Azalea Young

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2020

Stories (11)

11 Stories

184 karma pts

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“The Wasteland” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #97

I shuffle the grains of sand between my fingers, willing something, anything, to be contained in the particles. When the grains finish falling, leaving my fingers empty of anything useful I force myself not to scream. It’s okay. I have to remind myself. You’ve gone much longer without the Chips. Reginald Thomas Wentworth II (we don’t talk about what happened to Reginald Thomas Wentworth I) seems to think the same, for he lifts one scaled hand up to rest on my knee, cocking his head to the side, staring up at me with his wide violet eyes. ...

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“Magical Menagerie ” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #85

Liz 2019 Liz casts her eyes around the place, a once over of everything as she steps into the building. She doesn’t know exactly why she does it--she’s never been here before so why should she look around as if she’s looking for differences? But she had studied the address outside, and it matches the one on the slip of paper in her hand. This is it. This is where Nana had wanted her to come. The only question is why. Nana was always a little off, one of those eccentric old ladies who owned lots of cool things and would tell you the stori...

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“Blue” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #82

“Smart move.” “Ah, but yours was smarter.” I slide my chess piece to the next available square and lock eyes with Keyman. “Your turn.” Keyman smiles, his white whiskers lifting as he scoops up a chess piece in gnarled hands and knocks over my rook. “You’re going easy on me 22A.” “Well, I do try to be kind.” I move my queen forward without looking at Keyman this time. “It balances us out. If I was just as ruthless as you, where would I be?” “With quite a few more wins in chess.” He slides his king into the space I knew he would and procla...

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“A Different Kind Of Ophalim” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #75

Of Important Note:With the creation of Yaliba, the power gifted to us by the gods, comes the discovery of Passage--the departing of this life and into another. Not exactly death, but rather a moving on, a letting go. The Council and its Board of Directives has spent the past 10 years researching Passage and all that it entails. They have come to a conclusion as to what must be done about its discovery. Thus, it has led to the creation of the Ophalim , ferriers between this life and whatever is after it. They are our guides, our light, the gu...

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“No Questions Prohibited” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #72

When Jastor wakes up he has questions. And lots of them. This room--with it’s bare brown walls, this threadbare blanket, raggedy and too small for his body, the pale orange of the sky outside his window, the remembrance that he has to wake up to get to Uzoa, the mining factory where he works--is a giant question mark. He can almost see it hanging in the air as he stares up at his ceiling. He knows that this is his room, that this is the blanket he’s been using ever since he was a child, the last relic of Mama, that the orange is the same ...

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“Rosaline” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #71

“Valerie and Charity, Nicholas and Damien.” I cross off the names on the starchy white paper as I continue scanning the list. “And John and Carter. Joy and Diana.” I cross those names off the list too. “Isaiah and Ransom. And…” I search for the last name. The name that perhaps matters the most. “Rosaline.” I put down the pen after circling the name. It’s her. It has to be her. I’ve looked into the rest of my cousins, but they’ve all led me to dead ends. And besides with the way she’s been acting as of late, she’s hiding something. I know she...

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“I Was Scared” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same.  Okay, maybe twenty-four years is a bit of an exaggeration, but still. A lot can change in a near ten years, but not the outside of Marco’s apartment. Bella doesn’t know why she would think it would be different, I mean, her apartment isn’t any different but...maybe the red brown brick and black metal reminds her too much of when things were different. When her and Marco were different. “C’mon you have a plan.” Bella mutters to herself, gr...

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“The Branching” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #66

Underfoot the pavement sizzles, so hot it burns through Vivi’s thick soled boots. Today promises to burn, the sun and its rays thick with heat that feels as if it’s roasting Vivi from the inside out. It spills from the clouds illuminating the track, casting all the racers in a harsh light that makes Vivi grateful for her dark visor and helmet. The major disadvantage with that though is how the sun feels drawn to her. Not the best day to wear all black. And not the best day for her motorbike to be all black too. Still though, there’s no ch...

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“The Fire Next Door” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #64

There are two things that wake me. The first is the acrid smell of smoke, drifting in through the small crack in my window. The second are the golden orange flames that I can see painted in the sky surrounding a cottage.  It’s Peter’s.  My feet are moving off their own accord as I slip on my robe, throw on my boots, and tear across my lawn towards the house opposite my own. It seems silly to knock, but I do so anyways.  “Peter!” I bang my fist against the door, but the wood is hot. Hotter still is the door handle as I gra...

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“The Lost Boy” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #63

“How about this one?” Mary holds up a ruby red apple, the skin covered in golden speckles and small patches of green.“No,” I place the apples in my hands into our basket, the wood catching on my gloves as I do so. “It’s not red enough yet.”Mary rolls her eyes and chucks it into the basket anyways. “You said that about the last ten I picked. There’s nothing wrong with them!” She turns away from me, her short curls bobbing in the breeze. “Not everything can be perfect you know, Alice.”“Apple’s can.” I turn back to the stout tree in front of me...

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“Nothing & No One” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #62

Birds skitter out of my way as I practically storm down the path, away from that God forsaken temple. How dare they! How dare they! I understand that the Oracle isn’t to blame, that they’re only the bridge between us and the stars. That they have no control over the future, but the way they phrased it! The way they phrased it! I narrowly avoid stepping on a sparrow, the creature too tiny for me to see in my rage. Perhaps it's a sign I should sit down for a moment on one of the stone steps. But no!  Sitting this close to the temple will ...

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Author bio

Avid reader and aspiring writer.