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Catherine Douglas

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2021

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17 Stories

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Fence Post

Weekly Contest #140

(CW: Descriptions of gory injuries and post-traumatic stress.)Austin Tretheway felt like he had aged several years in the months he had been laid up in Stalag V C’s hospital. For the first time in months, he was able to look into a mirror, and wondered if the man in it was really him. The man’s face was hollow. His bones were more prominent. His eyes were deeper in their sockets, and lined with dark circles.“Corporal,” he said, looking at the German medic, Wenzel, measuring fluid in an IV drip bag, “is it really March already?”“Yes,” Wenzel ...

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Snow Globes and Other Birthday Surprises

Weekly Contest #140

“I remember the first time I was given a birthday present that wasn’t a toy,” Sergeant Plundell said. “I had turned twelve, and my father gave me a watch. I was confused, because I had wanted a new bicycle, and he told me that there was going to come a time where I would appreciate getting things I actually needed as gifts.” The middle of May brought beautiful weather, along with the young soldier’s birthday. A whole twenty-six years old that day, and spending it in a prisoner-of-war camp in southern Germany. He had been showered with gift...

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Buried Rage

Weekly Contest #139

(CW: References to alcohol abuse and related traumatic events) “Grow up.” Captain Westheimer glared at Private Jahn as the younger man was giggling every time some unsuspecting soul sat on the whoopie cushion he had placed on the bench outside one of the prisoner barracks—that whoopie cushion happened to be invisible, and Jahn had been holding the spell for quite some time, enjoying people’s reactions whenever they sat down and immediately when searching for the cushion. “Come on, Captain, it’s hilarious. They can’t figure out where the ...

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A Matter of Family

Weekly Contest #138

Warmer, nicer weather wasn’t a good combination with a prisoner-of-war camp, where no one could leave. The British POWs who had been at Stalag V C for a few years now were used to it, while newer arrivals like Sergeant Plundell found themselves pacing the perimeter of camp more frequently. At least they were able to stay outside longer. The sun still being out after dinner felt strange after the many long and dark winter months. As the sky began turning all shades of red, pink, and orange, Plundell wandered over to where one of the guards,...

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Roses in Augsburg

Weekly Contest #136

“You’ll never know unless you try.”Sergeant Plundell’s words echoed in Private Liebermann’s head as he looked across the sparsely populated tavern at a young woman gazing down at a book and absentmindedly stirring a cup of tea. She had been coming into the tavern for the last week or so, sitting at the same exact spot and ordering the same exact tea, reading the same book. The only difference was where her bookmark ended up. Her hair was short and the color of coffee. One could say she was rather plain-looking, but Liebermann disagreed.“She’...

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Dearest Monnie

Weekly Contest #133

There had to have been over a hundred photographs strewn across the floor, all of which were enveloped in memories with varying emotions. They were destined for a large and thick album Sergeant Plundell was holding on his lap while he sat with his back to the desk in Commandant Westheimer’s office. He felt like a child again, putting together an album of pictures he found interesting or delightful. Ever since he knew he was in love with a young lady named Monnie Abberton, he had wanted to give that album to her. Sadly, that album was back ...

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All's Fair in Jokes and War

Weekly Contest #131

Upon hearing that the Brandt farm had requested a work detail from Stalag V C again, Private Jahn didn’t hesitate to storm into Captain Westheimer’s office to say, “If you decide to take the prisoners to the Brandts, I am not coming with you.” Westheimer raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you think that tone of voice will convince me to let you stay here, son?” “You know how much I hate Griselda, and she hates me. So much so that she’ll stop at nothing to make our stay a living hell for me.” “You are both adults. You can be around each...

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Lament

Weekly Contest #130

The two German soldiers in the back of the truck had struggled to keep their prisoner under control for the last half-hour they had been riding through the snow-covered forests of southern Germany. The tall, imposing, but lean man wearing a British uniform was covered in bruises and blood, but much of the blood wasn’t his own, as seen with the bandaged bitemarks on the neck of one of the Germans. At least, to their relief, the man wasn’t a vampire or werewolf. They still put a makeshift muzzle on him when it became clear he was going to figh...

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Cup of Opportunity

Weekly Contest #128

The fruity and somewhat tart smell of raspberry tea had filled the kitchen. It was pleasant and sad at the same time, because the memories associated with such a smell were both pleasant and sad. It was a smell associated with home and happiness and comfort, but the last week or so had been a whirlwind of emotions for Private Liebermann, so much so that there was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to go numb. He had never expected being a guard at a prisoner-of-war camp would be rife with excitement. He was told it would be incred...

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All That and A Cup of Tea

Weekly Contest #128

Captain Westheimer knew there was a reason he primarily stuck to coffee and hot chocolate after Stalag V C opened, and it wasn’t because tea just wasn’t available—he had plenty smuggled in for his British prisoners from Switzerland—nor was it because he didn’t enjoy tea once in awhile. It was because he couldn’t stand the intense standards tea was held to among the British, and after a particularly nasty argument between the German guards and British prisoners, Westheimer vowed to only drink tea in private. His superior and close friend,...

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Hidden Senses

Weekly Contest #127

There were still a few hours left until Private Liebermann and the rest of the guards of Stalag V C had to wake up ahead of the prisoners, and wake them up for roll call. Moving onto his stomach, Liebermann reached under his bunk, taking out a small clock and squinting in the darkness. It’s nearly three . . . I should get back to sleep. Shifting onto his back, Liebermann stared up at the boards of the bunk above.After a few long minutes passed, something started to feel off. Confused, Liebermann looked around the barracks. Every other guard ...

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Cactus Conundrum

Weekly Contest #126

The final day of 1943 was a dismal one—gray, snowy, and cold. The Christmas attitudes of goodwill and kindness to each other was still prevalent among the German guards and their British prisoners as they sat at a table in the mess hall, playing cards and chess and enjoying the last of the Christmas cookies. “Does anyone set goals for the new year?” Private Kesby asked, breaking the silence. “Is that a thing here in Germany?” “It is, but it’s not something I do,” Corporal Viermitz replied. He looked at his fellow guards. They were shakin...

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Unorthodox Truce

Weekly Contest #126

“So, next week is really going to be 1944.”The small living room in Captain Westheimer’s quarters smelled heavily of coffee, smoke, and pine. Despite it being situated in a prisoner-of-war camp in southern Germany, it was quite cozy. It was Christmastime, though, and Westheimer wasn’t one to care that he could be in a lot of trouble for inviting British Sergeant Plundell into his personal quarters. He hated the rules against fraternization.Having served in World War I, he could remember the Christmas truce of 1914. It was when he learned he ...

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The Package With The Amulet

Weekly Contest #122

It looked like a perfectly ordinary cardboard box. Just sitting there on the floor in the barracks. There was nothing strange or suspicious about it. What was suspicious was the fact that it was there. Its mere existence was strange, and Sergeant Plundell was only just starting to get used to the fact that this place was indeed very strange.What made things stranger was that the box had his name on it. There couldn’t be any other Sergeant Plundells, could there? And there weren’t any other prisoner-of-war camps with the same number.Every sol...

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Family Demons

Weekly Contest #120

Snow and ice blew against the windows as Captain Westheimer limped into his office. He glared at the massive, leather-bound book on his desk before sitting down to open it to a yellowing page with only his name written on it. The book had been sitting there since the previous night, when he had been going through his cabinets and bookshelves in search of it. He just didn’t have the motivation to actually look through it when he found it. Outside, the yard of the prisoner-of-war camp was empty. It was too cold and too windy for anyone, guard ...

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