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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2021
IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU … I was so excited. It was perfect! Let me back up a bit. I refurbish unloved furniture. Usually its hand-me-downs, or inexpensive pieces found on Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes, like today, the pieces are what I like to refer to as orphan pieces — pieces I find on the curb on garbage day, or at the side of the road. Today’...
CHILL, DUDE! The last day of classes. Exams are the only things between the students and summer. This is a senior class, so most of the kids have summer jobs, and the majority are headed off to university or college. There are a few who are heading right into the world of work or an apprenticeship, and a few who are coming back in September because they don’t have enough ...
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK I know I’m different from all the people living in my pod. Maybe even in the enclave, or the entire territory, for all I know. And I have realized it for a few days now. I’m just not sure what to do about it. It started on Monday. Or it could have been going on a bit longer and I just didn’t realize there was a problem. Who knows?...
LISTEN TO ME The first time it happened, I didn’t pay attention. I’ve learned, since then, that’s not a good idea. I was maybe nine years old, walking home from the bus, thinking about a project that I had to work on for school the next day. I was alone because my stop was the last stop on the route, and Henry Bonners (pronounced Baw-ners, not Boners, lik...
WE CAN REBUILD THEM, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY “Ya know, Jamie, I’m not sure that this is right the job for you.” Steve looked at Jamie, the love of his life, and waited for her acquiescence. Like she usually did. After all, he was Steve Austin, astronaut, test pilot, secret agent, bionic man. Jamie looked at him, the smile gone from her lips. <...
I’M SUCH AN IDIOM The meeting had just ended, but Charlie and Jun were still sitting at the conference table, looking like someone had stolen their puppy. In a way, someone had. “Well, this sucks,” said Charles. Jun, who’s first language was not English, understood “suck.” It was a very common and versatile word in the English language.
LEAVING ON AN JET PLANE “Come on, come on, come on!” I said out loud, pacing back and forth across the porch. My best friend Daja had insisted on driving me to the airport, and she was now very late. I needed to be at the airport two hours before the flight, and the airport was a solid fifty minutes away. We should have been on the road forty minutes ago....
SHE SHOULD HAVE STAYED LOST “Hello, YoYo.” I had my back turned away from the front door, and was facing the shelves behind the front counter, restocking product. I stopped cold. I had not heard that nickname in a long, long time. Not during this century at least. In fact, I hadn’t heard that nickname since the early nineties — a time when I was a complet...
THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER … I looked around. This was my chance at freedom. I was tired of the same thing day-in and day-out. The same food, the same activities, the endless time spent going around in circles. Now was my opportunity to switch up my whole life; to explore the outside world. I was ready. I knew that there was more out there, and now the universe had smile...
SPEAK NOW “Speak now …” I looked at my soon — very soon — to be husband. He was smiling at me. Not even worried. He looked so sure of himself, so confident. Like the day we met … ***** “Hey.” I turned and saw a tall guy looking at me. Was he looking at me? I literally did that thing wher...
WHY? “Brother Charles, there are two people to see you.” Brother Charles looked up from the work he had been doing at his desk, at Abbot James, surprise writ large on his face. “Me?” he questioned. He was sure that he didn’t know what this could be about. He rarely had visitors, and anyone wanting to see him called and made an appointment...
A LEOPARD AND ITS SPOTS “So, what’s the catch?” I looked across the table at Anna, my best friend. “I can’t believe that you and Kevin are inviting me to dinner at Chez Chic just because you like me. Why so fancy?” “Weeellll,” said Anna, “Kevin’s friend from university, Colin, is in town, and Kevin thought that maybe yo...
KITTENS IN THEBES The two kittens stayed close to the wall, edging their way closer to the door. The door should have been closed, but it wasn’t, so the kittens saw their chance for escape. When the human standing at the door turned away, they made their move, dashing for freedom. But the human caught movement in the corner of his eye. “Hey! Stop!”
CAT CHAT — WHAT?“Catastrophe. Catatonic. Cataclysmic.” “What?” asked Tallulah.“Catty. Caterwaul. Catapult. Catcall.”“Fine. What’s your point?”“Well,” said Luna. “I’m just reminding you that cat is the prefix for all these words. That should give you a hint at what to expect with a cat as a pet. These are not words with great outcomes,” said Luna. “And we se...
BOOKS CAN’T DO THAT! “Ashley, go clean your room.” “Argh! I hate cleaning my room!” Ashley stomped into her room. Her mother was always telling her to clean up her bedroom. She liked her room exactly the way it was — messy. But, according to her mommy, her room was a disaster zone. Just because she was a kid her mom figured that she could...
Love reading. Trying to be a better writer. Meshing both through Reedsy.
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