Caroline Craven
Bio
Scribbler. Dreamer. World class procrastinator.
Stories (20/0)
Face the Music
She catches herself staring at him. He acts like he doesn’t have a care in the world, waltzing into the room, tray of glasses balanced in one hand, a bottle of bubbly in the other. Someone cheers as he pops the cork, the golden liquid fizzing and foaming over the side, pooling onto the table. He should wipe that up, she thinks, before it leaves a permanent scar on the wood.
By Caroline Cravenabout a month ago in Fiction
- Top Story - July 2023
- Top Story - May 2023
DisconnectTop Story - May 2023
He’s late, again. Like every other night. Liz grips the top of the armchair as she feels her stocking snag on a splintered corner of parquet flooring. Steadying herself, she resumes her circuit of the front room – back and forth, back and forth – every footstep in time with the cheerless ticking of the grandfather clock.
By Caroline Craven7 months ago in Fiction
- Top Story - March 2023
- Top Story - March 2023
Change of HeartTop Story - March 2023
Even though I’m not supposed to, I snatch the key from the window ledge and swing the back door open. I stand on the doorstep and look across the garden. It must be early as I’m up before the sun, and the trees look like huge shadowy monsters in the dark.
By Caroline Craven9 months ago in Fiction
- Runner-Up in If Walls Could Talk
The Last WordRunner-Up in If Walls Could Talk
If walls could talk, I would tell you that I’m sorry. *** I can tell it’s your first time inside. Your eyes widen as the metal door swings open and you clutch the pile of clothes up against you. You freeze in the doorway, blinking hard and swallowing, as if you’ve only just realized where you are. I wasn’t sure you were ever going to move, and maybe you wouldn’t have, if the guard hadn’t tapped you on the arm and propelled you into the room.
By Caroline Craven10 months ago in Fiction
Joyride
Charley freezes as she pulls the heavy fire door open just a couple of inches. An ear-popping squealing sound ricochets off the stairwell’s concrete walls. Hush, she whispers, as she peers round the door and scans the deserted hallway. Holding onto the frame for support, she hops from foot to foot as she kicks off her boots. She squeezes through the small gap and tiptoes along the corridor, her socks slipping on the polished tiles.
By Caroline Craven11 months ago in Fiction
- Runner-Up in Reset Your Password Challenge
FlooredRunner-Up in Reset Your Password Challenge
The weather matches her mood. Miserable with no sign of improvement. Lizzie stands with her face pressed up against the window and gazes into the distance. The dark clouds are so heavy they sink into the swirling grey seawater and a thin layer of mist looks like it’s been smeared across the horizon.
By Caroline Craven11 months ago in Fiction
The Daily Grind
Hannah chews the end of her pen and glares at the laptop. She’s sick to death of staring at the same three words on her screen – Tax Auditing Software. She’s changed the font and the color a million times to see if that inspired her, but now the relentless flashing of the cursor just seems to be mocking her lack of progress.
By Caroline Craven11 months ago in Fiction
