Ali Anthony Bell

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2020

Stories (34)

34 Stories

635 karma pts

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“Something in the Wind” by Ali Anthony Bell

The fragrance of mint fills the tent as the “atay” flows down in a meter-long cascade into the small finely decorated glasses, making the tea frothy. Mass Anazar Ibn Ziri, the supreme chief, clad in a long blue robe and turban, pours it in the traditional way; the teapot held high above the glasses. Serving atay is a daily ritual and takes on even more significance when there is a visitor. Several of the clan members are gathered around a fire in the tent and Asra is their guest. It’s sunset, and the he...

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“Night Flight” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s late in the evening and the resistance meeting in Al Madinat Aladwa (City of Light) on the planet Al’ard has just finished. As Fatima Zahra, Aziz, and the other members of the resistance group spread out in the narrow streets of the old walled city, suddenly drones appear and start firing stunners at them. They all run for cover. They can’t return to the bookstore where they were meeting; it’s been discovered. “I thought you said that we were safe from the drones at night!” Aziz declares in surprise. They zig-zag a...

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“Stand-in Ovation” by Ali Anthony Bell

Ali Albaz is standing in front of the mirror in the early morning sun. He’s practicing, experimenting, inventing, talking to himself, gesturing, and not sure at all how he’ll handle tonight’s concert. Scheherazade is still stretched out on the canopy bed in her nightgown. She’s explained the whole incredible situation. But before that, she had checked the bump on his head and changed the bandage, and then she had made love to him, partly to get even with Fatima Zahra for doing it with his brother, but then again, her twin sister was right...

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“Gabrielle, a Morning Dream” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s early Monday morning, a little after 4:30 am, and in my dreams I’m walking the halls of a school. Nothing surprising about that because I’ve spent all the previous month visiting schools for academic year-end English Day events as part of my job; judging public speaking competitions, doing spelling bees, delivering exam certificates, and giving speeches to promote the English Language. I live in Casablanca, and Engl...

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“My Heart Lies in Palestine” by Ali Anthony Bell

“Hello?”“Mr. Ahmed Ebrahim?”“Speaking.”“Hello, this is Anthony Bannister, I’m an investigative reporter with NPR. We have a radio show coming up on May 15th dedicated to Nakba Day, and I’m looking for survivors to bear witness to what they lived through. There aren’t many refugees here in the States, but your grand-daughter Aya contacted me and said that she’s sure you’d be willing to give me an interview. As you know, not many Americans know about this catastrophe, and my job is to increase awareness.”...

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“Harmony and Discord” by Ali Anthony Bell

Alexander Blackwell first saw the young Martiniquais Jazz singer Larissa Paris at one of her concerts in December 2007, and had taken pictures of her as she sang and played the piano, they had made acquaintance, and Alex took her phone number. He’s worked on a portrait of her without her knowledge, and now two months later he’s happy with it.Alex has an exposition for the month of March at the gallery Communic’Art, 18 rue de Gergovie in the 14th District. He wants to exhibit Larissa’s portrait with his other paintings, a...

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“Different Feathers Make Feathers Fly” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s Saturday, September 1st and Alexander Blackwell is at the vernissage of his exhibition at the bar “Les Artists” on rue Didot in the 14th District, at Metro Plaisance. In walks Kahina Zeroual, a 32-year-old, single, Parisienne Kabyle. She’s a fit, blue-eyed, black-haired beauty, and CFO of a French Multinational in the Cosmetics Industry. She’s admiring “Dos” a large nude painting of a woman’s back when Alex approaches her.“Hi, I’m Alex. You like it?”“Hi, Kahina. You’re the artist?”“That’s ri...

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“Before the Point of No Return” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s near the end of June 2009, and Alexander Blackwell is between a rock and a hard place. After his substantial year-end bonus in January the worldwide financial crisis hit France. Also, in January the CEO of the communication agency where he works set higher objectives for all of the project managers. For six months now Alex hasn’t been able to reach his objectives and has had very little commission-based pay. This is terrible, because his base salary isn’t sufficient; he relies heavily on the commissions and bonuses that make up about...

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“Just a Stone’s Throw Away” by Ali Anthony Bell

Daniel Starkman grew up in the Bay Area, and he was like all his friends. He was taught to take pride in being Jewish, while living in a world that was full of anti-Semitism. Zionism gave him a sense of belonging. It was an integral part of his life, and when he came of age, he didn’t hesitate to enroll in the IDF. He was thrilled to be able to defend Israel and to participate in taking back the land that was rightfully theirs. Lapidos Rivkin was from Tel Aviv. His parents came to Israel as Ashkenazi Jewish settlers before h...

