Lily Caudill
Bio
I take inspiration from my family roots in The Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. You will find that my works have a darker undertones with a dash of humor. I am currently working on a novel Conflict of Interest. I hope you enjoy.
Stories (29)
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Conflict of Interest
Alice watched the sun rise over the hill and graze the horizon. Colors of orange and yellow were streaking through the sky like ribbons. She watched Lucas grumble as his body began to wake him. He looked different with his glasses off. The tape in the middle did give him a classic type of nerdy look. She crept out of the sleeping bag and put on her boots. Carrot looked out but stayed in the warm comfort of the sleeping bag. The fire still was smoldering, so she bent down and warmed her hands before putting on her gloves. She looked down at the puddle in the rock cavern and caught her reflection. Her brown hair looked matted, but her grey eyes shined back at her. She looked at her cheeks and saw how she was beginning to look thin. Still healthy, but thinner than 2 weeks ago. Normally she would be jumping for joy about losing a few pounds, but now she saw her extra pounds as a commodity. The thought of jumping on a treadmill or lifting weights for fun seemed like a cruel joke. She fed carrot a few bites from yesterday's meal before putting her pan and spoon away in her backpack along with her sleeping back. She looked over at Lucas still stirring in his sleeping bag. He must be tired. She knew exactly how he felt. He was probably sleeping through high blood sugar which drained your energy. Sleeping with high blood sugar somehow made you feel like you hadn’t slept at all when you woke up.
By Lily Caudill3 years ago in Fiction
Conflict of Interest
Alice looked up the hill. It was about a half-hour walk but if she remembered correctly there was a small rock shelter, almost a cave at the top of the hill that would be the perfect place to sleep for the night. The snow was beginning to fall faster so she walked as fast as she could without running and risking breaking an ankle. That would be as good as death out here. She finally made it to the top and she could barely see the trees in front of her now, but there was a small shelf of rock that would make a perfect shelter. Thankfully it had withstood the quake. She had never seen a November in Kentucky with this much snow. It was just her luck. She would have loved to play in this snow as a child, but now she only saw it as a deadly pest. She sat her backpack down and took her glove off with her teeth and reached her bare hand and felt inside her coat. She placed her hand on Carrot her beloved little dog. Carrot was fast asleep breathing peacefully and warmly pressed up against Alice's chest. Carrot might be the last pug left on this side of the United States she thought to herself. Alice gathered some tree branches that has blown into the cavern and broke them up for a fire. Once she has gathered enough sticks she pulled a lighter from her backpack and let twigs start to burn. She had to flirt for a moment with the sparks by gently blowing a stream of air under the twigs, but soon enough she had a small fire. She gently pulled Carrot out of her coat and sat her next to the fire. The little dog stretched and yawned like it was a typical day. She shook her little twirly tail like she was excited. Alice pulled a can of dog food and a can of corn from her backpack. She put them in a small pot and stirred them together with her wooden spoon and put it on top of the flame. She looked at the back of the can of dog food just to see if it had a carbohydrate count. She was guessing for the whole pot of food would be around 50 carbs, but she wasn’t completely sure. The dog food would be mostly protein, but the corn was the part that worried her. Carrot chases a leaf that blew in the wind and Alice smiled. Alice ate mostly the dog food and gave her dog a small bit of dog food, but mostly corn. She felt bad giving her such a bad diet, but she wasn’t exactly eating like a Queen herself. She took a syringe from her pocket and grabbed a bottle of insulin from her backpack and examined the bottle for ice crystals. It looked clear, so she drew out 5 units carefully measured not to waste a single drop of the life-saving medicine. She grabbed the fat on her stomach and shoved the needle in. She knew that would probably be the last time she used this particular syringe. It hurt as it penetrated her skin. It was growing dull with so many uses. She didn’t want it to snap and end up inside her somehow. She very carefully pulled out her medical supplies and counted how many she had left. 5 bags. That would still be enough to get to Lexington. She would still keep the old one just in case, but she had enough to spare to start using a new one tomorrow. She still had 10 insulin bottles. She was thankful she was able to stockpile some before the earthquake hit. That combination would last her a few more weeks before she had to have supplies. Being Diabetic during an apocalypse wasn’t an ideal situation, but she was making the best of it. Alice looked down at the small remainder of nail polish that was left on her fingers. It seemed like a lifetime since she had the time to paint her nails. She heard a snap in the trees. Then Carrot let out a small growl. She quickly drew her gun in the direction of the sound without a moment of hesitation. She thought about last summer when her best friend told her she should carry loaded a gun with one in the chamber. She had laughed and said things weren’t that bad yet. If only he could see her now. A man appeared about her age (Mid 20s) with a beard and glasses. They looked as if they had been broken and he had taped them together in the middle.
