Victoria Lucas

“In Bloom” by Victoria Lucas

My sister moved to the moon when I was six. When I turned eighteen, I followed her there. That’s when everything was still new and exciting. Now there’s more people than there are jobs. We downgraded to a single sleeper pod and slept in shifts. It didn’t take long for that to be unsustainable. We weren’t living, we were barely surviving. I just wanted to feel alive again.  When Tam told me she could get us work with her uncle harvesting Blue I didn’t hesitate. I couldn’t watch any more ads just to get a few extra dollars for dinner. I...

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“The Little Things” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #170

I didn’t want to go out tonight, but Marla said she thought it might be good for me. It's hard to argue with that logic, I haven’t really gotten out much since Owen passed. What’s good for you is rarely what’s easy. Losing him really knocked the wind out of my sails. I never thought I’d be a widow and social recluse at the age of twenty-two, but here I am; a hermit in my prime. It’s funny how things work out sometimes. What’s that old saying? “Man plans, and God laughs.” It was just a small get together at Marla’s house, but anxiety rar...

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“Forever Yours” by Victoria Lucas

I slept in your hoodie again last night, the red one with the holes in the sleeves. I know it was your favorite. It's my favorite too. It's so worn out that I'm afraid one day, instead of ripping, it will just turn to a pile of dust. I hope that day never comes because I can't seem to sleep without it anymore. It makes me feel close to you. I still can't believe that your mom wasn't going to let me keep it. She never did like me for some reason. I haven't washed this old thing since the last time you wore it. It still smells like you; like y...

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“The Hunger” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #100

I do not know how long it takes for a person to perish under the conditions that we found ourselves in that winter, but I would guess that we were not far from meeting our maker. It was a mistake to try and cross those lands so late in the year. I know that now. I should have known it then. Only fools would have done what we did. Can you imagine being so sure of something that you would bet your life on it?   We weren’t any more than eighty miles from our destination before the snow began to fall. Winter had found us and with it came de...

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“The Body” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #99

The summer that I turned eleven years old some friends of mine found a dead body. It was floatin around in a little creek not too far from my house. After Danny and Ray found it they asked me if I wanted to take a look see before they went and told anyone else about it, but the news of the discovery alone was enough to turn my stomach six shades of sour. “You sure you don’t wanna go?” Danny asked. “Ain’t that far from here.” “I think it might be that Peters girl they been talkin bout on the radio.” Ray added. “They was thinkin she don...

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“A Girl Walks in the Woods” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #86

Once upon a time there was a little girl With great big eyes and bright red curls She lived in a village near the whispering wood And her family was poor but they did what they could At a very young age she learned to hunt for her food And her weapon of choice was a bow that was crude Her mother had warned of the dangerous woods And not to go hunting where no man should Her mother told stories of vicious man eating beasts But the little girl’s belly cried out for meat So she picked up her bow and her little red cape And headed towards dange...

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“The Automatic Writer” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #82

Things were a lot easier before they started slapping a personality on every fancy doodad and thingamajig with a circuit board. When SmartTalk appliances were first introduced to the public they were marketed as “a fun and innovative way to liven up the home”. I don’t know about fun, but they definitely have a way of keeping you on your toes. My vacuum cleaner has the most judgmental attitude that has ever graced the planet and the other day my toaster experienced what can only be described as an existential break down. It locked itself in t...

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“Battleground Earth” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #80

With two minutes left in the round I was smashing through what had to have been my best game of ‘Battleground Earth’ yet when the breaking news bulletin flashed across the headset in a seizure inducing kaleidoscope of insanity. Ripping the VR goggles from my face I did everything I could to prevent myself from ralphing up Kraft dinner all over my mom’s brand new braided rug. It really tied the room together. Finally regaining my balance I slammed on the teleset and watched as the horror brandished across the screen. Fire rained down from the...

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“The Dusty Trail” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #79

I never wanted to head west. I would like that to be known. That grand idea came half-cocked from that husband of mine. He never was a smart one. If I had a penny for every feather headed thing that man has done I would venture to guess that I could give even the richest of men a run for their money. I had made a great protest of the sudden uprooting, but I was informed that I had a woman’s mind and it was no mind for business. Not that my words ever carried weight in any situation, business or not. When Harry got it in his head to do someth...

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“Just Like Gran Used To Make” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #71

I grew up telling people that my gran was the greatest baker in the world. Sugar and spice seemed to bend to her will and everything that she made was nothing short of a miracle. I don’t think it was in her to make something that didn’t taste good. I was convinced that she could boil an old shoe and somehow make it a palatable experience. Her apple pie could bring a tear to your eye and her Sunday supper biscuits were something so divine that they gave birth to a whole new religion that I heard is still practiced to this day in a small town ...

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