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Jethro Pili

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2021

Stories (163)

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30 Followers

41 Following

163 Stories

299 karma pts

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The Hunt

Jethro Pili

Ryan Hall crouched in the shadows, the faint sound of his prey’s footsteps echoing through the narrow alleyway. He moved silently, his body a black silhouette against the dim lights of Compton’s streets. His prey—unaware, unalarmed—had no idea what was coming. It was a young woman, maybe twenty-five, dressed in baggy jeans and a hoodie pulled tight against the autumn chill. But Ryan didn’t care about her clothes or her past. All that mattered was the scent of blood, hot and pulsing just beneath the surface of the woman’s skin. Ryan’s chest t...

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Curiosity Killed The Cat

Jethro Pili

Ted Piznarski tiptoed down the narrow staircase of their family’s large home, the kind of house that had both a regular kitchen and a dairy kitchen. It was midnight, and the whole place was quiet except for the faint creaks of the old wood under his socks. Ted, though careful, wasn’t worried about waking his parents. They slept like rocks in the upstairs bedroom, especially after Friday night Shabbat dinner. But his brother Jeremy, now that was a different story.  Ted made his way to the dairy kitchen, a small space off to the side of t...

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The Weight of Expectations

Jethro Pili

Josh sat on the edge of his bed, staring blankly at the pile of textbooks stacked high on his desk. The light filtering through the window did little to brighten the oppressive atmosphere of his room, which felt more like a prison than a sanctuary. A small clock ticked rhythmically, each second a reminder of the time slipping away as he wrestled with the dark thoughts swirling in his mind. “Josh! Get in here!” his father’s voice thundered from downstairs. He winced, knowing he couldn’t ignore the call. Sliding off the bed, he shuffled down t...

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The Phantom of the Factory

Jethro Pili

The first thing I notice when I wake up is the smell of coffee. It’s a strange smell to be greeted with after so long. I haven’t smelled much of anything in—how long has it been? Years? Decades? Time gets slippery when you’re dead. I remember the smoke, though. The bitter scent of it, the crackling roar of fire eating through the rafters, and then nothing. But now, there’s coffee. And voices. Lots of voices. Children laughing, someone humming, pots clanging. None of it makes sense. The last time I was here, there was nothing but charred beam...

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The Headless Queen of St. Peter ad Vincula

Jethro Pili

The Tower of London had always been a fortress of shadows, secrets, and blood. It was more than just stone walls; it was a repository of history, cruelty, and tragedy. Within its cold embrace, those who once wielded power were reduced to prisoners, condemned by the Crown. Among them, Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, executed in 1536. Her headless form was said to haunt the Tower, though few dared to speak of it aloud. St. Peter ad Vincula, the small, unassuming chapel within the Tower grounds, was where Anne lay buried, along with man...

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I Hear Her Echo Through The Night

Jethro Pili

The plane ride had been long and tiring, but the excitement of finally being in London kept Henry and Gabriel’s energy levels high as they checked into the hotel. Both boys were seventeen and had been best friends for as long as they could remember. This trip was a dream come true for them. Their families were close—practically extended family at this point—and every couple of years, they’d travel together to some far-off place. This time, it was the bustling city of London.Henry and Gabriel had their own room, separate from their parents. T...

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Descent Into Death

Jethro Pili

The wind howled as Kurt, Ned, Cedric, and Elroy stood at the gates of Waverly Hills Sanatorium. The decaying building loomed before them, its windows dark and lifeless, like the hollow eyes of a skull. The infamous tuberculosis hospital had a sinister reputation—whispers of tortured spirits, disembodied voices, and shadowy figures that roamed the halls long after the last patient had died. But none of that deterred the four friends, who had made it their mission to explore the most haunted places they could find.  Tonight, it was Waverl...

