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Hazel Swiger

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2025

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41 Stories

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Normalcy is for Losers

I remember Jonah’s red car.The same red car that always appeared out of nowhere.In the middle of parking lots, outside of parties.The same red car that held everybody looking to escape.“Escape what?” he’d ask anyone who knocked on his window. It didn’t matter if it was the middle of 5th period or 2 a.m.—he was always there.Parents getting a divorce? Go to Jonah.OD’d on something strong? Go to Jonah.Bullied? Go to Jonah.Eating disorder? Go to Jonah.Depression? Go to Jonah.Heartbreak? Go to Jonah.I went to Jonah’s red car once.I knocked on his...

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Sleep

I opened the window into the room.I always know how to open it, even if it is locked. This was my window, and it always will be.She has tried to keep me out before.Tonight is the night that she will finally accept me.We had been talking about this last night. Apparently, she had a good day today. This information doesn’t stop me, it just makes my job harder.I slide into my position inside of her head, and begin my job. My voice is deep, and raspy. I let out a low growl so that she knows I am there.I know I have done well when a tear escapes ...

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Rocks and Butterflies

I heard the bombs. Ashes, ashes, like in ‘Ring Around The Rosie’. I checked my phone. Several news alerts, but I had missed them all. THE END OF THE WORLD - IS IT CLOSER THAN WE THOUGHT? I don’t know, is it? I open my messages. Sixteen voicemails, twenty missed calls, and thirty-two messages. This is the most I’ve ever gotten. Like, ever. I open the voicemail from my mom first. “Sweetie, I hope you’re okay! Dad’s here with Benny, and Angela’s with Grandma. I know you were sleeping, and we should’ve woken you up, but I’m coming to get you now...

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The Girl with the Glass Heart

TW: themes of death The room smells like sick people and crushed dreams.Antiseptic fills my nose with its painfully real smell.I can't quite remember why I'm here. I've talked to the nurses, or the doctors, but they all just give me a sad smile and say, "You will one day."The only thing I remember is my bed. The one with soft pillows and a nice, purple blanket that my grandma got for me. I feel terrible, and I keep slipping in and out of consciousness. What's the point of living if you're not even going to really be living half the time?My ...

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i hope i never see you again

“Lois, you’re doing this all wrong,”“Oh yeah? How so?”“You’re supposed to pull the lever, and then push the button, you idiot.”“Oh shut up. Like you’ve never done a Rube Goldberg machine wrong,”“Actually, I haven’t. They’re really simple, and I don’t understand how somebody could mess them up.”“Simple? The literal definition of a Rube Goldberg machine is to do a simple task in a complicated way. I can’t be doing it wrong!”“Yeah, well, I guess you’re right-”“I am? Of course I am, Miles. I’m always right.”“You’re not always right, Lois. You we...

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Love Like Daisies Don't Die

It was obvious that he loved me. He told it to me at every chance he could get. Before bed, in the morning when I woke up, and at any time when we were face to face. “I love you, and I always will,” he would say to me. I felt flattered, honestly. It was nice to feel loved, appreciated, and enjoyed.But all that started to crumble.**JUNE, 2006, DAYTONA BEACH, FL.We were visiting the beach during the summer, because unlike the senior citizens in our time, we stayed for the snow but really wanted to have our toes in the sand.We drove for ten hou...

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Missing You (And Me)

To <awhitak7@gmail.com>Subject: Checking In Hey, Austin! It's Scarlet from middle school. I found your email and was bored, so... here I am! How are you? It's been a while since I've seen you, and since middle school in general, LOL. How's life been since 8th grade? Still friends with all those boys? Well, I don't expect a reply, but I just wanted to say hey. :)-Scarlet To <sbarlow9@gmail.com>Subject: Re: Checking In Oh, hey Scarlet! It's been so long. We're graduating next year, which is insane. I was just actually looking at o...

