A.T. Westbrook

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

Stories (7)

7 Stories

156 karma pts

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“Sadie, Crystalline” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #276

I'm running on the least sleep I've had in years. For the past week, I've found myself drifting off for an hour or two each night before anxiety pries my eyelids open to scour the ceiling for answers, reading mysteries in the shadows and cracked wood. I'm not even sure about the question. In between my girl's dream-laden breaths beside me, phantoms whisper to me, taunting. Do something, they jeer, if you can figure out what it is you need to do. And so their derision sets the tone for my sleeplessness. And as my mind races around the darkene...

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“Happier” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #199

Whenever I tell this story, I always start with the bleakness, the colorless hollow into which he might very well fade away. The words change depending on my audience, but when the reel plays in my mind, I always see the same film… He repeated the words—have a great day… I love you, too—and put the phone down. Arranging his desk under a distant gaze, his hands followed along the unseen tracks of well-tread ritual marking the start of his evening and her morning. Before, he might have paused for a moment to enjoy the afterglow from these co...

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“Harmony” by A.T. Westbrook

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #164

Where I come from, no one locks their doors. We don’t even have locks. It isn’t that they feel particularly safe, or kind to strangers. We don’t have those either. Strangers, that is. You see, I come from Harmony. Yes, that Harmony. Before you ask, no, I don’t have a third arm growing out of my shoulder, scales on my skin, barbs out of my spine. I mean, my skin gets dried out if I spend too much time in the sun, but I think that’s true of anyone, even Beyonders. I wasn’t alive for the beginning, but I’v...

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“Infinite Blue” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #163

Erin remembered thinking, even in the early days, that the most gruesome tragedies often had innocent beginnings. Perhaps therein lies the tragedy, when the Fates realize that a pure love has flourished in an unseen corner of the world, tangles of blossoms drawing life from deepening roots in the shade of fallen trees only to emerge, radiant, when the shadows could contain them no longer. The balance must be restored; the cycle continues. When she met Charlene, Erin had already spent four months as a gatekeeper of sorts, the aide...

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“The Fogged Glass” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #156

[T/W: Domestic abuse, mental health] “Don’t you remember?” Ron’s gaze pleaded from just inches away. The corners of his eyes pinched, his lips tightened in a strained pout. “I know this has been a lot for you and must be so confusing. But that isn’t quite how it happened, is it, dear?” “Well, Pen, what happened? We’re here for you.” Penelope’s father spoke warmly, although she noticed the same pinched eyes and strained mouth had begun to contort his face as well. “Please, Pen, whatever you can remember, really remember,” her mother beg...

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“The Journeys West” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #155

Once in my travels, I came across a great walled city, a place of shelter and safety in an otherwise harsh desert. I entered through what I came to know as the West Gate and walked the stone-laid streets. I had spent weeks crossing the sands, surviving well enough on the supplies I carried with me, but both my horse and I welcomed the refuge. Away from the wind and under shade from the sun, I saw the people of the city presented in all manner of appearance and speech; no one characteristic seemed to unify them. Some wore little more than t...

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“The Ruined Lighthouse” by A.T. Westbrook

Submitted to Contest #154

“We’re running out of time,” the nurse muttered as she recorded my father’s vitals in her folder. She finished scribbling her notes, clicked the pen with a satisfied nod, and then, remembering that I stood across the bed from her, offered, “I suggest if you have anything you’d like to say to him before he passes, you do it soon. Otherwise, you might be too late.” I watched as she waited for my response, her eyes bulging at my placid expression. I nodded to release her from her state of indignation. Now freed, she raised her eyebrows and sp...

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Author bio

Lifelong amateur writer looking to practice the craft, read your writing, and learn through the process. I welcome whatever feedback you might have. Cheers, ATW Copyright © 2022-2023 A.T. Westbrook

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #164
Harmony – read story