Menu

Prompts

Directory Contests Magazine FAQ

Apps

reedsymarketplace

Hire professionals for your project

reedsyblog

Advice, insights and news

reedsylearning

Online publishing courses

reedsylive

Free publishing webinars

reedsydiscovery

Launch your book in style

Bestseller Podcast Book Cover Art Success Stories

Tools

Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships

Menu

Prompts

Contests

Stories

Blog

Directory

Contests

Magazine

FAQ

John Jenkins

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2022

Stories (33)

Comments

Library

16 Followers

5 Following

33 Stories

587 karma pts

?

The Bolverases

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #225

“No way, man,” said Shempert. “This isn’t working.” Shempert had been slaving for months, years almost, trying to finish his self-portrait. He’d tried and given up a dozen times, at least, never knowing how close he came to realizing his dream. “What’s blocking me?” said Shempert. “What’s missing? I’ve been doing this forever.” Shempert picked up a cup of what he assumed was water and began to drink. Paint thinner again. He spit it out. For a while, he just stood there and looked at the picture. “I can’t figure you out. What is it? What is...

7 likes

Awful Busker

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #218

It was 1:31 pm when Jamison arrived there, at the Piazza Romanazza in the Pietro district of Italy. He was looking for someone, checking their faces. In each face, he saw only a trace of his quarry. Some fit in certain ways, it seemed. He almost settled on a few. But she’s with another man, that can’t be her, he’d say to himself. Suddenly, he looked across the Piazza Romanazza. Did he see her? The object of his fancy? The distance was far, over fifty meters. There was a busker playing in the street, satisfying his wares. Creating a flight o...

6 likes

Mr. Slaters' Enterprise

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #215

[Note: Yes, this story contains references The Devil] “Hi, I’m Mr. Slaters,” said The Devil. “Want to make a deal?” “I don’t even know who you are,” said Timothy. “You just randomly walked up to me. You could’ve been a suicide bomber.” “I still could be. Deal’s on the table. Whenever you’re ready.” “Wait a minute. How did you…? Who told you I was…?” “Well, it wasn’t exactly a secret. You’ve been applying to that Amazon warehouse job for five years now. You’ve told everyone about it, even your ‘Bey’. It was only a matter of time before I foun...

6 likes

Earth Day 2080

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #210

“Is the camera on?” said James Botson, a news reporter with the New York Times. He was then looking into a giant television camera, which was overlooking a field in Jasper, a suburb of New York City, in the United States. The level of anticipation was high. People had come from miles around to see what was happening. Further afield, there was a unique object standing in the grass. It looked like a rocket, but it wasn’t something that you could quite look at. The entire thing was covered with a surface that fumbled the eyes. One didn’t know...

8 likes

Success Changed Forever

John Jenkins

It was 8:00 in the morning on a Friday, which meant only one thing: computer time. Marcus Weatherbly was ready. He had gone out to the local diner to have a quick meal and was now getting ready to sit down and get to work. The video game he’d been working on was now an intense beast, a thing of beauty. If only he could get it done. There were so many little things to add. So many methods of improvement. As the super-fast computer powered up, almost instantly, Marcus thought about his goal. This would be the game to end all games. The best g...

0 likes

The Death of Intrigue

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #205

With swift decorousness, the judges gavel slammed on the ledge, creating a vibration of fear that shook the courtroom into silence. No one could match the judge’s power, his influence. He was a man who could change the world by his decree alone. “Okay, okay, silence,” said the judge, looking down at those standing before him. There was an atmosphere of finality, almost of some relief, for both prosecution and defense. Both had fought a hard fight, had come through a metamorphosis and into a new being. Both had sacrificed for this moment. ...

16 likes

After Parté

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #201

It was over. The moon shone through, looking like the eye of a scared giant. There was nothing else that could be done about it. The Rabies had performed, making a case for the ultimate value of Rock and Roll. But there was something else afoot here, something that a few thousand plastic cups and loogies couldn’t change. Purple Pendergrass was alone. Of course, in a sense, we are all alone in our own ways. We come into this world alone – except for the twins - and we leave it alone. But Purple’s aloneness was something more, something diffe...