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Highways to Nowhere

CW: swearing "Where are we actually going, Lottie?" Louie asked me. He, Phoebe, Maisie, Evan, and Christian were all in my parents' RV that we'd borrowed for this trip, with my hands loosely gripping the steering wheel."Oh my God, Louie, we're just going on a road trip. There's no final destination, that's the fun part. We'll just use Google Maps to find out where we are later," I said, getting more irritated with him by the second. "Oh em gee, guys!" Maisie squealed, her phone almost bursting out of her hand when we hit a pothole. "Shit, h...

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3 am

Maggie looked around in her room. It was clean. Too clean for her. She had dusted her bookshelf, stacked with books that she'd read at least five times, and she had swept the floors that weren't on her carpet at least three times. She wanted her parents to know that even when she was gone she would still have a clean room. It was 1:59 am. She could see from the clock sitting next to her bed, on her bedside table, the flashing blue hurting her eyes. First, it was her head, and now it was her eyes. She really couldn't get a break. She had line...

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All the Ways We're Lost

TW: mention of an abusive relationship/unsafe relationship I could feel the tears stinging in my stomach before they even reached my eyes. I could only take one suitcase. I could only pack what I needed most. He was still sleeping, but somehow I had to escape. I had woken up Elliot earlier, placing his tiny little body and bags that I had packed the night before into our Ford SUV. Patting my pockets, I made sure we had the essentials: social security cards, passports, and birth certificate for Elliot. I already knew we had to leave. I just ...

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With Friends Like These

TW: Mention of suicide, alcohol abuse, grief TRANSCRIPTIONS RECEIVED FROM THE MASON POLICE DEPARTMENT, 45837 DETECTIVE MARISSA JONES--BONNIE MITCHELL DEC. JONES: Before we begin, Bonnie, I just want to say I'm really sorry for your loss. I know that Camilla Hubbard was your good friend. Is that right? BONNIE: Yeah, we were. I mean, we are. We're really close. DEC. JONES: I see. Yeah, I'm really sorry. BONNIE: Thank you, ma'am. DEC. JONES: You're very welcome. I know it must be so hard. Anyway, let's get right to the point, the whole reason...

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War-Filled Streets

Julia skipped through the streets of Warsaw, Poland, in the summer of 1939. She didn't know that this would be her last summer there, or at least her last summer free there. Julia was Polish, and she was a Jew. She was eleven years old, but had been listening to her parents talking. "Musimy jakoś uciec." They would whisper when she was supposed to be sleeping. "We've got to escape."She didn't know what they needed to escape. She was plenty happy with all of her friends in class, and her Friday afternoon sandwiches at Piotr's Bufet. There was...

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magnolia trees

I woke up, as usual. I expected myself to get up sharp, fake smiles, and make my bed. But I didn’t. Not since Molly died. And the last words I ever told her were ‘I hate you’. It was just one of those sibling fights. But now we’re adults. I had tears in my eyes, and she did, too. I can’t even remember how it all started. Something about money and taxes, I don’t even know. But I loved her. I love her. I can’t help that she’s up in heaven, singing with all the angels. But maybe I could have.I got up slowly, my chest tightening. I needed to get...

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THIS SCENE WAS CUT FROM THE MOVIE

“Um, wait what are we supposed to say?” One of the Fairy Godmothers asked me. I forget the king and queen’s names, but I was there to assist the assistants with their duties. It was tiring work! Anyway, the fairy’s name was Merryweather. I rolled my eyes and mouthed to her the iconic sentence that she had the audacity to forget. “Bippity, boppity, boo!” I mouthed. The fairy smiled sweetly and thanked me. I sighed, putting my head in my hands. We had practiced this before, but she just had to forget it on the most important day of our lives. ...

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The Monsters Were Never Under Our Beds

TW: Death of a child, emotional and physical torture, storing of bodies “How many blessings did we count today?” Mother asked, placing her napkin nimbly in her lap, all of the children copying her. If they didn’t, they would have to go hunting with Father in the morning. Nobody, no matter their pain tolerance or bravery, ever wanted to go hunting with Father.“I counted ten blessings, Mother,” said Millie, Lucille’s oldest, but still younger, sibling. Lucille, nicknamed Lucy, had twelve siblings. She was the oldest, and was set to follow in ...

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