John k Adams

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (92)

92 Stories

2432 karma pts

?

“Out of Darkness” by John k Adams

Bing and Wing first met in the waiting room of the Vision Center. They each happened to have an appointment. A great friendship began that day.Bing heard her talking with her driver. He recognized her voice.“Excuse me, aren’t you Wing?”She turned to the sound. “Yes. Who are you?”“Your voice is familiar. You read at the Poetry Jam, last month. I’d know your voice anywhere. I love your poetry.”She paused and said, “You sound familiar too. Do I know you? Are you a singer?”“I sing. Yes.”She smi...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Ariadne’s Thread ” by John k Adams

Alan’s friends could not believe him. They wanted more. They wanted proof. “You met him?” “Merlo exists?” “You spoke?” “What did he say?” “What’s he like?” “He signed it?” “He stole your book?” “His book?” “Why take his own book?” “It’s my copy of his latest, ‘Ariadne’s Thread’.” Everyone envied Alan’s good fortune. Fe...

2 comments 2
Read story

“ Everything is Poison, Everything is Medicine” by John k Adams

“How beautiful!” Karen exclaimed, looking over the valley stretched before them. The sun topped distant mountains. Layers of mist still settled in the hollows. She looked at her children, Tim and Amy, straddling their bikes.“This is why I wanted to get out today. You can’t see this on a phone screen.”Tim nodded, though his expression betrayed doubt.“Looks like there’s a meadow there. Let’s ride down and check it out. Maybe picnic there.”Karen rode down the fire road trailed by ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Money Shot” by John k Adams

Anna’s eyes fluttered as she lay cradled in Trent’s arms. “I‘m cold… Is it cold?” Trent pulled off his jacket and tucked it around her. The wrecked car lay on its side. Smoke drifted. “Hang on, Anna. We’ll get through this.” “I’m sorry.” “No, I’m sorry. You saved my life… you took a bullet meant for me.” “Guess I learned. I’ll never do that again… ” She tried to smile. “Quiet now...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Ask Me No Questions ” by John k Adams

“Hi, I’m Jason.” He extended his hand. “The Argonauts are outside with the boat.” ‘Shut up! You dork!’ “I’m Jill…” She took his hand and glanced around conspiratorially. “Parking that thing must be a… pain.” He laughed at her joke. “That’s good. Not everyone gets it.” Ice broken. ‘Maybe this won’t be such an ordeal…’ They each paused, expecting the other to talk. The silenc...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Fools” by John k Adams

Blake hated April Fool’s Day. Don’t fools run the place? They need a holiday too? The fact that his birthday fell on April 1st didn’t help its reputation. Thanks to his brother, Jeff, he grew up being his family’s April Fool. How many shaving crème or mayonnaise frosted cakes can one kid bite into and laugh? He never wanted to see another cake . Any mention of Marie Antoinette made him gag.

7 comments 7
Read story

“Spring’s in the Error” by John k Adams

Margaret didn’t notice when Jane first arrived to the print shop. Her sole focus was printing the flyer for her annual Shakespeare in the Park festival. They always did the favorite, ‘Midsummer’s Night Dream’. But Jane’s increasingly strident voice demanded attention. “You printed it all wrong,” she said to Greg, the manager. “Actually, I didn’t. I followed your instructions exactly. Look at the pap...

4 comments 4
Read story

“I Like to Drive” by John k Adams

That’s the thing with this city… if you don’t have a ‘place for your stuff’, if all you have is your body, you’re a nobody. With no place to stand, you have no standing. You ain’t got a castle, who are you? So, being homeless, unless you call my car a home, I wanted a place to lay my head besides my steering wheel. I drove into the camp to check things out. Little kids wandered like stray dogs. No one cared...

5 comments 5
Read story

“Smoke and MIrrors” by John k Adams

Grace saw the rider approaching from a long way off. The dog’s barking drew her attention to him. Maybe he had news from back East. She called to her toddler, “Go inside Sally. Wait for me there.” Sally ran to Grace with the little sack of meal. “We’ll feed the chickens later, Hon.” She caressed her cheek. Sally’s gaze followed Shep’s bark. “Who is that, Mommy? Don’t like him.” “I don’t like him eit...

7 comments 7
Read story

“Paradise Unshared” by John k Adams

Cheryl opened the door to see her husband, Dave, sitting at the kitchen table with his back to her. He didn’t move. She thought it odd that he didn’t acknowledge her entrance. Oblivious to all else, he stared at the portable radio which played quietly on the table. She watched him on the edge of amazement. Usually fidgety, Dave sat as still as she’d ever seen him, except when he slept. Even his sleep was restless...

5 comments 5
Read story

“LDNOOBW” by John k Adams

Chad said, “Noob, think of emotions as salad dressing. Some favor one or another, or each depending on their mood. But they’re all kind of cheesy. The salad itself doesn’t change much.” “Which dressing do you use?” “I don’t use dressing. I like my salads dry.” “I struggle with analogies to things about which I have no reference. Since I’ll never have a salad, this is not helpful. My world is already ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Before the Shift” by John k Adams

Jessie sighed and gave Shelly a call. Past time. They hadn’t talked for ages. Seemed like… could it actually be years? Get it done before work. Of course, he could text. ‘One of the great innovations of the new century,’ he thought. ‘Poor communication with the illusion of efficiency.’ His fingers fumbled with the number pad. Holding a ‘cell’ instead of a wall mounted pho...

7 comments 7
Read story

“Princess Elvis” by John k Adams

Let me tell you how my nickname came about. My sister gave it to me. It doesn’t make any sense, as you’ll see. But it stuck. I was only a girl. So, forgive my not having all the times and dates. You can look it up. You may dispute some details but I’ll never forget that day. I was there. Daddy brought us, Mama, me and my sister, Charlotte, to the city to see the Reverend, Dr. King. It was a big deal. You’d...

5 comments 5
Read story

“Are You There?” by John k Adams

“Norman, are you in there?” ‘Oh for a moment of privacy. But no…’ The shards of a dream slipped through my fingers. “Of course Mother. Do you see me?” “No.” “Is the door shut?” “Yes…” “If it were open you’d be in here with me.” “Yes…” ‘How many times have we read this script?’...

9 comments 9
Read story

“Pyramid Schematics” by John k Adams

“So tell me more about this pyramid scheme, Ted.” Joe didn’t get it. “Again, it’s not a scheme nor a scam. It’s a convention of the latest pyramid technology.” Joe and Ted walked through the jammed parking lot. The convention center loomed in the distance. “So, why are we here again?” “I thought I might run into someone.” “You remember where we parked, right?“ “Of course. Just b...

4 comments 4
Read story

Author bio

Am told I drive like Mr. Toad and park like Robert Blake. I enjoy seeing how words and memory wrestle with reality. I have two grown children and a beautiful, loving wife. Yay!