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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2023
Submitted to Contest #290
JR-709 stood in front of the bathroom mirror for the third hour. He ran a hand through his long and freshly conditioned hair. The thick strands felt like silk between his fingers. He let it fall to the left instead of the right. Unsurprisingly, it looked the same as the last ten times he swept it to that side. The outward breath from a sigh of frustration forced his fringe from floppy to floating in the air like a flag in the wind; he had found his solution. A quick smearing of wax to keep it raised, a final head tilt to inspect all angles, ...
Submitted to Contest #285
I remember the final days of the old nation. The people in the streets, with their signs scribbled on the interior of old packing boxes, screamed at each other across multiple lanes of roaring traffic about which direction to take, left or right. Others shuffled along, going about their lives as if nothing had changed, numb from the slow erosion of their freedoms over the years. Humans have a knack for denial, even in the face of obvious disaster.I guess you could say I had the same mentality; everything will work out fine. Most people denie...
Submitted to Contest #267
A single headlight creates a tunnel of visibility through the backstreets of my suburb. A light downpour outside looks more like floating dust than rain. It's a good thing I know this area well enough that the void outside my limited field of view does not bother me. The darkness occasionally creeps in as the only working light blinks; I should get that fixed. Not that it matters. I am only five minutes from home; it is a problem for tomorrow. Right now, I want to soothe this tingle in my body with the warm safety of my bed. Who knew half a ...
Submitted to Contest #263
Bolts of multicoloured laser fire rained down over Sherrif Masran Usa’s head. She dodged the barrage by diving toward the floor and breaking into a somersault, landing behind a crumpled hunk of debris that had previously been a computer console. A faint smell like freshly welded metal entered her helmet from numerous near misses. She peaked above her cover, taking a chance to identify her attacker’s position. Her combat suit instruments indicated their tactical advantage, elevated on a mezzanine at the far end of the cavernous shuttle bay. A...
Submitted to Contest #243
The sterile corridors of the generation ship Astrolabe had never seen such shades of red. Lakes of the rouge liquid pooled up on the floor whilst branching off into vein-like rivers. The smell replaced the vessel's stale recycled air with a metallic scent unfamiliar to Quinton. He looked at the mechanical instrument in his hand and then back down to the motionless body. It was the source of the colour decorating everything, even Quinton. He was breathing so fast that he feared ...
Submitted to Contest #242
The corridors of the Capital City Museum were draped in darkness. They were an endless labyrinth of stone pillars, statues, and paintings by long-forgotten artists without living descendants. Occasional strobe-like light illuminated the depths. Johnathan assumed the latest flash was lightning as he turned down another cavernous hallway. He investigated every surface, every signpost, and every restroom for an indication of an exit or human life. Instead, all he found was more emptiness that felt as dead as the taxidermy wildlife that haunted ...
Submitted to Contest #241
The darkness in the Supreme Solutions boardroom had a way of breaking people’s spirits. Its lack of natural light and tundra-like air conditioning earned it the nickname The Judgement Zone. It was usually a place for senior leaders with job titles that started with chief or general manager to be summoned to justify their existence. Now, a group of employees lined each side of the monolithic two-toned charcoal table at the room's centre. Each of them was tasked with making decisions none of them wanted to make. ‘Let’s not forget our corporat...
Submitted to Contest #230
"If you get me his phone, I might reconsider,” Detective Pike said as he turned to walk away. Sharon knew she could not let the negotiation end here. She searched the ground as if the canals forming between the cobblestones would give her the right words. She looked back at Pike’s caramel-coloured trench coat moving further away. The downpour cascaded like a waterfall around his muscular frame as it streamed off his black umbrella. It was the image of her last chance, framed on either side by the cement walls of two city skyscrapers. ...
Submitted to Contest #226
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 music vanishes and the flies chorus intensifies, I survey the carnage as it bakes in the afternoon heat. Usually, I would be he...
Submitted to Contest #221
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 into...
Submitted to Contest #219
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 what he is talking about. ‘Ten m...
Submitted to Contest #216
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 amongst the caffeinated chaos rather than face what awaited me at home. I stare at the scraps of blueberries on my plate, w...
Submitted to Contest #215
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 dwellings ...
Submitted to Contest #214
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’...
Submitted to Contest #213
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 cat's pose, my silver landing party uniform growing increasingly dirty from the desert sand beneath me. 'Get your arms out of there imm...
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