Valerie Preston

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2020

Stories (123)

123 Stories

2183 karma pts

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“Money Isn't Everything But It Does Help” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #159

He sat on the wooden stoop eating his jam sandwich. Opening up the two pieces of bread he inspected the inside, sighed loudly and put them back together again. “I can’t eat another jam sandwich” He said aloud “I might splurge this week and buy some ham!”. John opened up his thermos and drank a gulp of tea. It warmed him. And then he looked around at the hall he had been cleaning. The jarrah floor boards were now free from dirt, grease, beer and anything else that had been slopped on it since last week when he cleaned it. “Oh well it’s a job ...

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“I Need to Change - a Lot” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #158

I used to be a horrible person and not that long ago. I’ve been trying so hard to change. I know it’s only been two weeks that I’ve been trying to mend my ways but it’s very difficult when you haven’t been nice for such a long time. The main reason for me wanting to change is quite simple really. I’m lonely. Horrible people aren’t likeable. I know that first hand because my dad was and is horrible too. That’s why mum left him when I was a kid. “I’m off” she yelled one night. It probably wasn’t any louder than she usually shouted but it had ...

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“I Want What You've Got” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #157

She was grateful that someone had stopped to see if she was alright. It was a dark and lonely road. If Anthony hadn’t said what he did at the cocktail party then she wouldn’t have stormed off, taking the car and not knowing  how to get home from the country club. Whenever they went out together at night time he always drove. She never thought to look around and take in the surroundings. “I think it’s your battery” the other woman said to her “It’s happened to me before”. “Oh dear” she said anxiously “What should I do?” “Do you want t...

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“We Feel Things Too You Know” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #150

“And he even washes the floor for me, AND I do believe the cat and dog” she gushed to her circle of friends, their pouting mouths ‘oohing’ and ‘aahhing’ about the latest edition to the family. “And guess what? It’s got a name! She continued looking at her amazed friends faces, adding “I will give a bottle of red to the person who guesses its name”. Meanwhile down on the floor the piece of equipment responsible for picking up all the dust and dog hair, the cat’s fur balls and the children’s hair clips and sweetie wrappers sat listening to a b...

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“Different Is Good” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #149

I’d missed the last bus home from the club. I saw him in the park. It was very dark and frankly I felt a little scared. One minute the person was not that far away and the next whoever it was seemed to disappear. It was as if they felt me watching so scurried off – they were carrying something too. The only weapon I had to protect myself, if needed was my saxophone. Housed in its black case I gripped the handle tightly. I felt very protective towards this sax, because number one I needed it for my club nights and number two, it had co...

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“Demoliotin Doesn't Erase Memories” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #148

The noise was deafening. Dust rose into the air, huge clouds as if suspended by invisible string, gradually dispersing high above the trees and houses dotted sparsely along the road. The area was cordoned off with steel mesh fences but you could still peer through the gaps - enough to see what was going on. She had parked her car across the other side of the road to watch the building being taken apart by the demolition crew. She knew it would take more than a day to tear down the monstrosity – fifteen stories to be exact. Workmen in fluore...

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“It's All Fake” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #147

‘Now this is the kind of place I want’ she said to herself eyeing the modern two story house like a green eyed monster. ‘Look at the finish on it – it’s perfect. I love the shutters on the front windows. The immaculate garden with those large ornate pots on the wide veranda - just to die for! I could sit here all day’. Then she looked at her watch and realised that she couldn’t sit here for a minute longer or she would be late back to work, and an important meeting. “Where did you go to eat your lunch?” Jessie was asked by her friend – one ...

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“I Changed My Look and It Changed My Life” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #145

I always wanted to be different to who I was, to dress wildly, ‘out there’ attracting attention. But unfortunately when you’re born into the family I was then that’s not possible. My family are rich – well that is an under-statement to be honest – they are super rich. When your father owns a bank which before him his father owned and passed down, then money is no object. I lived in a luxurious house with my mother and father and one sibling. We had daily help, a gardened, pool attendant and numerous other ‘helpers’. It was insane really. My ...

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“Clouds Tell the Best Stories” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #143

White and Fluffy, Big and Puffy, Like Cottonwool. They look so full. On my back I lay, On a sunny day, Come back I cry As the clouds float by. “What was that?” he asked half laughing. “I wrote that when I was in Grade three and recited it at the school assembly”. “Any you still remember it?” he asked quite surprised. “I remember you doing that” said Julie my best friend “You always were good at writing and storytelling too.  And I was hopeless!” There were four of us lying in a field on the soft grass. It was a warm summer’s day, and ju...

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“Constructive Criticism” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #141

“I remember when I was your age I had to make the dinner and not complain about it”. “I bet you didn’t make the dinner when you were nine Grandma” said Johnathon disbelievingly. “Johnathon I did” said his Grandma, thinking back to when at his age she was capable of cooking dinner for the family while this boy in front of her had trouble toasting a piece of bread! “Gran, do you think I am useless?” he asked her lying on the couch. “No of course not. You just haven’t been taught how to do things. It was different in my day because I had to do ...

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“Time For A Change” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #139

She couldn’t make up her mind as to what to do with them. It had been long enough since the death of her beloved husband for her to feel strong enough to sort out a few things and move on. Of course he was the love of her life and they had many years together but she couldn’t be sad any longer – it was time to find new things to do, grow and flourish….’goodness only knows how much time I have left on this earth’. June had decided to sort out the attic once and for all. Bill had been gone for a year now and she had felt for a few weeks that...

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“From Darkness To Light Again” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #138

“I know she has to go but I don’t want her to” she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “Here” he said quietly thrusting a couple of tissues towards her, “dry your eyes”. She took the bundle of soft white paper, dried her eyes and blew her nose. She could hardly breathe. “You know we’re on the same page with this” he told her taking hold of her hand and looking deep into her eyes. ‘Yes I know. It’s just the guilt I feel. When I look back to when Rachel first changed I should have known. I just should have. I blame myself” she snif...

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“Never Judge a Book” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #137

There is always someone who gets picked on in life. When I was at school it was Jeremy Longbottom. He was a mountain of a guy, ginger hair and freckles. His teeth stuck out way beyond his lip and consequently he couldn’t pronounce his ‘L’s so if you asked him to say ‘lovely lollies’ he would end up saying ‘wovely wallies’…much to the amusement of all the kids gathered around, who found it extremely funny no matter how many times we made him say it. We were all so unfair to him. But we were just all kids. Jeremy Longbottom had another proble...

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“Give It One Last Try” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #136

My admiration for my gran only grew as I got older. She was known in the family as a tough old boot, a lovable character who called a spade a spade, but would help anyone who needed it. She grew up in England, in the country, one of nine children. Her mother was a seamstress and her father a labourer. Even when Gran’s dad went off to war, Gran’s mum still worked when she could. Of course her services weren’t needed as much as before the war, but there were some of the aristocracy needing the neat and immaculate sewing she did as they were s...

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“The Super Scare was Just What I Needed” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #135

I wanted to be brave, with the thought of danger, being just that, a mere thought but I was just the opposite.  I was brave in events that didn’t involve heights, ledges, confined spaces, strangers, crowds and anything new I had to start. I was brave about spiders too. What actually is ‘being brave? There are the people who have to be brave for a living, firemen, policemen (and women), soldiers and sometimes teachers too; when I was at high school you had to be really tough to work at the school I went to! New teachers soon le...

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