CM Jewell

“Bus Stop” by CM Jewell

The smell of cigarette smoke and rain was particularly thick as Tommy Juzang trudged to the bus stop. Tommy cloaked himself in his trench coat, but the breeze seemed to cut through him anyway. He hadn't slept well the past night, the thought of today's meeting burned in the back of his brain. He had softened it with half a bottle of Jack Daniels, and now he was paying the price. Tommy sat on the cold bench of the bus stop and lit a cigarette. Tommy didn't notice the old man until he began talking. The old man startled Tommy, causing him to...

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“Bippity Bappit Has No Cool” by CM Jewell

Cassie arranged the tiny, porcelain tea cups around the knee-high kid’s table, neatly and delicately placed as to avoid spilling the hot, imaginary tea. Cassie placed the blue butterfly cup in front of her teddy bear, Teddy, who yawned as he held the cup to his black button note. The yellow finch cup was Ann’s, Cassie’s Raggedy Ann doll. Cassie watched with anticipation as Ann stuck her tongue in the tea tentatively. Cassie smiled as Ann nodded in approval. Lastly, Cassie, very gently, placed the most special tea cup, the pink rose tea cup, ...

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“Where the Clocks Run Still” by CM Jewell

Where the Clocks Run Still           “We’re close, I can feel it,” Leo said as their footsteps echoed across the factory floor. Leo checked his father’s watch. Sure enough, the hands that had never stopped stood still.“Where are we?” Alice whispered, gazing at the frozen, robotic arms of the machines with a look of both awe and fright. Leo had almost forgotten that this world was entirely new to her. She did not know what a factory was or what it did, just as she did not know what robots...

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“Words of Hate and Regret” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #77

Dutch’s last words to his wife were I want a divorce. His last words to his daughter were go to your room. He had never envisioned having final words to his family, but if he had, those words would never had been the ones he would’ve thought. But such was life. It had happened suddenly, in the night. Dutch was asleep on the couch, an empty bottle of whiskey on the ground by his side, it’s amber insides stained on the carpet. Dutch and his wife had gotten into another nasty argument, the third one this week, and she had banished him to the...

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“To the Top of the Hill We Go” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #77

“How much further are we going?” the old lady asked her husband.“All the way to the top, my dear,” the old man replied as he pulled the sled behind him. “Just like when we were kids.”“I’m not sure I can go much farther. I feel like my legs are about to give,” she said, her hands on her weak knees.“Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll carry you. I’ll pull you up on the sled.”“But Henry you’ll wear yourself to death doing that! Let’s just head back down and go home, we don’t—”“No,” Henry said firmly. “You wanted to do this… to come here. We’re not leavi...

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“Alone Behind the Glass” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #76

Lucas rolled to his side, hurling bloody vomit as he did. He had never remembered being hit so hard before; the entirety of his body ached as if he had been dragged across the earth for hundreds of miles. He painfully lifted himself to his knees and opened his eyes. The room he was in was filled with harsh, white light, all around him, engulfing him. The floor beneath him was coarse like sandpaper, grey and cold. A large metal door stood in the wall in front of him, locking him in, Lucas slowly got to his feet, his joints cracking beneath hi...

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“If Only They Would Listen” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #76

Isabel was a quiet girl. It was not uncommon to find her sitting alone under a tree in the park, reading a good book, or watching people from afar. Watching people really was her favorite hobby. She could catch a glimpse of their lives without actually being a part of it, a silent observer. She had tried before to do the unthinkable, to talk to someone up close, but her words were always absorbed, lost in the words of others. Some said she didn’t talk loud enough, that it was her own fault. But if only they would listen, she could be heard.&...

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“Speaking of Love and Loss” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #76

“I need to show you something. I know this is going to be a lot for you to take in, but it’s time for you to see them. I have been… afraid, to show you some of the things in these videos. I don’t know why. I think I just know I have to get it right; I need to get it right… for you and for me. I’m going to do my best… I promise.” “Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Michael. Happy birthday to you.” “Who’s that?” “…That’s your mom.” “Oh... I didn’t think I had a mom.” “Everyone has a mom, buddy.… You jus...

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“Pinocchio” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #76

There once was a man who could tell no lies. Well, he could tell lies, just like the rest of us, and he was quite good at it, just like the rest of us, but every lie changed him.    You see, he was born this way. His mother was a stock clerk and his father a gambler and a drunk, and with parents like that you’re not bound for much in this world. He was raised poor, his father not around and his mother working her hardest just to put food on the table and keep up on the rent. He often spent nights alone as his mother was w...

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“Screams in the Light” by CM Jewell

Submitted to Contest #75

 He awoke with a start. Cold sweat trickled down his neck and down his spine, and a chill which made his hair stand on end coursed through him. He couldn’t remember what had startled him so badly, but the image of pure white light had seared his eyes. The man pushed the sheets of his cold bed off of his stiff legs and painfully got to his feet. The clock on his nightstand read a ghastly early hour, but the man knew he would not find comfort that night. His mouth was dry and sticky. A glass of water was what he needed.    ...

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