Falynn Almeda

“Reasonable Answers” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #220

I barely heard the words the first time; they were faint and warbled. I took in a sharp snort-like inhale as my eyes batted open. I leaned all my weight on my elbow. Everything was warped and blurry for a few seconds. I squeezed my eyes shut hard to clear them as I yawned out my words.  “Wha di you sah?”  “Are you hungry?” the other voice repeated more clearly.  I was still half-asleep and j...

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“Who are you?!” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #206

I was walking to my black sedan, using the fob to unlock it, after a Friday night class to go to my job. It was a rainy night, making everything look sleek and more muted behind the steady drops. The double-glass doors had splattered drops blocking reflections. The motion-activated light of the foyer had gone off. I pulled my hoodless jean jacket on as my only defense against the wet, cool air. The streetlight at the cor...

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“Alarming News” by Falynn Almeda

When you get a home alarm system put in, you really don’t expect to need it. Because either it's too late or you think having it all you need to be safe. My name is Alison Smith nee James. I’m average height, average weight and have shoulder length brown hair with artificial highlights and brown eyes. I am as mediocre and plain as it gets. I married an equally average man named Steven Smith an...

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“That's why it's called 'Gambling' ” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #180

Life can teach lessons even in a pseudo-casino, like Not Vegas.   ‘Not Vegas’ was once a private veterans club in the outskirts of Cleveland, OH. But over time fewer and fewer military men and women joined the club and it had become a social club that basically opened its doors to anyone over 21. The new owner changed the name to ‘Not Vegas’- supposed to be the closest thing to Las Vegas one could get ...

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“Try” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #179

“New Year Resolutions are the dumbest things” Kali said as she sipped her glass of white wine with an eye roll.   I just made a shrug at her comment. It had stemmed from her catching a glimpse at my phone that had a google search of ‘how to make new year's resolutions happen’ and had stumbled into ‘how to make a vision board’. I found an app and started making one on my phone.   “They are”

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“Catastrophy Coffee” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #173

Holidays aren’t the only time one can receive gifts and I had received loads of gifts from my family members when I got my first place. I’m Mira and I achieved living-on-my-own status at 33.  It’s a two-bedroom duplex apartment and after too many years of paying off student debt, I finally got to move out on my own. I love my family but living with them forever can make one feel restricted. And I never lived with friend...

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“Inverted Cinderella. ” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #172

Men can be a real pain in the buttocks. I, Novella Morai, 31, am really sick of living up to my name in the relationship department. I might not be Emma Watson, but I have shoulder length dark brown hair that I get highlights in, a perfect fake tan, and sparkling green eyes, and I have an athletic hour-glass figure. I work out, use whitening toothpaste, and a goddess-like makeup-collection. I’m hot, okie...

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“Long Way Home” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #171

I got into my faded tan malibu and slammed the driver’s side door closed. I gently tossed my tawny canvas bag onto the passenger side seat before Ieaning back against the driver’s seat, closing my eyes. I took in an exhausted and exasperated sigh of a breath from completing another day I couldn’t get back.  I opened my eyes and looked at the over-worked, tired, sagging eyes in the rearview mirror. My blue eyes were once...

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“Business as Usual” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #170

Warning: The following story has some triggering bits including alpha male behavior, mention of nudity. Nothing explicit or gory, but maybe sensitive. It was business as usual in the upper district of Andrea Hills. An upscale and slightly eccentric area that was deemed to be the baby of Rodeo Drive and Downtown LA in Ohio. People went to Andrea Hills for atmosphere and character; they wanted non-cookie-cu...

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“It's only the first draft” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #169

There really is no way to prepare for the sudden fear that goes right down your spine when a flash of lightning illuminates an area in the night with a ghostly white light and the area it briefly lights up is a graveyard. You become acutely aware that you’re surrounded by headstones and beneath them are bodies of those long gone. You also become aware (and terrified) that six feet isn’t actually that deep.

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“Time to Impress” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #167

“Does anyone know the totals?” my team manager, Geoff, asked in a gravelly tone as he looked around the room.   He was a not-quite middle-aged-man with a beyond middle-aged mindset. He had salt and pepper short hair and kempt beard and he also either had his mid-life crisis at 15 or never at all.   The average sized gray and brown conference room was quiet except for the hum of the projector. That’...

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“Paranoia on a Platter” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #162

The moment was here; to choose from a menu. Maybe for some people this is a mundane non-issue, but for me, it felt like a rest-of-my-life, domino-effect choice. Everything rested on this decision. I could only hope I was only sweating bullets in my head and that everyone else couldn’t see my anxiety was at max.   I liked going out to eat for the most part. I enjoyed the atmosphere, I liked not having to do dishes...

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“Full Circle” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #161

High school is a time in life where it’s when experiences start to mold you and you can either stay that hormonal, out-of-control kid who thinks they know everything or you can grow and remold into someone you actually want to be. Other pivotal moments in your life will occur and I was at one.   But let me lay down the past so you can grasp the present.   My life at home was pretty good- my parents and I ha...

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“Watered-Down” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #160

When I took a job as a personal assistant to a model/actress, I thought my workload would be arranging schedules and meetings and tending to dry-cleaning.   My name is Cassie. I’m 5’5, colored like a graham cracker and everything, including my eye-matching chocolate brown hair, is on the thin side. Thus, I have never thought of myself as a weight-lifter. But I have made i...

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“Perfectly Priced ” by Falynn Almeda

Submitted to Contest #159

Perfectly Priced   The perfect level of fame is hard to pull off unless the right people know your name. You have to carefully walk the line between being in and out of the public eye.   The best way to do that –from my experience- is to be the only and orphaned child to wealthy parents and grandparents who were also only children.   My name is Belle and just like in the book, I was genet...

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