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Lily Finch

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

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235 Followers
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125 Stories

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THE HANDSHAKE

Words: 1,300ByLilly FinchAlien drop-downs occurred daily, and people no longer made a fuss about them. Each alien dropped for a reason, but people never knew why until after the alien interacted with that person. The aliens stood tall, with limbs resembling hairy spiders and arms bent in a specific way, enabling them to move at their chosen speed. Nobody knew why speed was critical until they saw the aliens in action. When they saw the aliens move quickly, it always meant they were hungry and stalking prey. But if they moved slowly, they wan...

6 likes 3 comments 3
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The Sweet Spot

Weekly Contest #281

"Happy Birthday, Mack.""Thanks, Dad.""Since you're 21, I wanted to give you something you'd enjoy. I rented a cabin for you on a lake where there may or may not be other campers for a week.""No way! That's awesome. Thanks, Dad.""It's just for you. Nobody else. Understand?""Sure. Got it.""Okay. The map and the keys are in the glove box of the Jeep. I've also packed some groceries and drinks.""What? I'm leaving now.""Yup. See you next week; bye and enjoy.""Okay then. Thanks again, bye."Mack blasted his music to Lake Wannogonkin, which must hav...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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FLEAOPIA

Weekly Contest #281

Momma Fluxine and Daddy Pucks were married and had two batches of flea babies together. Daddy Pucks worked as a longhaul jumper and was often absent. Momma Fluxine became accustomed to Daddy Puck's absences and maintained strict control over her household. For the most part, her kids respected her and showed her their love and support as much as possible.Momma Fluxine had a problem. She had been left alone with all her babies and their bare cupboards. She led them out into the streets of NYC, where they caught a ride with a rat inside the lo...

13 likes 6 comments 6
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Ironic Hubris Party Guest

Weekly Contest #281

Oh, how delightful it is to be here among such intriguing companies! The audacity of it all is undeniable, isn't it? A certain bravado, a charming overconfidence, permeates the air, dancing around the table like a well-rehearsed performance. Isn't it almost like we're all part of a grand prank? The conversations swirl with a mix of wit and whim. Isn't it fascinating how irony unfolds? It's that delightful twist where what you anticipate takes a surprising turn, leading to the opposite of your expectations. Quite the conversation starter, wou...

14 likes 5 comments 5
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My 1987 Nicaraguan Encounter

Weekly Contest #280

My Nicaraguan Adventure Faced with a life-and-death situation at 17 years old caused traumatic feelings that lasted a short time or lingered under the surface for a long time before they rose to the top, and those involved were forced to deal with it head-on.  Near-death experiences are not viewed by those who hear about them from the teller’s lips as immediate, acute, and dangerous as much as they were. The fear, the bubbles of anxiety, and the emotion that runs rampant throughout the teller's body as the information is relayed are emo...

14 likes 14 comments 14
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Momma, can I have a cookie?

Weekly Contest #280

“Cookie, Momma?” “No, honey. We’ll be eating dinner in a few minutes.”  “Momma. Please. Cookie.”  “Maya, it’s time you listened and understood what the word “no” means.”  “Why Momma? Why?” “It will ruin your appetite for dinner.” “Dinner? But I want a cookie, not dinner.” “A cookie cannot replace dinner.” “Who says?” “Adults say.”  “Why do you drink and eat cheese and grapes before dinner?” “We’re not discussing that right now. We’re discussing you and your inability to eat cookies before dinner.” “Momma, you love me?”&nb...

13 likes 14 comments 14
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Darkness turns darker

Weekly Contest #279

“Did you hear that?” Sully asked.“Hear what? Not again, Sully. Please.” Dale obliged Sully most of the time and checked out the noises she heard and the rattles and creaks of their old house.“Sully, you always find valid explanations for noises, which bring you temporary peace of mind. First, it’s one thing with the cricket powder and crickets, then another with the cabin and the whole thing about the wasps and ticks. Now it’s our house. I mean, Jesus H. Christ, what’s next?”“Shut up! You think what you talk about is so goddamn interesting? ...

