Susan Lynn Zenker

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2021

Stories (7)

7 Stories

118 karma pts

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“The Lighthouse” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #221

 “Hand me my smokes, girl,” demanded the haggard old woman seated in the rocker. She ran her hands up and down opposite arms to warm herself. Her ragged housedress pulled up carelessly over her knees revealed fatty thighs. The room was darkened, its tattered, green drapes drawn though Lilian’s phone showed the time was nearly noon.Lilian took a deep breath. “Where do I find your smokes, Aunt Mad?”“It’s Maude, you dummy. And how would I know? Search!”Lilian studied the stacks of cardboard boxes piled up to the ceiling, which no one had m...

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“The Run-in” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #137

Amanda Billings shuffled to her breakfast nook to fix the morning coffee. She hit the light switch. The side door stood wide open. Her feet froze in place. Her breath caught in her throat. She grabbed a cast iron pan, lifted it, ready to bash any intruder drawing close. “It’s me,” a little voice greeted her. “Come out, Mom! You gotta see.”“You scared me! Why are you outside so early?”Andrew looked through the viewfinder on his new Vtech camera. “The sunrise, look! All pink and yellow sherbet, like Dad always said.” He pressed the shutte...

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“The Condo” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #134

Mason Huxley took Amy Armstrong by the hand and dragged her to his fifth-floor living room picture window. He extended his arms out dramatically toward the shiny, orange device which pointed to something of interest beyond the glass. “Ta-da! May I present my Celestron NexStar 8SE! With an eight-inch aperture and 81 times magnification, isn’t it a beauty? Plus, it’s got a database of 40,000 celestial objects it locates and tracks for you.”“Slick as a pig’s tongue!” Amy exclaimed. “Love it!”“Eighty-one times magnification isn’t all that sharp....

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“Stupid Shy? Bye Bye” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #104

  Most people who get invited into the lap of luxury for a day would be ecstatic. Not me. This whole building is so, so “extra,” it kinda sucks! Blue velvet sofas, Corinthian columns, and ankle-deep carpeting make me feel like my whole town of Miami Shores is downright ghetto. Fidgeting with a frayed edge on my polo shirt, I cower outside the Conference Center Ballroom of the Miami Biltmore Hotel, nearly pissing my pants. With palms sweating and a stomach lurching like it’s dancing Gangnam style, my only thought is to hightail it o...

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“Lemons and Lemonade” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #83

“Maybe booking a wedding on a cruise ship wasn’t all that smart,” said Tilly Roland, shaking her head as she and her fiancé jogged around the stern on the promenade deck. Wind whipped her hair back into her face as they trotted along the starboard side of The Norwegian Joy. “A wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, but what if it isn’t?”“Now, Fufu,” said Niles Aldrich, stopping short in order to place his arm around Tilly’s shoulders and draw her to his chest. “You are taking this worry-wart thing of yours to an extreme. It...

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“Stamp of Disapproval” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #78

         Junior philatelist Davy Santos placed his rare, three-cent George Washington special into a windowed display card in the center of his table. Booth after booth, lined up side by side, filled the Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, home to the annual Sarasota National Stamp Exhibition. Some dealers displayed their wares on folding display boards, some on fancy swiveling racks, many in albums, a few in locked, glass-covered collectors’ boxes. Except for the George Washington special, Davy had a ...

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“Christmas Online” by Susan Lynn Zenker

Submitted to Contest #76

         In response to the prompt: “Write a story told exclusively through dialogue.”          “Okay, everyone. We’re all here,” Amy Armstrong announced. “Thanks for agreeing to try out this platform.”          Grannie Bee said, “Amy, you’re not on a platform, are you? You could fall and have to go to the ER and that would ruin your Christmas, plus you’d have to spend like nine hours waiting for a doctor...

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