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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2023
The aftermath of my family's backyard Christmas lunch always resembles a festive warzone. The flies, ever the opportunists, descend to finish off our leftovers. Their gentle buzz is audible above some popstar's pitchy attempt at a holiday hit. Having had enough of the cheery screeching, I cross the destruction of winter-themed decorations and soiled paper plates to shut down Mum’s brandless Bluetooth speaker. As the mus...
Derek had never been in a waiting room like the one at Beyond Chat’s research and training facility. Projected simulations of lush green rainforests interspersed with cascading waterfalls and trickling streams made it impossible to identify physical boundaries. Birds of all shapes and sizes undulated between the ceiling and the floor. The glittery slipstreams left behind in their flightpath were the only evidence of their true nature. Derek looked up in wonder as they danced gently in the air in time with the soft pipe music that echoed i...
I can hear an orchestra of voices speaking the same language that has morphed into one overbearing wall of white noise. It ricochets off the walls of the seemingly endless beige hallway that separates me from their judging eyes. If I propel myself out of the imposing crimson fire escape behind me, I never have to face the crippling annihilation that will come from them finding out the truth. I am a fraud who has no idea ...
A bitter and muddy aftertaste tingled on my palette. Even the smell of it burns my nostrils as I take another mouthful. I would be more relaxed and satisfied at my usual morning haunt. Instead, I settle for the ‘good enough’ imitation of my daily ritual. Familiar and friendly faces swapped with clanging luggage trollies and raised voices attempting to order through language barriers. Still, I would gladly remain hidden a...
Does anyone shortlist a fuzzy-faced terror beast when sifting through applicants? Goolop certainly had respectable underworld experience to be considered for any jobs in his search. However, something on his CV would likely hold him back. So he briskly hammered the backspace key and typed out his new alias, Steve. ‘Ready to submit,’ said Goolop to no one in particular. His gruff voice ricocheted off the softly lit studio apartment walls. Most ...
The frosty amber liquid glistens through raised glasses in the ethereal light. We all gather outside to toast our final moments as the sun bids farewell to summer. It had been a season that would never come again. I flick the curls of my auburn fringe to clear my vision and ask my three companions, ‘Are there any better type of beers than summer beers?’ ‘You can’t beat them,...
Protocol dictates I should not have plunged elbow-deep into the unknown alien goo. To hell with protocol, the crimson, amber and turquoise swirls were hypnotic, and they beckoned me to touch. So, I dived right in, consequences be damned. 'What the hell do you think you are doing?' Came the shrill voice of Mission Supervisor Marie Anderson. 'I am not quite sure,' I replied. I was still hunched over in a...
I hear my name again; I wonder what she wants this time. Perhaps another lasagna recipe or that song she can never pronounce. Whatever it is, I hope she doesn’t start shouting again. ‘Hello, Sharon. It is 5:35 PM, and the weather this evening will be wet with strong winds expected around 10 PM.’ Just a weather check, she must be heading out on one of those dates she seems so fond o...
Writer, Blogger, Podcaster, Star Trek Lover, Proud Homosexual and dreamer of a better world. See my full collection of work at https://daveywrites.com
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