Jake DeBolt

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (7)

7 Stories

129 karma pts

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“Funny Things” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #95

Doors are funny things. Maybe not “haha” funny... but maybe more like “force a smile and nod” funny. The kind of gut-wrenching funny that hurts so bad, all you can do is laugh. Yes, they’re that kind of funny, which is why I’m laughing now as I stare at two doors.  Two choices. My fingers tremble as I raise my hand toward one and then the other.  The doors are so similar, but there’s enough difference to give me pause. One path is darker than the other, more intimidating, but I suspect it’s the better choice in the long run. The ot...

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“Knuckles” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #94

Do you ever not know what to do in a social situation? Like, when someone smiles at you and, for whatever reason, your reaction is to bow? I know some of us are out there. If you’ve never bowed to someone, chances are you’ve been bowed to. Maybe both, who knows.  I’m the kind of person that bows to strangers. So when I tell you that I have no friends, you know why. Now you might be thinking, ‘but you seem so clever and handsome.’ Well, thank you, but it has gotten me nowhere.  I did have one friend. She understood me and laughed at...

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“Burned” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #93

“Ninety percent.” Bella pops her head through the bathroom door, frowning at me the way she does when she’s trying to decide whether or not to smack me. “What?” “If you were wondering what the chances were that I’d hide in the bathroom the whole night... It’s about ninety percent,” I say, allowing a smirk to play on my lips.  Bella rolls her eyes before disappearing back into the bedroom. “You could join me!” I yell after her, no longer able to hold back my smile. My mood quickly deflates, however, as I stare into the mirror. “That woul...

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“I am blind. But I am not blind. ” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #92

  I am blind. But I am not blind. The mirror reveals too much, doesn’t it? We are vulnerable in its sight, a too clear reflection of what I cannot see. You can see the blemishes on my face? I cannot, but they taunt me with their sting, threatening to pull attention. You see my hair, wild and dry? You see my crooked teeth? I see nothing. What is mine is a mystery to me. The needles of my brush pull at my hair, demanding obedience. I look at the mirror, searching it as the sighted might, a habit not yet broken. Nothing but my eyes are bro...

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“Control” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #91

I’ve never truly had control over my life.  Illusion of control? Sure. Rarely. But someone else has always been in charge.  The master holding my leash. My parents. My friends. My teachers. My supervisors. Anyone but me. I know this. Feel this. Yet, I buy into the illusion just as thoroughly as anyone. I take notes every day. Others have called it journaling, but it’s not that in the slightest. It’s not feelings or memories caught on paper to be revisited. Not a release of the page. It’s... just control. The illusion of control. My...

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“Inheritance ” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #90

Carl limped through his yard, his arm shaking as he shaded his eyes against the sun.  “Dad?” Carl leaned against his cane, twisting back just far enough to catch his daughter standing in the doorway.  “I told you to let someone else do that!” Carl didn’t bother responding, letting out a grunt as he continued to limp down the slope of the yard. “Dad!” She yelled after him, her eyes flickering back and forth between her father and the infant in her arms.  Carl didn’t listen, humming softly as he weighed the seeds in his hand. Th...

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“An Awkward Kind of Death” by Jake DeBolt

Submitted to Contest #89

“Divorce, man. It’s an awkward kind of death.” Beverly nodded slowly, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked me up and down. “I’m not trying to be dramatic or anything,” I said, shooting her the most disarming smile I could muster. “It’s just the truth of it. I mean, if I had died or something... I don’t know, maybe it’s a selfish thought, but I feel like it would be easier on both of us. A clean break, you know?” Beverly pushed her glasses up, leaning back in her chair. “Is this really how you want to open with me?” I shrugged, taking my cues ...

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