Andrea Krist

“Twisted Tales” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #266

Hi, my name is Bella, which is short for Isabella. I live outside the city in a small neighborhood with long sidewalks and few trees. Don't ask what city it is because at the moment I can't remember. I realize I should know where I live, but recently details—especially ones pertaining to my life—have been getting all mixed up. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like someone is playing a practical joke on me. It's like I'm constantly forgetting who I am. Some days all the details feel right and sometimes they just feel—wrong—like they were s...

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“Familial Ties” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #265

Keeta pressed her laptop and power cord into the navy blue suitcase next her cell phone charger. The bag was already filled to the zipper line, but there was still something missing from its cache. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, electronics... She was not sure what exactly she had forgotten, but the the lack of--whatever it was--nagged at her. She spun around to survey her bedroom. Everything she needed from the closet was already in the bag.The essentials from her desk had been removed and included amongst the clothes. All that was required fo...

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“Fated Switch” by Andrea Krist

Johnson pulled the collar of his crisp suit jacket away from his neck. He hated formal wear. He hated the white attire and gold buttons, the red pants and black shoulder cape. He hated the shallow brimmed hat with feathers and the stiff boots that made his feet ached from stuffing them inside. If he had had the choice to ditch the entire outfit he would have. If he could back out of the ensuing ceremony he would do that too. But the order to attend the crowning of a new ruler in one of the neighboring countries had come from higher up the la...

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“Tidal Waves” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #263

Travis sat on the bed and stared at his hands. It was gone. He could feel it. He was not sure how or why it had been taken from him, but his ability was gone. He rubbed the tips of his fingers with his thumbs. Nothing external had changed. He looked, sounded, and--for the most part--felt the same. The residual tingling in his palms and wrists was normal, but he was not as he was before. There was a deep-set knowing, an empty hole in the pit of his stomach that lay open and exposed, raw and bleeding. A part of him was missing and he knew in w...

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“For the Last Time?” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #262

Kelsey sat in the car with her cheek on her fist and her elbow on the armrest. Brian--her husband--had been inside the Resident Hotel for almost an half hour talking to the hostess about getting a room. He had, unfortunately, taken the keys with him, so the air was thick. Sweat poured down the sides of her face and dampened the hairs on the back of her neck. She had long since tuned out the cars that lined up behind them in the drop-off area. Their horns and shouts for them to move had faded along with their attempts to get her attention. T...

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“Tallia's Thanks” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #261

Dear World, Today my mother gave me an assignment. She says I need to take some time to stop and think. She wants me to write down all that I am thankful for. I told her that would take too long and was not worth starting. She said to try anyway. So, here I am trying. To the Sun, Thank you for your warmth. Thank you for the light you give each morning that springs above the hills and begins a new day. Thank you for the colors you bring to the sky in the evening and for knowing how long each day should last so that the world can take the rest...

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“Of Castles and Cages” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #260

Richard adjusted himself in the saddle and stared across the English countryside. The rolling hills calmed his spirits whenever things did not feel right, but today they were as ill-at-ease as he. A cool wind blew the grass and ruffled his cloak. He pulled his chaperon lower upon his head and glanced at his companion. Penelope was a few years older than him--although she had never confided her true age. She was mature in her mannerisms, suitable to be a bride, yet remained unwed. Though he assumed she was no more than sixteen many in court ...

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“Unearthed” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #259

Valli deposited the bag of refuse in the bin then closed the lid. A second later she could hear the motor whir as the garbage was whisked away. It tumbled down a series of chutes that led to the collection site outside of the habitat her family lived in. Every complex within the protective dome operated the same way making things simple and easy--a stark contrast from the way things had been before. Even from their seventh story apartment window, Valli could not see over the wall that separated the dumpsite from the habitable space. Clean a...

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“Uncovered Hope” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #258

Shayla peeled back the charred cover of the book she had been reading--yesterday. It had been no more than twelve hours ago that she had last touched these pages. Now they were black, brittle, and scented with smoke. No resemblance of the magical world she had been living in through its crafted prose remained. It had all gone up in flames. Tears welled in her eyes. Everything around her was cracked and broken--the table and chairs she sat in for dinner, the fold-out couch she lounged in to read, even her computer. Every key had melted into a...

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