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Mustang Patty

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020

Stories (38)

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432 Followers

1015 Following

38 Stories

1588 karma pts

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His Past

Submitted to Contest #161

(This story deals with domestic squabbles - words are harsh, violent, and threatening.)The depression is cloying. Every fiber of my being aches. I wish it were last year or even the year before. Everything was better back then. Or was it? 2002 was not a glorious year. We lost everything when my hubby lost his job. The house, the furniture, and everything else. I kept telling myself that as long as we kept the family together, then none of the rest mattered. But the children grew up. She graduated in 2003 and left for the milit...

12 likes

The Black Sheep

Submitted to Contest #79

Jenny’s stomach clenched when she looked at the calendar. It was the day after Halloween, and that meant that the holiday season had officially begun. Over the next few months, there would be family dinners and get-togethers. She felt the clenching sensations and endured nausea and inclination to throw up. Once again, Jenny would have no choice but to endure being in the same room with her. No one else seemed to see or care about how the old woman treated her. And it was always the same. When they greeted one another at the door, everythin...

30 likes

Turkey Day Planning

Submitted to Contest #69

At least once a week, Heather called her mother so they could chat. The tradition was long-standing, and sometimes they talked for almost an hour, and other weeks, it was just fifteen or twenty minutes, but it was the best they could do. And Heather knew that for her mother, it was a lifeline. Heather and her husband, JC, were career airmen in the Air Force. Heather only had a few more years left, but she and her mother always planned at least one get-together during the holiday season since she joined, back when she was eighteen. And wh...

48 likes

Mrs. Ryan Miller

Submitted to Contest #68

Josephine Louise Miller wrote her name over and over across the page. Partly because she loved the weight and feel of the pen she was using, partly because she wanted to practice writing her name as it would be by the end of the week. “Josie, are you up there?” “Yeah, Mom. I’m just hanging out.” Josie hurried to hide the paper she’d written on. It would be awful if her mother saw it. Josie hadn’t told her mother anything about Ryan Miller and their plans. If her mother did know, she would put an end to everything. Josie knew her mom woul...

41 likes

A Hard Day's Night

Submitted to Contest #67

The sound of the key slipping into the lock echoed throughout the empty street. Darkness surrounded Lisa’s feet, making it hard to see more than two feet in front of her. Figures they still haven’t fixed that light. I told Mario what three weeks ago? And no one even bought a light bulb. I hate my job. I hate my life. Strolling, Lisa finally came into the arc of light from the street. Once she could see her feet, she walked briskly. Midnights weren’t a good time to be alone around here. Why on earth did I train as a chef? Didn’t I reali...

35 likes

Not at All what I expected

Submitted to Contest #65

On top of everything else I’ve gone through this week, now I must find a suitable costume by Saturday. I tried to get out of it, but ‘the powers that be’ say that participation in the Halloween events is mandatory for everyone. And that includes me. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve always loved Halloween. Deciding on a costume was one of the best parts of the entire year. After all, my birthday is two days before, and then there’s all that candy. Oh. I guess my birthday was two days before the big day. I don’...

45 likes

The House on 45th Street NE

Submitted to Contest #64

Ever since she was a little girl, Sandy loved driving down 45th Street NE in Salem. On the corner sat the house of her dreams. It was a two-story mid-century home with a big wrap-around porch. Sometimes she even parked out front, just to take a good long look. Though Dan and Sandy had been married for almost five years, it had never been the right time to buy a house. But when they both got raises in the same month, they decided it was time. Sandy was excited about looking for a house, but it was hard to give up her dream. So, when the h...

31 likes

Jarrod's Journey

Submitted to Contest #63

As the sun rose over the mountain range to the east, it did little to warm the air. As he was known to his parents and sisters, Jarrod the Brave, tried to keep warm by holding his wings close to his body. He was the only one awake, and for once, it was quiet in the nest.His mind was still racing with the words of his parents the night before. Today, it would all come to light, but Jarrod hadn't slept well, despite knowing the day would be of great importance.When he and his sister were born in the spring, they all lived happily in the forest...

