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Lily Finch

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

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238 Followers
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133 Stories

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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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THE CUL DE SAC SECRETS

[Death and grotesque subject matter—not explicit] "Mom, where is Black Cat?" "Tracy, I’m not sure. I believe your father let her out, and I haven’t heard her scratching to come back in, now that I think about it." "I will head out to search for her. She cannot remain outside all night, especially with coyotes lurking nearby; the poor thing would be an easy target." "Alright, grab a flashlight and follow the trail. She enjoys that spot in the backyard by the trail." "Sure, sure." "Black Cat, Black Cat, here, Black Cat, where are you?" Black C...

2 likes 2 comments 2
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THE HARSH REALITIES OF NATURE

[Animal fighting and death of animals].Janet frequently hiked through the woods, yet she had never dared to venture out so late in the year without a gun or bear spray. Now entirely hers, her family cabin nestled deep in the Cascade Mountains. She often spotted various wildlife creatures wandering through her front yard. She stood out as one of the few individuals with the Fraser River flowing through her backyard. She cast her line beside the grizzlies each year, sharing the river without a hint of trouble.Janet vividly remembered the first...

4 likes 4 comments 4
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VIBRANCE IN THE DEADENED VOID

Weekly Contest #274

The air thickened with haunting sounds—a relentless chorus of moaning and mewling unsettled the senses. High-pitched moans pierced the air, reverberating with an unnerved intensity, sending shivers through the screamer's body. Their fear radiated, overshadowing the listeners' apprehension around them. Yet, this was a unique terrain she discovered herself traversing. Despite Sarah's efforts to block out the jarring sounds in her ears and cloud her mind, the noise continued to surge, relentless and menacing. Sarah felt the familiar sensation ...

19 likes 4 comments 4
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Charlie’s Tooth, established in 1902

Weekly Contest #274

[Deals with a very simplistic view of First Nation's people using the term "Indian" but not in a derogatory manner but as the term was used in historical reference.] "Come on, Mr. Charlie Craig. The last of your teeth will be pulled tomorrow at Dr. Scootman's office. How are you feeling okay about it?" Charlie's nurse, Rachel, said. "What? Tomorrow? What do you mean? Dr. Scootman hasn't had to pull a tooth from me in years. I was a child the last time that happened to me, and I'll tell you, I didn't know the likes of you then." "Oh, so y...

17 likes 18 comments 18
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A Grandad's Letters to his Grandson

Weekly Contest #273

Dearest Grandson, George In the annals of time, there shall come a day when men reflect upon the shadows of the past and declare that I, the harbinger of dread, ushered forth the most notorious fiend of the Twentieth Century, a spectre who eluded justice with chilling ease. Your grandfather, a figure shrouded in darkness, prowled the streets in the year of our Lord 1888. Slaughter was never the aim I envisioned for my existence. Indeed not. From a young age, the desire to wield the scalpel and delve into the mysteries of the human form cons...

13 likes 6 comments 6
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Treasure Trove

Weekly Contest #272

There's the bastard now. He's such an asshole I just want to grab him by the throat and strangle him. "Hello, Fred. Why don't you sit next to me? I'd like that." I smiled a phony one and moved my chair to accommodate another beside mine. "Thank you, Josh. I don't mind if I do." The pathetic shit took me up on my offer and plunked himself down in a chair smack dab shoulder to shoulder with me. "Fred, what's new?" "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. But if I do. You must promise me you won't speak it to anyone else." "Sure, Fred, I swea...

25 likes 2 comments 2
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The Insatiable Dangers of Curiosity

Weekly Contest #271

[As printed initially in TheWriteLaunch, July 6th, 2024] The roofline caught Wade's attention, prompting him to carefully navigate the surrounding woods in search of an entrance to an unfamiliar and narrow trail. He cautiously approached the porch, carefully considering his next course of action, and surveyed his surroundings with anxiety and vigilance. As he made up his mind and attempted to leave, a sudden gust of wind forcefully pulled him into the house. With a resounding slam, the door forcefully closed, ushering Wade into the elegant f...

13 likes 6 comments 6
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