David King

“WITH(OUT)” by David King

My eyes widened, but only as much as they could upon first waking up. A curtain must have been pulled back, maybe two, because the rays that found their way in through the patterned gas forced my eyes into a hard squint. My bottom eyelids pinched up by my cheeks, brows furrowed, nose scrunched. My ears had adjusted slightly to the stillness, a sound so foreign to me, it took a while from it to transition from eerie to tranquil. And eventually, the silence held my anxious bones still. There was a light atmosphere in the room. One so positive,...

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“SISTER” by David King

Submitted to Contest #269

I climbed the two steps to the large wooden front door. Two knocks was all I could manage before forcing my frozen fists to fit back into my coat pocket. A chill ran down my spine as I shivered, standing as close to the house as I could to shield myself from the piercing air that tried its hardest to plunge through my coat. I had lost sensitivity in most of my toes from the walk over and knocking on the door had caused my entire hand to feel weak and brittle, as if my joints would shatter. The same way an icycle would if it, too, was slammed...

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“What's in Venice?” by David King

Submitted to Contest #265

Cat’s eyes couldn’t stop looking at her boots. Tattered and filthy with scratches and scuffs of mud, they were bound to leave a trail that led to her getaway route at the train station. With all the mental energy she had left, she hoped that the trail would just blend in with the rest of the civilian life behind her, masking the scent of her escape both quickly and efficiently enough just for her to get far, far away. She couldn’t stop wondering if she was still being pursued. She began to consider the fact that cameras everywhere would be h...

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“What's in Venice?” by David King

Cat’s eyes couldn’t stop looking at her boots. Tattered and filthy with scratches and scuffs of mud, they were bound to leave a trail that led to her escape route at the train station. With all the mental energy she had left, she hoped that the trail would just blend in with the rest of civilian life behind her, masking her scent both quickly and efficiently enough just for her to get far, far away. She couldn’t stop wondering if she was still being pursued. She began to consider the fact that cameras everywhere would be her final enemy, lea...

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“PHOTOSYNTHESIS” by David King

Submitted to Contest #238

Everyone in the crowd was practically on the edge of their seats as Jamar Williams paced on the stage, spewing his self-discovered knowledge.            A baby blue turtleneck wrapped perfectly tailored to his body and Rolex snug on his wrist.The frail Black man smiled and absorbed the validation from the engaging crowd. He had dropped a line; which he was famous for. No matter how long or how little he spoke for, he made sure to include one line that would spark, hurt, or baffle hi...

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“WITH(OUT)” by David King

Submitted to Contest #230

My eyes widened. But only as much as anyone’s eyes could upon first waking up. A curtain must have been pulled back. Maybe two. The rays that found their way in through the large window on the left wall forced my eyes into a hard squint. My bottom eyelids pinched up by my cheek. My ears had adjusted to the silence. A sound foreign to me. It went from eerie to tranquil, holding my quavering bones still. And then the full focus of my eyes reeled in to capture my environment. There was a light atmosphere in the room. One so positive, I would’ve...

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“The Face of Death” by David King

Submitted to Contest #207

      The barely legal tinted Challenger made everyone in the vicinity anxious. Not-so-subtle glances and obvious peeks were shot in the car’s direction from miscellaneous windows and partially open doors.             Despite all this, Asura walked confidentially to the car. His smile glistened through his hairy and unkempt face as he entered the car.             Not a single smile was present ...

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“Blood & Water” by David King

Submitted to Contest #206

She let out an ear-stabbing screech and gripped the steering wheel with her soul. But she wasn’t strong enough. The tires of the car screamed as they veered left too sharp. Her leg was forced down onto the pedal even harder as her voice cracked mid-scream, unable to exert any more force. She was terrified, so scared that her life didn’t even flash before her eyes. She shot one last look into the passenger seat, catching a full glimpse of the cause of her tragic end. She had known all along. She knew she could have prevented this exact moment...

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“To The Grave” by David King

Submitted to Contest #205

After forty-five minutes of standing in one spot, I placed the sunflowers at the foot of her grave. The sky had gone from a vibrant baby blue to a slowly darkening purple. The cemetery would be closing within minutes and I had to accept I couldn’t stay by her grave forever. My hands were in my pockets and my eyes stared at the floor. The pathway was covered with freshly fallen leaves. I stepped on the ones that were darker than orange, looking for a satisfying crunch under my feet. My gaze shifted to my Nikes and one of the laces that wa...

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“A Goddess” by David King

Submitted to Contest #205

      He oddly liked the crisp cool tile nibbling at his soles as he walked out of the kitchen. He walked slowly, trying his best to balance holding un-corked bottle of white Moscato in his right hand and an already-filled glass in his left.It was only his second glass. Or fifth. He wasn’t sure. Each time he poured more than the last. But he couldn’t care less. The day had finally ended, and he deserved it.The meeting with his boss about his requested wage increase–the thirty bullshit-filled minutes of working a...

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