Olivia Lake

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2021

Stories (15)

15 Stories

389 karma pts

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“Sweet as Molasses” by Olivia Lake

Grandma June was the one who told me about the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. “There was a huge tank of molasses that sat outside,” she began, scooping molasses out of a jar with a measuring spoon. “Well, the tank was shoddily made, and the temperature that day climbed and climbed and climbed. And what happens to my cookies when they get hot in the oven?” “They spread!” I cried.

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“Dear Mr. Misner” by Olivia Lake

January 17, 1979 Dear Mr. Misner, I am writing to you after I heard the news of your sentencing. Reportings about you have reached Burlington, Texas all the way from Orlando. I have been following your trial on the radio and in the newspapers, and I believe I know more about you than about the President in the White House. The thought of you sitting alone in prison and awaiting your...

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“Tortoise Approved” by Olivia Lake

I always imagined that, by the time I was thirty-five, I’d be married with kids and living in the suburbs. I could see it so clearly: on a cloudless summer day, my husband would be working on his honey-do list with a tool belt strapped snugly around his waist. I’d be wearing a floppy sun hat while planting flowers in my garden, and the kids would be running around in the backyard, laughing as they kicked a soccer ball. I...

7 comments 7 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“A Recipe for Bitch Cake” by Olivia Lake

Warning: Profanity Marcie knew she should ignore it. On any other day, perhaps she would have. She mainly received order requests through her website, Cakes by Marcie and Joe (damn, she’d have to change the name). She had her fair share of spammers and pranksters. Had things been different, she would have just deleted it. But she didn’t. Leaning forward in her creaky office chair,...

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“The Price of Devotion” by Olivia Lake

Warning: mentions of self harm, physical violence, and abuse. So, you’re my lawyer? Hmm. Considering how much my father is paying you, you’d better be good. I’ll be level with you: everyone has their price. From the taxi drivers who will chase idols across Seoul, to the airline agents who will leak the flight details for different groups, to the apartment building residents who wi...

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“Dropped” by Olivia Lake

I didn’t know I was a legend. Years after leaving Our Lady of Perpetual Help, I had no idea that the story of how I stuck it to Father Michael was still circulating among the students. It made its way back to me the summer after I graduated from high school, when Sarah Green’s youngest sister found me lifeguarding at the local pool. Apparently, it was the new way that seniors welcomed incoming freshmen: telling them how ...

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“Vampire Teeth” by Olivia Lake

Katherine had asked Jim to pick Tiffany up after school. For Jim, this was either a sign of Katherine’s unfounded optimism, or her profound desperation. The first and only time he met Tiffany was a disaster. Katherine told him that Tiffany loved Italian food, so he took them to his favorite restaurant. Katherine and Tiffany both showed up looking disgruntled, and the tension was palpable from the moment t...

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“Video Killed the Radio Star” by Olivia Lake

On the rare occasion that anyone bothered to ask why he played the drums, Rick Karlsen said that he liked how loud they were - but that was a lie. He didn’t like being loud. He liked being in control. A drummer held the band in the palm of their hand. If he sped up, they sped up. If he slowed down, they slowed down. He was the heartbeat. He had the power. It didn’t bother him that Rachel was the focus of ...

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“Grateful Nuisance” by Olivia Lake

Arigatameiwaku: when someone does a favor for you that you didn’t want or ask for, and the favor causes you trouble, but social customs require you to express gratitude regardless. A Japanese word made up of ‘arigatai’ (‘grateful)’ and ‘meiwaku’ (‘nuisance’). “I’m going to help,” said Doug. Melanie could almost hear him beaming through the phone, proud of his own selfless offer. “...

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“Kintsugi” by Olivia Lake

It was going to be a good day. It had to. Lily knew the perfect way to start the day: cinnamon sugar doughnuts and coffee. When she got to the cafe, though, the barista was locking the doors. “Are you closed already?” she asked. The barista shook his head. “Something with the plumbing. They have to shut off the water.” “Oh…” she trailed off. ...

5 comments 5 SHORTLIST ⭐️
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“Twenty-Three, Fifty-One” by Olivia Lake

Age: 23/51 Because he was my physics teacher, I was now in grad school. I said so in my application - my love of physics was sparked and nurtured by Mr. Turner from the moment I stepped into his class. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what I would have majored in undergrad, if I would have done research on semiconductors, if I would have pursued my PhD. When he was my physics teac...

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“Brain Waves” by Olivia Lake

Returning to her childhood bedroom made Sophie feel like she was examining the prototype of a familiar technology. The bookshelves were lined with paperbacks organized alphabetically by author. Plastic dance trophies topped with gold ballerinas were perched on top of her dresser. A gigantic corkboard was mounted over her bed with achievements and memories pinned to every surface. Ribbons from the math team and medals fro...

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“Monsters” by Olivia Lake

“Mommy, I want to go home.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to swallow the scream building in my throat. "This is your home now, sweetie." Rosie crossed her arms. She had been a nightmare all morning, sliding around on the hardwood floor in socks and nothing else, barely dodging the buckets set out for the leaky roof. She was so delighted by my fruitless attempts to catch h...

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“Stones” by Olivia Lake

Audrey had not wanted to go to the wedding. Samantha and Barry were Josh’s friends, not hers. She wouldn’t know anyone there. The wedding was two hours outside the city - an idiotic choice, considering all their friends lived in the city - and she didn’t want to get home so late. But she kept her mouth shut. The day was over, and she had survived with her arsenal of smiles. She simpered as she shook hands...

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“Lorraine” by Olivia Lake

She loved it when the air began to cool and the leaves began to redden and yellow. The empty campus would flood with life: students milling about the green quad, overwhelming cafe baristas with their demands for coffee, populating the tiny chairs and even tinier desks of the lecture halls. It was the start of a new academic year. The cycle began anew.  It isn’t anything prestigious, she thought a...

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Author bio

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Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #211
Tortoise Approved – read story
Contest #201
The Price of Devotion – read story
Contest #188
Kintsugi – read story