Carlo Sarrosa

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (10)

10 Stories

230 karma pts

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“Remembering You” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #100

note: Kuya = endearing term used to refer to an older brother I set out all my ingredients before me, mentally checking them off a list I’d prepared months ago. On my left hand side, the basics: some beef stock, a couple vegetables, flour, milk, and finally, salt and pepper. As my eyes moved to the right, however, the stuff on the table became more unique: the seven days of food and drink had left me plenty of leftovers to work with. Bay leaves, peppercorns, roasted pork belly, bone marrow, and a dozen other ingredients were scattered on ...

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“Sunrises and Goodbyes” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #99

The phone’s 5:30 AM alarm played the first of its shrill tones, only for my hand to turn it off in an instant. The only sound left in the room was my chair creaking, as I finally stood up and took a break from the dim laptop screen. A more optimistic version of myself had set those alarms, hoping against all hope that I’d finally decided to sleep early. But looking out the window now, as the first rays of the sun broke through the retreating night, I had plenty of time to think about how stupid that thought was.  I sat beneath the wi...

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“Hey ;)” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #94

Warm applause greeted me as I walked onto the brightly-lit stage. The first thing I could see was the panel of judges, some staring me down, some with encouraging smiles on their faces. The hundreds of audience members behind them seemed to amplify their emotions. I took a deep breath, and sat down. I broke the silence as my fingers tapped the piano keys, warming up with a few notes. “I’ll be singing a short song that I wrote.” The note became chords under my fingers. “It’s called ‘Please Don’t Leave,’ and as cheesy as that sounds,” a fin...

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“Flashes of Red” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #93

“I know you’re excited. But we go in together, okay? And you stick close to me and your dad, always.” Kitty nodded impatiently at her mom’s lecture. They were stuck in an unmoving line, leading straight into the entrance of the Sunset Peak Festival. This family trip, which had started as a one-off impulse travel, had quickly become an annual tradition for the three of them. Kitty had waited endlessly for the day when they would come back, pushing the patience of her parents with never ending questions. But finally, after another year, she wa...

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“When Australis Went Dark” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #92

FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPT CAM 35 - Interview Room #1 Beep. The door softly chimes as Captain Cassandra Ramos enters, followed closely by 2 guards who wait in the rear of the room. She calmly sits down, preparing a personal camera, an audio recorder, and her own notes. Across from her is the only confirmed survivor from the Australis City incident, Dr. Sam Morales. Ramos clears her throat, and starts her recording as the doctor fidgets in his seat RAMOS: Interview Log, number 1, dated January 14, 2025. Interviewer is Cassandra Ramos, Captain...

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“Keep. Eden. Alive.” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #90

The Gardeners, they called us. We were the only ones they trusted to take care of Eden, and I was one of the lucky few to make it all the way here. The application process had been grueling, but now, as I sat in the middle of a crowded train, I couldn’t help but smile. Being a Gardener was the highest level of work: guaranteed riches, guaranteed insurance, and the best medical care Earth had to offer. So long as you keep Eden alive. That phrase had been ingrained in my head by my superiors, over and over and over. At all costs. The words ...

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“Not to Me” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #88

I tugged nervously at my collar. At the very least, I thought, I looked like I actually belonged here. The rich purple of my cloak, and the blue of the clothes underneath, blended in well with the other colors of the royal court around me. Still sucked, though. The frills extending from the collar rubbed against my chin, and I pulled it back as discretely as I could. I’d always hated turtlenecks, and this felt like the turtliest of them all. Some Victorian designer HAD to have looked at this, and thought: “Yeah, none of that.” And than...

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“The First Eclipse” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #87

Once, when all we knew was young, there was only the Creator. He did not constantly watch the worlds He made, rather, He simply created them, starting them on the path to be the world they wanted to be. With the potential of His mind, the peace of His spirit, and the fight of His will, these beings were born to a universe of endless possibilities. Rarely has He ever answered a summons, but on this fateful time, a particularly sullen world called out to Him. “Give us light, we beg of you,” its people said. “Through your guide, we may becom...

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“The Mind's Eye” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #86

“Haaaaaaaaa!” The sounds came out of the girl’s mouth in a perfect melody, echoing through the wooded areas around her. Her hands went over her lips in surprise; was that her voice? Tentatively, she opened her mouth, and tried again. “Haaaaaaaaaaaa!” It was louder now, and yes, she could feel her throat moving with it! The wind carried it loud and clear, and she could almost imagine the woods singing it back to her. Wait, no.. The woods really were singing it back! She spun around, and heard her melodies repeated back in ever increasin...

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“Power Man and the City of Idas!” by Carlo Sarrosa

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city of mine. I built it from the ground up, brick by brick, with my own 2 hands! I MADE the people here. I am this city’s guardian! And you…” I picked up the defeated villain of the day by his neck, a look of fear visible even underneath his mask, ...are not welcome here.” I flew high above, threatening to drop the evildoer to his demise. “See that sign over there?” I continued. He turned his head, right as the sunlight fell on the glorious sign adorning the front of my city: IDAS “Home of the Power Man!”...

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Author bio

20, M, Philippines