Joey Ratajczak

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2022

Stories (2)

2 Stories

42 karma pts

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“The Day My Brother Should Have Died” by Joey Ratajczak

Submitted to Contest #173

TW: Substance abuse, mental health, and language. Kyle and I were fraternal twins, and for a long time, we believed nothing could come between us. He might still think that, but I know better.   We were inseparable in the early days. Whether it was learning cursive in elementary school or fighting Terrance Cormack in the high-school locker room, we did it together. Until college. My brother wanted to get an MFA and be a writer, but I was sick of school, and I didn’t want to leave Ma on her own. So, I moved a few houses down and wor...

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“A Battle for the Soul” by Joey Ratajczak

Submitted to Contest #171

I am transfixed, staring at a wound in the earth. A jet of steam shoots out, and a heartbeat later, boiling water spews forth, sending a whirl of steam around it. A moment later, as suddenly as it began, the eruption stops. The cloud drifts over a bubbling lake, joining the blanket of steam resting on the surface. The edges of the lake are vibrant yellow and orange. Trillions of microscopic lifeforms live there. It’s perfect for them. It’s home. Even the most extreme creatures found a happy place for themselves. I try to repress the sudden s...

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Author bio

Author’s biography Joey Ratajczak lives in Maryland with his wife, son, and two dogs. He is a voracious reader and finds time to write in the relatively calm moments when his kids are napping, and his dogs are frolicking in the mud patch that never seems to dry up or grow grass.