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Kathy Philpott

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2021

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12 Stories

239 karma pts

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Bea

Weekly Contest #339

Having finished her final shift at the print shop, Bea raced to the photographers for the photo shoot. Upon arriving, she donned her “evil fairy” costume, slapped on her false eyelashes, and covered her nose and chin with silver glitter. “Let’s give them some cleavage, Bea!” the photographer wined. “The Dads need a reason to see the show.” Despite a heated discussion about the photographer’s obnoxious request, two more rolls of film were snapped. Traffic on the way home was a nightmare. Bea knew this time of the night was the worst, but she ...

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Birdie Sullivan

Weekly Contest #316

Birdie Sullivan I have a secret. I nearly blurted it to the police when they came to arrest the girl who threatened me with a gun. I’m exhausted. After the police left, I sat on the little dock and dangled my feet in the cool Willamette River. “I knew I’d find you here,” David said as he sat down beside me. “I love looking back at the house. It looks so welcoming.” “Looks can be deceiving.” I joked. “It was weird when the girl with the gun asked me about a briefcase. Probably means nothing.” “It might be important, Birds. The police were ...

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Aldercrest

Aldercrest by Kathryn Philpott The drive of 980 miles was coming to an end. Friends told Kathryn she was too old to drive such a distance alone. This irked her. Kathryn would say she had gone from Portland, Oregon, to Ogden, Utah, so many times it was automatic. Being 74 years old and 4'10" tall and short, with white, thick hair, made her more careful, but she was not afraid. She believed she was still formidable. Now that this trip was ending, Kathryn was already thinking about one more, maybe the most important. The journey to Utah and b...

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Figaro

Weekly Contest #198

Figaro He sat high atop a large puppet tree in the toy store. It was love at first sight. My daughter and I asked the salesperson to retrieve him for us. He was just as charming close-up as he appeared on the puppet tree. He was adorable with his furry green dragon body and lime green Mohawk hair.  We drove back to our apartment with our new puppet in hand. We listened to the Three Tenors on the CD player as we went home. With her small hand adjusting inside the puppet, my daughter made him come to life and pretended to sing with th...

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Queen of Wands

Weekly Contest #187

From the Tarot. QUEEN OF WANDS: look at the mysterious cat, the keeper of secrets. You see life through a creative and determined view. The mail truck pulled away, and Penny ran barefoot down the front porch steps of her two-story Victorian home. She didn’t stop to pick up the penny on the top step. Nothing mattered but the letter she had expected and dreaded.  When Penny returned to the house, Stinky was seated on the second-floor stairs waiting to learn what Penny’s property taxes would be. Unfortunately, patience was not Stinky’s...

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Leahs Church

Weekly Contest #123

Leah's Church Leah walks through the theater's stage door and tries to shake her umbrella outside as she holds the door open with her rear end. The rain has been brutal all day and filled the gutters with streams of water. This could have been a night like so many others in her theater career, but this night is different. Leah is prepared to have a great show and not get too mired down with emotions. She checks in at the desk, smiles, and hugs the stage manager, and begins her kind of superstitious routine to get ready for the show.  Sh...

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Christmas Chicks

Weekly Contest #122

Christmas Chicks The holidays are about traditions as well as happy memories. By contrast, this Holiday season will be dramatically different because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There won't be the kind of activities Kitty created with her friends and family years past. Kitty would meet her friends the Friday before Thanksgiving for lunch and then plan their Christmas activities, especially the shopping. They called themselves the Christmas Chicks. They all had full-time jobs with lifestyles that mirrored their successful careers. A couple of t...

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David

Weekly Contest #120

David There was one picture of David in the yellow and tattered photo album Jean found inside a box in the garage. He was a sweet-faced, blond little two-year-old boy with Downes Syndrome. Jean's parents never talked about him even though he was Jeans' older brother. David became a sad and terrible secret in the already cold, dysfunctional family. Talking about David was forbidden.  Jeans' mother's world revolved around golf and drinking. Jean was dismissed and neglected. Her father traveled for business, and his world was his work. Alt...

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Kays House by the /sea

Weekly Contest #119

Kays House by the Sea When I looked at the pictures on the internet, the house looked perfect. It was a small bungalow with two bedrooms, one and a half baths, a fireplace, a wrap-around porch, and most importantly, the glorious Pacific Ocean within walking distance. Unfortunately, all the information I could gather indicated there hadn't been any updates since 1965; neither had I, so it was fine.  I met the Realtor one morning at the house. Her name was Jody, and she was all teeth and big blond hair. When Jody found out my age, she d...

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Wonder

Weekly Contest #116

Wonder Tia looked at the ten little toes and sweet tiny feet of her newborn baby girl. The baby appeared to be perfect in every way. Her birth was a reason for the village to celebrate. Tia was loved unconditionally, and this baby would find a welcome place within the family circle. Tia's mother took the baby to clean her up so Tia could rest. Soon, Tia would start nursing the baby, and then in eight days, the village would have a welcoming ceremony and give the baby a name. Their celebration would take place near the beach in the common gat...

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More Than a Race

Weekly Contest #115

Kathy Philpott philpott.kathy@yahoo.com More Than a Race Victor walked the track for several hours, noticing any unusual curve or change that could affect his performance. The surface of the track is less smooth than last year. The tire grip will be affected. Given the weather conditions and his spot on the grid, the race will be complicated. Last year at this venue, the skies were clear, and the track had not been resurfaced. Of course, last year was the first year with Covid restrictions, so nothing felt familiar. This year, Victor's c...

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Replacement

Weekly Contest #113

Kathy Philpott philpott.kathy@yahoo.com Replacement “This is my worst nightmare,” Kat told herself. Not only was the theater sold out, but the local newspaper reviewer was also sitting next to the show's director. Kat could see they were engaged in an animated conversation. Could they have been talking about her and how much the show needed her? It was maddening not to know, and she knew her insecurity was showing, but she couldn’t help it. Her confidence was dribbling away like a spoiled child’s ice creme cone on a hot summer's day. K...

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