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Barbara Nosek

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

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22 Stories

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The Heart Always Knows

Weekly Contest #354

The Heart Always Knows My best friend Lorelei and I are both writers, for me lifestyle features for a city magazine, for her freelance stories for many outlets. We always have so much to talk about, but for this get-together at Katie’s Corner Pub I have something entirely different to tell her. “Well I got some news today, actually in the form of an invitation,” I say as we slide into our usual booth. “My little friend Tanya back home in California has just gotten married. She’s you may recall the sister of my high school sweetheart Bradley ...

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Never too Old . . . For?

Weekly Contest #339

CW: Themes related to sex work.. . . then takes a closer look. Oh no! Oh no no no!” * * * Jeremy is thinking this is one of the very best ways to spend a Saturday morning as his mom drives him to Grammie’s house for one of their “baking parties.” Even at just ten years old, he already knows he absolutely wants to become a pastry chef. Whenever his beloved grandmother suggested a baking day for the two of them, Jeremy could barely think of anything else until then. And now even more than ever since Grammie’s beautiful new home had come with a...

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Oh, Oh, Guess What Popped Up {and what didn’t}

Weekly Contest #319

Mild swearing, implied sexual content Everybody wanted toast this morning! I am worn out. Love these guys a lot really but, geez, my insides are still burning. Plus, Jason was so rambunctious about getting his English muffin out when it didn’t pop up he actually knocked me over. Wish I could see if I have a dent now. I do feel a bit bruised. And worst, nobody had time to clean my tray. How would you like to go all day with crumbs on your bottom??? At least now I can rest, hopefully till tomorrow morning. Nobody with bright ideas about eggs ...

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Make Your Own Rules

Weekly Contest #313

{Language, implied sexual violence} “Alex, I'm so worried about this. You could be the one who ends up getting hurt.” “Yes, I know, but I have to do this. We just have to hope the plan on paper holds true for the plan in action.” I'm glad she can't see how hard I'm gripping the phone. “Believe me, I’ll be hoping that with all my heart until this mission is over.” "Just take care of yourself, Chrissy, so you can come home tomorrow." * * * Born and raised in this city, and yet in all my 26 years I’d never set foot in this part of town. Even l...

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Damn You Chicken Little

Weekly Contest #308

{Author note: the childhood dreams in the first part of this story are true, and then to a great extent the technology in the second part actually exists, some of it personally experienced} Oh! My heart is thumping so hard I’m afraid it may leap from my chest. This is the very thing I dreamed about when I was little Katie Jo. What I had never imagined in the waking state was that some day it could actually exist. From the time I was around five till probably nine, I had a recurring dream, always so vivid and still in full force upon waking, ...

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THE LINE

Weekly Contest #297

Oblique reference to sex and language *** I don’t know which sense is responsible but somehow we can just tell when someone is staring at us and that’s even when, as in this case, it’s coming from behind. But then there’s an automatic question - is that stare friendly, appreciative, leering, what? The promise of an answer starts with a polite “Excuse me?” I turn around and come face to face with soulful blue eyes topping off a tall and very handsome man. Wavy black hair, tanned face, and toned physique complete one heck of a picture. “I don’...

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Let's Send This One to An Ancestry Site

Weekly Contest #274

Oblique reference to sexual activityDaddy! Daddy!! Daddy!!!I think I’m breaking the land speed record getting to Teddy’s bedroom, where I find him plastered against the wall, unmoving, seemingly paralyzed with fear. Walking toward him I say, “Son, come here, what’s the matter?”“No!” he screams. “If I move it will attack me!”“What will attack you?”His arm slowly raises and a shaky finger points to the open window. And there on the sill is a small lizard, clearly having squeezed through the narrow space where the screen doesn’t quite fit again...

