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Arora Gleans

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2024

Stories (18)
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33 Followers
72 Following

18 Stories

463 karma pts

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The Rooftop

Submitted to Contest #314

Above the dining table, a rickety ceiling fan sliced the air like a helicopter in descent. The cacophonous sound filled my ears as we sat, dipping pieces of chapattis in piping hot dal on a balmy summer day. Summers in India were my constant; the moment when the seesaw was suspended in the air, levitating above the mud and sprouts of crisp grass below. Although my silken blouses and floral dresses clung to my perspiration in the humid air of Panipat, the stickiness always flew to the back of my mind as the forefront was filled with dreams of...

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Whispers of the Forest

Obscadom and Lythion, kingdoms of darkness and light, reside within magical realms deep inside forests across the globe. It is said that both these kingdoms bring different emotions to our world, which allows us to thrive. Obscadom brings grief and loss, while Lythion rules with hope and love. Although both kingdoms function in harmony, Lythion has always had the dominant hand. For thousands of years, Obscadom has tried to overrule the more powerful reign of Lythion time and time again, as each ruler believes to be stronger than the one befo...

5 likes 6 comments 6
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Summer through the Paperweight

Summer loved her very own living room with the spongy carpets and colourful stuffed animals scattered across the floor. She hugged her toys, especially her favourite lop-eared bunny, and enjoyed the time of day when the cartoons played on the magical box, when her sister would always call, “turn off the TV, I can’t think!”Margaret was so much older, which meant she used words like ‘natural ombre’ when describing Summer’s hair with envy to her gangly friends. Summer hadn’t the slightest clue what ‘ombre’ meant. Her curls were tight ringlets, ...

6 likes 10 comments 10
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A Papered Mirror

Submitted to Contest #306

“Lovely, did you get that?” I heard her voice tremor like still water on a shaken table. My eyes were lost, scanning the walls with stains of the past. “Hon?” The soothing voice turned clear from the initial drone as I stared into the artistic wrinkles on her face. I had grown used to Mrs. McNulty’s presence in my life as she presented one apartment to another, one house to another, each with her hands spread grandly as if there wasn’t any other final destination I would rather see. The journey was a maze—each place I saw, drowning me furthe...

10 likes 6 comments 6
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IN THE MIDDLE OF THE UNKNOWN

Submitted to Contest #301

The even sound of wheels rolling over gravel was satisfying for James to hear from the safety of a smooth car seat, strapped between the rough belt. The clinical scent of leather still filled the inside of the vehicle, but outside, the expansive fields, scattered puddles of blue water, and the clear sky with clouds that hopped straight from an oil painting felt like an escape from the stuffy space inside. James stared at the underdeveloped road up front with half-open eyes. No other cars or people were nearby. It was empty until a vanishing ...

8 likes 4 comments 4
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Girl

Submitted to Contest #290

The London Tube feels like an unsettling thriller.As I stand by the platform edge, my headphones blasting indecipherable lyrics through my ears, I worry that someone might push me over the edge amidst the chaos. The thought makes my body shudder stiffly, and I wince. After looking up at the digital board, there were still five minutes for the tube to come bolting down the tracks as a swarm of people hog the automatic doors to be the first ones inside. Five minutes is an eternity for the London Tube; it's like the tube is as slow as I am afte...

9 likes 6 comments 6
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The Tiny Suitcase Project

Submitted to Contest #286

I was slouched on the soft carpeted floor with a small suitcase and a closet bursting with possessions. A closet filled to the brink of exploding, and a tiny suitcase. A minuscule suitcase, and a closet of chaotic festivities. I looked back and forth between the empty compartment lying still on the floor and the wide-open wardrobe doors with robust colours and frivolous items dancing uncomfortably off-beat. As I gazed deep inside, I rendered this task futile. It was impossible to fit all my possessions inside the worn-out bag sitting by my k...

