Ali Anthony Bell

“When the Blood Moon Was a Blessing” by Ali Anthony Bell

Story written in Aramaic on a clay tablet found in the archeological site of Pasargadae in Iran.My name is Amytis, I’m the daughter of King Astyages and Queen Aryenis and the wife of King Kuras II and his queen. I was named after my paternal aunt, who is the Queen of Babylon with King Nebuchadnezzar II. Her beauty is so astonishing that the king built the hanging gardens for her. It’s an honor for me to be named after her.I would not even be alive today had it not been for the fateful event which occurred when my father was in battle with th...

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“TINKERBELL” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #202

“How about a little fun?” Jack snickers to his gang, tossing his chin up like a pointer, his eyes zeroing in on a solitary bookworm sitting on the blacktop of the school courtyard with his back against a brick wall. It’s the morning recess. They all nod approvingly as sinister smiles unite and eyes gleam with the anticipation of the attack. The loner is small and slim, with long straight sandy hair and gold wire-framed aviator glasses. Jack is the outsider’s antithesis in every way, from his sporty build to his outgoing manner. All the gi...

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“Brook's Breakaway” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #200

“Mr. Hawkins?” Sally Lehmann knocks on the open door and pokes her head into Alan Hawkins’ classroom at Orono High School in Northern Maine. Her husband Mark is with her. It’s after school and there aren’t any students.“Yes, come in Mr. and Ms. Lehmann, It’s good to see you. Please shut the door.” He gets up, walks towards them, shakes their hands, and returns to his desk, standing and leaning back on it. The Lehmanns take a seat at desks in the front row.“I hope it’s not serious?” Sally asks with a worried look.“Not ...

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“Going-to-the-Sun Once Again” by Ali Anthony Bell

It’s Saturday August 2nd, 1980, I turned 20 last March, and I’m living in a two-bedroom apartment in Minneapolis by myself. I’m on holiday until September 2nd, because the 1st is Labor Day.My job’s not too bad for a high school grad; worked my way up from stockman to Assistant Manager in two years. I have a $1000 ready reserve, and I just bought a ’76 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan with only 20 thousand on the meter. While beige isn’t exactly my favorite color, it was a great deal at 880 bucks, and I cou...

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“Riding the Struggle Bus” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #196

It’s a hot summer day in Casablanca, and I’m riding the bus home from work, standing room only. I had a seat when I got on at the terminus, but I soon gave it up to an old lady, something that most of the local men would never think of doing. It irritates me to no end. Sometimes, when I see a big hulk of a man sitting thoughtlessly while an old man or woman, a pregnant woman, or a mother with infants is standing right next to him, I want to go up and say “Hey, if that was your mother you’d be standing! There’s...

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“Just a Piece of Paper” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #188

Aziz Bellali is checking his mail at home.“Hey love, come and check this out! The Muhammad bin Ali al-Haj University wants to give me an award! And it’s even on my 65th birthday!”“That’s great, you deserve it!” his wife Aisha responds cheerfully.“But I can’t accept. Come and read the mail.”Aisha comes over to his side and reads:   ...

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“Happy Teacher’s Day” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #166

8:05, Wednesday October 5, 2022, World Teacher’s DayI’m an English teacher in an expensive private school in Casablanca. I was hired a month ago as Head of the English Dept. I arrive at school early and punch the clock, none of the material in the classrooms work, but there’s one thing that works, the digital employee time clock that they installed at the start of the school year, just one month ago.I go to my office and open the old run-down laptop that they loaned me, I go onto the ‘koolschools’ platform and check the name...

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“Stand-in Ovation” by Ali Anthony Bell

Submitted to Contest #123

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

Submitted to Contest #103

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

Submitted to Contest #98

“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

Submitted to Contest #96

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

Submitted to Contest #96

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

Submitted to Contest #95

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

Submitted to Contest #94

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

Submitted to Contest #93

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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