Adrian Tan

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2020

Stories (15)

15 Stories

248 karma pts

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“Hello, Sunshine” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #99

I open my eyes. It is time to wake up. It is so serene. The sound of nature is always so welcoming. This is how my family and I like it.  We live deep in the jungle, in a solitary home. I live with my parents and my older brother. Being the youngest daughter in the family has many advantages… and disadvantages. I have most of my chores done without even lifting a finger. Whenever my brother tries to drill me, my parents are just a scream away.  “Little sister, you will have to scrub the toilet today and there is no better time ...

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“Train to Paradise” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #90

Nine-year-old Karen was an only child. She always felt lonely so when the opportunity came for a field trip with her friends, she signed up immediately. At the start of the journey, their class teacher told them they were taking the train to paradise. “Forget all the fumes, the smog, the heat and everything else technology promised. Leave those behind. We are going back to nature where everything is fresh, green and cool,” their teacher, Mr Kong said. Everyone settled down as the familiar electric whine of magnets started. The train elev...

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“My Day Out” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #82

I am very confused. Sounds echo from all directions into my transducers. I sense humans talking, objects scraping each other, something falls onto the ground and still more humans talking. From the voices I hear, five different humans are surrounding me - three females and two males - discussing about me. Hang on, I hear footsteps approaching. A heavyset human, a male. Make that six humans. “It can hear us, you know,” a female to my left informs the others, “And I expect it can understand us, too?” another female. “Yes, I can hear and ...

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“The Metals” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #81

No man’s land - a vast stretch of destruction caused by two warring factions - split a once peaceful country in half. It started with a government that was not willing to relinquish its century-old rule despite the opposition’s overwhelming majority in a democratic election. Sounds familiar? It could happen to your country but let’s focus on this fictional one. The war had ravaged the country’s economy and taken a toll on her divided citizens. Everyone just wanted it to end but the fire was being fuelled by two leaders who refused to back ...

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“Shopping Day” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #67

“Hello, world!” Oak grunted as his alarm went off. “Big day, today. I’m leaving you for another.” He was referring to his mission to an alien world, to source for a present, a gift, for his girlfriend. Mahogany was her name. Whenever he thought of her and her wavy brown hair that flowed beyond bronze shoulders, all the troubles in the world would go away. Her very image stood between the bed and him. Despite the urge to fall back to sleep, his purpose for the day was more important.  Mahogany’s taste for exotic skin handbags went be...

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“To the Future!” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #59

Herb’s heartbeats were over the charts. On the one hand, he was excited with this one in a lifetime chance to travel to the future. On the other hand, he was overly anxious because he would not know what to expect until it was too late. The Genie had made it very clear from the start that Herb had only one more wish left so he could not wish to go five hundred years into the future AND wished to know what to expect UNTIL he reaches there. Herb had cursed the Genie for his inflexibility. To be fair, he did curse himself ...

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“Debut” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #56

A double-storey stone house located in the outskirts stood against the test of time. Weathered through the seasons in its two-century history, the cobblestone structure remained grand and fortified. The thatched roof had been maintained despite needing several restorations. The building was divided into two core sections by a staircase in the middle. The left-wing housed the Elite Gentlemen’s Club where men from society’s highest rankings gathered to socialise and discuss matters supposedly of great importance to the country. In the other wi...

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“Green Veins” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #53

Half a year of prolonged dry weather had turned a forest and its adjacent little town into an unremarkable, dusty, brown landscape. Gary, a museum security guard was taking a break from his duties. He was puffing away next to his dust-covered, faded blue sedan. An old lady approached him and asked for his help to hold her green popsicle while she fumbled for something in her sack. Gary flicked his cigarette and took the popsicle from her. “Do you like lime? Why don’t you taste the popsicle while you are holding it?” she suggested while sti...

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“Powerful Nothing” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #51

An asteroid was hurtling down the sky at high velocity. Scientists had miscalculated the projectile and the missile that was meant to destroy it had missed by a fraction. It was not supposed to happen because there was no margin for error. Millions of lives were at stake as it headed towards a metropolitan. And yet, with hundreds of brilliant minds coupled with an infinite resource of computational power, someone, something had made a mistake. “Well, shit poo happens,” Ken uttered under his breath, self-censoring himself because ...

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“Treehouse” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #50

It was a balmy afternoon. The occasional wind caused the leaves to rustle. Marty walked across the field, away from his farmhouse towards a towering hundred-year-old tree. A ladder rested on its thick, dark brown trunk that led upwards to a little treehouse. It was built by Marty’s grandfather for his twin daughter and son. Marty’s father and aunt used to spend their afternoons up there to do their school work followed by leisurely hours of fun with boyish and girly projects. They would hang around until their mother called them down for din...

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“Frozen Stance” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #49

The sun shone down with great intensity at the desert. A man and a woman stood facing each other, several hundred meters apart. Their eyes bore insurmountable hatred and anger. The woman held a short sword in each hand horizontally and parallel to the other. The swords were pointed directly at the man. At the same time, the man held up a long sword with both hands and aimed at the woman. Their swords glint in the sunlight. Coincidentally, a reflection of light was focused on the man's scar on his forehead. It was something he had carried as ...

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“Car Wash” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #47

You woke up early with a purpose in mind. The car wash that you had been putting off was finally going to happen today. You pushed the curtains aside and yes, the sky was downcast, consistent with a gloomy and rainy day ahead. You never trusted weather forecasts but it had been accurate for the past week - cloudy mornings followed by rainy afternoons. You dutifully performed your morning rituals - a visit to the toilet followed by an energy-packed breakfast to prepare yourself for the gruelling work ahead. Of course, you were not going to ...

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“Farm Diorama” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #43

Sir Giorgio, self-proclaimed world-famous artist, was having a field day. He was showcasing his latest creation in an exhibition hall. He was posing for photographs in front of his work. The camera flashes always had a calming effect on him despite having left black spots in his vision. The feeling was almost therapeutic. He could never have enough of the taste of fame and fortune.“All right everyone, it’s time for Sir Giorgio’s briefing. Hurry up. He only has two minutes,” his publicist announced.Reluctantly, the reporters shuffled to the f...

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“Invasion” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #42

Rapid footsteps interrupted the sound of a peaceful jungle with calls of the wild. A boy, drenched in sweat, was running for his life, away from the new king of the jungle and his minions. By his side was a lion cub, the heir to the old throne.A rival pride had attacked the lion kingdom and imprisoned the old guards. Years of betrayal and losses had moulded the lion at the head of this new pride into a cold and heartless beast. There was nothing left in his life but to conquer and destroy all things living. In the midst of the chaos, the boy...

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“The Creature” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #41

Late in the chilly night, the lone spiralling mountain road laid dormant. One side protected by the mountain, the opposite side was bare to a steep and sharp drop down the forest below. Anyone worth his or her salt knew better than to go up or down such a treacherous mountain in the dark except for the unusual daredevil such as the single truck speeding down the winding road. No doubt the driver had someplace else he wanted to be. No doubt he was cursing why the government did not just bore a tunnel through the terrain instead of making him ...

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Author bio

Heeeeeere I am, another wizard learning to be a writer.