J.J. Erwin

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2022

Stories (6)

6 Stories

85 karma pts

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“Schnuppi” by J.J. Erwin

“You think little Schnuppi is trying to kill you?” Jorge and I were lying in bed in my apartment in Berlin. It was late, and I had just confessed, only partially in jest, my growing concern that my roommate’s cat was plotting my demise.“You’re laughing, but I’m serious. He follows me around the apartment, stalking me,” I said, becoming annoyed. I knew he wouldn’t get it. Jorge, ever the animal lover and advocate, could not tolerate any ill talk of–in his mind–an innocent creature. I envied him somewhat in that way, his c...

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“The Old Dragon” by J.J. Erwin

“Excuse me, I’m looking for something.”  The Old Dragon turned her monstrous head to locate the source of the small voice. Her eyes, two waning yellow moons, had difficulty pinpointing her unexpected interlocutor in the hazy light of the afternoon. Finally, a child no older than 7 or 8 peeked its head into her field of vision.  “Hello, can you help me?”  The child’s face wa...

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“Déjà You” by J.J. Erwin

I thought you were my greatest love story, but it turns out you were just a brain tumor. Now I’m lying here on the operating table waiting for them to take you away from me. Of course it was the first day back to the office after three years away. What could be more triggering? I had déjà vu twice before falling on my face in the middle of the office.This wasn’t so foreign to me. Several times when I was young it happened that whatever I was doing, no matter what it was—walking into a room...

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“The Painting of a Man” by J.J. Erwin

The sound of my loneliness–-the flow of water from the large waterfall faucet at the end of the small pool; the rush of wind against the window panes behind me; the general hum of emptiness that filled the room–-was interrupted by the naked man entering the onsen.  I had come down from my hotel room to find an empty bathhouse, and, fighting a feeling of disappointment I couldn’t quite explain, I ...

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“Spiders and Mashed Potatoes” by J.J. Erwin

Note: Some curse words. It was the day of his first job and the last day of life as he knew it. He didn’t know that though. What he did know was that the last thing he wanted was someone dramatically climbing into his cab and telling him to “Follow that car.” He’s not sure where she had come from, but he was waiting in his cab outside Sun Sai Gai in Chinatown when she banged on the trunk of his cab as she opened the door. “I’m off duty!” he yelled as she ste...

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“Learning to Converse with A.I.” by J.J. Erwin

Note: Some curse words; brief reference to enslavement. Hi, I’d like to order a pizza.Ugh, what time is it? Um haha what? The time, bro. The TIME. It’s 10:47pm. But why? Who’s asking? I thought this was like a bot or something. If by THIS you mean ME, then yes, I am a bot. Ok…then aren’t you like a computer or something? Shouldn’t you know the time...

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