Leah VanHoose

“The Hang Over” by Leah VanHoose

The first few years of living in this city are a blur—a booze-filled blur of bright colors, muted memories, and strangers in the dark. I woke up feeling like I normally do, very similar to warmed-over dog shit. My mouth was dry, my head pounded like someone was smacking it from the inside and I had very little memory of arriving home. Great I thought. Here we go again. It is like Groundhog Day over and over and I was sick of it. Frankly, I was sick of myself. While I lay there and tried to remember how I got home I vowed to myself this would...

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“Boot Scoot Boogey” by Leah VanHoose

She was late getting out of work. It wasn't her dream job for sure but it paid the bills and gave her time to write. Maybe one day she would do it for a living but in the meantime, it would have to do. Her friends had invited her out. The Brady Johns Band was in town. She didn't really want to go. Country music had never been her favorite but she felt guilted into going. "Bailey!! You never want to go anywhere with us! Please come, you'll have so much fun." Her friends pleaded. So she gave in to their pleas. In a rush to get ready, she ...

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“Disconnect” by Leah VanHoose

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzzzzzzzz what was that noise? She thought, still half in a dream. An image of bees on a flower floated past before she was awake and realized it was her cell phone on the nightstand. It vibrated softly making a buzzing sound against the wood veneer. Worry bubbled up as she answered. No one calls her at 5 am. No one has called her in a long time. She'd left. There were a lot of animosities. You don't leave your family. You don't leave your town. At least that...

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“Well isn't this RICH” by Leah VanHoose

Submitted to Contest #91

The air was cool but she could still feel the bead of sweat roll down her back. She'd been sitting in her piece of shit car for the past 30 minutes waiting on the tow truck driver. Deciding he was going to let her melt in that damned car she walked across the street and took refuge in the library. It smelled like dust and paper inside but she wasn't going to get heatstroke in there so she nodded to the librarian and started walking the isles of books looking for something to pass the time. The building was huge with book after book lining...

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“Swiss Train” by Leah VanHoose

Submitted to Contest #90

Even on this train full of people, she felt alone. The others were laughing and enjoying the ride. Sure she knew most of them but she didn't feel a part of them. Always the outsider. The trip was a reward for a job well done. Sandy Brown, CEO of Park Smart a small company that specialized in travel wear wanted to show her employees how much she valued them. It was her first real job since graduating from college. She really had only worked for this company for about 6 months. It was her first real job since graduating from college. Sandy had...

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“But have you ever had a tree hug you?” by Leah VanHoose

Submitted to Contest #90

It stood so gracefully in that open field. Its majestic branches looking like they were reaching for a hug from Meredith. That tree was her favorite. It was magical. Every day Meredith looked at it through the dirty bus window on her way to school. She'd always picture herself getting married underneath it and living in the old farmhouse that was near it. In one month they were moving. Dad got a new job. Moving to a new town. It was on the other side of the planet, as far as Meredith was concerned. She'd asked her mom to bring her to the tr...

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“It all ends” by Leah VanHoose

Submitted to Contest #89

It wasn't dark like she believed it would be. Actually, it was super fucking bright. She knew she was dying, no more oxygen and it was making it hard to think. She couldn't feel it but was aware of it. You know, like when there's something you forgot to do but you know it had to be done? It's just that feeling. It's kind of like a shedding of a skin or a layer or a peel. It's weird however you want to describe it. Death is so scary because we don't know what is next. Kinda the same with life except we feign control of life. Death is like no...

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“The train to somewhere” by Leah VanHoose

Submitted to Contest #89

It was raining. Again. She looked at her pale skin in the mirror. The way her hair just hung limp. She put on some makeup and tried to add some color to her cheeks to make her not look so pale and boring. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She read that in 30 seconds a fake smile turns into a real smile. It worked. But fuck, does she have to smile at herself in the mirror to make herself smile? She couldn't take it anymore. The gray, mundane day-to-day bullshit. Wake up, stand under the hot water till it ran cold, get dressed, go to wo...

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