knowing it would soon be full of colorful chatter, heavily spiced meats, and lively music. She intended to add herself to the tuneful mix but had a stop to make first. She had heard through her travels that this town had recently burned a witch. Morbid curiosity had her moving towards the woods where the witch was rumored to have spent her last peaceful days before being torn out ...

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“Buy new? In this economy!?” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #217

Joe was in between jobs. At least that's what he liked to say when the women he matched with on Bumble would ask what he did. He would also say he traveled a lot. All of these things were true. It was just with his line of work; only one person did the job at a time, and this was his off cycle. He had all his typical resources while not working, so he was not bored. He would be back working soon and taking advantage of this downtime, so why not make it fun with some cheeky dates and try out a few things he wanted to implement into his day jo...

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“Gemini” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #216

The doorbell rang, and Gemma jumped up from the couch, giddy with excitement. "Dean! People are here!" She yelled while running to the front door. Dean came out of the kitchen, beaming. He loved seeing her so happy. It had been so long since she'd been happy. But with this new chapter they were building for themselves, he hoped there would be countless more days to see that look on her face. He went to the door where Gemma was vibrating like an excited pup, ready to greet their friends. "They're here!" She said, grinning up at Dean. Ge...

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“The Perfect Surprise” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #184

It came in the mail. In unremarkable wrapping, a small, unprepossessing slim box about the size of an envelope. Leah rarely got the mail, so she didn't know when she received it since she only checked her mailbox every two weeks to simply toss out the junk mail that had piled up. Leah also had ADHD, and when she put it on her kitchen counter, it was quickly forgotten. It wasn't until later that week, when she was cleaning up before her boyfriend came over for the weekend, did she even remember it was there. Assuming it was the latest trick...

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“How do you say 'Eat S**t' in Corporate slang?” by Laura Ethington

Submitted to Contest #181

The repeated aggressive chiming of her alarm clock was the only thing that got any excitement out of her these days. While her eyes were still closed, she slammed the alarm to snooze for nine more blissful minutes before she had to get up. But rest was done for the day. Instead, she felt the looming daily anxiety that comes whenever she wakes up before work. Going to the same bullshit as yesterday, and the day before, the week before, the month before, and the year before. But it was a time of recession plus inflation, and there was a d...

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Author bio

Opera singer turned corporate cog desperately clinging to anything that keeps the creative juices flowing in my life. It's likely gonna keep getting weird. Have Fun! - L