A. Smoak

“Not Yet in the Ground ” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #112

The world is dry. Every morning, the sun rises a few hours after I do. The room is still dark when I kneel by the bed and perform my daily prayer. I prefer to pray in the dark, when I can see no rips in my dress, no scratches on my skin. Just me and God. My father told me that it takes a lot of hubris to think this way. Told me that God doesn’t care about what state my dress is in or whether or not I’m worse for the wear - as long as I am pure of heart like everyone else. In the darkness of that early dawn, when I can’t see th...

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“Time to Kill” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #111

Warning: Violence, death, references to child abuse and to transphobiaThe tea was still warm by the time he got back. Mikey took a sip of it slowly, wary of his trembling hands, and waited for his heartbeat to slow down. It was oolong tea. He had started drinking it ever since he heard that it was great for reducing anxiety. Last time he saw a doctor, she had recommended that he cut down on the workplace stress (when he replied that he was an EMT she had winced and suggested yoga). He took a deeper sip. His heart throbbed.&nbs...

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“Duet” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #110

“We have plenty of time,” Sophie had muttered to Kara under the early morning sun that first day. Kara had closed her eyes and with a smile pressed to Sophie’s neck, she dreamed of music and love on a deadline. A year can be as long or as short as you make it, and that’s been something Kara’s been thinking about for a while. For most of her life, her years moved quickly, like when you’re standing completely still on a moving train while the world flashes by through the tiny porthole of a dirty window. Her life had been mapped out f...

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“Quite a Profit” by A. Smoak

TW: discussions of death, of suicideA storm was coming - probably wouldn’t arrive for a few hours but the air was sharp with electricity and wind snapped through the long grass that surrounded the house. The house was old, a one-story dwelling that could have been mistaken for an abandoned building in the middle of the woods if not for the faint glow of a lamp from within the windows. The paint was peeling, the fence was disappearing into the ground, and the open front door resembled a punched-in tooth in a grinning skull. Not ideal, no...

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“A Good Man” by A. Smoak

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #107

TW: abuse, substance abuseIn the end, it was easier than he ever expected. In the end, it turned out to be inevitable, no matter how much he tried to talk himself out of it. He didn't think it would happen like this but here he was - sitting alone at the kitchen table late at night.The rain poured hard outside. The black velvet box sat on the tablecloth, the smooth gold ring safe inside. George had always wanted to be a good man. It wasn't always a given. Some boys grow up with fathers who were golden examples of beh...

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“The Memorial” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #106

TW: mild horror, gore I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the cold.  Five years working here and I still can’t stop the shivering that dances up my arms. I suppose it’s just my size or maybe I need more iron... more layers, more something.  The preparation room is small and as cold as a tundra. My station is exactly as I left it, and standing by my next project is my supervisor John. He was reading a file and snapped his head up when I entered the room.  He places the file on the counter and ducks out with a tight smil...

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“Ghosts” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #105

I had hoped to drive through the night and make it to New Hampshire by morning but the rain began to fall hard. This little car of ours was never made for anything farther than 3 miles outside city limits and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck in the mud on the side of the road at two in the morning. The flimsy windshield wipers were beating back the water as hard as they could, but when I saw the neon glow of a hotel I could barely make out that golden ticket I had been hoping for - vacancies. In the lobby, the man behind the desk...

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“An Invitation” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #104

There was a knocking at the door, faint but rapid. Pearl sighed wryly and remained in bed. She knew exactly who it was making that noise. She knew it was rude to not answer the door, especially for this visitor, but frankly she wasn't sure if she could handle it right now.It had been a week of hell. Between the nonstop demands of her job, her coworkers insisting that they go out on the town for drinks to celebrate winning the big project not once but twice, and Pearl stupidly deciding to force herself to go on a tepid date - she was don...

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“Someone New” by A. Smoak

Submitted to Contest #102

Jaime and Henry had picked the neighborhood because it seemed to be the idyllic suburban oasis that had eluded them when they were a childless couple living in the city. Jaime missed the city, it had always been her home and she had always felt such a strong connection to that place - but Henry had worn her down over these past few years. When she was pregnant and more than happy to take the subway everywhere, he seemed to find the urban lifestyle more and more unbearable. He had grown up in a neighborhood like this one - with wide, clean si...

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