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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2024
Submitted to Contest #319
I had always despised the corporate world.I mocked the fancy suits and silk ties, and I scorned the people who poured themselves into boardrooms and spreadsheets as if it meant something. Cubicles seemed more like a cage of gray and lifelessness. To me, nothing reeked of failure more than someone who had traded passion for a paycheck.I was an artist. A painter. Back in my twenties, I thrived off cheap wine and even cheaper acclaim. My paintings graced small galleries in rundown museums, but I saw myself as the next Van Gogh. My work wasn’t j...
Submitted to Contest #318
The zipper jams halfway up my back. Of course it does. I exhale slowly, careful not to let the sound turn into a groan. I hold my breath there, like I'm accustomed to — in my chest, under my ribs, behind my teeth — and try again. The navy bridesmaid dress bunches at the waist, stubborn tulle clinging desperately to itself. Even the dress can sense my nerves.There's a knock on the bedroom door, three fluttering taps against the dark oak. Wendy."Almost ready?" comes my little sister's airy voice."I'll be right out," I reply. My own voice sound...
Submitted to Contest #236
Grandpa’s funeral was what I like to call a shitshow. The old man couldn’t even get an hour of peace before he had family members bombarding his casket, desperate to get a glimpse of him, maybe see if the rumors surrounding his death were true. The thick bandages still wrapped around his neck proved that they were. I think the main issue with the funeral was its publicity. The guest list was too long, and few names had any objective relation to Grandpa. I opted for a smaller, more private event. They outvoted me. “He would’ve wanted the wor...
Submitted to Contest #234
The city is silent tonight. It always is these days. My mom used to have photographs of Atlanta all over our apartment. They showcased a street full of cars, bright lights, and crowded sidewalks. As I cross Piedmont Avenue, I realize the city looks exactly like one of my mom’s old photographs. Cars still litter the roads, and pedestrians still gather at crosswalks and shop doors. The lights on the billboards continue to advertise the newest movie release or the next model of truck. The city’s night sky is just as bright as in the picture, an...
Shortlisted for Contest #232 ⭐️
I duck behind a crumbling wall, dropping to my knees on cold dirt. The sharp edge catches my shoulder, the jagged brick ripping open my skin. Burning pain shoots through my arm, a silent cry squeezing its way through my throat. And that’s all it is: a soundless echo of pain, a reverberation that I refuse to give voice to. I clamp my mouth shut, hoping my moment of shock was inaudible in the night air. The taste of metal– of copper– coats my mouth and I realize I’ve bitten my tongue in the frenzy. I open my mouth again and spit crimson onto t...
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