I. F.

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (20)

20 Stories

2131 karma pts

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“Clipped Wings” by I. F.

I stood in the kitchen next to my mother, helping her put the finishing touches on dinner. I could hear my father laughing his hearty laugh in the kitchen, everyone else was silent...he must have told one of his jokes. I carried the casserole and the asparagus, and my mother took the chicken. We had to make several trips. People were smiling and talking and being friendly. I could see my dad going around graciously filli...

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“The Last Stage” by I. F.

“Why is there an extra chair?” Mildred asked. I didn’t like Mildred, she was loud. Sometimes when I tried talking to her she would change the topic really quickly. When we were little, she took my toys before I could finish playing with them. It was like living with an alien. “That’s where mom used to sit,” I said. “Oh,” Mildred said, “then we don’t need that seat anymore.”

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“Belated Eulogy” by I. F.

“So, It all started one day when my father took me into the bank, to make a withdrawal. He typed in his pin, covering my eyes with his hand so that I wouldn’t see the password. It was obviously a joke, but at the time I thought he was dead serious. To this day I make sure to cover my eyes any time somebody is typing in a password. The atm was just outside the bank, but I went in to use the washroom. That’s when I saw i...

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“A Night to Forget” by I. F.

Millie Shore believed in life after death, but she didn’t count on it. It sounded like an oxymoron to her, and besides, how much more tragic would her death turn out if she was waiting to get somewhere, but didn’t end up there? It’s a lot like taking a trip to Disneyland; reasonable enough to believe you’ll have a good time, but you shouldn’t count on it. Long lines and little kids, food-poisoning and rollercoasters, too many contradictions. Life after death, it just doesn’t make sense. Millie woke up in the evening...

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“Circus Life” by I. F.

Looney the clown was too dependent on his environment to survive in the outside world, like an animal kept in captivity its whole life. Tooney watched Looney’s grave like it was a blinding sunset. Tears stung his eyes, falling to the ground and welling in a sea of shame. Tooney was the proverbial clown nobody wanted to see cry. * Looney’s palms were sweaty, stomach...

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“Avion for Men” by I. F.

Michael Mulgrave saved his wife from the fire. They had met thirty years ago when he was a cologne salesman. “Hi there sir, would you like to try some avion for men?”It was cold outside on that day, with enough snow to put Siberia to shame. She was wearing a thick jacket, with her hood pulled over her head.“Sure, I’ll try some,” she said, removing her hood and blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.“Oh, um, I’m sorry,” he said. “Don’t apologize, spray,”...

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“Heading Up” by I. F.

***Author's note*** This short story was originally supposed to relate to the prompt, but it didn't quite turn out the way I intended it to. It doesn't relate to the prompt much if at all, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. ***Author's note***“Guess what? I got a job at your office, but don’t worry, it’s not going to be awkward. If anything, it kind of makes this sexier, don’t you think? One day we’ll run the place, like a power-couple or something,” Max said. Clarissa smiled but didn’t say anything.

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“On the Way” by I. F.

Some people read to find themselves, others to lose themselves. You can replace ‘read’ with any other verb and the statement will still hold up. The night sky grew darker, the street lights brighter. I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Hello,” a woman said. She was walking with a friend in the opposite direction. “Hey,” I answered in a hoarse voice. That’s what happens when you tr...

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“Rat King” by I. F.

Stanford Log entered the room like a little child lost in the woods. He looked around at the panoramic window. The psychologist motioned to a grey couch. Stanford twitched his nose like a rat and tried running out of the room. He was caught in the hallway and dragged back by two men in white uniforms. He sat on the couch, defeated. “Fine, I’ll tell you my story, because a good story deserves to be told,” Stanford said. He lay on the couch, head propped up against one of the armrests, hands folded across his chest li...

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“Mr. Hoover's Nephew” by I. F.

Ron Hoover’s love of classical music didn’t fit well with his rough-around-the-edges persona, but he didn’t care. He woke up early in a dark room on the second floor. Waddled out to the hallway, past the empty guest bedroom, into the bathroom. Turned the light on, groaned in pain as his eyes shrunk to raisins. Why do they sell such damn bright light-bulbs? He brushed his teeth, shaved, and went back to his room. Got dres...

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“Elevator Shrink” by I. F.

You never know how much blood you have in you until it starts pouring out. Take a full bottle of ketchup, remove the lid, tip it over, that’s how much blood there is, and probably more. I’m not some weirdo, by the way, I’m only this comfortable talking about blood because I want to be a doctor. That morning I had left the house in a bad mood. I got in the elevator and hit the basement but...

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“My Rock” by I. F.

His alarm woke him up before sunrise. There were clouds in the sky, a frown on his face, and misery in the air. He tried once again to place the strange smell in his room, maybe his son had been eating chips in there? No, that wasn’t it. It smelled like garlic and something stronger, but what? He got out of his king-sized bed, washed his face, shaved, brushed his teeth, showered, slapped himself on the fa...

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“Duel in the Lumber Yard” by I. F.

“What’s taking so long?” Shelly yells through the closed window.“Patience is the greatest virtue, Shelly,” Howard answers.“There are cars here, you could have stopped at a gas station, this is public indecency.”“And risk driving with a full bladder?”“Shut up, Howard.”Howard obliges. Silently, he finishes his business, zips up his fly, climbs back into the car, and hits the gas. The road is wide and nearly empty, a highway somewhere off in the country. The couple is seate...

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“Spy in our Group” by I. F.

“Is he with the CIA or something?” Olivia asked on their way back from school “Huh?” Lucy said. “Alec, he’s just so intense and formal, like a spy.” “Dude, no way, he’s probably with the FBI.” “That’s the same thing.” “No, it isn’t.” “Now you’re just starting an argument for the sake of having an argument, you always do this.” “No, I don’t.” “There you go ...

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“Kaleidoscope” by I. F.

“What are we going to do with the body?” Daniel asked. “Dude, we need to get rid of it, I think I killed him,” John said. “I’ll go back to my house to get the shovels,” Daniel said. “Guess I’ll stay here.” John’s night was blurry and colorful, he felt like he was looking through a kaleidoscope. He remembered getting into a fight with Pete, the dead body in question. John looked down ...

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Author bio

Temporarily inactive, don't worry it's nothing to do with the Reedsy drama. I'll be back soon, feel free to leave comments and I'll respond as soon as I return. I'm a young guy in high school new to writing and looking to improve, so any feedback is much appreciated! Also an avid reader; here are my favorite books (no particular order), brace yourselves, ladies and gents 😂: - Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut - Skulduggery Pleasant series, by Derek Landy - Geronimo Stilton series, by Elisabetta Dami (a childhood favorite) - The Night Watch series, by Sergei Lukyanenko - Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami - The short stories of Stephen King, Etgar Keret, and Chuck Palahniuk - All the amazing stories I've read here (I know, sounds like I'm sucking up, maybe I am, but I'm being honest) Once again, feedback and tips would be great, a like will make my day and a book recommendation goes a long way. I'm on the leaderboard, thank you to everyone who upvoted and anyone who's ever read one of my stories!