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Weekly Contest #155
The monthly book club meeting was always run efficiently when it was Mrs. Cameron’s turn to host, which might have been why the gatherings were small on those evenings. She was a perfectly friendly lady but as a retired English teacher had retained the ability to silence a rowdy class with a glance The discussion never lapsed into gossip or doings of husbands and children under Mrs. Cameron’s supervision but stayed on the topic of the current book. This month they were discussing a psychological thriller which had been on the New York Times ...
Weekly Contest #153
Lisa dropped her bags on the floor and hugged her mother.“Hey, sweetie,” said her mother with a smile. “Ready for summer?”"Finals were brutal and I think I've sprained my brain, but it's good to be done for a while. Wow, your famous chocolate chip cookies! I'm starving."Her mother smiled indulgently as Lisa piled a plate with cookies and grabbed a glass of milk. It wasn't until the plate was empty and she was wiping crumbs off her mouth that Lisa looked properly at her mother.“What’s up, Mom? You look worn out.”Her mother smiled and shrugged...
Weekly Contest #152
“I can see it now,” said old Mrs. Jones. “He’s going to do it again. He’s not sorry. He’s just sorry he got caught.”Sandra and Dave looked round at the television to see what she was talking about. Mrs. Jones was very hard of hearing and the news program was blaring. A pudgy, balding man in an expensive suit and flashy tie was looking contritely at the camera, saying something about asking repentance from the Lord. He was holding the hand of his very pregnant wife who was staring at the ground, her face blank.“Brothers and Sisters, I ha...
Weekly Contest #151
Doris shouted a perfunctory goodbye as as Jim departed for the golf club that evening. She volunteered at an organization which supported victims of domestic violence and had spent the afternoon at the thrift shop, assigned to unpack and sort donations with a bouncy young lady of her daughter’s age. She was ready to sit down and relax.“Hi, I’m Lily,” the new volunteer had said, proffering her hand. “Nice to meet you. Just tell me what to do and I’ll have at it.”Doris had smiled, enjoying Lily’s self-confidence. It was a stark contrast to her...
Weekly Contest #149
Susie shook her little flashlight desperately as it flickered and went out. The battery must have died. Hiding deep under her covers, she had been about to escape to the Shire with Bilbo, her current literary hero. She didn’t dare turn on her bedroom light in case her mother noticed. Her mother had a habit of going outside to look up at Susie’s window to make sure her light was out. If it was on, her mother was liable to barge into the bedroom, followed by Hank who would be trying to calm her down. Depending on her state of intoxication, she...
Weekly Contest #145
Laura and Nikki bounded ahead of me, rhapsodizing about the racks of used clothes. I followed, trying to hide my irritation. Had I not worked like mad for years so that she didn’t have to shop at places like this? Buying brand new clothes had been my dream throughout a childhood of wearing hand-me-downs and thrift shop purchases. Now my would-be fashion designer daughter thinks it’s cool to shop in these places.“Mom, the planet is being overwhelmed by the cheap fashion industry. Think of all those poor women slaving in sweat shops to make th...
Weekly Contest #138
Moira sighed. Her best friend Lena had suddenly decided that a picnic would be a wonderful idea. Moira was dubious, having learned by experience to be wary of Lena’s inspirations.Lena had pleaded. “It’ll be so romantic down by the lake. We need to destress after these exams. Dave’s got a boat.”“Who’s Dave?”“He’s wonderful. We’ve been together for a month now. This could be the start of something beautiful,” said Lena.Moira rolled her eyes. Lena tended to have phases in men and in life. There had been a holistic, vegan period, a time as ...
Shortlisted for Contest #134 ⭐️
It’s my last day of gazing up at the blue sky, spring foliage and blossoms. Instead of a grassy meadow, I am lying on a hard, cold steel table which could belong in a morgue. The only sound is the whirr of the machine. No birdsong or spring breeze here. Every now and then the tech’s disembodied voice reverberates with instructions. Move, don’t move, hold your breath, breathe. She is safely ensconced somewhere out of sight. I picture the malignant cells in my breast as little green cartoon gremlins, squealing and running for cover as the invi...
Weekly Contest #131
As Stella bent down to pick up her glove, a shove from behind almost pitched her headfirst into the soup can display.“Sorry, love, couldn't see where I was pushing the cart,” said a familiar voice. “Are you alright? It’s these darn bifocals. Can’t seem to get the hang of them. Here, let me help you up.”It was Mrs. Jones, the large, shortsighted lady who came to clean Stella's house every week. She reached down and yanked Stella up by the arm with the strength of a stevedore.“Say, did you hear about the old Miller place?”“What?” said Stella, ...
Weekly Contest #130
Betty could have been a millionaire if she’d bet on the first words she would hear every time she returned home from work to the little walk-up apartment she shared with her mother.“What took you so long? You know I’ve been here by myself all day.”Never, “How was your day?”, "How are you feeling?" or, “Are you tired?”Betty had long since given up on responding. She’d hand her mother her cigarettes, and on a Friday, her paycheck, and go into the kitchen to make dinner. The old woman spent her days in the armchair by the window watching the ne...
Weekly Contest #129
Ben pulled on his boots, parka and gloves and headed outside. He paused on the deck to admire the view. Despite the cold, it appealed to him in a perverse way, suiting his mood. The pristine white snow was spread over the mountain like a soft cover, smoothing out the contours of the land. The car was just another mound of snow. The dark figures of trees stretched their slender limbs to the bruised purple sky. The moonlight was almost as bright as day. He headed to the shed behind the chalet where the firewood was stacked. He smiled wryl...
Weekly Contest #128
Lindsay, fumbling for her keys, was almost bowled over when the apartment door opened, and her roommate Jan stormed out and rushed downstairs. She called after Jan who ignored her. She heard the outer door slam downstairs. Entering the living room, she immediately sensed the tension in the atmosphere. Elvis the cat, was cowering behind the television, his favorite hiding place when scared. Laura and Ellie both appeared flustered and angry. “Can anyone tell me what’s going on around here?” Lindsay said, throwing her bookbag down and takin...
Weekly Contest #127
My mother’s voice sounded odd on the phone that evening. We live just round the corner from each other, but she’s good about giving me space and usually doesn’t get upset about anything. Tonight, she sounded worried.“Di, can you come over now?” she said. “It’s Mrs. McPhee. I can’t explain on the phone. Please. It’s urgent.”“Sure,” I said, staring at the phone. This was strange. Mrs. McPhee was my mother’s nosy old neighbor. I assumed it wasn’t a medical emergency or my mother would have called the ambulance“Mom, how can you stand her?” I had...
Weekly Contest #126
I don’t remember how many New Year’s Eves I have plugged my ears as they all shout “Happy New Year!”, blow paper trumpets, and start singing Auld Lang Syne off-key. Perhaps I could celebrate the Persian New Year in March, the Chinese New Year in February or the Jewish New Year in September instead of our New Year. I bet they don’t watch a smarmy celebrity counting down to midnight on the television while waiting for a stupid glass ball to drop at midnight in Times Square on December 31st. I’m a writer, not a party animal. My significant...
Weekly Contest #119
The condemned house crouches on the clifftop, hunkered low against the wind. It is a race between the local authority and the sea to see which will carry out the sentence. The water seethes below like a restless beast, swirling and eddying, worrying at the cliff walls. Chunks have already collapsed, leaving the top jutting out in places like a shelf. Inexorably the edge is inching closer and closer to the house. The local teenagers and tourists ignore the signs warning of danger on the cli...
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