Mara Rouge

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2023

Stories (20)

20 Stories

332 karma pts

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“A Tale of Justice” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #273

Dear Diary, Today, I took my mischief to the next level, and I can't help but chuckle at what I've done now! Oh, what fun I've had! You simply won't believe the little plot I concocted. As you know, I’m now in the middle of a little game with Mathi over his beloved T-Rex dinosaur, the one he’s used to scare the living daylights out of me every day. This towering, prehistoric beast has been dwelling beneath my bed, used by him as his sidekick in his relentless quest to rouse me from my slumber each morning. He finds it funny; but you know s...

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“Redefining Tradition: Amina's Awakening” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #262

As the sun began to set, its golden rays filtered through the windows of the house, casting a warm glow but doing little to cool the sweltering air. The barometer read 99°F. Amina had been up early, yet she found herself lying in bed, the sheets pulled to the side. The fan above her whirred at full speed while she was engrossed in reading a book that resembled an old journal. The yellowed pages bore stains—signs of time, perhaps. Downstairs, Radhya, her mom, had been up for a while. She was busy preparing breakfast, already setting aside som...

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“A Tango of Town's Talk!” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #254

Cupid is striking hot! Dear readers,Just when everyone thought we would be having a quiet summer, nope, it does not look that way, especially on Chestnut Way.Things are heating up. Majorly, actually. And folks, it’s guaranteed to be “hotter than July!”News has it that our “on-again-and-off-again lovebirds,” aka the mysterious Mr. M and the bright Ms. E, were caught in some kind of love triangle.Yes, you read that right!We all have taken notice of Mr. M’s ways: low key, speaks little, but a total party boy. Oh boy, the man can throw the ...

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“A close call ” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #249

A bird kept singing at my window. As I listened to its sweet sound, I slowly opened my eyes to realize that the sun was already out. Well, it had been out! It was nearly 8 o’clock. My alarm did not go off. I was certain I had set it the night before. I knew this, for sure. I had organized my tote, selected, and arranged my clothes, hung them in the closet, and polished my shoes. Setting the alarm was the last step before turning off the light. This was my routine.“Something must have gone wrong, then,” I thought for a moment. I glance to the...

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“Viral Brew: A Tale of Friendship, Fame, and a Misunderstood Moment” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #244

Alex and Sam’s friendship began on their very first day of kindergarten, right outside their new classroom. Sam was struggling with her emotions after her mother had left, her tears flowing freely. That's when Alex, a fellow classmate, approached her with a kind gesture. He rummaged through his backpack and produced a handkerchief, offering it to her with a gentle nudge. “Here,” he said softly. “Take this to dry your tears. I’m feeling a bit scared too, you know,” he confessed to Sam in a hushed tone. The girl with fiery red hair and striki...

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“Two Can Play The Game” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #241

The car idled at the stop sign, and the engine's low hum was a stark contrast to the silence that had settled between the two passengers. Vanessa disrupted the quiet moment with a sudden burst, out of nowhere, “Fire him. We should not renew his contract. You, WE, need another sitter. He is great, but... I think he will be best elsewhere, with another family, not with us.” “Wait. What? I don’t get it. Everybody loves him. The kids, me. I even thought you did too. Kids are happy. You are happy, at least up until now. I get more me time. What’s...

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“The Company We Keep” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #239

At night, Granny’s house hid all kinds of wonderful and whimsical surprises! As soon as she would switch off all the lights in the house to go to bed, a beautifully orchestrated symphony would start in the house: from her living room to the kitchen counter and ending in the dining room. It was a stark contrast from the daytime when the house was very quiet. That was when you could distinctly hear the whistle from the tea kettle, cracks on the wooden floors when stepping up or moving across, the deafening sound of the refrigerator, or bette...

