Anthony Beska

“Demon of The Chasm” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #217

Demon of The Chasm  Spirit drained from the journey, the weary villager barged into the tremendous estate. He can’t even bring himself to be lost in the grandeur the noble warrior indulges in. The common area was aglow with life; a troupe of bards played and sang such sweet music of the warrior’s stories of conquest from the great war. The noble warrior, mighty and cunning Apevti himself had glistening goblets studded with jewels overflowing with the finest wines he’d been gifted and acquired in war tours all across the continent in eve...

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“Family Trade” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #214

Family Trade Vacationing in Italy is like a dream. Mark got to hike along scenic sloping vistas with his older brother and father. He and his grandfather got to gorge on the finest Italian delicacies in various holes in the walls all around Sicily. They’d sit on the cobblestone streets, basking in the sights and smells of another foreign land. The country seemed alive with an awe-inspiring beauty.  Mark and his family were settling into their hotel room, a lofty suite fit for a family of five. Mark was going for some wine. His elders al...

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“Lycanthrope” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #210

Lycanthrope “In local news, the alleged Wolf-Man of Cedarview Hills struck again last night. The bodies of thirty-two and thirty-three-year-olds Marcus Vuxh and his fiancé Daria Clees were discovered this morning at the break of dawn by a passerby…” The anchorwoman’s live crime-scene reporting went mute at the press of a button. “And I found the Wolf-Man.” Jackson boasted confidently to his best friend and number one critic, Wayne, from his computer chair. The former of the two crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. “Suuuuure, ...

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“Old Friends” by Anthony Beska

Old Friends  Nothing made Vic want to come back here. What was there to come back to? His parents had retired closer to him, so he and his wife had their family close to their home in sunny Cali. That’s where their lives are. Being back in this Jersey hick-town made him all the more confident that it held nothing for him. It’s a truth he knew since, maybe, middle school. He didn’t come home of his own volition. An invite to an old friend’s wedding nudged him this way and his wife pushed him the rest. While Vic hadn’t spoken to his old J...

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“Soup or Salad” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #190

Soup or Salad You’ll never be short on Italian restaurants in New York. Even with plenty of them foolishly abandoning ship and heading down to Jersey, there’s still far more of them than grains of sand on the beach or pieces of trash in the subway. Regardless of how dime a dozen the joints can be, everyone has their favorite. From a crummy little hole-in-the-wall pizza joint nestled between a handful of other dying businesses in a strip mall to the more upscale Italian bistros always bustling with business. David Callader sat somewhere in th...

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“Mel’s Diner” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #162

Mel’s Diner  Carrie lays longways across her couch, feet up on the armrest. After finally finishing her third double in a row in retail Hell, she wanted nothing more than to unwind on the couch. To doze off watching awful cable TV. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her breathing relaxed. She was on the cusp of unconsciousness.  “Hey, Mom?” The soft sing-song voice of her daughter rang out, stirring her from her stupor. “Mm?” Carrie hummed as she began to come to, much to her dismay. “What is it, Nikki, baby, I’m trying to sleep.” She rep...

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“When it Rains, it Pours” by Anthony Beska

Submitted to Contest #160

When it Rains, it Pours Vandelay High’s junior class refused to let a stormy day ruin their prom. If dreary weather were a viable excuse as a deterrent, nothing would ever get one in their small town. Barkersville always seemed to have some sort of overcast or rain. Even in the harsh summer months the sun scarcely makes herself present. The John F. Kennedy banquet hall had been rented out by Vandelay High for the evening’s festivities. Almost the entire junior class showed up, dolled up and dressed in overpriced suits and dresses that would ...

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