14 likes 8 comments 8
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The Residue of Home

Submitted to Contest #285

The darkness held its usual silence with the sudden escapes of noise from motorbikes zooming down the highway to children cackling down the streets past curfew. Once the momentary roars of the night faded away, Rue could savour the beautiful silence again. The night always held a certain tranquility that left her heart full, but today the navy sky brought nothing but heartwrenching quietude as Rue Casey craned her neck to see the uncrumpled sheets by her side.   From now on, her crinkled fingers and sagging cheeks would never feel ...

13 likes 6 comments 6
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Emerald's Santa

Submitted to Contest #284

Emerald Bittrel did not die yesterday. Or the morning before when the sun was low and dense clouds scattered across the musty blue sky. Emerald was sure her heart was beating soundly and her lungs were functioning smoothly. Emerald Bittrel was the epitome of living at the bare minimum. A clean heart, and an active body that took her from work and home and then to her worn-out, chipped, desk once more. The banality of her life was never forgotten and Emerald Bittrel never experienced the flavourful moments of living that one ought to have. At...

15 likes 14 comments 14
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Sophie Moore and Charlie Packett Talk

Submitted to Contest #280

I’m glad you finally came for dinner.Yeah, me too.We’ve been planning this for a while, haven’t we?We have. Did you enjoy the spaghetti? It was incredible, Sophie. Did you really make it yourself?Why do you sound so shocked?I’m not shocked. It’s just the pasta was delicious, I truly can’t get enough of it. Oh, well, thank you. Yes, I did make it myself from scratch. I think I might drop everything and become a chef.I say do it and I’ll be your assistant chef, or whatever it's called. It’s a plan. It’s definitely a pl...

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Willow’s Last Three Words

Submitted to Contest #279

Willow turned her body in agony as the sun streamed through her bedroom window into her wide-open eyes. Although the sun rose a few moments ago, Willow had been awake the entire night, tossing, turning, and jolting up straight when her breath staggered.Today, Willow Church turned thirteen years old. For the past few months, the taste of being a teenager was all she could salivate about. Thirteen was entering a new era of blue-streaked hair and staying out later than she could at twelve.Willow was especially excited to go to school on he...

14 likes 7 comments 7
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The Emerald Keychain

Submitted to Contest #277

When Hannalina Grey entered the office, it was one minute past nine in the morning. She strutted across the white marble floor with a paper cup of coffee wrapped beneath her pointy red nails. Hannalina always rolled in a minute late with her chocolate hair snatched up in a ponytail. The sweet lady at the reception hollered good morning in her usual cheery mood and Hannalina displayed her signature smile—straight teeth and sparkly from all the whitening she endured. Although Hannalina entered the office late with a certain grandeur, there was...

14 likes 8 comments 8
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Milk Chocolate Summers

Submitted to Contest #276

When I was younger I told my friends I liked dark chocolate—bitter dark chocolate, eighty-five percent cocoa. I found dark chocolate was sophisticated and elegant, so having an affinity for it decked me with maturity. Although I boldly conveyed my unique interest in the bitter and dry taste, somewhere buried inside, I truly loved milk chocolate. Not just any milk chocolate, but the most simple and effective kind. Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate. It was the very taste that imaginarily lingered on my tongue during the car ride Mummy and I took fr...

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David Summer and the Panel of Death

Submitted to Contest #275

David Summer was a good man. He wore round spectacles and his few tufts of white hair always stood on his head, bestowing him a sweet old-age appearance, although he wasn’t quite as old as many thought. He had broad shoulders and stood at five feet six inches tall while his wife, Regina Summer, was slightly shorter. The two of them had a daughter as sweet as nectar, so the parents leaned towards an acceptable flower name—Lily. David went to work every day for the past thirty years and changed companies only twice. His family didn’t know what...

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A Tale of the Weorbyn

Submitted to Contest #274

The weorbyn is a fuzzy creature with black fur and yellow button eyes. Its round stature stands five inches above the ground and its floating demeanor of movement allows it to be mistaken for a ball of dust. The weorbyn is a rare creature, found within the thicket of bushes. Many have forgotten the legend of this small, yet malicious animal. Do not be fooled by its honey-like voice infiltrating your ears and slow blinking, reminiscent of puppy eyes. While a Kraken or Griffin is rightfully feared for their strength and horrific presence, a we...

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