Nicki Nance

“The Fancy Ladies of New Orleans” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #272

“Tori, come quickly. Elizabeth Greco sat at the vanity in the bedroom that she and her sister shared from their childhood until their death. Victoria hurried into the room. “What are you going on about?”  She stood directly behind Elizabeth and followed her gaze. “Oh…”Without taking her eyes from the mirror, Victoria tried to join her sister on the vanity bench, but her chenille robe stuck to the flowered velvet tufting. “Move over, Lizzy, there’s room for both of us. What are the beautiful boys doing?” “Getting ready for a party.”...

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“As the Wind Blows” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #267

----------------------------------------------------------------A TROPICAL STORM WARNING is in effect for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama----------------------------------------------------------------“Remind me to buy an umbrella.” Jack held the front door of the bakery for Emmie as they stepped out into a heavy drizzle. It locked behind them. Emmie pushed auburn waves into her hoodie and stuffed a bag of warm beignets in the front pouch. “We have all kinds of umbrellas somewhere.”“Not helping, unless you can conjure one up.” Jack rubbe...

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“Aging Out ” by Nicki Nance

On the morning of my eighteenth birthday, I took a freedom walk. The heady smell of the woods invited me into a congregation of pine trees. Layers of dew-dampened fallen needles cushioned my every step. In the center of nature’s chapel, where a canopy of tightly entangled branches had turned off the sun, cool air touched my face. I swayed to the symphony of silence, safe among my new woodsy friends. No one can take that moment from me. Future perfect. I will always have been there. The memory of it sustains me when I feel as dead as I did on...

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“Dust Covers and Other Lovers” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #231

“Welcome to Between the Lines. I’ll be right with you.” Rina Roche slipped a book in place on the shelf, backed off the step stool and wiped her hands on her jeans. At the front of the used bookstore, a dark haired thirty-something man in a black hoodie stood at the counter. “I need a mountain of magic, Cher. Can you help me out?” She put her hands on her hips. “I know you, you Cajun devil man. You were a phantom antagonist in Nooni’s first flash story.”  He scowled. “I was, but no one, including me, knows me. I don’t even have a name.”...

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“Dark Hearts, Sweetheart Deals, and Donuts.” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #215

A gangly teen with stunning brown eyes and shaggy hair rolled a mop bucket past Ellie’s table in CC’s Confectionery and Café’.He moved with purpose, quick but careful. When he noticed her watching, he grinned.“Who’s the little heartbreaker, CC?”“Jack. More like heartbroken. He lives at the group home across the street.”“Troubled teen?”“Nope. Troubled parents and a missing brother.” CC sighed. “Michael was a good kid, too. Listen, Jack is always looking for work. Will you be hiring for Magique?”“I can use him right now.” Ellie stood and waved...

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“Wanda, The Unaided” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #208

Strange what people think of when they are dying. My mother was succumbing to cancer. She sat propped up by pillows, and pointed to the bottom drawer of her dresser. “I haven’t balanced the checkbook in months. The insurance policies are in there, too.” She shook her head and sighed. “Daddy won’t even look at it, so you’ll have to take care of it.” “I’ve got it covered.” I tried to sound cheerful. “I know you do.” She attempted a smile, but her eyes glistened. She was not ready to die. “Oh, and I kept Wanda. She’s still in the box. Giv...

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“The Empath” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #207

Zach was peeling off his cap and gown when Jenny tapped him on the shoulder. “Stop by the shop before you go home, OK?” He was surprised to be looking into the honey-colored eyes he loved and feared.He shook out his unruly black hair. “Uh…OK. Did I forget to do something?”Jennie scoffed. “As if I would make you come to work on your graduation day.” His anxiety shuddered through her. “Nothing to be anxious about. I have a present for you, but it was too big to carry.”Zach gave her a sheepish smile. “Yeah?”“Yeah.” Her eyes were locked on his. ...

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“Embracing the Bat” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #206

I want to love you as I love all things in nature, as I love vampire lore and Gothicity, as I love true crime and horror, but our first meeting was – unnerving. ] You sailed past me uninvited, the size of an eagle – in my mind. I cleverly trapped you in the old house, jumped out of a window, locking me out and you in as darkness fell in a dangerous neighborhood. The dark, the neighborhood, the jump, and you swirled together, creating a storm of terror in my core. For weeks, I left the old house at nightfall and returned at daybreak, like a v...

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“Going Over” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #203

Sky. Tree. Grass. Tree. Mud, Sky, Rock, Sky, Black.Sosy Michaels rolled, slid, and bounced to the bottom of the hill, and settled so close to the river that it drew her golden curls into long, lithe dancers gracefully moving to the music of the water. She was covered in blood, grass, and dirt.Silence, pain, buzzing, splashing. “You are the luckiest unlucky girl I ever met.”Sosy opened her eyes to a blue-eyed stranger in a flannel shirt and ball cap. She tried to push herself up, but a pain in her side gripped her. “I have to —”“Hold on there...

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“Swapping Spirits” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #188

           “So, what’s the catch?” Bix followed Sienna out of the bathroom and into their bedroom. They straightened the bed together. “I don’t see how you can take this curse off me without me having to go through a trial or make a sacrifice.”           She shook her head and chuckled. “You watch too many movies.”           “I’m serious, Sienna. I see how powerful you are. You g...

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“Witch Walk” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #181

“I’ll tell her you called, but I’m not giving you her address.” Danny Fortunato disconnected the call and turned to see his son, Rhett, staring at him from across the greenhouse. “Trouble?”Danny shrugged. “Not yet. Jen’s brother is looking for her. He probably wants to guilt her into going back to Ohio with him.”Rhett scowled as he finished straightening the seedlings. “God, not this again. You really need to get a girlfriend with some staying power.”“C’mon, Son. Jen and I have been together for four years. Do you really think she’s going so...

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“Between the Lines” by Nicki Nance

Submitted to Contest #176

“Welcome to Between the Lines. I’ll be right with you,” Rina Roche called from the back of the bookstore. “It’s just me, Babe.” Jack Roche let the stack of boxes he was juggling drop to the stock room floor. He pulled off the tie that held back his dark hair and sighed. His soulful brown eyes met hers. Rina put down the box she was unpacking and went to him. “You look lost, Sweetheart.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and he kissed the top of her head, nuzzling into her chestnut curls before he pulled a lavender envelope out of his ...

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