Madeline Honig

“Hidden Cravings” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #226

As Manny spoke, Hannah could not help but glance at the bar.  That single bottle of opened red wine across the room was calling her name.  She wanted to grab that bottle as though it was the last bottle on earth, pour a healthy amount into any cup she could find and guzzle it.  But she knew better. Last year’s Thanksgiving dinner did not end well for Hannah.  By her sixth glass of wine before dinner, she had already cut into the perfectly roasted turkey; she spilled red wine over great aunt Margaret and fell asleep snor...

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“Blue Strokes and Broken Shelves” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #225

“Why does my nose look crooked?  Is my nose that crooked in real life?  Or can I not paint?  Or both?  Do I have a crooked nose and I can’t paint?  I should just kill myself now.”  Flora looked at the painted canvas in front of her, moving her head side to side as though the nose would look better at a different angle. “Relax.  It’s fine.  You need a break.  You have been at this all morning.” Ollie said.  He closed the newspaper in his lap, leaving a thumb on the article he was reading so ...

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“A Writer's Nightfall” by Madeline Honig

Clair didn’t need to open her eyes to know that it was not yet morning.  The rays of the sun had not yet peeked through the slotted window blinds yet. She knew that her sleep was over.  She opened her eyes to check the glowing red of the cable television box: 3:03.   Clair gave an audible sigh.  She glanced over at Josh.  He was still asleep and had no signs of waking soon.  It was Saturday morning and Josh didn’t have to get up for work that morning.  He would tuck himself away in bed for the next e...

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“Fateful Results” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #222

Emily glanced at the analog clock hanging on the wall.  It was time.  She shut the book in front of her and made her way to the front door almost tripping over her roommate’s black cat.   “Roger, why are you always in the way?” She grabbed her overloaded keychain hanging on the key hook, her purse and jacket from the chair she had put out the night before.  She could not afford any mistakes this morning.  She headed out the door, locking it behind her before approaching her white Camry parked on the street.&...

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“It's Only Death” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #220

As I stepped out of my electric blue Nikes and removed my ankle socks, I felt the grass was cold beneath my feet but it felt good and refreshing like a stick of spearmint gum for my feet.  I moved my feet around, feeling the blades between my toes and the wet mud underfoot.  I could hear the ocean waves crashing on the sharp rocks beyond the cliff.  I stood close to the drastic edge, maybe too close, and I looked up into the blue sky.  Why did it seem more blue here than any other place on earth?   “I’ll miss ...

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“The Blackmore Heights Bookclub” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #219

“Sit down, ladies.  We are about to begin.”  Sharron looked around her living room at the six other women huddling to find a seat as though she was the mother duck and these women were her young ducklings.  Each woman dressed themselves in their Sunday best and each with a book tucked under their arm, as Sharron demanded.  “I hereby start this month's meeting of the Blackmore Heights book club.  This month, in celebration of spooky Halloween, I chose for us to read the great monster classic novel, Frankenstein by M...

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“Christmas Temptation” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #217

Christmas music rang out as Tracy glanced across the room.  She caught Oliver’s eye and then glanced away, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and continued her conversation with Jill, the company’s head of human resources.  Jill was wearing a Rudolph sweater with a large glowing nose that Tracy could not stop staring at when she was not looking around the room for Oliver. What Tracy really wanted to do is walk across the room, grab Oliver by the back of the head, and give him the same big kiss he gave her below the m...

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“The Mole and the Martini” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #216

“Whatcha drinking there?” A man said from across the bar as the bartender slid a martini glass in front of Jennie. Jennie didn’t want to be at the bar, but she felt obligated.  Her best work friend, Tabby, invited a few people to this new bar for her birthday.   The bar had a Hollywood glamor theme, not to mention, it was about time someone opened a bar that was not a speakeasy in this town. When Jennie entered the bar, she spotted Tabby right away.  Tabby waved and Jennie waved back.  Tabby was with two women who loo...

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“Ted's Sinister Craving” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #215

“I can’t.  I can’t. I can’t. I must not.” Ted paced the room.  He turned on the television and sat on the edge of the bed made neatly by a maid hours prior.  He tried to concentrate on Columbo on the television.  But his focus was elsewhere.  His focus was on his urge.  He had to give into his urge.  He could not stand it anymore. If he was to walk out of this motel room and give into his urge, it would not be the first time.  In fact, he had gotten quite good at hiding his urge from his friends, fam...

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“From Porsche to Peeling Paint” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #214

Shannon Myers pressed the flat red button on the large screen. She was dangerously close to losing reception and wanted to end the call as soon as possible. The horrification of hanging up mid sentence on her new boss.  They were close to closing their series B funding for their AI driven startup that would revolutionize how any normal person could trade stocks.  Shannon’s life seemed to have changed quickly.  After attending Penn State, her career started on Wall Street and although her paychecks became rather large, she sp...

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“The Hidden Recipe for Eternal Life” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #211

“I know it is here somewhere,” the librarian called out from the top of the wooden ladder.  “No one has requested this book for as long as I have worked here.  But it’s in our database so I know it must be here somewhere.  We are quite good about keeping meticulous records.  Efficiency is key when you have this many books in a library before computers.  Found it!” The librarian retreated from the top of the ladder with care and grace.  She then held out a blue hardcover book covered in dust and handed it to Da...

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“Shadows of the Ouija” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #210

"Why are we doing this, again?" Mia's voice trembled, her wide eyes fixed on her sister as they sat on the cold hardwood floor in their shared bedroom between the two beds with matching floral bedspreads.  In front of them sat a closet with mirrored doors.   Ridley's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Because it's fun, and I found it in Grandma Johnson's attic. I want to know if it's real.  I want to see what the spirits have to say to us." She glanced toward the Ouija board between them with an eager curiosity. M...

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“The Allure of Tracy Station” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #208

Tessa had worked at The Whiskey Barrel for nearly four years now.  The town folk knew it for its cheeseburger and stake fries, cold domestic beers, and enough whiskey to drown a horse. If she wanted to stay in the small town of Frankville limited her choices of employment and the fear of leaving this place was nerve-racking.  The owner of the Whiskey Barrel coached her high school soccer team so it was an easy in.  Most people in this town worked at the local slaughterhouse, but the smell had caused Tessa to become a vegan ear...

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“Silencing The Director” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #207

“Cut!”  Marcus screamed from his director’s chair.  “You have it all wrong.  You need to say it with conviction.  You are not saying it as though you mean it.  I want to feel it.”  Marcus barked, holding his hand up as if to grasp a ceiling light bulb.  He turned to Kirk, the cinematographer of the film, “who hired this bimbo?”  Marcus turned back to the crew patting down his slicked back black hair, “let’s take five.”  He then turned back to the actress on stage, “except for you, sweetheart.&nbsp...

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“The Panthos Corporation Pitch” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #206

Clair woke up with a start.  She had had that damn dream again.  The one where she goes to work and someone prompts her to give a presentation. Although she knew she had spent countless hours preparing, she could not remember what to say.  She then realizes her slide deck has been wiped from her computer.  And sometimes, the dream ends with her looking down at her body and noticing that she is naked. Clair shook her head.  She needed a clear head.  A clear head that was not clogged up with these nightmares.&nb...

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