James Scott

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2024

Stories (21)

21 Stories

561 karma pts

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“Inferno” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #262

A single green shoot, pushing up from between the slightest of gaps in the dusty concrete, almost seemed to be enjoying throwing a minute splash of colour against the dead landscape. Too young to classify as anything beyond simply life, Cassian knew upon catching sight of it that come dawn the beautiful green thread would be reduced to nothing but another muted, dry husk. He looked up from his study of the infant plant to monitor the hazy glow on the horizon that signaled the imminent rising sun. The heat of it already evaporating any humidi...

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“Five Thankyou's” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #261

Trigger warning: Terminal illness, grief and suicidal thoughts.Martin stared at the crumpled and untidy shoe box resting on the coffee table. Organisation was never one of Ellie’s strong suits; the fact she had managed to pull this together was a small miracle. Each of the five envelopes, peeking at different angles from the lidless cardboard container were a threat to Martin’s composure. They looked like white teeth, waiting for his hand so that they could bite down and drag him back into despair. He knew he couldn’t stare at them forever, ...

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“My Girls” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #260

Hunter shifted his weight on the cold, unforgiving tiles; his legs were beginning to grow stiff and his back tight. Sitting on the floor of the bathroom under the artificial light was uncomfortable and kept highlighting the disgusting state of the grey ceramic, glistening with a layer of moisture and hosting clumps of damp lint. That damn woman couldn’t even keep a floor clean. A wayward splash from the bubble bath soaked into his pants. He didn’t bother flinching, let alone chastising the two culprits. Let the children play. Their squeals o...

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“Speech” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #259

Edward and I grew up on the same street. We both had brown hair and loved to ride our bikes in the road, so naturally we had to be best friends. My parents never had another boy but I can confidently say I have always had a true brother in Ed. As those young years flew by and our interests matured beyond cartoons and playgrounds to include the opposite sex, we would consistently share our juvenile thoughts on girls with each other. It was thanks to this bond that I was privileged enough to be present, when he first noticed June.I remember fe...

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“The Tea” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #259

Malcolm stared at the roiling kettle and it’s billowing clouds of steam evaporating into the air of the room. He just needed a minute. It was arduous…exhausting to feel this level of anxiety, but pausing the conversation for too long would cause suspicion and heighten the danger; he had to get back. He took his hands from the kitchen bench, stood up straight, consciously withheld a sigh and grabbed a teaspoon.The return journey to Alice who was patiently waiting in the lounge felt like a gauntlet these days. His eyes tracked the four little ...

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“Chronomec” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #258

It had been foolish not to destroy it. I had suspected the image, smuggled here from my own timeline, would eventually emerge as my undoing when I slid it between the pages of a herbal volume all those years before. The animated memory recorded forever on a small scrap of holofilm showed a time I had long since released. It simulated Kylin as I had known him, simply turning to greet me with a smile on our first meeting. The most natural of gestures but one I would not see again, for I felt I would never return to the era housing his short li...

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Author bio

James Scott is a British born, South Australian residing, husband, father, astrophysics graduate, African safari guide, conservationist, IT professional who is working on a first draft of his debut novel. His life has been spent collecting experiences that feed into his new writing and as such, short stories provide a regular outlet.