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Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2021
Submitted to Contest #302
I’ve always had the gift of the gab—able to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere, as long as it was in English.Before arriving in China, I hadn’t seriously considered the possibility of a language barrier. I assumed everyone spoke at least a little English and that I, brimming with confidence, could talk my way around the world—until China defeated me.In Malaysia, I worked at a zoo placement arranged by an English charity. My supervisor spoke English, taxi drivers could hold their own, and the glossy malls were a breeze. I even befriended Awan...
Submitted to Contest #299
Mild, comic reference to sex. It all began with a suspicious little limp in my right leg — the kind that whispers, ‘Hello, ageing’. In 2016, newly retired and full of misplaced confidence, I landed in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand — a new country, a new city, a new culture, and a new currency that, thanks to my hopeless numeracy, made every purchase feel like spinning a roulette wheel. Exploring new surroundings on foot has never seemed a problem. Initially, I walked everywhere, rarely bothering to learn any of the foreign names of the roads...
Submitted to Contest #298
The Sloth Sanctuary Social Club Neil, Natty’s husband, left her for a much younger woman, and at the time, she failed to recognise what a colossal favour he had done her. Lonely and distressed, Natty left the city that had been her marital home and moved to London. Despite still spending her working days in a mundane office job, she began to be offered life opportunities beyond her wildest dreams. As part of a new marketing initiative at her finance company, she applied to represent it in Borneo, working alongside a well-known animal chari...
Submitted to Contest #295
"Passengers of the Underground" She awoke in a panic and, raising herself from the bed, noticed how much she was sweating. “Phew, that was a strange dream,” she told herself, willing her heartbeat to calm down. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded softly on her bare feet across her flat towards the window. She began to understand what had woken her as she identified muffled shouting, car alarms blaring, and distant sirens, and as she looked out, she was amazed to see so many people out and about in the dark. It took Irene...
Submitted to Contest #293
I remember taking a long-distance plane journey to Sydney. My memory tells me instantly that it was a considerable time ago because I had purposefully chosen a window seat. Nowadays, as an older woman, I always choose an aisle seat for easier access to the needs of a senior. I was the first to claim my allocated seat in the three-seater row of the Korean aircraft. I admired the lovely uniforms of the staff, cheerfully noted the individual viewing screens on the seat backs, and soon stretched my feet out in front of me and wiggled my body fur...
Submitted to Contest #276
Sam had just received an email from Amy, the daughter of a recently deceased friend. Sam had never met the daughter and, frankly, was unlikely to. In the email, Amy, recently reaching her 50th year, wrote to tell Sam about rejoining the dating scene. After exchanging a dozen emails with Amy about the single life, she finally admitted that, at 70, finding romance wasn’t exactly on her agenda… or so she’d thought. Quite honestly, looking at the average 70-year-old male didn’t appeal. Not only was it unlikely that the experience ...
Submitted to Contest #274
Luna lived in a small, impoverished village with her mother and sister, Aurora. Her mother had spent years preparing Luna for marriage, the only viable means for a woman to secure food and shelter. After Luna's father abandoned them, they struggled to get food for the three of them, and things were destined to worsen. Luna's mother began to urge her to marry before their situation grew even more desperate. Luna had only met her father briefly. He was a well-known drunk, layabout and womaniser. He had finally deserted his dependent ...
Submitted to Contest #271
Maya left the office and began her journey home. She was a reasonably attractive woman in her 30s, and life appeared to be good. She was based in a large corporate office, working a regular, well-paid admin job, surrounded by many young, fun, apparently “like-minded” work colleagues. Strange how she constantly felt disconnected from life. By the end of the day, her whole jawline ached, where she had been clenching her teeth due to multiple self-induced anxiety-ridden moments. As she left the office that evenin...
Submitted to Contest #268
Dolly was one of life’s moaners, although coming from a well-to-do family that was semi-famous. Despite living in a large, comfortable home and being sent to good schools and colleges, she had grown into a lazy bully of a girl. She felt she deserved very high regard from all and to be admired for whatever she turned her hands to. Without a doubt, all men should be mesmerised by her face, which had regularly been under the surgeon's knife, as well as her liposuctioned waist and thighs that were expected to be lusted after by al...
Submitted to Contest #266
The RetireeShe had thoroughly enjoyed herself as an English teacher. Not only did she find the job satisfying, but she also seemed to have a host of acquaintances. She felt she had all she could want. A decent job, a good salary, many social opportunities, and an all-round appreciation of life. Just as she felt that life couldn’t improve, she was called into the Head’s Office and told she must retire. She knew she was of retirement age, but she thought she was indispensable, and they surely would never ask her to go....
Submitted to Contest #265
Heathrow, London, 2009. I still vividly remember how stressed and exhausted I was while waiting in the airport departure lounge that April day. Fear of the unknown consumed me, and any positive thoughts towards my travel adventure had long evaporated. I forced my breathing to become calmer as I tried to sit quietly and wait for the boarding call for the Beijing flight. I was no stranger to this departure lounge at Heathrow. Two years earlier, I had been here preparing to fly out to commence my senior gap year in Borneo. I vo...
Submitted to Contest #256
An Affair of Olympic Proportions In the summer of 2012, Britain buzzed with Olympic fever. Tourists thronged the streets, eager to witness the world's top athletes. Even Nicky, usually indifferent to sports, felt a thrill as she navigated the crowded pavements. All of the UK had outdone itself; even the sun had decided to shine and cast a golden hue over much of the country. Nicky, an attractive 30-year-old woman, squeezed through the large crowds, soaking in the excitement of London, her home City, hosting such a huge event. Nic...
Submitted to Contest #251
Jasmine slammed her laptop shut, the blank screen mocking her. She drained the last of her latte, its bitterness mirroring her frustration. Writing had always been her refuge, especially in retirement, but today, words eluded her like a cruel joke. Deciding a change of scenery might help, she left Lemon Drop Café and stepped into the unusually quiet main street.Turning a corner, she noticed a narrow, cobblestone lane she'd never seen before. Curiosity piqued, she ventured down the lane, her footsteps echoing softly on the smooth cobblestones...
Submitted to Contest #249
The ReservoirMargaret began to feel fear rising in her throat as she drove in the dark. Where the hell was she? “Oh my god, what’s that?” she thought. Peering over the driving wheel, she realised it was a vast body of water that had appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Her car’s main beam caught sight of a small country lane to her right and, turning the car wheel, began to ascend rapidly. As she neared the summit, putting her foot on the brake, she scrabbled around on the passenger seat and located the discarded map. L...
Submitted to Contest #247
Before World War II, life was relatively simple for Lorraine. As a woman, she was expected to find a man who could keep her to a standard deemed appropriate by her parents. The ‘happy couple’ would marry and, due to limited available contraception, almost immediately start a family. It was rare for women to still work after marriage. Instead, now that she was married, her full-time job was as a housekeeper, a wife, and, in a reasonably short time, a mother.Feeling that she understood her new role in life, she was surprised that everything co...
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