Ian Patterson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2023

Stories (11)

11 Stories

202 karma pts

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“Sky Mackerel” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #239

If Haruki only looked close to his feet, the road seemed straight and flat. But with a raised chin, the slight rise and subtle curvature to the left is evident. And with eyes shielded against the brightening sky, he can see the sloping spiral that builds into that glowing horizon, until it becomes faint and disappears from sight. The feel of it was never what he expected, so he left his shoes behind l...

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“Life in Still Life” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #234

“We have all the time in the world” Dropping her bathrobe in the middle of the floor, Jennifer grabs her clothes from the wasteland of a room, empty water bottles and food packaging litter the floor. She comes over to stand next to me, and together we stare out from the penthouse balcony across a cityscape in still life. No matter how I try to focus on the details, I can only see it as scenery. <...

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“The End of the World” by Ian Patterson

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #233

It’s hard to find The End of the World. That’s intentional of course, wouldn’t do for the tourists to latch on. A small smoke filled room, where cigarette butts litter the cracked, wooden floor like so many tumbleweeds. The crooked that call this hole home sit around talking in small groups. You walk down a cobbled street as the darkening sky makes shapes of the buildings that loom on either side. T...

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“A Real Boy” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #230

Pinocchio was born into the simulated universe on a Sunday. This was an exceptionally good day to greet the universe, and his parents were in awe that The Great Program had shown such favor to them. What a profound addition to the code he would be, they were certain of it. But also if he wasn’t, well these sorts of things were really out of everyone’s control, so no one would feel too poorly. Above his bed was stitch...

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“A Home Cooked Meal” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #228

A pig roast is a great community affair, a cultural cornerstone event, unless of course you’re a pig. Then it’s some bizarrely horrific death ritual, and you probably don't enjoy it very much. I stare down at the plate of roasted pork in front of me, sickened. I know I need the food; it doesn’t change the outcome if I don’t eat. But maybe being long suffering is the only form of protest that I have left. I spear a cutlet with my fork, and twirl the now cold meat around slowly. I watch the wa...

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“Hell House” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #221

TW: Child AbuseThis isn’t so much a story, as a real thing that happened to me. The more time that passes since though, it feels like fiction. I’ve never been the most honest story-teller either; I would embellish details shamelessly if it added to the drama. Couple that with a memory that’s half as good as it should be at my age, and I don’t always trust what I remember. So year after year I’d search the internet to see if I could find another version of the story out there, find someone els...

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“Terrarium” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #217

Isaac saw the peasant running towards his horse before he even saw the village. He had smelled their hearths since he’d left his camp at dawn’s light, and traveled towards it. The man running towards him was squat, broad-shouldered, and had hands like giant shovels. Isaac continued on at a trot on the back of his horse, warily watching as the peasant ran towards him shouting and waving. “My good knight...

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“Juliette” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #212

September 7th, 1940 Corporal Eisenhower was tending to his Sargent’s leg when the field was obliterated. Some new enemy technology, a white wedge that spanned the horizon, had slid under the door of the closet, and after wiping out their front line troops without slowing, had come for the Corporal. No matter what you do, it always comes for you. So it goes. Peter was playing with his pl...

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“Micro Plasticities” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #210

-2123- No one knew when they had arrived on the planet, maybe they evolved naturally. Too small to see, and too smart to get caught under a microscope. It’s ironic how much time we spent looking for aliens among the stars when there was an entirely unknown, intelligent species living amongst us. Year after year the world got more crowded, the climate got hotter, pollution increased, and plastics starte...

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“The Western Highway” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #209

The plains of Kansas stretched out before Julio. He looked at his speed, he looked at the time, he looked at the road. He unfocused his eyes, and then refocused them. Fuck I hate this place, he thought. The drive from the east coast of the United States was criminally boring, but the mountains of Colorado loomed in the distance. He ached for the natural beauty, the refined air, the beautiful stream and moun...

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“The Perfect Flavor” by Ian Patterson

Submitted to Contest #207

“He who drinks this shall die; he who drinks this shall live forever”. Nicolas toasts the man in the mirror, and a man with gray hair, his face lined with age and time, raises a glass back. He closes his eyes, and drains the glass. The flavor dances over his tongue, tarragon swirls around cinnamon and is chased by a bouquet of ginger and mint. They recede and are replaced by some flavor that is wholly new, something ...

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Author bio

I've been in love with fiction since I was little, it's a gift from my mom. These days, I'm just enjoying writing daily. Check out my Substack for some longer format writing: https://ipatterson.substack.com/

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #233

The End of the World – read story