Alexis Araneta

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2023

Stories (40)

40 Stories

3984 karma pts

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“May I Have A Word?” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #238

Warning: Allusions to sex“Come sit, Liz.”“Damn it! She already knows my name,” I thought to myself as a shudder ran down my spine, a slow-moving glacier that froze my nerves little by little and all at once at the same time.I stared at the woman --- she who’d sunk a sizable amount of her savings for a last minute plane ticket and a hurried hotel reservation, she who’d spent ten and a half hours up in the air and navigated the maze of Heathrow for the first time just to see and have a word with me --- at the opposite end of this corner booth ...

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“Love Me, Love Me Not” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #237

TW: Mental health, mention of sex“Oh crap,” I whisper as the morning sun’s rays come pouring into the large bay windows of my room, piercing my eyeballs with so much light that I could feel my irises sweat.Geez, why is the sun up so high, so early. Damn it, it’s February in bloody Barnet. Shouldn’t I still be waking up to a jet black sky littered with twinkling stars at six in the morning? Why has the cool, chilly breeze blowing from the Arctic that has caressed me for the past couple of months been replaced by the burning lasers from hell? ...

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“Ring Me Up ” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #237

Missed Connections London Facebook Group15 February 2024Post Number 1984:To the blue-eyed man in the lilac shirt at Rhodri's on the night of 10 February:Hello!Look, I’m not usually the type to do this. Before you walked into my life and changed the flow of my days with just a radiant smile, I would have looked at this page, sighed at all the syrupy confessions of deep longing and affection, and started being concerned for the safety of all who yearn to connect with a stranger, to all who dare shout into, well, a void. Now, look at me prattl...

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“Non-Fan Mail” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #236

Dear Ms. Nova,Congratulations on 30 years in the music biz! I’m very happy you’ve lasted this long in the industry because your music really is awesome and you deserve the longevity.You’ve probably heard this a lot, but my mom Donna and I are huge fans of yours. We’ve bought all of your albums: from your debut album “Dreams” to the latest one, “Higher”. Any time we’re together, we just have to play one of your albums. Your music is literally a form of bonding for us.I’ve included a photo of you during your last concert here in our city, and ...

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“Never Been to Paradise” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #235

Author's note: This story is heavily based on the 1977 Charlene song "I've Never Been to Me". I do not own the rights to this song or its lyrics.TW: Mentions of abuse, marital sexual violence**October 7, 1978Buckle Rod, AlabamaDear Charlene (or, whatever your name is),Firstly, yes, I can finally admit it: meeting you two years ago was indeed, as you put it, fate. I must admit that I was, at first, visibly annoyed when you, looking every inch like a Golden Age film star in your Hermès scarf, approached me at the park, only for you to preach -...

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“The Assignment” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #234

TW: Mention of death, suicide“Diana Sétte, please proceed to the Rose Hall your job interview.”Diana stood up and followed the instructions of the melodious voice coming out of the intercom system. With each step, she noticed how light she was on her feet; it was as if she floated on air. Back out there --- Earth, all she’d known was weight. The heavy sensation of a bullet piercing her heart and taking her to the grandiose hall she was now walking in was but the last in a series of crushing weights she felt throughout her life. Perhaps, the ...

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“Going Dry” by Alexis Araneta

“It tastes like what I’d imagine a dumpsite tastes like. Blech!”I look at the gold-topped counter in front of me with a lot of disdain. Everything looks like it’s supposed to. Rows of gleaming bottles shimmer inside a gold-painted cabinet, as if they’re the crown jewels being protected from the public’s reach. The ponytailed bartender, her white shirt with the Faye’s Bar logo embroidered on it looking crisp, is staring at me with an expression of resignation and…is it just me but does it also look like it….pity.Of course, she pities me, stuc...

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“The Taskmasters' New Year's Treat” by Alexis Araneta

1 January 2017Okay, so after five years of setting New Year's resolutions, blazing through them for two months, and then completely forgetting about it in March, I want to try something different. A game ? THE game ? The one I watch without fail on Thursdays on telly ?Welcome to Taskmaster: Sam's New Year Treat!Here goes nothing.Using an unusual line that could have been from Taskmaster, finally introduce yourself to Marina Scott from Marketing. Come on now, Sam. You've been stealing glances at that brunette with the fox-like face and the sp...

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“Interior Design” by Alexis Araneta

Things to Take With You in Your New Townhouse:1. 500-Title Book Collection (Collection Started: 1993) – Place on the shelves --- painted lavender, of course --- all over the house. No need to differentiate between Graeme’s titles and yours. After all, when you told him all those years ago you wanted to live in a library, his quick response was “Can it be OUR library?”Copies of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera”, Muriel Barbery’s “The Elegance of a Hedgehog”, and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry...

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“The Elopement Proposition” by Alexis Araneta

Hi, everyone ! Well, this is the first short story I've written in years, so I may be a little rusty. Basically, I'll be using Reedsy to get back into writing again. Either way, I hope you like it.**“Just how do I do this?” Alice asks herself as she looks out the window of a London cab.The gently falling snow is covering everything in a light, pristine white powder, as if stardust descended upon Brixton Hill. Normally, Alice would have watched every single snowflake fall as a smile of wonder crept across her face. After all, back in Luiseith...

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Author bio

Some corporate worker and unapologetic romantic living in Manila, Philippines resuscitating the writer in her. Embracing writing under her real name little by little. May include her love of 70s and quiet storm tracks, cities, and languages in her stories. Read me ramble: https://stellastaretoile.substack.com/ Hear me ramble in a strange accent: https://bluemarblestorytellers.com/podcast/im-yours-alexis-araneta/ See too much of my selfies and music posts: https://linktr.ee/cestmoiallie Contact me even from lightyears away: namasayaalexis@gmail.com Come chat with us about writing, books, writing competitions...and dogs and bunnies (sometimes) : https://discord.gg/bxTWQw3HJR