Andrea Krist

“Hindsight” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #275

"Hindsight..." You know the way that old saying goes, well, it's so much more potent when you're dead. Seriously, you will never know how true it is until after it's too late--and I mean that on every possible scale imaginable. And, yes, I know you humans can imagine a lot. I know I could when I was still--alive. But that was... well, time doesn't matter the same now as it did while I still drew breath. It won't matter the same for you either. You see, while there's a certain appeal in the idea of an afterlife to those still alive, not many ...

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“Fated Return” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #274

Her heart fluttered and her cheeks flushed. A wave of dizziness swept across her forehead making her blink. It couldn't be him. There is no way it's him. The palm of her right hand settled on her chest as her left reached for the wall. She narrowed her gaze, taking in the familiar slope of his shoulders and color of his hair. Across the room was an apparition or vision--an impossible sight in the form of a man she had thought gone forever. He did not move, but stood straight and tall, silent as the cornerstone of the building they were in. H...

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“Past Questions” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #273

Dear Diary, I know that it's been a few days since I've opened your pages and tried to put something down on paper. Things have been a little crazy. There's a lot that gets built up over time and trying to pack up a life lived in one place for so long is a challenge. It is absolutely amazing how much one can accumulate in just a few years—let alone a decade. You just don't realize how much you have until you're forced to sort through all of it and assign it a value—keep or don't keep. And that's why I'm taking refuge in your pages right now...

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“Fated End” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #272

The slant of her chin and cheeks were familiar. The way they caved in the center but were full beneath her eyes sent a spark of recognition through him. He knew what her skin felt like beneath his hands and lips--or rather--he had known... at one time. Despite the familiarity he saw in her eyes, he did not have the same reaction as she did upon seeing him. There was a shine of hope in her dark orbs that he did not share. Clouded with disbelief, her gaze held a knowledge of them together that she struggled to contain. He knew it existed but ...

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“Delayed Encounter” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #271

Gena sat in the metallic chair with her back pressed to its dismal cushion. Her hips and lower back ached from the lack of padding and she could not help recrossing her legs yet again. She sighed as she drew her backpack closer to her side and switched the hand holding her open book. She was trying to read, but the uncomfortable seat was connected to two more on either side of her and none of the chairs had an arm rest or a barrier between the seats. It meant there was nothing between her and the mother with her young son on her left or the ...

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“To Sneak A Snack” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #270

Pico peer around the corner into the dark kitchen. The room smelled like cut lemons and the remains of dinner. Light from the streetlamp shone in through the window above the sink and made the laminate floor shine like fresh ice on a lake. Beneath the counter hummed the dishwasher. Its rhythmic swish and thump like a thunderous rain storm. His long nose twitched with his whiskers. Beyond the disinfectant chemicals the humans of this house used to clean every surface, he could smell traces of beef, potatoes, carrots, corn, and green beans. He...

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“A Scoop of Magic” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #269

She can't be serious. Carla was not sure what her face looked like at the moment, but doubt and disbelief had to be present. She blinked at the other woman—at least, she figured she was a she. It was hard to tell sometimes, especially this late at night—on​ a back street that was lit by a single flashing bulb.  Maybe she's nuts or just looking for a way to entertain herself. Carla narrowed her eyes at the woman's lanky frame. The heavy overcoat she wore was several sizes too big, her wrist small enough that Carla was sure the ...

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“Backward Advancements” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #268

The sun-bleached envelope was no longer crisp but textured with a layer of age. John slid his gnarled fingers along the dried-out seal so he could wheedle out its contents. A folded piece of paper dropped to his lap followed by a second. His name was written on the top of each: one with the notation "age 20" written beneath and one tagged "age 25." The familiar handwriting on them was the same script as on the front of the envelope. It was his handwriting. He lowered the envelope to his lap with trembling hands and opened the page labeled "a...

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“Lofty Adventure” by Andrea Krist

Submitted to Contest #267

Pale light flashed beyond the clouded windows. One... two... three... four... The crack that followed echoed across the roof line and faded into the trees surrounding the property. Lilah tightened her fingers around the corded rope and pulled. The attic stairs swung down with a metallic chorus as the ancient springs woke from a long sleep. She reached overhead and drew the lower portion of the staircase to meet the floor, settling it before glancing into the dark chasm overhead. Lightning lit the upstairs hall and stairs to the main floor be...

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“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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