26 likes

The Aha Moment

Submitted to Contest #61

Lydia does her absolute best to live every day with gusto and positivity. Even though it is often a struggle to get out of bed, she soldiers on. After all, giving up is not an option. Though she often wonders if her mother even loves her, she knew she was all the older woman has in her life.This morning, a bright and sunny Saturday, Lydia is getting ready to go visit. Her mother lives in an Assisted Living Facility. Jessica, Lydia’s mother, has a room on the Memory Care side of the place. The visits are very hard on both women for a variety ...

32 likes

The Interloper at Windsor Castle

Submitted to Contest #61

She read the last page of the novel, and with a sigh, she closed the book. Jillian closed her eyes and imagined that she was the heroine, and it was she who was brought home to the manner. It was her father who ran to the carriage and hugged with her with so much love. In her mind’s eye, Jillian turned to her hero, Lord Tennyson, and tilted her head up, knowing how her long eyelashes were displayed, and quietly said, “Thank you, again. I’m so grateful to you.” Lord Tennyson, a close confidante of King Henry VIII, grabbed her gloved hand ...

29 likes

The Damage was Done

Submitted to Contest #60

I wrote the date in my journal, but it may as well have been the same date since December thirty-first of 2021. The world hasn’t changed, and, in many ways, it feels like it no longer turns on its axis. The skies are steel gray. They never change, and the sun never breaks through. I saw this coming, and I ordered cases of Vitamin D. Still, even vitamins have expiration dates, and I wonder if the synthetic sun will do me any good next year. Of course, I also wonder if I even need to worry about next year. That’s a sobering thought. I’m on...

37 likes

New York City Blues

Submitted to Contest #59

WARNING - Suicidal Ideation August 16, 2020 I’m here!! I can’t believe it. After all the saving and scrimping to get by, I’m here in my dream city. I love this loft. It’s worth every bit of the $2000 per month. I’m finally going to be able to write. I’m finally going to be able to pen my great American novel. Well, I better get started. August 20, 2020 I wish I’d realized the fridge in this apartment was so tiny. I’ve had to go out to the markets every day this week. Food is expensive, too. But I’m managing. Writers don’t need much. Just g...

32 likes

San Diego Bound

Submitted to Contest #59

Our wedding was lovely. More than two-hundred guests were there to wish us well and a lot of them came to say good-bye. Everyone knew that we would leave Bremerton for our honeymoon and not return. All of our household goods had been sent ahead to San Diego. Our new home was waiting for us, and I was sure we were going to start our happily ever after. Thank goodness for the honeymoon. Who could complain about seven days and six nights in Antigua? The water was warm, the drinks were cold, and the music in all of the clubs was excell...

31 likes

The summer of 2030

Submitted to Contest #58

He’d always been a bit odd. Not to say that he looked different, or that you could see the evil lurking inside. No, he was that special breed of monster that hid the festering thoughts he harbored. In fact, if you passed him on the street, you wouldn’t have any idea of who he really was. It was only in the pages of his journal that evil lurked on every page. To read even one day’s entry would tell the reader all they needed to know. Oliver wasn’t stupid or slow. He was calculating, shrewd, and mean to the core. Clark Kent...

31 likes

We called him Mikey

Submitted to Contest #56

Holding him in my arms gave me a feeling I couldn’t define. Every time I thought I’d found the word, it suddenly felt lacking or not big enough. People had told me it would be like this, but still, I wasn’t prepared.Who could prepare for one tiny being to change their entire life? I'd known I had a baby coming. I’d known for more than eight months, but he’s everything I imagined and so much more. He is precious beyond words.I don’t want to let go of him. The nurses hover much too long. Since they won’t let me hold him while they push on my s...

44 likes