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Shannon Ruane

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2021

Stories (17)

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297 Followers

1107 Following

17 Stories

833 karma pts

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Androids Don't Like Photos

Submitted to Contest #104

Androids Don't Like Photos. Dr. Jacob Houghman panicked for a few moments, briefly unable to find his smartphone. He needed to place several important phone calls. "Are you coming tonight?" he asked each person and was relieved when they all said they would. He wanted everything perfect for this party. Presenting himself as an exclusive society member was not his reason; he simply wanted to make his wife happy.  Jacob continued rushing around their gigantic island home, swiftly checking each task on his list off as completed. He ...

76 likes

Look and Leave Your Past Behind You.

Submitted to Contest #97

tw: abuse Look and Leave Your Past Behind You.   Andrea tossed and turned until she realized sleep was pointless. 'Recharging her batteries' each night became increasingly difficult as time moved forward.     Unlike individuals who choose substance abuse, physical self-harm and/or develop bizarre habits for 'coping' with a loss, Andrea developed a deceptively harmless habit... looking out the window of her bedroom when she could not sleep. She swiftly pushed the curtains aside, pulled up the blinds and finally opened the...

61 likes

Who Needs Romance When You Have True Love Surrounding You?

Submitted to Contest #95

Who Needs Romance When You Have True Love Surrounding You?Tree Town was not awoken by the lovely chirping of birds; instead a cacophony of ringtones and an additional, terrifying sound roused the town resident's from their peaceful slumber. “What the heck! Auntie Jane, am I seeing police...HERE,” shouted a dumbstruck Emma! Frozen in place, Emma glanced at her twin sister Charlotte. Did Charlotte feel as disturbed as she did over seeing a police car in person? Although they lived on Lush Island, an extremely isolated beach within walking...

55 likes

The Truth Hurts.

Submitted to Contest #92

The Truth Hurts.As her husband Jacob opened the door for her, Rosalina climbed into their convertible. Leaving the hospital was frightening; the atypical rumbling noise from the car which barely started sounded like thunder hitting the couple. With no parking spaces near the entrance, the couple found parking spaces on the top deck. Out of order elevators forced the couple to run down/back up so they arrived for their appointment promptly. Traffic was significantly different in New Bark City compared with the traffic of Tree Town.Fatigue too...

54 likes

Phones Off... Or Else.

Submitted to Contest #91

Phones Off...Or Else. Marching towards Mia and Jane, the town librarian was infuriated. Mr. Novelson generally overreacted regarding 'appropriate behavior' within the walls of his family's building. Silence is the most important rule of several library rules. Occasionally, he did have a point; chaos can be caused by noise.  One Mid-October afternoon, Mia's phone rang on the loudest setting. The ridiculous ringtone played throughout the small library. Young and old, all visitors became too distracted by the strangely catchy tune to...

45 likes

A Journey to the Past.

Submitted to Contest #90

A Journey to the Past.While she loaded her final box of belongings onto the Tourist Railway train, Andrea could not determine whether her actions were selfish. Many people probably would consider booking two cabins on the most frequently used train during the beginning of summer a significant inconvenience. The train station was renamed 'Tourist Railway' because of the usage rates. Packed with people ready for fantastic adventures, they often brought little or no luggage. Any part of year the train was crowded. Frequently, there were moments...

37 likes

Goodbye Mother.

Submitted to Contest #89

Goodbye Mother. Sitting in the middle of her two best friends, Jane and Mia, Andrea was preparing for additional suffering. Andrea would be speaking before her entire community. As each friend grabbed one of her hands, the silence of the Bright City Church was deadly; her mother was too. Although academically gifted, Andrea's public speaking abilities were dreadful. However, today was unlike school. Choosing the wrong way explain a topic would simply result in poor grades at school. How Andrea presented her mother's life with her eul...

39 likes

Making the Right Choice.