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“After the Party’s Over” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s Friday, November 13, 2020, and Antônia Silveira Cruz has just gotten home from school. She’s in her second year in Agriculture and Forestry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She wants to help save the Rain Forest. There’s not a mean bone in her body.Antônia’s phone rings, it’s Vivien, her BFF.“Hi Vivi, how’s things? Any good luck for Friday the 13th?”“Hi Tôni sweetie, everything’s chill. I’m so excited! There’s a big party tomorrow night on Sugarloaf! It’s been so long! I’m so tired of being cooped up,...

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“Behind the Veil” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s a quarter to ten, a half-an-hour past sunset, on Saturday, August 9, 2008, and Alexander Blackwell is headed out to the Utopia, a Blues bar on the rue de l’Ouest. He has a date with Yasmina, whom he met on the net. He’s wearing a beat-up black leather jacket (just for the style, not for the weather), a pair of old ripped up blue jeans covered with paint, a black t-shirt with “The Who” and a silhouette of Pete Townshend that he bought at a concert in the Twin Cities back in ’82, 26 years ago. It’s a relic that he cherishes....

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“Doing it by The Book” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s December 1975, on a Greyhound bus somewhere between my home in Salt Lake City and Edmonton, Alberta. Jim came from San José, California, and now we’re on our way to our parents’ house for Christmas. I’m 15, and he’s just turned 18. We’ve both been sent to live with legal guardians.“I’ve got an early Christmas present for you, brother.” Jim hands me a large book, about 11” x 8” x 1.5” thick, THE WORLD OF M.C. ESCHER. On the top edge of the text block there’s an ink stamp, on the spine there’s a sticker marked ‘f769 E74z’, and w...

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“The Second Upsurge” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s 4:30 pm on Thursday April 15th, 2021 and Abel Pran Mody is travelling on a shoestring. He arrived two days before on the cheapest flight he could find from O’Hare to Indira Gandhi International Airport, $920, by Emirates Airlines. He booked into the Hotel Lotus at the airport for two nights at only $8 a night, and the next day he took a trip to the Taj Mahal. How could he come to New Delhi and not stop to see that wonder of the world? Now he’s sitting on a hard wooden seat in a crowded a 2nd class co...

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“The WEB” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s Friday December 14th and Alexander Blackwell has just gotten off work, his holiday is in front of him until Wednesday January 2nd, 2008. His paintings have been on exhibition at L’Osmos Bar at 33 rue de l’Ouest in the 14th District of Paris since November 26th, and will be there until January 3rd. He can’t wait to get home and log on to his Myspace to check his messages, and when he finally does, he’s in a sweat. Yes! His newest virtual lady friend, Emmanuelle Moreau, ha...

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“Ruby Slippers” by Ali Anthony Bell

It was St. Patrick’s Day, so Alexander Blackwell headed out to Shannon Pub, just a 10-minute walk from his studio at 84 Boulvard Raspail in the 6th District. Of course, there was green beer, but Alex didn’t go for it, he took a stool and ordered a Bushmills Irish whiskey instead. He was already dressed for the occasion, with the black suit, white shirt, emerald green silk tie and matching pocket square he had worn to work. Even if it was a Monday, St. Patrick’s wasn’t to be missed.Sitting nearby, Yacout Benazziz...

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Author bio

Discover my author's website at https://alianthonybell.com My life's story can be found in 3 adult autobiographical fiction novels, one collection of 10 short stories, and one short story memoir: 1) "From the Rockies to the Windy City" Novella (36,500 words) published December 2020 Rated 5-stars on goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4132314522 2) (sequel) "1983-1984 Surfing the Purple Wave" (58,250 words) Published May 2020 3) "Dream of Senegal and Other Stories" (23200 words) Published June 2021 (10 short stories from Reedsy prompts, credited as such) 4) "From the Red City to the White House" (52,500 words, my first novel and the best of all the above) Published April 2020 Rated 5 stars on goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53006567-from-the-red-city-to-the-white-house 5) "In the Lion's Den" Short story memoir (7000 words) Published April 2020 - Rated 5-stars https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53193793-in-the-lion-s-den Synopses of all the above can also be found on my author's website Hope you enjoy!