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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2023
Submitted to Contest #304
"Smile. . . it confuses people." Mrs. Miller encouraged her student. The teenager groaned and then rolled his eyes before walking to the front of the class. It was speech day, the last one of the year, hopefully forever, because he hated speeches. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at her as if he had just realized what she said. "What did you say?" he whispered to her. "Smile?" she asked inquisitively, unsure what was wrong. "uh, no. . . after that." "Oh. . . it confuses people," she paused, "because you are always so serious, you know? As a j...
Submitted to Contest #303
Fluorescent lights buzzed faintly overhead as the sterile hallway stretched endlessly. The thudding of boots hitting tile broke the monastic silence. A man in a wrinkled military uniform barreled around a corner, breath ragged, sweat trailing from his brow despite the cool air. He was late. . .again. He glanced at room numbers, eyes darting, 214. . . 216. . .218, his pace quickened. Then he saw it: Room 220. He skidded to a halt in surprise as the door swung violently open, and a toddler ran through with his dad running behind him, telling h...
Submitted to Contest #301
Poppy Simon's fifteen minutes of fame came when she was thirty-eight. It came precisely twelve weeks after she signed her divorce and resignation papers at her Christopher Columbus High School work office on a Friday afternoon. A few minutes after signing, she took the envelopes and walked 25 steps into the principal's office, sprang open his door while ignoring a mildly protesting secretary, left both of the envelopes on his desk while he was on the phone, gave him the middle finger, turned around, and left. He tried to say something, but ...
Submitted to Contest #286
Daniel sat on the edge of his couch, staring at the blinking lights of a small, artificial Christmas tree he had purchased from Walmart the week before. It wasn't much—just a few feet tall, with thin branches and cheap plastic ornaments—but it was all he could manage this year. He had no energy to make it better, no heart to pretend everything was okay. The room was silent except for the hum of the heater struggling to warm the drafty apartment. Outside, snowflakes swirled under the amber glow of the streetlights, dusting the rooftops and em...
Submitted to Contest #283
Helen trembled as she placed her cell phone after hanging up abruptly. She tried to collect the thoughts swirling in her brain faster than a category-five hurricane off the coast of Florida. With a heavy heart, she paced the room, her mind racing with questions and doubts that consumed her. Suddenly, the missed calls, the late texts, and the unexplained absences made sense. Bubbles, her cat, sensing the switch in her mood, came to the rescue, but she couldn't see or hear him meowing. Shock, fear, pain, and sadness took over all her senses. A...
In a small hospital room, a visibly shaken woman sat slumped in a chair next to her daughter's bed, watching her chest rise and fall as oxygen moved from the tubes into her lungs. Dark circles framed her eyes, which were heavy with exhaustion and worry. When she heard the news announcement, she looked at the small TV screen and raised the volume quickly. "Tonight, A local pastor is in custody after turning himself in for a hit and run of thirteen-year-old girl, Emma Campbell, that occurred only a week ago. Emma was repor...
Submitted to Contest #280
TW: mentions/implications of sexual abuseBen decided today that he was going to commit murder. Last night, he could not fall asleep until he came to that conclusion. In his mind, there was no other way to get control of his life. Ben, a senior in high school, was only eighteen years old and full of impulses and hormones that he was still working on controlling, even after years of therapy. Ben went into the garage where his stepfather kept all his hiking gear and found a 15-inch Bowie knife, which he put in his school backpack. He went ...
Submitted to Contest #275
Carlos walked as if this entire world belonged to him. He couldn't be happier because next to him was the most beautiful girl in the world. She chose to be here on this trip with him. For the first time, he was not the backup plan or was in the friend zone. Maybe his luck was finally turning around. Maybe good guys don't always finish last. Persistence is the key. Carlos met Hannah two years ago and fell in love with her at first sight. She understood him so well, which was very important because no one ever did. She lau...
Submitted to Contest #273
Princess Amunet ran as fast as she could with quick, silent steps across the sand. She stopped for a minute to take off her sandals as they kicked up dust while she ran. She scanned the valley with the grand silhouette of the royal palace, which loomed behind her in the sky, painted in pale pink and gold as dawn broke over the Egyptian landscape. The daughter of the great Pharaoh Menkaura was on the run. She did not want this, but her father would disapprove of Seshat. Even though he was a captain of the royal fleet...
Submitted to Contest #262
Sam looked at his watch as he tapped it to skip to the next song on his AirPods. It was 11:58 A.M., and lunch was calling. It was their second vacation day, and he hoped it would be relaxing. He grabbed his water bottle and was about to take a sip. "Where is Will?" Sarah shrieked at her husband. He took his AirPods and looked up from his iPad. "I don't know. He was just here digging." Sam responded carelessly, unaware of what was happening. Sarah looked at him in usual dismay. The shrill sound of a lifeguard's whistle and the ...
Submitted to Contest #261
George shifted nervously in the chair as he told the therapist about the new development with the woman he loved. Another relationship seemed to be failing. He couldn't believe it. Was he that horrible to be with? “George? Did you hear my question?” the therapist asked.“I'm so sorry. I must have zoned out for a second.”“That’s alright; I was asking if you could start working on that gratitude journal I mentioned. I think it will help you tremendously right now. ““Oh, I don't know if that will help me. It’s not the best of time right now...
Submitted to Contest #259
Ann opened her eyes, startled by the abrupt sound of the drawn curtains. Then, footsteps and the gentle murmur of a woman leading someone to their seat followed. Another victim, Ann thought and shut her eyes again as the nurse went through her usual spiel while starting an IV. She must have dozed off while reading her book, which was still in her hands. She flipped through the pages, trying to block the nurse's voice behind the curtains and remember where she stopped to be interrupted by her daughter, Leah, this time. "Why can...
Submitted to Contest #255
Twenty-eight years . . . twenty-eight fucking years, thought Tom. And for what? For some ditzy little gym teacher to tell me, I had a lapse of judgment. ME! Who the fuck she thinks she is? I knew I should have left this shit place the moment they hired that dumb-ass superintendent. Tom was seething. He couldn't understand the audacity of his Principal. She had merely started two years ago and had yet to earn her stripes. He had shirts that were older than this bimbo. Tom's hands balled into fists, the knuckles white against hi...
I wake up to a tap on my shoulder. It is my father. My neck screams in pain as I attempt to wake up. I wince, but I open my eyes. It takes me a second to realize where I am. The insistent rhythmic beeping quickens my realization. As I shift in my chair, a book falls off of me. I must have fallen asleep while studying. I looked at my father, but he had already walked away. From the doorway, he tells me I'm going to be late. I look at my watch. It is 4:57 am. I take a long breath to prepare for the day. ...
Submitted to Contest #253
With a voice that quivered with suppressed emotion, Gabriel spoke words he never thought would come out of his mouth - "Hi, yes, uh, I am calling to cancel my flight to, uh, Paris. It's scheduled for tomorrow. I can do that, right?" The few words hung heavy in the air, a stark resignation to the harsh reality that had just ripped through the tapestry of his entire future. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope everything is okay. Can I please have your name and booking number?" The voice on the other end spoke politely, unaware of ...
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