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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2022
Submitted to Contest #218
Smoke.I smell smoke.My head is heavy, my eyes refuse to open. I’m still in a deep, heavy sleep. Sleep. Is it sleep or a nightmare, how can I tell for sure? The smell of smoke is getting stronger, I can taste it now on my lips. I’m struggling to swallow and it travels to the tip of my tongue, tingling for a bit before it disappears down my dry throat. Now, the taste on my lips feels more metallic. I read somewhere that it happens after inhaling a lot of smoke. The smell intensifies and my brain becomes more alert. It rushes to wake me up, for...
Submitted to Contest #213
Eric couldn’t recall when was the first time he saw her. The new studies were rigid, the internship was even more challenging. In his opinion, they really shouldn’t have called it an internship when it required him to work late daily, into the night for just room and board. Some time ago, when he was just a stage one scholar, he studied the history of slavery on Earth. In short, Eric was certain that this is exactly what slavery would have looked like if it existed today. And all the aptitude and personality tests he had to take! Like he was...
Submitted to Contest #211
The peacefulness of a perfect Sunday morning was rippled by the sounds of the large tracks driving through the sleepy community. The revving motors passed tree-lined streets waking up the neighbors and leaving a cloud of unpleasant dust behind the heavy cars. The trucks didn’t calm down until they reached the cul-de-sac at the end of the main street and got lost behind the massive gates. “Another sucker,” sighed a few onlookers who cared enough to drag themselves toward the windows to see what all the commotion was about. Some started ...
Submitted to Contest #209
“Who is that man?” a high-pitched childish voice sounded unusually loud behind me. “He looks so weird!” Curiosity took over and I turned around to check out the “weird man” but there was no one behind me. Instead, I met a pair of bright brown eyes that were looking at me with a mix of fear and inquisitiveness out of the window of a large station wagon. The car looked kind of retro but that wasn't what caught my attention. After all, perhaps these citizens were going to one of those antique car shows that were also a costume...
Submitted to Contest #208
There is a theory about people who are uprooted at an early age and continue to wander around the world in search of their roots. Nothing feels like home to them, so they move from place to place eager to happen upon that one spot that feels comfortably familiar where they can finally pause to take a breather, maybe look around for the first time in years to realize that another world exists around their internal universe. I can attest to this being true. For the last twenty-eight years, I moved approximately thirty times. Yep, it means tha...
Submitted to Contest #205
Monday “I don’t want to hear another word. This is not appropriate behavior for a young witch who is about to go through a Ceremony of Maturity.” “I don’t care! This is an old barbaric ritual that no one should be forced to do in today’s day and age. I’m almost fifteen! I should be able to choose what I want to do with my life. And no one told me it’s this Friday, I already have plans! I’m going to a concert.” “What do you mean you have plans? What concert? Are you going again to the human’s event? Why is this the first time I hear about it,...
Submitted to Contest #202
VeronicaThey always said she was special. She could feel that people treated her differently since she was very young but it became a habit so she didn’t pay much attention to that phenomenon. Her parents were ready to put her on a pedestal. True, she was a late child to a couple who adored each other for nearly twenty years before her arrival. They gave up any hope of having kids when Veronica (or Roni) came along.The first time she stunned her parents was when she was ten months old. She pulled up next to the bright striped toy with a mirr...
Submitted to Contest #186
“What the hell are you doing here?!”“What do you mean? I was sent here by…”“For God’s sake, I know who sent you. I’m familiar with how resources get assigned! I’m asking what you are doing HERE! You knew that I’d been working on this site for the last nine months!”“Gracey, we need to…”“No, we don’t! After what you did last time, I had no interest in seeing you ever again.”“Well, then it’s a good thing you can’t see my face. Just keep your eyes on the surroundings and the map.”“Do you think it’s funny? I will request another dispatch because ...
It’s been two weeks…Since I heard the sound of your voice. I remember the very first time I heard it. It sounded high but confident. It made me fall in love with you at the very first note because back then it felt like you weren’t speaking, you were singing. And you thought you were so fearless that everyone around you will know how tough you are and respect you for it. But there were times when we could enjoy just talking together. In that soft singy-songy voice of yours, you would tell me about your day or the time we were apart. Those we...
Submitted to Contest #181
I’m so unbelievably fucked!I looked around in hopes of finding an out but there was none. Under other circumstances, I would have been in awe of the scenery around me. The landscape that stretched in every direction was covered in yellowish wildflowers which emitted a slightly sweet smell. Lazy bees were circling them slowly, clearly not too keen on working hard when there was such an abundance of supplies. A little further down the road, one could spot some short desert-looking trees which are so common in Southern California (or SoCal as w...
Submitted to Contest #173
Obsession - is that good or bad? There is a different school of thought on that. Let’s discuss it for a moment. On one hand, people with obsession can be perceived as passionate, caring, and possibly even talented. Someone who’s refusing to give up on whatever item or topic that they are obsessing about. In my opinion, these are the people that invented light bulbs, phones, cars, X-ray machines - the list can go on. These people stayed true to their beliefs and ideas. The obsession with their work prevented them from giving up, possibly maki...
Submitted to Contest #171
My childhood friend Lina always hiked alone. In rare times, when she mentioned her excursions, it seemed that she’s been on every hike known to man. She was a member of all available clubs and recreational stores and seemed to have a tan on her serious face even in the winter. She would show up on our doorstep unexpectedly, approximately every four-five months. Our kids would greet her with a loud shrill unceremoniously digging into her old backup which always hid new treasures.My daughter is a self-proclaimed tomboy so Lina always respected...
Submitted to Contest #169
Great! Not only did my day start on the wrong note but now there is a black cat sitting in front of me threatening to run across my way as soon as I move from my steps. He’s just sitting there staring with his big greenish eyes, mocking me, daring me. I could almost hear him say “Just take another step, you loser, and you will see what happens to your day or maybe even the rest of the week.” I hate October. No, actually I hate the fall. Many people dislike it because it’s gray and yucky with wind and rain giving a chill to your bones. Let’s ...
Submitted to Contest #167
“What a nice day for our walk, right babe? Can you believe it’s almost November and we are still in the high sixties? The sky looks so blue. You know what it reminds me of – the color of your eyes when we were younger! I know, I know, I sound silly when I giggle like a teenager at my age. But I can’t help it. I fell in love with your eyes first… and then everything else. You had such nice long hair, do you remember? I thought I literally never saw a man more handsome than you! And when you spoke to me for the first time, your voice sounded s...
Submitted to Contest #166
My dad was famous. I don’t think I really understood what it meant when I was little. He was always surrounded by attention and frequently left for days at a time but so did many other dads in our community. People traveled for work, had meetings, and got home late but around the time I was turning five, I started to realize that my dad was different. When we went to the store, people would stop and talk to him, to shake his hand. It was probably good that it was all before selfies became a thing – he wasn’t big on picture-taking. Now ...
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