Ruth Smith

“The New Normal” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #92

 You know there is something wrong when your skin turns red and gets itchy. That's what happened to me the first day I went outside. Actually, it was the first day I went outside after the pandemic ended.We had all been trapped inside for over 12 months. The government, as well as the Health Organizations from around the world, told us we had to stay away from every other human being as a means of controlling this highly contagious virus. So, we all obediently closed our doors and locked them, not coming out until the signal came that e...

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“Darkness into the Light” by Ruth Smith

I wouldn't call it depression, it's much deeper, darker than that. I feel oppressed, surrounded, suffocated, caught in a dark and sinister place where there is no hope. I go to a therapist once a week. For about two days afterward, I can see sunlight, and the weight is gone. Then the darkness comes back and overwhelms me once again. The drugs helped, too, for a while, but they leave me feeling foggy, numb, and unfocused. Now I think my body is so used to them I only feel the fog, and the blackness persists. No one in my family understand...

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“What's That?” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #91

Mrs. Johnson turned off the lights to the library and locked the doors like she did every evening. She wondered to herself what happens inside the library when everyone is gone. Shrugging her shoulders, Mrs. Johnson headed home to her husband and a relaxing night of TV. As soon as Mrs. Johnson and the rest of the humans had left the building, Charles stretched his left leg. The book that Mrs. Johnson had just put onto one of his shelves fell to the floor. “Oops,” he said with a laugh, “did I do that?” Marybelle looked at the old wooden s...

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“If Trees Could Talk” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #90

There's a tree in our yard. Pa calls it a silver maple. He planted two of them last week. He waters them daily, talks to them, nurtures them. He says they will grow big and shelter the house from the sun. I like the one closer to the house. It is about my height. I talk to it, too. The other one is taller, more like my older brother who picks on me. The trees are growing taller. The one near our house is taller than me now, and its trunk is the width of my leg. It is still my favorite. I enjoy looking at the leaves when they turn yellow in...

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“The Longest Goodbye” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #89

The clock read 10:00 am. Blake had one more hour left before he had to leave to catch his train. He glanced down at his list of things to do before leaving. Most of the items were completed, he just had to talk to a few people. Blake took in a deep breath. This was going to be the hard part. The doorbell rang and Blake walked over to the window to see who it was. It was his brother, Dan. He already talked to Dan yesterday and told him what was going on. This visit was not going to help. Blake needed to get rid of his brother as quickly as ...

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“The Price” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #88

Once Upon a Time, there was a kingdom far, far, away. The Kingdom was ruled by the Aricotle family, and the people there were happy, healthy, and prosperous. Until...The people of Aides lived in poverty and strife. They were a ruthless people, always in conflict, always trying to inflict on others the fate they, themselves, had. One day, Monjo, the ruler of the Aides, set his sights on Elysium. They had it perfect there, why can't the Aides people have the same?So the people of Aides invaded the peaceful land of Elysium. The people of Elysiu...

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“Which Witch?” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #88

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom of Rockpence which was ruled by King Kilgren, the Warrior King, and his lovely wife, Queen Catira. King Kilgren was a wise and just king, and beloved by all his subjects. He was a fierce warrior, feared by his enemies. Because of this, no one challenged him and his people lived in peace. One summer, a blight came upon the kingdom. No one knew where it came from or what caused it, and His Majesty sent word far and wide in search for an answer. One day, a young girl sought an audience with the King, c...

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“The Mystery of the April Fools' Benefactor” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #87

The flowers were placed carefully on the step so that when the door was opened, the house's occupant would see them, yet the breeze caused by the door's movement wouldn't knock them off the step. Several houses in the neighborhood had flowers placed on their steps just like this one. Others had other items such as toy trucks, a baseball bat and ball, a mitt, a jump rope, a box of sugar-free chocolates, a case of Old Style beer, and maybe even a potted orchid. No one knew who placed these items on the steps, but everyone knew every April Fool...

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“What a Fool” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #87

What a FoolJosie stood in her yard, looking at her handiwork. Today was March 31st and tomorrow will be April 1st. The first day of April is the day immature people play tricks and jokes on other people and this year Josie was determined not to be pranked. She tested the electric fence she had put around her yard to make sure it was hot. The meter read full strength. Good, any fool would avoid that.Satisfied that her perimeter was now safe, Josie went into her house. She locked the front door and began checking her windows. Those were locked...

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“Back To The Woods” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #86

 Edgar stepped out of his cottage and headed towards the town bridge. He looked all around before crossing the stone bridge, then disappeared into the forest on the other side of the river. It was spring and Edgar's village had just endured an unusually harsh winter. Food had been scarce and some villagers didn't survive. Edgar wanted to see how his woodland friends fared during the winter. He arrived at a large, hollowed-out tree. He looked up into its dead branches, hoping to see something. Seeing nothing, Edgar turned to leave. “...

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“Springtime in the Country” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #86

Jon was annoyed. He looked at Jen and pointed. “There it is, the first sign of Spring, a ladybug on the wall.” Well, in reality, it was an Asian Beetle, not a ladybug, but they were climbing out of hibernation and out of the woodwork. Jen sighed. “I'll go grab the bug vac and get started. If I don't get them now, they will be all over the place.” She left the kitchen and went to the closet where she stored the portable vacuum cleaner designated for such use. Those beetles stank like burnt peanut butter and Jen preferred not to contaminate ...

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“A Funeral in Paris” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #85

Charles got off the plane and walked slowly through the Jetway to the terminal. There he was directed to customs. He stood in line patiently as the customs officers questioned, checked, and approved each visitor. When it was Charles's turn, he handed the man behind the counter his passport and waited.“What is the purpose of your trip?” the kind young man asked in English with a slight French accent.Charles sighed deeply. “To bury my wife,” he replied.The customs official looked up from the paperwork. “I am sorry for your loss,” he said respe...

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“Leaving Paradise” by Ruth Smith

Amanda lived on an island in the South Pacific all of her life. It was nice there, always sunny, always 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and it only rained at night. To most people, it would be Paradise. Yet, to Amanda, it was dull, boring, and tiresome. Amanda longed to be on the Mainland. She had read stories of such places as London England (also an island but lots more people and things to do), Paris France, New York USA. When Amanda turned 18 she decided to follow her dreams. Amanda turned 18 in 2020. She graduated from high school and applied ...

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“Toast” by Ruth Smith

Submitted to Contest #82

Toast She was so excited when she brought it home, Reba, the Smart Toaster. The appliance can be programmed to start toasting at any time you wanted and have the toast done by whatever time you needed. It also can be programmed with a smartphone. All that is needed is to load a loaf of bread into the compartment, record what time the toast should be done, and the machine does all the rest. It's perfect for helping make breakfast for the family in the morning. Marsha opened the box and looked at her new purchase. Reba was her favorite col...

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