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Deborah Trahan

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2020

Stories (10)

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10 Stories

159 karma pts

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The Treasure of Hidden Bones

Submitted to Contest #321

The live oak tree nestled on the side of the beach house appeared oddly out of place, as if someone had plucked it from another spot, then dug a massive hole rather hurriedly to contain it, while giving little thought to a proper location. Strangely, its roots failed to pop up from the ground, leaving gnarled knots in its wake, as expected. Even the tree’s growth appeared stunted, as though one had offered bonsai treatment at an inopportune moment. As it leaned inward towards the house, Marianne likened the oak to an end parenthesis, holdin...

4 likes

The South May Rise Again

Submitted to Contest #310

Standing on the third rung of a tall wooden ladder, at the back of her bookshop, Gracie glanced at her wristwatch inherited from Nana Sarah and noted it was long past time to turn out the lights and lock up for the night. As Gracie slid a National Parks travel guide into place amidst the shop’s non-fiction stacks, she heard the unmistakable sound of books tumbling to the floor, up front. Followed by the jangling of the front door’s bell chimes, then the resounding stillness of silence.“Who’s there?” she called out, her voice shaky. Gracie ne...

3 likes

Two Wrongs Cannot Make a Right

Submitted to Contest #296

Deidre tried to ignore Scott’s cell phone, loudly buzzing on the kitchen countertop. She’d sworn off snooping for Lent and remained resolute about sticking to one self-improvement goal for the new year. But there it was, vibrating—just daring her to react. When Scott’s call shifted to voicemail, Deidre edged away from the sink toward the grocery bags they’d brought inside from the car. I’ll peek at the notification, Deidre told herself, glancing toward the front door to confirm Scott’s location.Still outdoors, chatting with their nosy neighb...

6 likes

The Locked Door

Submitted to Contest #130

Nestled in the snow tops of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Bristol, Tennessee, a secluded luxury cabin beckoned Avana and Tom McLain to its three-story abode overlooking acres of timber. It was a steal of a deal, Avana told her husband when she discovered the rental on Vrbo’s website. But after delayed flights and a rental car mix-up in Knoxville, Avana had little patience left to rebuff the caretaker’s crankiness, a man clearly annoyed with the couple’s late arrival. “Yeah,” muttered the white-bearded man, probably in his mid-60s. He spat ...

9 likes

Hurricane Spares the Beach House, Comforts its People

Submitted to Contest #119

Kat struggles to climb the final flight of stairs, determined to step onto the front porch before the first squalls of wind and rain slam the screen door shut. While she hauls the grocery bags indoors, the wooden rockers flip and butt up against the windows on the south side of the Huntington family beach house, a sure sign that the hurricane’s trajectory may be turning. And not in a positive direction.Her siblings and their children are scheduled to arrive in a couple of days for a fall reunion of sorts. Planned for months, Kat’s reluctant ...

5 likes

The Raincoat Man is Often Hungry

Submitted to Contest #102

The Raincoat Man is Often Hungry Sarah Walker spent the afternoon watching her kid run circles around the playground just steps from her condo nestled in Uptown New Orleans. She'd ended her shift at Children's Hospital earlier than expected, and the babysitter was thrilled for an early release. These late October days filled with occasional falling leaves, chiseled by the brush of a cool breeze, offered the perfect dose of encouragement. Finally, Sarah began to trust that everything was going to be okay. Every day represented a triumph, f...

7 likes

Once a Witch, Always a Witch

Submitted to Contest #61

Sarah planned to arrive in Salem on Friday night, precisely forty-eight hours before the city’s Halloween festival was set to be in full swing. This itinerary allowed her plenty of time to unpack and settle in at The Wayward Witch’s Inn, located within walking distance of the wharf. It wasn’t Sarah’s first pilgrimage to one of the country’s most infamously haunted hamlets. And she didn’t plan for it to be her last. She’d grown weary of her life, tucked away in west Tennessee. Sarah craved the freedom to dress in black, dye her hair purple, a...

7 likes

Writer's Block Shockingly Ends After 30 Years by Deborah Trahan

Submitted to Contest #46

  Julie stares at the white screen of her laptop with not one single idea of what to write.  How ridiculous she feels, having rented a bed and breakfast stay on Nantucket’s Sconset Beach, not far from the water’s edge. Not for just one week, but two. She planned her writing journey in advance and formulated an intricate plan to begin a memoir, how-to, or perhaps even a haunted tale to end all ghostly stories ever written. And here she sits, with not one solid idea of how to jump-start the process. Suffering from the most elongate...

3 likes

A Conundrum, A Portal, and a Rescue of Love by Deborah Trahan

Submitted to Contest #38

While Maureen continued to contact clients, she kept the television in the family room on with the audio muted so she could monitor news updates about COVID-19 in between making sales calls. She kept hoping that at some point, she might hear something positive about a decrease in death rates or a change in risk factors. More and more, it was a challenge to keep up with work and help the twins complete their school assignments. She pulled up their lessons on two separate laptops, assumed they were each engaged, but when she diverted he...

4 likes

The Swamp, A Jealous Lover

Submitted to Contest #24

Macie changes lanes again in the roundabout and feels frustrated, she’s circled the block of Beau’s office building for the fourth time, and he’s yet to appear curbside. Managing traffic through any central business district’s congested paradigm seems pointless if nothing ever changes. She calls him.  “Beau, where are you?” Macie asks. “How many times do you expect me to drive past your building and see you’re still not out front?”    “Issues with the elevator. I’m on my way, babe,” Beau says. “Sorry, taking the stai...

2 likes