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“A Near Miss” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #237

How was it? What? The KISSS, you idiot! We didn’t! You whaaaat? I though you— Naah, we both chickened out. You wouldn’t believe it. His mom found us in the dark, sitting side-by-side. We got nervous, scared, awkward, you know? …uncomfortable, like guilty of something. Oh no! So, what happened? Nothing, just as I told you. We didn’t kiss. May be next time. His mom....did she say anything to you? No, she asked to leave the room. I took my stuff and ran out. Matt also left right away. I think he must have left his mom there, upstairs, in the b...

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“Songs of Farewell” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #236

I made my way to my mother’s house with a mix of anticipation and nostalgia coursing through my veins. It was my move day from what has been the only home I had known to my own place. As I stepped through the familiar threshold, I was greeted by the sight of my mom, diligently packing my belongings into boxes. Mom, you don’t need to do all this. But THANK YOU! This is great. Aww. It’s the least I could do. There are so many memories packed around these walls. You know, when I look at all these things, it brings back a lot of good me...

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“I've Got This!” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #233

For weeks, this advertisement (AD) kept showing up regularly on my feed.  “In a week, you’ll start to feel it, In two weeks, you’ll start to see it, And in three weeks, others will see it. But you just have to get started. And if you don’t know where to start, check this new app. 28 days of commitment will change your life.” Ugh, here they go again. Another AD about losing weight when the holidays have not even started yet. Don’t they know? It’s the holiday season people! Everyone will binge!! This is what it’s all about, merry and...

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“When Dreams Align” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #231

Dear Diary, It has been a while since I shared something here. Well…guess what? I dreamt that I had the best New Year’s Day lunch with my closest relatives.   Everyone showed up and was on their best behavior. We shared our New Years resolutions (all the things we wanted), buried the hatchet with those who hurt our feelings throughout the year, forgave one another, and reflected about those things we couldn’t or didn’t do in the previous year, while pretending that we all liked each other. It was simply extraordinary, and this is...

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“Unlikely encounters” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #227

Some tiny but treacherous flakes kept touching his coat. Jake was walking back to his office. He noticed that it had started to snow, again. People were gradually pulling their hoods on to cover their head. A woman, working in his building, nearly fell.  Luckily, Tom was there to come to her rescue. She was wearing high heels and trying to quickly get in a car that had been waiting for her. With a deep sight, he enters the building. It was going to be a long afternoon. A Board meeting that promised to keep him, and all top executi...

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“Inner beauty” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #225

For the Memorial Day long weekend, Vera visited Amy, her friend in Stowe, Vermont. Her trip was planned at the last minute, but both had been wanting to see each other for quite some time. She thought, with their busy schedules, that this might have been the best time for it to happen. Vera and Amy had met in college in Boston. After graduating from Emerson, Vera stayed in town and found a job working for a local TV station. Amy, on the other hand, went back home to Vermont, to care for her aging and ailing parents while looking for a job t...

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“Whispers of the Past” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #224

It was nearly two o’clock in the morning. Everyone was sound asleep in the house, except for one person. She had just finished counting sheep number 607 when she opened her eyes, trying to think of another way to trick herself to sleep. “I need to sleep, I want to sleep, I must sleep, …. but I can’t sleep!” she kept saying to herself in the middle of the night. Lily was the eldest child of Langston and Martha Harrison—the wealthiest family in town. They lived in an old mansion, known as Hillcrest Manor, which was nestled amid rolling hi...

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“Rocky ride” by Mara Rouge

Submitted to Contest #219

"Hon', did you hear that?" Elaine asked, her voice filled with concern. "Yeah, something about a disabled train ahead of us," replied Ian, with a tone reflecting his frustration. I found myself in the company of the McAllisters, a situation that usually meant Elaine's incessant chatter and Ian's desire for peace and quiet to read his newspaper. "Just when you need to get there early. How about you call the office?" "I hate this," he muttered. As I observed his grumpy demeanor, I couldn't help but sympathize. Being late was not pa...

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Author bio

Mara Rouge is an aspiring novelist and short story writer. Under this pseudonym, she aims to capture her experiences living on five continents and to imbue beloved folk stories from her childhood with her unique perspective. In her writing, Mara she tends to puts her own spin on traditional tales and folklore, crafting stories that are both fresh and familiar.