J.B. Redel

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2023

Stories (18)

18 Stories

379 karma pts

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“Echoes of Madness” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #246

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains mentions of the following:Physical violence, gore, and abuseSuicide or self-harmMental health “Well, this is clearly haunted.” “Mikail!” Katlynn reached around her husband’s back to lightly whack her son on the back of his head. “Knock that off.” “Momma,” Kalli called from where she stood next to the van, her tiny arms wrapped tightly around Lucky’s neck. The poor golden retriever was dying to run around and explore, yet stood dutifully still to allow the six-year-old to cling to her for support. “Is it ...

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“Chiaroscuro of the Heart” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #242

ALEXBold strokes of vibrant color popped forth from a flat black background. The colors swirled, crossed, and cut back, all without blending. Each stroke was individual, its own being, yet part of the whole, only complete when combined with the rest. The painting was beautiful. Masterful, even. But what does it mean? What was their motivation? Alex thought to himself as he stared at the painting. The placard under the spotlighted painting stated the piece was titled Influx. He stepped away from the piece, even more confused.He...

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“The Midnight Sonata” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #242

Marcel's patience began to wane after thirty-six hours of being confined to an eight-by-four box. His joints ached, begging for the freedom to stretch. He hoped the delivery would come sooner than scheduled, as he was now dangerously low on his meager water and food supply. Also… he didn’t know how much longer he could stand the smell of dust and chemicals emanating from the other body with which he shared the small space. Marcel cursed as the box suddenly lurched, jostling him and causing the body to fall onto him. Gagging, he gently p...

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“Sword of Honor, Shield of Lies” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #241

Alrick stared in horror as sounds faded and his vision tunneled. What did a soldier do when the one he pledged his loyalty to used it to incite a war?~*~Alrick, Paladin Commander, strode down the stone corridors of the palace, his metal-clad boots and armor clacking with each step. At the end of the corridor, he pushed a pair of double doors open on silent hinges. His position allowed him to enter the royal study without permission or proper introduction, a privilege granted to very few.Four men turned at Alrick’s arrival, two of whom wore C...

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“Liberty's Fortune” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #240

Striding into his quarters, Morgan paused just before passing the threshold. Elena stood across the small space, her figure illuminated by the swaying lantern hanging from the low ceiling. She leaned over the top of his small wooden desk, fists supporting her weight on either side of an old piece of parchment sprawled across the desk's surface and held in place by rocks of varying sizes. Her features were obscured by her long black curls, which had slid over her shoulders and nearly brushed the surface of his desk. Though he couldn’t see her...

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“The Demon Within” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #238

The force of the door slamming shut caused Karina to startle in her chair, the chains connecting her wrist and ankle cuffs clinking loudly against the metal rings holding her in place. With an audible huff, a large, cleanly shaved man in a crisp black suit sat heavily in the chair across the small metal table from her. His dark brown eyes were as hard as the rest of his features. He didn’t even try to hide his disdain f...

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“Hope's Haven” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #238

“Vic, you can’t seriously be considering this.”Victor didn’t respond to her, already lost to his own thoughts. Scenarios ran through his mind, each with its own outcome and list of risks, as well as possible profits.“He’s already lost in his own head. You know what that means?” The low octave of Doc’s voice reverberated off of the metal table’s surface, leaving ripples in the tin cups of water sitting forgotten before the crew. Doc sighed heavily before leaning back is his seat, his heavy boots clanking loudly on the table as he propped them...

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“For You” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #237

“Get down!”Seraphina dropped to the muddy forest floor before the last of Alistair’s warning rang out through the night air. A dull thud sounded above her; the shadow shrouded handle of a night blade embedded in the bark of the tree she had stood against only a moment before. The blade disappeared in a hiss of smoke as she shoved to her feet and lunged through the darkness in the direction of Alistair’s voice.“Over here!” As usual, he seemed to know her intentions. Somehow knowing he would be there, she extended her hand into the darkness ar...

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“Ever Northward” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #234

An endless expanse of white lay before me, the frozen horizon barely discernible from a monochromatic canvas that is the sky. No signs of life dot the landscape, no distant mirage of foliage. Only an endless slab of white marred by gusting winds carrying even more snow to coat the world around me. The sting of frostbite nips at my fingertips and toes, occasionally breaking me from the trance I’m lured into by my endless march. I don’t know how long I have been traveling. It could have been days, weeks, or...

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“Enkindled” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #232

The gate is weakening.Hush. He still has time.He hears us now. See how he flinches?Yes, but he has time still. Have patience. Eldric paused in his task, allowing his trembling hands to set the fist-sized lump of wood on top of the pile of completed figurines. Creating the small talismans was usually easy and required little to no thought. For some reason, he couldn’t figure out how to finish his most recent creation. The voices...

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“Subconcious Convictions” by J.B. Redel

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #219

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains mentions of the following: Child abuse Death Blood Gun violence PTSD Mental Health Reader discretion is advised. ****** They say in the moment of tragedy, time slows down. During those precious seconds, the mind accelerates. Your surroundings blur and disap...

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“Watchers” by J.B. Redel

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #219

The asylum's security surveillance room was a claustrophobic chamber adorned with peeling wallpaper, crumbling shelves stacked with aged records, a small wooden desk, and an uncomfortable metal chair that creaked under the most minute amount of weight. A single, rotary dial telephone sat on the desk. A thick layer of dust covered every surface but the desk and chair. The dim overhead light bulb flickered sporadically, casting eerie shadows across the aging linoleum floor that peeled in the corners.The centerpiece of this...

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“The Covenant of Redemption” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #215

The Blasphemer. A figure unfathomably grotesque, wreathed in an eldritch glow. Too many eyes, but not enough heads. Too many fingers, but not enough hands. A waking nightmare of elder corruption. It stalks the land, with only whispers and desolation left in its wake. Villages and towns, where only days before were full of life, are now devoid of all traces. Homes, store fronts, and farms are left rotted and defunct, as if the people who lived there not a fortnight before hadn’t existed for a decade.The smell of sulfur an...

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“Fireheart” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #213

“Come on… One more time.” Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I shake out my stiff arms, hoping to shake out my anxieties as well. I stop, close my eyes, and take a deep breath, willing my mind to clear. The act takes a few seconds longer than it should, but soon I can feel the familiar and welcome spark of energy deep within me. Magic. Focusing all of my attention on that spark, I urged it to grow. It hee...

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“Man-Made Morals” by J.B. Redel

Submitted to Contest #213

Blue eyes. Fair skin. Freckled nose. Long, healthy brown locks. When looking at each individual feature, the woman standing before him appeared normal. Pretty, even. However, when taking a step back and observing the young woman as a whole, something just seemed… off. He couldn’t quite place it, and the longer he stared, the more uncanny the woman looked. What truly made the hairs stand on the back of his neck was the unnatural stillness the woman possessed. Garbed in a simple black dress with a white apron, not even her chest moved as on...

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Author bio

I was born into a dual-military family and spent the majority of my childhood traveling around the world. By day, I am a Navy Paralegal. By night, I pursue my degree in Creative Writing, participate in writing contests, and run my own blog containing some of my completed works. A lot of these short stories have been expanded and included in my most recent anthology, Wyrds of Wonder. https://books2read.com/b/WyrdsofWonder

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #219

Subconcious Convictions – read story

Contest #219

Watchers – read story