Henry Azure

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

Stories (8)

8 Stories

212 karma pts

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“The Wine Cellar ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #206

From the onset of my adolescence, I have come to terms with the reality that I am doomed to live in a prison preconceived by the misfortune of my genetic predispositions. The initial diagnosis was met with denial and animosity, but from the first instance of skin-to-skin contact with another of my classmates it became apparent that the contagiousness of my curse was absolute.Unable to cope with the skin deformity and rancid pustules, the parents of the girl gave her up for adoption, and she is now living in Croatia with a nice blind couple t...

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“Midnight Train to Georgia ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #202

Jon was tired. Not in the conventional sense, but in a way far beyond anything that your run-of-the-mill working-class citizen could ever truly understand. The prescription didn’t help. It made him jittery and awkward, but it was necessary to stay awake, to stay focused, and to be successful in the traditional sense of the word. His hand shook as he lit his last cigarette on the bus stop bench under the flickering florescent light. It was always flickering, as if to add to the sleep-deprived dream state that Jon found himself if on a...

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“The Floor is Lava” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #184

Jacob sat up on the edge of his bed, the cotton comforter compressed under his weight as the morning sun warmed his bare feet. He let out a yawn that annoyed his sleeping cat, Will, who was curled up next to him. When his feet touched the floor, he felt an immense heat licking his toes.His feet were dipped in flames, he was bound, and a man clad in shining armor pointed a sword directly at the tip of his nose. Jacob caught a glimpse of himself in the polished plate mail and was met with a reflection that was not his own. The soldier spoke in...

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“Throne of the Jarl ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #181

The sparks flew from the ferrocerium rod like a sparkler on the fourth of July. The wood, though damp, stubbornly sprung to life, aided by the resin trapped within the cellulose. Jarl worked quickly to add small pieces of tinder. The flame needed to be coddled and was just as fragile and demanding as a newborn child. As larger diameter pieces of wood were added, the child sprang to life, shedding light and comfort onto the world around it. Knotted Pine paneled walls flickered into view beyond the confines of the river stone hearth. Large dro...

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“The End of 5th and Cedar ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #179

Resolve. At the academy it was stated that this was a characteristic that set him apart from the other candidates. Crawling through muddy water and beneath barbed wire became another day in the office for him. In their early 20’s, the other students knew little of loss or pain. Cowboys from small farming towns mostly, seeking the glory from the heroism promised to them by the officers that came to the career fair along with the FFA teaching students how to properly milk cattle. It was no surprise that half of them opted to pursue a badge ins...

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“A Match Made in Heaven ” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #176

For my 10th birthday party, I jumped on a moon bounce, ate chocolate cake, pinned the tail on the donkey, and spoke with my grandfather, who has been dead since I was two.I told the story for years, to my parents, to my friends, to anyone who would listen really. Everyone swept it under the rug like a stray toenail that flew away from the clippers searching for the sweet freedom of the wide world.I hadn’t thought about it in years, it wasn’t until I was home for Christmas watching old home videos that the memory crept back in like a cold chi...

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“A Cold Housewarming” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #170

They pulled down the long drive beneath the grove of pecan trees lining the road. Beads of sweat rolled down their faces as they neared their new home deep in the heart of Alabama. An old Victorian building with sprawling land covered in old growth oak trees. Anywhere else in the country this would cost a fortune, but not here. The local town had absolutely nothing going for it aside from an old leather shop and a restaurant that boasted the “best barbecue in the world”. Henry doubted that. He looked over at his wife, Carol, a quiet beauty w...

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“I am the Diamond Glints in Snow” by Henry Azure

Submitted to Contest #156

It started young, as most things do. A sign here or there that in hindsight should have yielded a stronger reaction from those close to him. Charisma holds a dangerous role in a polite society. They start white and pale and innocent, and then contort and spin and weave until a rotting putrid misguided thought is all that remains. They start innocent and seemingly harmless, but what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.Going into his teens there was more pain and risk involved, but never enough for true repercussions. A sl...

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Author bio

I love entering these contests with my girlfriend.