James Johnson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2023

Stories (3)

3 Stories

61 karma pts

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“In Remembrance of Teachers Past” by James Johnson

Submitted to Contest #286

The gravedigger wiped the sweat from his brow and planted his shovel in the heap of fresh soil by his side. The pale sun hung over the yew trees at the far edge of the churchyard and the headstones cast long shadows across the gravel pathway. “Afternoon, Annie,” he said to a hunched figure intersecting the shadows on the gravel. “Off to pick up the young ‘un?” “Yes,” the figure replied with a smile and a perfunctory nod, before continuing along the pathway toward the primary school. Her eyes scanned the names engraved on the final row of hea...

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“The Rider” by James Johnson

Submitted to Contest #262

The cool summer rains lashed the paved streets radiating from the ancient Drum Tower on the cusp of Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter. Throngs of tourists skipped between grimy puddles beneath a field of umbrellas, shielding t-shirts and summer dresses from the deluge. The murky sky, which cleaved the heavens and this ancient Chinese city, had loomed ominously all morning. Thirteen million smartphones, alive to the threat, had convulsed with yellow warnings for storms and heavy rain. Undeterred, the street vendors lined the alleyways, stationed behind ...

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“The House on Station Road” by James Johnson

Submitted to Contest #258

Dr Mather’s husband retrieved the photographs from the attic sometime one Saturday afternoon in late summer. They came to him by chance when, stooping beneath the rafters, he spotted a tear in an insulation roll tucked into one corner of the loft floor. His curious hand had burrowed deep into the woollen pile and pulled out one of those photo wallets used for returning printed photographs. It had lost the glossiness of its heyday, but was dry and the logo of the now-defunct camera company was visible beneath a stock photo of a family pi...

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Author bio

When I have free time from my teaching job, I enjoy writing short stories and developing my craft. I like to set stories in the countries I've lived and worked in, as well as in my home country, the UK. 'James Johnson' is a nom de plume for another, equally ordinary name I wish to keep secret.