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Dying To Date You

Jethro Pili

The Match Amir Rahman scrolled through his phone, casually swiping left on most profiles that popped up on his dating app. He wasn’t exactly looking for love, but after years of his family pestering him about settling down, he’d finally caved. After all, how hard could it be to find someone interesting? It was only when a particular profile appeared on his screen that he stopped his absent-minded swiping. Her name was Zahra, and her photo showed a striking woman with dark, mysterious eyes, framed by curls of black hair that tumbled past her ...

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Home From The Sea

Jethro Pili

The sky over Lark Point darkened like ink spilling across parchment, swallowing the late afternoon sun. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a low growl that rolled over the jagged cliffs and the small coastal town. The fishing boats had come in hours ago, tied up safely in the harbor, save for one—the Mary Anne, an old boat weathered by decades of storms, yet still the pride of its owner, Captain Harry Quinn. It was late September, the season of storms, when the sea tested every vessel and every soul that dared to sail it. The Mary Anne had lef...

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Dr. Life

Jethro Pili

The roar of the tunnel collapse reverberated through the heart of Boston like an earthquake. Dust billowed through the streets, coating buildings and cars alike in a grimy film. Traffic came to a halt as sirens pierced the dense air. The rescue teams and emergency services mobilized with military precision, converging on the scene. What had once been a bustling city thoroughfare was now a scene of chaos.Inside the makeshift command center, the faces of city officials, engineers, and emergency planners were grim. The collapse had trapped doze...

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The Holy Grail of Arthurian Enthusiasts

Jethro Pili

Ethan Baxter had always been a bit of a loner, which was a trait that served him well as a student of medieval literature at the University of California, San Diego. Most people his age spent their weekends at the beach or bar-hopping in the Gaslamp Quarter, but Ethan preferred the quiet company of books. His passion for Arthurian legend bordered on obsession, and it was this obsession that led him to spend countless hours in the university library, poring over old manuscripts and obscure texts. But no matter how many books he read, how many...

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That They May Be One

Jethro Pili

The sun was still low in the sky when the bus began its winding journey through the hills of Manipur. The road was narrow, flanked by lush greenery that clung to the sides of steep inclines. Inside, the bus was a tapestry of different cultures, as the Global Outreach Team (GO Team) from Nazareth Hills Baptist College of California settled into their seats. Ted, a wiry student from the Philippines with a ready smile, adjusted the strap of his backpack and looked around. He recognized a few faces from class but had never really talked to ...

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The Silence In Terminal 7

Jethro Pili

The chaos at Terminal 7 began with a single ripple. A collective murmur spread as the flight information screens flickered, displaying garbled characters before settling on the dreaded word: CANCELED. Every destination, every airline—nothing was spared. The virus unleashed by the hacktivist group The Silence had worked its way into the global aviation system, grounding planes at major hubs worldwide. Hour 1: The News Breaks At Gate 22, a woman in a sharp business suit stared in disbelief at her phone. Carol had an important presentation in C...

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Far From The Home I Love

Jethro Pili

Aparna Sharma stared out of the airplane window, her eyes tracing the patterns of clouds below, white puffs suspended against an endless blue sky. She had never seen the world from this height before. In fact, she had never traveled this far from home. Chennai was all she had known her entire life—its vibrant streets, the scent of jasmine in the air, the sounds of bustling markets, and the comforting familiarity of family and friends. But now, that chapter of her life was closing, and a new one was about to begin in a city she had only read ...

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Ceasefire

Jethro Pili

**Chapter 1: The Lore Hunter’s Lair** Liam O’Connell, an Irish vampire with piercing green eyes and a sly grin, paced the small cell he shared with a gruff werewolf named Declan “Deacon” O’Leary. Deacon’s broad shoulders and muscular build filled most of the space. His icy blue eyes flashed with irritation as he watched Liam’s restless movements. The two had been captured during their visit to Henderson, Nevada, where they had inadvertently crossed paths. Liam was in Henderson to oversee plans for the Las Vegas branch of his pub, The Old Fen...

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