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Scraps of Light

Weekly Contest #268

Scraps of Light I’ve never had to grapple with a problem of this magnitude in all my 64 years. And I see no way out. Nothing in my experience has prepared me for solving anything like this. Friends, siblings, children, have about as much chance of getting me out of this as does my beautiful Himalayan cat Dulcy. I know they would try if I told them what was threatening to tear my life apart. But I haven’t. The truth is I’m more than a little ashamed of letting myself even get into this awful mess. It’s noon now and the bright sunshine invadin...

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Next!

Weekly Contest #253

I could feel him staring at me from behind. But is the stare friendly, appreciative, leering?The promise of an answer starts with an “Excuse me?” I turn around and come face to face with soulful blue eyes shining forth from a very handsome face. Wavy black hair, tanned face, and toned physique complete a most welcome picture.“I don’t mean to seem forward,” he says, “but I noticed the Big Paul's Resort logo on your jacket and wondered if you’d been there or maybe it was a gift.” Ah geez, add in a deep baritone voice.“...

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You Never Know What Might Pop Up

Weekly Contest #243

Mild swearing, suggestion of adulteryEverybody wanted toast this morning! I am worn out.Love these guys a lot really but, geez, my insides are still burning. Plus, Jason was so rambunctious about getting his English muffin out when it didn’t pop up he actually knocked me over. Wish I could see if I have a dent now. I do feel a bit bruised.And worst, nobody had time to clean my tray. How would you like to go all day with crumbs on your bottom???At least now I can rest, hopefully till tomorrow morning. Nobody with bright ideas about eggs or ch...

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Sometimes You Just Gotta Make Your Own Rules

Weekly Contest #238

Language, plus implied violence, physical abuse and substance abuse“But wouldn’t this be very dangerous if . . .”“Yes, Chrissy, it could go bad, disastrously bad. But I have to do this.”“This is really scary, Alex. I’m going to be so worried about you.”“Well, we just have to hope the plan on paper holds true for the plan in action.”“Believe me, I’ll be hoping that with all my heart until your mission is over.”* * *Born and raised in this city, and yet in all my 43 years I’d never set foot in this part of town. Even law enforcement didn’t wan...

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Scraps of Light

Weekly Contest #232

Suggestions of swear wordsI’ve never had to grapple with a problem of this magnitude in all my 64 years. And I see no way out. Nothing in my experience has prepared me for solving anything like this.Friends, siblings, children, have about as much chance of getting me out of this as does my beautiful Himalayan cat Dulcy. I know they would try if I told them what was threatening to tear my life apart. But I haven’t. The truth is I’m more than a little ashamed of letting myself even get into this awful mess.It’s noon now and the bright sunshine...

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The Heart Always Knows

Weekly Contest #229

My best friend Lorelei and I are both writers, for me food editor of a city magazine, for her contributor of short stories to many outlets. We always have lots of writerly things to share but for this get-together, as always at Pearlie’s Corner Pub, I had something entirely different to tell her.“Well I got some news today, actually in the form of an invitation,” I said as we slid into our usual booth. “My little friend Tanya back home has gotten married. And here I am already married and divorced. "It was just a small ceremony at the courth...

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Tradition's in the eye of the beholder - sometimes along with a little gravy

Weekly Contest #226

Sensitive content - languageTradition's in the eye of the beholder – sometimes along with a bit of gravyWould we have had a chance this year if Rory and Darla hadn’t been invited to our Thanksgiving Day table? We’ll never know. Because the vows we solemnly took last year are now right down the commode, and the mashed potatoes clinging precariously to the wall put quite an exclamation point on our failure.To be clear, every year this holiday gathering in our home sees arguments, confrontations, accusations, and more, fueled no doubt by our tr...

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Never Too Old . . . For?

Weekly Contest #220

{Some reference to drugs}She took a closer look. “Oh no! Oh no, no, no!”***Whenever his beloved grandmother suggested a baking day for the two of them, 10-year-old Jeremy could hardly wait till it was time. He couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning.And he knew his Grammie enjoyed these times together as much as he did. And he also knew they had everything to do with his plans to be a pastry chef when he grew up. When he shared this dream with her she even offered to pay his way through culinary school, though his mom sort...

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