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Marcia H.

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2020

Stories (145)

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165 Followers

53 Following

145 Stories

2048 karma pts

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The City Below

Marcia H.

Most people passed by the old fountain in the town square without a second glance. It was cracked, old and dry half swallowed up by vines. The kids would climb up on it on hot summer days and take selfies with their friends. Teenagers would spray it with their names and different random colors in the Fall. By winter it was just another grey eye-sore that nobody in town knew what to do with, so there it stood in all of it cracked and spray painted glory for all to ignore. But on the night of my seventeenth birthday I noticed something that n...

1 like

The Art of Excuses

Marcia H.

Darren Hill had a PhD in excuses. Not a literal one of course, he barely made it through community college but if there was a degree for creative excuses, skillful dodging and Olympic-level procrastination, he would graduate sum-ma cum lade. “Sorry I missed your birthday dinner.” He told his sister, Mia. “Flat tire. Had to wait for over an hour and a half for a tow truck. My spare was flat too.”He wasn’t lying. Not completely. There had been a flat tire, three weeks prior to his sister’s birthday dinner. As far as the interview for the new j...

1 like

The Last Blue Envelope

Marcia H.

The letter was sitting on the kitchen counter in a blue envelope and sealed. It was sitting there like it had been sent from another lifetime. Mara stared at it. The handwriting had not changed, the slanted cursive, the deliberately careful loops and her name out the way only he spelled it, Maribel. The kettle she had placed on the stove began to whistle and eventually sounded like a long scream trying to get her attention. But, she let it scream. Her eyes were fixed on the letter in the blue envelope on the counter. Her fingers started to ...

1 like

2:03 am The Message

Marcia H.

The first message appeared on Lily's phone at 2:03 am. No name and no number. It had just been five words. “Don’t trust the glass door.”She was half asleep when she stared at the screen on her phone. Her pulse quickened. Her house was silent. The hum of the fridge was gone and the alarm clock plugged in on the side of the bed had stopped. Power outage? She slowly sat up and adjusted her eyes to the dark. The air felt thicker and heavier than normal filled with static. Her phone buzzed again. “He’s already inside.” Panic surged through her bo...

1 like

Operation Save The World

Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #296

Astra stumbled forward her breath coming in sharp gasps as she navigated the crumbled remains of the facility. The metallic smell of rust and decay filled the air with the iridescent smell of something burning in the distance. The emergency lights flickered, casting a shadow on the cracked wall as if the building itself was screaming a warning for her to turn around and go back. She didn’t have that luxury.Somewhere behind her the hunters were closing in. Astra pulled her jacket tighter around her trying to fight off the bitter cold. Her bo...

4 likes

Dead Man Standing

Marcia H.

The sky was heavy with dark clouds, threatening rain but withholding it, as if nature itself hesitated, uncertain whether to weep or remain dry-eyed. A small line of mourners dressed in black walked along the gravel path leading to the church. Some of them mumbled to themselves as they walked in the cold winter’s air. Among them was Margart Ellis. Her face was pale and her eyes were a shade of blood shot red and hollowed by sleepless nights. Her brother, Jonathan Ellis was dead. Or at least that is what she was told. The closed casket in ...

0 likes

The Bespectacled Killer

Marcia H.

“It was the one with the glasses.” Henry pointed an accusing finger at the television screen, leaning forward on the couch as Detective Morton, the fictional lead character in the movie, Maple Town Manor, could hear him. But of course, Detective Morton could not hear him because Detective Morton was a character on TV. And Henry? Henry was a man in his mid 40’s  who had spent the majority of two hours yelling at the TV screen like it was a two-way radio.  “Oh come on Morton,” Henry groaned as the TV detective paced the big living ro...