By Lily Caudill3 years ago in Fiction
Awkward Penguin Encounter
I looked down at the penguin at my feet. It was cute, anyone that didn’t think it was cute would obviously be a psychopath. However, I didn’t think it was any cuter than the baby bunnies that sat under my backstep in the evenings. I looked over at my husband to see if he was enjoying himself. He had his phone out filming the penguins. He began sending pictures to his coworkers. This was what he wanted. This penguin encounter had cost me about a days' worth of work. It was awkward. The room smelled of fish. A girl a little older than me looked at us almost hauntingly standing on the other side of the room. She was a zookeeper person or at least a penguin encounter worker. Either way, she was very possessive of the penguins. I didn’t blame but it should have been called the “awkward penguin encounter”. I looked out the window and watched as a child pressed their smudgy fingers into the cool glass watching me. He had enthusiasm I wished I possessed about the smelly birds. I looked at my husband resending the pictures to more people. I looked up at the zoo keeper.
By Lily Caudill3 years ago in Fiction
The Exhibit
Nobody can hear a scream in the vacuum of space, or so they say. I had watched as many space documentaries as streaming services had to offer in the year 2020. Some were better than others I admit, but it was quite the obsession I had. I poured myself a glass of wine and snuggled into my bed. I sat back and pressed play on my laptop on the latest film I had found. I had nowhere to be and I had a long boring night ahead of me. It was then I looked out the window and saw the stars shining bright. I paused my movie and opened the doors to the balcony of my little apartment. I stepped out into the night air and felt a cool summer breeze on my skin. It was quite refreshing. I hadn’t been outside of the apartment all day. I sat on my benched and looked into the sky with my newfound love of the stars. It was then I noticed one shining a little brighter than the rest. I watched as it seemed to grow bigger and closer to earth. I thought it must be an airplane, but it seemed too large for that. I lost track of time as it grew brighter. I watched as almost seemed to be hovering over my town, then my neighborhood, and then me. My balcony had a euphoric glow. I realized the light wasn’t far away at all and it was heading toward me. I felt glee and fear simultaneously. My heart was racing like I was in love. The ball slowly floated in front of my face. My vision had been blurred with its brightness. Then I saw a rainbow of colors that faded to a black and white spiral that spun like a Farris wheel at the circus. I stared into the spiral and watched it move. I didn’t know if it was wrong for doing, but I felt no control over my mind. I was frightened but wanted to keep staring. My body was paralyzed and I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open or shut. It was then I heard a voice.
By Lily Caudill3 years ago in Fiction
Mark Anothony's Namesake
I awoke to the bittersweet sound of a violin being played. The instrument seemed to weep into the air and saturate its surroundings. I raised my head up from the seat and felt velvet beneath my hands. I looked to my left out the window and the world seemed to be passing me by. I was in a locomotive. It was speeding down the tracks. I could barely make out the countryside as the train sped on. I turned to the right and a man stood over me. He was wearing a pristine black tuxedo with a white napkin laid over his arm and on his other arm, he was holding a top hat. I jumped with fright. I wasn’t expecting a man to be standing there in such close proximity.
By Lily Caudill3 years ago in Fiction
