Christopher Abel

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2019

Stories (5)

5 Stories

90 karma pts

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“Anatidaephobia” by Christopher Abel

Submitted to Contest #206

I remember the moment I told the world about it- my secret, mortifying fear. I remember it like it was yesterday, because once it came out, once manifested, my life was never the same. I’ve been haunted by the memory, nearly as much as the fear itself. If just one kid had told me the truth about that afternoon, if just one person had been brave enough to tell the social pariah what had actually happened, then perhaps it wouldn’t have come to this. It was fifth grade, Mrs. Trott’s class, show and tell. The idea was that every child bri...

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“Home At Last” by Christopher Abel

Submitted to Contest #164

“Jeremy Wilkins, as I live and breathe!” I stopped dead amid the exhaust smell of the Greyhound and the press of the other departing passengers, my grip on my suitcase gone suddenly and inexplicably weak. Hearing my name spoken aloud in that voice was like both seeing a ghost and walking through its incorporeal chill. I had heard that voice intermittently over the last few years, though it was always over the phone, warped by the tinniness of long distance. In person, I was shocked at how much it hadn’t changed from my memories. “Jeez Loui...

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“Reflections” by Christopher Abel

Submitted to Contest #160

From my place in the garden, the sound of the kettle whistling in the kitchen was transformed from a shrill shriek into a comforting, familiar song; the bass rumble of the nascent boil, minor notes of eager steam beginning to escape, an aria and crescendo, then the trilling, wavelike denouement as the kettle is lifted from the stove. I could picture Grandmother in there, ever so carefully lifting the lid, gently sending a cascade of water over the bags of tea- inevitably some variant of English Breakfast- and placing the delicate china cups ...

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“In the Wake of the Past” by Christopher Abel

Submitted to Contest #61

Reruns of the Simpsons were just kicking off when the iconic theme was interrupted by my cell phone chirruping from my pocket. I took a quick peek at the number, which I didn’t recognize, and clicked the ignore button. It got me thinking of the old days, before caller identification, when every call that came to your house was a gamble. Nowadays, we were easier to reach than ever, and harder to get a hold of. My phone buzzed and chirped again. Same number, and they hadn’t left a voicemail. I answered this time, thinking that maybe it was som...

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“Hunger” by Christopher Abel

Submitted to Contest #16

The wheel had turned once more, and the cycle began anew. The family stood together in the thicket at the edge of the wood, taking in the air. The sky was heavy today, pregnant with omens and signs, ready to let out the tears it had been storing these last few days. Papa looked back at the field they had cut through, wincing inwardly at the single, narrow, highly visible track they had left in their crossing. The weeping of the dying plants had soaked their legs, and once the vegetation was trampled down, it lacked the heart to stand again. ...

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Author bio

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