0 likes

The Phantom Hitchhiker

Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #293

The road stretched endlessly in front of them, two pale yellow lines dividing the dark asphalt under the hush of the moon and the midnight air The only sounds inside the car were the hum of the tires and the rhythmic slap of the windshield wipers against the glass of the window. The rain drizzled down in a misty haze, catching the glow of the headlights turning the night into a soft blur.  “You still awake?” Daniel asked, glancing at his daughter in the passenger's seat.  Nina blinked her eyes awake and lifted her head from where i...

5 likes

Deep Signs and Deep Secrets

Marcia H.

By no means of any stretch of the imagination was Alfred J. Jones a good man, good husband or good father. Now his lifeless body was lying on his living room floor in a pool of his own blood. He was only wearing bright red socks and matching boxer shorts. He was as dead as a door nail.  Detective Marion Clarke took a slow sip of her lukewarm coffee as she observed the crime scene. The room was in dismay as if a struggle had taken place. But the body was strangely peaceful. His arms were crossed over his chest but his palms were outstret...

0 likes

Forbidden Hearts

Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #290

The sirens alarmed at precisely 6 pm signaling the start of the curfew. The gray city streets emptied as people hurried inside their houses, avoiding the watchful drones which hovered above them. The government had one unwavering law. Love is Forbidden.  Romance had been deemed the root of society’s downfall. Wars had been fought over it, many crimes had been committed in the name of love. Love makes people reckless, unpredictable and dangerous.  The city council believed that a world which was free from love was a world at peace.&...

13 likes

Someone Else on the Other Side

Marcia H.

Olivia had always been careful online. She was not the kind of woman to trust anyone online easily. But, there was something different about Ethan that felt different. Their conversations flowed effortlessly and  felt real. She was getting a real vibe with him and trusted him more than anyone she had previously talked to online.  His words were filled with kindness and understanding. They had bonded through shared experiences both in their adult lives and as children.  They had met online in a book forum, bonding over their sh...

1 like

Transformation Breeze

Marcia H.

The wind whispered against Sam’s skin, carrying with it the first bite of something unnatural. A chill slithered through his veins. It was deeper than the cold winter’s air should have allowed. He shivered and rubbed his arms. The sensation didn’t go away, instead it burrowed beneath his flesh, like roots taking a hold into fertile soil.  His breath hitched, his fingers tingled and then burned. He glanced down at his hands. His nails were getting darker and growing in length. They curled slightly like claws. Panic surged through his bod...

2 likes

Deadly Tea Brewing

Marcia H.

Sometimes a cup of tea is just hot water in a kettle, a tea bag, and a pretty cup on top of a saucer that warms you up on a cold winter’s night. Other times, it can be a lethal drink that will either make you sick or kill you.The kettle hissed softly, the sound mingling with the crackle of the fireplace in the otherwise silent kitchen. Eleanor carefully poured the steaming water into the delicate porcelain cup, watching as the tea bag bloomed, its colors swirling in mesmerizing patterns. Her hand hovered over the sugar bowl for a moment, her...

1 like

Dancing to the 80's

Marcia H.

Planning a high school dance in her senior year was the last thing that Allie wanted to do in her spare time. But, she let her best friend, Brenn, talk her into it. But worst of all, Brenn bailed on her and she was left to do all the work by herself. The students voted for a back to the 80’s dance. Allie knew nothing about the 80’s except what yahoo and her mom told her.  She closed her eyes as she sat in the bleachers at the school gym and tried to picture what she thought the 80’s would look like. She pursed her lips as she went into ...

1 like

Queen of the Odd Days

Marcia H.

Queen always appeared at noon on the odd days of the month only. So, as the holidays approached, especially Christmas, Zena expected to see Queen. After all, Christmas always falls on an odd numbered day.  Zena first noticed Queen during the summer months, June 4th to be exact. She remembers that date because it was her birthday and Queen just showed up looking at her as if to say “Happy Birthday” in cat talk. Back then she called her Kitty Pretty.  One day she noticed that Kitty Pretty had a queen-like posture and when she stood c...

1 like