10 likes

The Accuser

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #197

“Archamirades!” said Jonus, standing on the high cliff of Mount Mapley as he looked over at the Mountain of the Gods over 50 miles away. The gods were so fickle – waiting for the perfect opportunity to reply, never wanting to seem too eager. Jonus stood there, his tattered rags soaked all the way through, his feet penetrated by spines and rock jelly. What could this mere mortal have that the gods would want? Or was it the other way around? “They’re not hearing you, my lad,” said Shella, Jonus’s wife and loyal companion. Jonus couldn’t help b...

14 likes

Treasures of Life

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #192

(Note: There is some slight crossdressing in this story) “Bone-Jo,” said Franklin, looking over his shoulder. “Bone-Jo take a look at this.” It was a long weekend and Franklin and Bone-Jo had spent hours maintaining the grounds of the Oshkosh Pet Cemetery and Maximum Security Prison in Rockford, Illinois. They were both lifers, but one less than the other. Bone-Jo had three consecutive life sentences, whereas Franklin’s three life sentences were concurrent. They’d come to the prison on the same day and had already spent twenty years in. T...

11 likes

The Irony is Lost!

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #182

"Follow that car!" said Benjy, pointing through the windshield which was soaking wet with torrential rain. The rain had been sudden, yet potent, in its ferocity and vivacity. The Taxi ride had been sudden, the call placed just moments before. There was a tension in the air. "What car?" said the Taxi driver, known to reality only as Splashtastic73. "The dark blue car with the tinted windows," said Benjy. "Two cars ahead." Benjy was desperate. Life had already taken a turn for the worse, as if he didn't have enough already on his plate. Benj...

11 likes

The Bugattie Senator

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #181

(Note: This story contains references to the MeToo movement.) "Let's go for a walk," said Senator Feinbees, clutching his folio in his arm.  "Why? Where are we going?" said Senator Laten, appearing to anticipate a hard conversation. "Let's just walk." Suddenly Laten's perspective on life shifted. Often, living life seemed to be a little journey, some myopic quest in which the outer significance of the situation had little to do with the inner stressors of just being alive. Laten never thought that he'd be called out. he wasn't expecti...

10 likes

The ShyKon Directive

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #180

"This isn't what I had in mind," said Jonas Ferringby as he stood at the point of a scimitar. "I really should think about learning a new language." This was it for the international spy. He'd come from across the globe, trotted through the marshes of France and visited the cathedrals of Italy. He'd tracked his quarry through months and weeks of grueling guesswork. Where were the nukes? Had the government of Qatar made the shipment? Only time would tell. But for now, Jonas had a rather prickly situation standing before him.  The blade o...

12 likes

New Year Tango Daylight

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #179

(Note: Contains references to surgery.) Herr Arthur Shaupenfrauf, I have compiled a list of your New Years resolutions for the year 2024. Listen very carefully. It might not matter too much, as so much as happened. But I want you to be cognizant of the fact that not everything that we have been through these past few years has been that bad. Ultimately, we have survived. Though we may not have the ability to achieve all ten of the things on this list within a sufficient period, I want you to know that life is still good. I have been watchi...

14 likes

Life only begins

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #158

“Hello, Ma’am,” said Spencer Fine, holding onto his bookbag. “How are you doing today?” The woman was a rather voluptuous lady in her thirties. She was wearing a silk, decorated chemise with a green skirt and comfortable shoes. “Leave me alone,” she said. “Okay,” said Spencer. “I hope you have a nice day.” “Whatever. Shut up.” Spencer was in a quandary he had created for himself. His whole life, he’d been a bully. He’d bullied everyone: his brothers and sisters, his classmates, his friends, strangers. For years they had warned him. One day,...

14 likes

Johnstone Project

John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #157

It was a cold Sunday in January and Paul Mundelex was having his favorite brand of coffee at the office. He’d worked for two hours already and was building up a head of steam. Next was the big weekly meeting in which all his reports would be giving updates as to their progress on the Johnstone agreement. The agreement was the child of over six months of tireless work, coming from an early draft through to a development process that required thousands of billable hours in total. People worked all day on this project, some working on weekends...

9 likes