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Catherine McKenzie

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2025

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27 Followers
8 Following

26 Stories

423 karma pts

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10:45 am or The Time that Thing I feared to Happen Finally Happened

Weekly Contest #297

I don’t really want to talk about it. It’s every teacher’s biggest fear…well, after school shootings and such. For 21 years, I managed to avoid it though I knew it was only a matter of time. What are the odds that it never happened? There had been a couple of close calls, but each time a student had covered for me. For that, I will forever be grateful.I was thirty when I started teaching. Older than most new teachers but still youngish and fresh. I was much more slender and cared more about my appearance. I wore makeup daily and would’ve bee...

15 likes 3 comments 3
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Alice in Dairy Queen

Weekly Contest #296

Alice was excited to attend her first wedding. Her parents eloped when she was twelve and most of her relatives didn’t bother getting married at all. She had been working at the Dairy Queen since halfway through her senior year, and now at 19, her assistant manager invited all staff to her ceremony and reception at the VFW hall where she had attended bingo with friends a few times. The invitation suggested a formal or semi-formal dress code, and the couple preferred light colors. Perfect! She had wanted a chance to wear her prom gown again. ...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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Oops! I did it for real!

Weekly Contest #295

Lucy had always had vivid dreams, but incredibly more so since starting her new anti-anxiety meds. The first night she dreamed she was in the grocery store inspecting a carton of eggs for cracks. It was such a mundane subject, yet she felt so amazing checking those eggs. It was as if a cozy, warm light was filling her with euphoria as she turned each egg looking for a flaw. She woke up feeling great, but when she told her colleagues about her fantastic dream, she realized it was actually quite dull with no elements of fantasy. Not so fantast...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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Who's Really in the Casket?

Weekly Contest #295

“Has anyone seen Paula?”“It’s a closed casket, ma’am,” someone responded.“I know,” said Jane. “I mean before. When was the last time anyone saw her?” The small group gathered for the wake, which had been reported to be a private viewing, discussed this topic amongst themselves. Paula had left to travel for her gap year three years ago. She wanted to ski at places around the world. Occasionally, she would flit through town to visit but was always on her way to somewhere else. The odd thing is that she grew up and foster care and had no money....

7 likes 2 comments 2
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The Unnatural Paper

Weekly Contest #295

Clara couldn’t recall who gave her this stationery. She vaguely recalled some preadolescent birthday dinner with elderly family members she hadn’t met before. They were in town for the funeral of some great uncle she had also never met, and her birthday dinner coincided with their travel plans. Of course, Mom invited everyone. The worst part was that, due to their various dietary restrictions, they could no longer dine at the Cajun seafood restaurant she had selected and had to instead go to a rather bland buffet place. The dinner bill was s...

6 likes 1 comment 1
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The Bookroom

Weekly Contest #295

Ever since the high school switched to issuing Chromebooks, the bookroom became pretty obsolete. It was an odd shape and still full of textbooks, so it really hadn’t been repurposed as something else. It made a perfect place for Andela to arrive and depart for classes each day.That is until the janitor caught her coming out of it late one afternoon when she realized she left her bracelet in her gym locker. Her mom would definitely notice, and she wasn’t ready to reveal to her family what she had been doing all day every day for the past coup...

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Master of the Five Paragraph Essay According to a Teen Girl

Mom,  I have so much to say to you that I almost went with Gran to visit you, but I still can’t stand to see your face. I’m not doing well, thanks for asking, but I got an A+ on my five paragraph essay in English class. Therefore, I’m going to write to you about the ways you have ruined my life. As a result of your imprisonment, my life has been uprooted, put on hold, and has no future.  Gran wanted to move closer to the prison, so we now live in an apartment complex in a town where I don’t know anyone. Did you know that I made the...

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Flourishing in Florida

Weekly Contest #293

Fern hadn’t intentionally left her cell phone behind. She hadn’t even planned to flee, but once everything occurred as it did, she did think fleeing was best. She knew her parents would never believe it hadn’t been her intention. Harold certainly was already telling everyone that she was just being silly after one of her hysterical fits. However, Fern now understood that they would never take her seriously. Their perception of her was that she was a silly, flighty girl who always worked herself up over the littlest things instead of being th...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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Late for Rest

Weekly Contest #293

This story centers around death. “I’m late,” she thought as she ran for the bus. Her friends would say that was her life’s motto. Amelia scrambled on the bus, trying not to jostle anyone. She had been given a final warning about not getting to work on time and knew her boss was serious. She was good at her job, but this city had over two million people. She could be replaced. In fact, she was one of many autopsy technicians who were employed at her job. She enjoyed working with her colleagues and liked working under her supervisor. The prob...

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Be Careful Who You Talk To

Weekly Contest #293

"I'm 61, and this is my first time flying," she told her row mates. Gladys didn't know about paying to select seats, but she's always been chatty and didn't mind sitting in the middle. Neither row mate responded. Aisle-seat man made a point to put in his earbuds, and the window-seat man closed the shade. "Oh no, I was watching them load the luggage," Gladys said as she reached over the man to open his window. He planned to sleep but decided he'd just close the shade later when she wasn't paying attention to avoid confrontation. "Excuse me, "...

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Evasive Evocation

Weekly Contest #293

You know that feeling you get when you are missing something? You check for your wallet, keys, and phone, and they’re all there, but something still isn’t right. It’s a pretty universal experience, I assume. Even the people who are the most organized and have their shit together must have experienced this at least once. The feeling is akin to deja vu in that it feels otherworldly and ethereal. Well, I have it and can’t shake it. This time, it feels almost ominous and is increasing my anxiety in a way that feels comfortable in its familiarity...

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