Ian Gonzales

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (26)

26 Stories

705 karma pts

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“That Time of Year” by Ian Gonzales

It’s that time of year again. The time when everyone suddenly realizes that they’ve put off their holiday shopping a little too long. When everyone decides, on the level of some kind of group consciousness, that they need to get all their gift buying done right now. And it seems like every last one of them decided to come to Bart’s Mega Mart, where I work. I guess I can see the wisdom in their choice. I mea...

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“The Safest Place” by Ian Gonzales

“Are you all right, Jared?” His mother’s voice was soothing, gentle, like he was a nervous colt and might bolt if handled the wrong way. “I’m okay, Mom,” he replied, forcing a smile. Her hands fussed with his blankets, smoothing them, tucking them under his chin. “I could stay with you until you fall asleep.” Weak smile still in place, he shook his head. “You shouldn’t, Mom. Dr. Dean said I ha...

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“What the Party is For” by Ian Gonzales

I’m not a big fan of parties, especially office parties. They’re usually pretty boring, and being the new guy I haven’t really gotten to know a lot of my coworkers. I’ll probably just spend an hour or so holding up a wall, sipping weak punch and eating bland sheet cake. But it has to beat spending another hour trying to transcribe heavily redacted reports, so I’m here. Six weeks I’ve been working at the home offic...

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“With Love” by Ian Gonzales

I’m in the kitchen, making turkey gumbo. It’s an old family recipe, meaning that it doesn’t really have an exact recipe. You need the basics: a good roux, seasonings you love, lots of meat. But the particulars are really up to you. Making a good gumbo is an adventure, an exercise in building something wonderful. Beyond the kitchen entry, a small crowd gathers in the dining room, sitting around the old table of dar...

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“Carry On” by Ian Gonzales

I stand at the window of my small hut, staring at the tall hill that looms over the valley. It rises above me, covered in scrub brush and stunted, wind-twisted trees. A single path cuts to the top, stretches of bare, hard earth with worn stone steps carved into the steepest parts. It is a hard climb, even for a man unburdened. And every day I have carried water to the top. I don’t know quite what I feel when I lo...

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“Shared Reality” by Ian Gonzales

I’m lying in bed, staring into the eyes of the woman I love, wanting to stay there forever, but knowing that I’ll be gone soon. And I might never find my way back. I don’t know why it happens. I don’t know how long it’s been happening. But I just can’t stay fixed in reality, in the reality I want to be in. I move through space and time, or whatever, unfixed, bouncing across and between the possible realitie...

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“Quill and Scroll” by Ian Gonzales

“Thank you all for being here tonight,” I say, smiling over the tips of my steepled fingers. “You are in for a special treat.”Outside of our table, nestled in a dark corner, the tavern is doing a brisk business, crowded with an eclectic collection of beings, all of them intent on making as merry as they can. Coin and drink flow freely, laughter and curses ring out in equal measure, and the smell of strong ale and roasting meat permeates the air.“What are we doing here, Maziroth?” asks Arakon, the heavily built human warrior ...

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“Well, That Was Terrible” by Ian Gonzales

“Well, that was terrible,” he says, leaning back in his seat, as the screen fades to black, leaving the theater in darkness. “Absolutely,” she agrees, shaking her head. “What were they thinking, releasing another rom com with that same, tired formula.” “Same old tropes, same old plot twists, no effort to be fresh or imaginative. The entire story was so utterly predictable. Boy meets girl, boy fights with gi...

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“Broken Silence” by Ian Gonzales

“It isn’t silence that bothers me. It’s the noise.” “Why is that?” “Because it usually means something’s gone wrong.” The man sitting across the table from me gives me a look, like he’s still wondering whether to believe me or not. This interview has lasted for hours, and it isn’t the first one I’ve been through. “I’m sorry this process is so involved,” he says, as if sensing my thoughts. “Bu...

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“Time for One Last Drink” by Ian Gonzales

The first thing I notice about the man who walks into my bar is his watch. It’s a model I’ve never seen before, a lot larger than usual. Curiously, it doesn’t show the time. The numbers on its face are counting down, and there are only a few minutes left. He slips onto a stool with a sigh. “Hit me again, Jim.” I frown, confused. I know I get a lot of regulars in here, but I don’t recognize this gu...

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“Love Bites” by Ian Gonzales

“Hey, Babe, look at this.” I glance up, sweaty and flushed, to see my wife holding up a heart-shaped box, colored a sparkly red with some kind of fancy writing on it. It’s the sort of thing you find lining shelves during the build-up to Valentine’s Day. To me, it’s another distraction, and just what we don’t need. “Could you maybe just toss it in the trash can?” I say, gesturing at the mess around us. “We’...

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“The Locked Door” by Ian Gonzales

The door has always been there. It was in my earliest memories, even though I didn’t realize it until much later. Made of smooth, dark wood, set with a heavy knob of old brass with a large keyhole beneath it, the door was like something from an old, spooky house, right down to how it made me feel every time I saw it. My first clear recollection of the door was at my third birthday party. I guess that was when I fi...

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“Looking Forward” by Ian Gonzales

“Well, Happy New Year!” yells the old man sitting at the bar, turning his shaggy, white-haired head towards the doorway. I look up from wiping at the countertop to see the last one walk in. A glance at the clock on the wall show it’s only a few minutes to midnight. He’s running late. But then, when isn’t he? The new arrival gives the old man an irritated glare. He has the features of a young man, but his f...

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“The Dreaming Game” by Ian Gonzales

“I can’t believe you made me a dog.” Ryber glanced down at the small animal padding along beside him. “A puppy, Griss. Not a dog.” “But why?” the puppy asked, his tone that of an exasperated man, for all that he looked like a little beagle. “I had everything ready for the Delve. All my gear and weapons. Now I don’t even have hands.” He lifted a paw. “I told you why,” Ryber said. “In your true form, y...

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“Keep Listening” by Ian Gonzales

It’s the sounds I notice first.The beep of machines, the low hiss of air through ventilation ducts, the muffled thumps of footsteps nearby.It’s like I’m aware, but I’m not awake.It’s strange. I can feel a mattress under me, a needle sticking into my arm, the warm, dry air of wherever I am.But I don’t know where I am or how I got here. Suddenly worried, I try to open my eyes. They won’t open.    I t...

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