15 likes 7 comments 7
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No Way Out

Weekly Contest #278

"Bitch, you know that's mine.""Ha, come and get it. I dare you.""Mom left that heirloom to me, and you know it," a red-faced Marcie said inside the parlour. Filled with antiques from another time when parties were abundant, and servants abounded."Jess, why do you think you should have it anyway? You know what the will said. Hand it over.""Never. Over my dead body, will you get this off my wrist, ankle, finger, and neck!" Jess laughed, sipped her martini as she lit her cigarette, and moved her long dress to bare her knee. She sat on the sofa...

17 likes 11 comments 11
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A Grandad’s Confession To His Grandson, 1888 England

In my hand, good sir, rests the message, wherein I confess to my culpability for most grievous transgressions that have perplexed the constabulary and instilled fear in the hearts of the unfortunate women of the impoverished White Chapel Hill. This riddle endures to this very day. Upon the thirty-first day of August in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty-eight, a bystander discovered the lifeless form of Mary Ann Nichols. In the chronicles of yore, there shall arrive a day when gentlemen shall ponder the murky depths of history ...

6 likes 4 comments 4
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Goldilocks' Trip

[Disobedience leads to horrific nightmare] "Those guys, always telling me what to do. Who do they think they are, anyway?" "Goldi? Goldi, where are you?" Her father called. "We must leave for the Smiths on the other side of the forest in ten minutes, and we all have to go together. Ya hear?" "Daddy, I'm old enough and good enough in the forest to meet you there, and you know it. Why can't you let me leave for their house alone through the forest?" "You're far too young; besides, wild animals are out there. Especially that family of bears; ...

8 likes 4 comments 4
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Hot and Thirsty...

I walked alone for too long.And at the end of my life, it never became a thought that flashed before my eyes as I recalled my life flash before I crossed the bar.I saw no parents, no bright light, or felt like I belonged. My eyes shut, and it was dark. Then I felt scorching heat and a thirst I'd never known.The only problem is that I didn't know I crossed the bar and was lost. Being lost is a horrible and scary feeling that nobody could ever wish for.Stuck where I never knew I could be, I saw coal workers, drone bees, and busy anthill ants m...

7 likes 2 comments 2
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Fitting In

Weekly Contest #277

He had walked alone for too long.At the end of his life, it never emerged as a thought that flashed before his eyes as he recalled his existence just before crossing the bar.There were no parents in sight, no bright light to guide the way, and a profound sense of not belonging lingered in the air. Her eyes shut, and darkness enveloped her. At that moment, an intense heat enveloped him, accompanied by an insatiable thirst that he had never experienced before.Unbeknownst to them, the only problem lay in the fact that they had crossed the bar a...

19 likes 10 comments 10
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The Brief Affair

Weekly Contest #277

[Infidelity] Accepting friends into my circle at the age of 25 may seem odd, but let's go back 25 years. I was a brand-new teacher in British Columbia who didn't love my husband and felt hurt by the surroundings and people. The school, the students, the teachers, and the administrative staff were great. I became close with the two principals, one a resident and the other a non-resident, who followed me. I didn't realize he had a crush on me until my husband mentioned it.  One night, the non-resident principal and his wife left our party...

21 likes 16 comments 16
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The Wicked Match in the Powder Barrel

Weekly Contest #277

In a town in a small, rural area in Ontario, a family with a long line of troublemaking taunted and aggravated everyone and anyone they wanted so much that the residents hated them enough to conquer the wicked with wickedness but justified it. "You'll never beat those som'bitches. Whatev'r you got they want, they take it and beat you for having it first," Harley Langford said to the rest of the fellas at the coffee shop.  "They need to be dealt with, and nobody needs to discuss how or why, do they?" Charlie Swanson said.  "I do...

21 likes 4 comments 4
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The Lifechanger

Weekly Contest #276

It was a freak event that I couldn’t fathom when it occurred as being much of anything, but somehow, it turned out to be a big deal in more ways than one.  After an accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury, my therapist thought that I should try to get onto some writing sites and start writing. I reluctantly agreed since my last encounter with writing was at university, and I had a few papers published while working with professors.  But it had been even longer since I wrote a short story that involved good writing and a...

22 likes 13 comments 13
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