Aeris Walker

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2022

Stories (14)

14 Stories

675 karma pts

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“Foretold in Smoke” by Aeris Walker

Content Warning: Mild foul languageMarie S. 5/5 Stars Vivienne is incredible! My life has completely changed since my visit. It’s like a light came on and she’s somehow unlocked all this hidden potential. She’s the best, seriously just go. Call today!Bradley J. 5/5Worth every penny. Highly recommend.Kevin R. 5/5 StarsI never thought I’d come to a place like this, but when I was at an all-...

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“Bad Directions” by Aeris Walker

“Looks like rain.”“Reckon so.”“We could use some rain.”“You’re right about that. It’s so dry, the trees are bribing the dogs.”“Say Charles, is that anyone we know?”“Who?”“Shiny black SUV. Just turned off of Main.”“Nope, none of my people.”“Look, now they’re coming back. Must be lost.”“Not much out here to get lost in.”“Didn’t there used to a be a highway sign? Right there at the light?”“If I remember right, the Hardison boys knocked it over in the combine.”

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“Roxie Gone Rogue” by Aeris Walker

(Content Warning: Mild foul language)Jason ushered the leggy blonde through the threshold of his apartment and pretended not to notice the approving nods and obscene gestures from his forever frat boy neighbor.Amanda stepped in and looked around. “Cozy.”Jason attempted to see his space from her perspective—the open floorplan was sparsely furnished, with minimal décor, and bare, white counters. Sterile.So, she’s gorgeous and sarcastic. “Make yourself at home.” Jason called, stepping into...

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“Song of the Forest” by Aeris Walker

According to the lore, Humans cannot experience the music of the forest.At least, that’s what I’ve always been told. They are a species of just five senses, and even those have limitations; colors appear muted, sounds fall flat. Apparently, their hearing abilities are so atrophied they can only discern one distinct voice in a bird’s song, completely missing the three-part harmony of its chirped tune. It is clear they lack the sense of perception; I’ve seen it. I have watched the humans interact with almost no acknowledgement of one...

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“That Woman from Apartment 622” by Aeris Walker

Content Warning: Foul language, mention of substance abuse.Machines pounding, blades whirring, dust swirling. Trucks beeping, backing. Keep it moving. On the clock. Let’s go, let’s go.Knock, knock, knock.The sound ripped me from my sleep—from those looping, jarring dreams of the place I couldn’t seem to escape. But I’d take the dreams—I needed the sleep.The knocking wasn’t going away. I fell out of bed and dragged myself to the door, the neon numbers on the microwave telling me it was 6:00 am....

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“A Lifetime of Love” by Aeris Walker

His sticky hands snag my fur, but I don’t mind.Ben’s room has transformed into an island, and I am stranded at the base of an erupting volcano. The rug is lava, this cardboard box my vessel. I’ve been bound by the ruthless one-armed tyrannosaurus rex who has cast me in this shoddy boat and left me to fate. It is sinking, lower and lower into the molten rock.“Oh no!” My boy voices my need for rescue with a falsetto squeal. “Help me, someone help me!” Ben maneuvers my head so it appears I’m yelling.My boat is tipping; I...

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“A Tempestuous Mind” by Aeris Walker

I fear I am unwell.My startling outburst last evening must have confirmed this for you, and it will come as no surprise to anyone if you choose to put me away. I heard the viscount committed his own wife for a much lesser offense; the poor woman allegedly exhibited a fit of rage over tangled embroidery thread. Describing her behavior as “unnerving and volatile,” his assessment was damning enough to secure her future behind a stone-walled asylum. Though I dare never mention where my loyalties lie in the matter, I feel quite sympathe...

30 comments 30 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“What You Don't See” by Aeris Walker

I am your wedding photographer. I see it all.Decadent guests arrive in clusters. Heads turn and take in the grounds, the décor. Women fawn over flowers and dresses. Children fight to break away from grownups’ grips.The deep hum of a cello hushes all chatter. Tuxedo-clad men line the stage, shifting and fidgeting. The groom watches the door and wrings his hands.Music crescendos and the audience stands. A confection of white appears, a spray of roses bloom at its center. Chiffon rustles as an angel glides toward a man. ...

30 comments 30 SHORTLIST ⭐️

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“Friends Don't Let Friends Eat Poison” by Aeris Walker

“I wouldn’t eat that if I were you.”Bender slowly raised his head above the rim of the garbage can and looked for the source of the voice. “Who’s there?”Rix leaned against the cinderblock wall, his shadowed faced barely illuminated by the flickering lights. He scanned the parking lot before crossing to where Bender froze, elbow deep in the open dumpster. In one meaty paw, he held a half-eaten honey bun, the fatty glaze congealing in the heat of the summer night.Rix sidestepped a pothole swirling with oil and surveyed ...

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“Irreverence” by Aeris Walker

“If you would just give it one chapter, I know you’ll like it. I swear. Wait right here.” I fled the room, giddy that my kid sister was even willing to entertain my book recommendation. A product of the smartphone generation, the child possessed just enough attention span for middle-school gossip, viral internet clips, and any hot-blooded boy that reciprocated her ironic interest in 90’s pop-culture. I was pret...

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“A Table for Two” by Aeris Walker

(Sensitive content warning: substance abuse, violence, mild language.)John stood in the crowd of bodies and stared up at the bleak storefront. He remembered his taxi driver warning him about this district, that it was a rough area, and the restaurants in particular had the lowest ratings in the city. But John was down to his last Chinese Yuan and needed all the money he could scrape together for a ride to the embassy. He was starving and disoriented, and just needed to get something in his stomach for as cheaply as possi...

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“Killjoy” by Aeris Walker

“Sweetie, those jeans are giving you camel toe.”And it all comes rushing back, like a deluge of icy sewage water. This is exactly why I dread seeing my mother.She had flown into town for the wedding of one of her friend’s perfect daughters, who either had no idea my mom had been invited, or the girl enjoyed the crawly feeling of someone talking about you behind your back, nitpicking every flaw and shortcoming. If it was possible to leave Yelp reviews for weddings, baby showers, and other regular life events, my mother would ...

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“Ms. Beulah's Little Birds” by Aeris Walker

Wedged between Flame Boy’s Vape & Cig and a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in desperate need of power washing, Safe Haven Thrift Shop had stood as a beacon for the battered women of Beaufort County since 1998. Ms. Beulah Mumford had dedicated her last 20 years to managing the business—sorting inventory, keeping the books, and most importantly, feeding the birds. That’s how she referred to the girls; her little birds—fl...

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“Sun-kissed” by Aeris Walker

Stupid Suzy. I never should have listened to her.“Go with the red one,” she’d told me as we pilfered though my overstuffed closet. “I have it on good authority that red is his favorite color.”I crossed my arms. “Oh, really. How so?”“Well,” Suzy took on her gossip tone. “He and Todd were playing cards in the basement last week, and I heard them talking about girls—who they thought had the best body, who they were hoping to see this weekend, and stuff like that. And I heard Jackson say, ‘I always go for red.’ I...

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Author bio

In the same way I wish a stranger would have saved me the embarrassment of walking the length of the Tampa International Airport with my skirt tucked into the back of my underwear, I’m hoping you all will be speak up, be honest, and tell me if my writing is as humiliating as my wardrobe malfunction, before I take off on my proverbial literary flight.

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #146

A Tempestuous Mind – read story

Contest #144

What You Don't See – read story