Making the Right Choice. There are 'only two things in life all people will inevitably experience; death and taxes.' As Andrea checked the family bank account, she noticed the increasing cost of her children's medical expenses and was horrified. The 'tax demon' was always an uninvited guest which people begrudgingly accepted into their homes. Tax's companion from Hell was never invited, shoving himself into the lives of many, snatching them knowing he would suffer no punishment from a mortal.Snapping Andrea back into reality was the eve...

28 likes

A Regenerating Dream.

Submitted to Contest #86

A Regenerating Dream.Picked up by her mother, young Andrea was placed onto her mattress. Bedtime was never easy for Andrea, who whined endlessly each night. Sitting up with her arms and legs crossed, she moaned “mom, why do I need to sleep? I'm an android!”The phrase 'recharging your batteries' was not intended to be taken literally; however, it was accurate regarding Andrea. Hidden under her left thigh was a small door with a battery. Impossible to remove, the battery was what kept Andrea alive. If she spent too long 'uncharged' she would i...

32 likes

You Choose Your Own Adventure.

Submitted to Contest #86

You Choose Your Own Adventure. As you did every week, you visited the library. The worn brick building was gigantic, occupying the entire corner of the street. Normally a quick and pleasant stroll from your house, today you ran faster than lightening to reach your destination. You may get struck by lightening if you dawdled. Drowning in a flood if you did not hurry was a legitimate concern. Such a fate had befallen other uninformed people previously. Saturday arrived, bringing bad news. As you opened the curtains of your bedroom, antic...

31 likes

Is Life Full of Roses or Jade?

Submitted to Contest #85

Is Life Full of Roses or Jade?Mr. and Mrs. Johnson recently lost their daughter. Fortunately, death was not the cause. Rather, marriage led her away from home. Loading the last of her gigantic, unorganized boxes into the moving truck they turned all turned away from each other. With nothing left to say, the newlyweds Anna and Mark slowly walked to his car. The cheap car's roar did not distract Anna's parents enough to look back. The new Mr. and Mrs. Smith could walk all the way to Washington, D.C. for all they cared. Actually, they cared mor...

29 likes

A Trio Under Lockdown.

Submitted to Contest #84

A Trio Under Lockdown.The Jones County Jail delivered a new set of convicts from various psychiatric institutions and prisons. Overcrowding in those locations resulted in many who should have remained where they were coming to the prison. The quiet that came from the County Jail prisoners was partially due to the short sentences. Hope that life could return to normal combined with the knowledge that being disobedient could extend sentences made all the difference. Bringing people from other places who have been convicted for life sentences, ...

31 likes

Safer Inside

Submitted to Contest #84

Safer Inside.Under the cover of night, Kiki quickly raided her closet until she found her favorite black athletic wear. A flashlight designed to be strapped to the wrist rather than held was just another favorite work out accessory. “Oh no! Where's my mask,” she initially panicked feeling around in the dark. “Thank goodness, I thought I lost you dear pal.” Considering her health mask a 'pal' was just another sign life was turning for the worst. Kiki was not going to rob a bank, instead she was going out for another late-night jog.She locked ...

30 likes

Mistakes at the Movies

Submitted to Contest #83

Mistakes at the Movies. Taking a deep breath, Dr. Rosalina James looked upon her creation. It was beautiful. Not 'it' but rather 'she' was beautiful. A little girl named Andrea, currently had the same fiery red hair, emerald green eyes and slightly pale skin that her mother also bore. Although red-heads often stood out from the crowd, bearing a resemblance to one's parents is natural. Thus, little Andrea was able to blend in with the people around her. If she learned she simply did not care for her appearance, or had a sudden need for a ch...

23 likes

Bright Futures at Sea

Submitted to Contest #83

Bright Futures at Sea.Under the cover of night, Andrea Houghman finally finished her nightly ocean swim. As she arose from the Lush Island sea she reminded herself that this was not just any night. It was her late mother's birthday, and on the beach and in the sea were some of her fondest memories of time spent with her mother. As she did every year since her return to Lush Island, she took a late night swim to honor her mother. Swimming was her mother's favorite pastime, so living in an oceanfront home must have been a dream come true.&nbs...

23 likes