Mallory Jones

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2023

Stories (8)

8 Stories

577 karma pts

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“An Apathy Sharper Than Hatred” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #276

“I love you… like, not as a friend. I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for years. I followed you here because I couldn’t imagine life without you. I like you as more than a friend. I really— damn it!” Margo put her face in her hands and the mirror mimicked the motion. This was going to be a disaster. How could she possibly convey how she felt to Christine if she couldn’t even do it alone in the bathroom? There were only a couple minutes left to practice. She took a deep breath, and locked eyes with herself in the mirr...

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“Displaced Cargo ” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #265

“Get up. Get up. We have to go— Yasmin, now. Move! We have to go. Wake your brother.”  Perhaps I am dreaming. I can still see the stars out the window as my eyes blink open and shut. There is no glass, so I can feel the warm summer air blow in as my mother continues whispering.  “Yasmin, get up. Now.” I grumble and roll over, pulling the thin blanket over my head. Someone rips it away and slaps me in my face. I jolt awake, sitting up in shock.  “I will not tell you again.” She hurries out of the room and into the kitchen; I ca...

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“2:37 Last Thursday” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #253

At 2:29 last Thursday, Annie Colson resolved to pursue a career in biochemistry. She had always loved nearly every subject in school, and it had been the challenge of her life to decide which path to take when she started college next fall— pursuing her passion of orchestral composition would be life-giving but risky, whereas a path of financial advising would slowly drain the life out of her, but provide a stable career for decades to come. She honestly hadn’t even considered the science path until she started this class with Mrs. DeLuca, a...

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“Waitress ” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #230

I love Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, Daniel takes me dancing, and we always get malts afterwards. Although, one time last week, we stayed out dancing far too late and the soda shop was closed. Daniel really tried to pry the door open— we can just get the machine running and make our own!— and I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. Eventually he quit when a police car drove by and I grabbed his arm quickly to pull him away. It started raining and we kissed in an alley as we hid from the policeman— that was a lovely Tuesday. It’s Sunday now, so we’ll ...

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“Costly Purchases Not Covered by SNAP” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #228

“Just the… three bottles of Tylenol and the vodka?” The elderly cashier looked up, both unpracticed and uninterested in concealing his judgment. The thin young woman standing at the counter smiled at him and said, “The Smirnoff is a gift for my in-laws, and I’ve been having terrible headaches lately.” She paused, then added,“You know what? Throw this in too— I feel like splurging.” She smiled brightly as she tossed a single-serving instant oatmeal packet on the counter, then looked up, clearly expecting him to scan her items. With a dea...

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“Champurrado ” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #227

The house had never been this quiet before. You could almost smell the hazy dust as it drifted through the air, illuminated by sunbeams shining through the curtains. It was a misplaced silence, but a peaceful one. If you closed your eyes and focused, you could hear the distant laughter of cousins gathered at Christmastime, of babies crying and mothers shushing, of clattering pots and muffled conversation in the kitchen. These sounds weren’t ghosts, though, just— echoes. The last resonance of the full and joyful lives that were lived within t...

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“Holy Man” by Mallory Jones

Submitted to Contest #226

“I don’t know what to do, Nicolas. I’m so overwhelmed.” The Reverend was practically hissing as he confided in his friend in the otherwise empty church,“I mean, how did you even know?” he continued with frantic desperation, “And if you found out, what if others do too? I’ll be ruined!” With practiced concealment of any emotion— whether of concern, support, or condemnation— the friend of the Reverend said evenly,“You know what you have to do. You must confess this sin or face God’s wrath in Hell. I know a good priest; you should go see h...

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“Goldfish ” by Mallory Jones

🏆 Winner of Contest #224

4 pm Miss Lucy and Dr. Singh are letting me visit my house tonight! Normally I get to go home for twelve hours on holidays, and an aide comes with me to monitor my equipment, but today is different. It’s not a holiday, it’s not my birthday, it’s not even the weekend— but I’m going home! Mommy says Lily will be home too even though she goes to college in Iowa. She’s coming home just for me for my special visit. And Daddy says we’re getting my favorite food ever which is Chinese takeout from The Golden Dragon. I never get to eat Chinese in th...

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Author bio

my goal is to make you cry ;)

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #224
Goldfish – read story