Jacen Patchwork

“A Better Place” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #192

“Weak, I’m so weak. Everything is going dark…” He cried out, his voice lost among the cacophony of the crowd that gathered to watch his final moments. He heard his mother crying; someone was reaching for him, and then… Nothing. The darkness had him; he was lost again. He floated for a time, in the darkness, in the nothing. Between. The cries pulled him from the void; it was always the crying that caught his attention first. It pulled at him and drew him out of the nothing into the light. He could feel the stone below him. Blood pooled ...

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“Unalive” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #191

The wind howled through the trees as Sarah made her way through the forest. In the darkness, she had no idea where she was or even where she was going. She was lost, disorientated, and terrified. She needed to return to her car or the main road. She needed to find the trail. She needed out, but it was impossible in the near-total darkness of the forest. She’d been lost for what seemed like hours, and the more she struggled to find her way, the more hopeless it all felt. She’d left her car in the small lot near the head of the trail. She co...

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“Leave Me Alone” by Jacen Patchwork

Listen, I thought to myself. Just listen.  I stood near the dumpster, silently staring out into the woods behind the motel. I wasn’t sure if she was out there or not, but I knew she was nearby, somewhere. So I listened. I could hear the fall wind blowing through the trees, but little else. At 3am, the world was silent other than the breeze, and the sound of the traffic on the highway nearby. I looked at my phone. “Just leave me alone.” She’d said.  I looked around, listening again for movement in the woods. The wind continued to bl...

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“How You Remind Me” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #104

He wasn’t sure why he woke up at first. The slow, rhythmic thud of his heartbeat in his brain blinded him to the sound of knocking on the door for several long moments. Then, finally, he blinked the sleep from his eyes and sat up, taking in the dark room around him. For months now, he’d been sleeping in the back room of the large house. More than that, he’d been living his entire, miserable life between that small room, the kitchen, and the bathroom. Empty whiskey bottles lined the table, along with cans, empty wrappers, cigarette cartons,...

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“To the Moon and Back” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #103

The car burning on the side of the road as he passed around the turn reminded him of something he couldn’t quite remember. The dark green paint shimmered a molten black in the darkness of the wooded state road. He wondered if maybe he should call someone. Perhaps he should stop and take a look? Maybe someone needed help. But no. He pushed the thought away. The accident was too severe, and there would be little he could do to help. Besides, he didn’t need to get caught up in whatever drama would ensue if the police arrived and found him t...

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“Good Man” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #102

The air was cool in the morning when he stepped out onto his porch to head to work. This was to be expected in early October, and he was thankful for it. The summer had been a hot one, and he’d been ready for the opportunity to break out his jacket and long sleeve shirts by the end of August. But, unfortunately, the summer heat had held firm throughout most of September. Now though, the heat had finally broken, and he was looking forward to the brisk air of fall. He turned, checking to ensure he’d locked the door before he made his way dow...

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“Dinner for Two, Plus One?” by Jacen Patchwork

Submitted to Contest #100

The house seemed to groan in protest as Freddie began his work in the kitchen. He smiled, taking the complaint in stride. What was it they said; everyone is a critic? He didn’t really understand why people said that; most people were not critics. Though, he knew, many people were prone to criticism. But now, in the age of cellphones, Yelp, and Google Maps, maybe most people did think of themselves as actual critics? Freddie didn’t know. It didn’t really matter though, in the end, he knew everything would work out as it was meant to. There w...

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