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John K Adams

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (295)
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949 Followers
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295 Stories

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Surprise Party

Submitted to Contest #281

Sam opened the front door to see his younger brother, Clark, holding a decorative bottle bag. He blocked his entry.“What are you doing here?”He offered him the gift bag. “Merry Christmas to you too, Sam.”Sam took the bag and set it on the gift table. “Cute, Clark. But no cigar. You need to leave.” Clark was used to Sam’s challenges, but this was extreme.“You’re serious? I came to make peace.”Sam set his jaw, out of patience for his brother’s games.“What if that’s not an option? Your being here offers anything but peace.”“Listen to yourself. ...

9 likes 8 comments 8
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Playtime

Submitted to Contest #280

“No, don’t!” Shocked, Jeremy looked at Pricilla.  He said, “Why?”He’d just told her he planned to propose marriage to Adele, his girlfriend.Pricilla hadn’t thought before speaking. Now she didn’t have time to think.’You’re too young… Her first name would sound funny with your last… I don’t have a present… What about college? She has plans for the summer… She’s already married. Oh… I love you… No…’There had been joggers on the path. Ducks paddled about the lake. It felt eerily quiet now. ‘Where is everyone when I need them?’Pricilla trie...

20 likes 25 comments 25
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The Last

Submitted to Contest #279

Lou awoke completely alone.Ordinarily, that would not be unusual. But this evening, he found himself seated in the middle of the city’s largest auditorium.“How…? Where…?” Squinting into the bright lights, he looked around, trying to understand. He sat, the sole person in a sea of empty seats. Moments before, it had been standing room only. Nothing made sense. Was it a dream? ‘Am I dreaming now?’Invited by Mona, he got stuck watching a speech by the most boring man in the world. Lou knew this was true. He'd heard them all. Only Mona could con...

26 likes 16 comments 16
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Cheater

Submitted to Contest #278

Connie prepared for work and ignored the envelope which had lain on her table unread for two days. Its mere existence was an affront. ‘Just throw it away…’She recognized Rusty’s initials on the return address but couldn’t care less what he might wish to say. It had been too long. ‘Why now?’ Over him long ago, and with no thought of him for years, had she seen him in a decade?She’d been crazy for him then. He ended it suddenly with a rushed, mumbled explanation. He was gone from her life. But not her head.‘What happened… what went wrong, I’ll...

14 likes 7 comments 7
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Dragons Fly

Submitted to Contest #277

Ursula stood on the precipice, looking toward the distant castle. She pulled her hood close. Tethered nearby, her horse grumbled as it ate from a hay bale.“Why am I here? I should be attending Queen Hannah… not tending livestock.” She looked into the cave at the she dragon. Brooding, Safire rested in her nest. Sunlight from the cave entrance shone off its scales, warming the cave with a rosy glow. Ursula had never seen anything alive so huge. Stepping up to Safire’s eye, she smoothed her hair in the reflection. Safire watched impassively. Ha...

16 likes 10 comments 10
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Twisted

Submitted to Contest #276

My father and I had a complicated relationship. He had a family with four children to raise. I was the third son. From my narrow perspective, I felt like an also ran.A good provider, we were always housed, fed and clothed. We lacked for nothing material. But Dad always did things his way, in his time. He was an entrepreneur. When opportunities arose, he took them. The family followed. He saw many opportunities. We moved often. Dad planned to move the summer before I entered seventh grade. He listed the house for sale without telling our moth...

30 likes 35 comments 35
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Witchy

Submitted to Contest #275

Witchy “Here they come…” To Freya, they were the proverbial mob carrying torches and pitchforks. Objectively, they were trick-or-treaters doing what little kids do on this iconic day. They toured the neighborhood in fanciful costumes toting pillowcases and plastic buckets laden with sweets. Not wanting to harsh their sugar buzz, a few vigilant parents followed at a distance.Freya hated that Samhain, her holiday, had become the cartoonish Hallmark holiday, Halloween. Samhain’s magic had gotten trampled by a vast commercial enterprise dedicat...

26 likes 11 comments 11
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Ghosted

Submitted to Contest #275

Terrance watched the two women enter and tour his house. They didn’t notice him. He’d called it home his whole life. He built it. He only occupied it now. Terrance was a ghost.He’d seen the rental agent, Peyton, over the years. She came on the scene after he vacated the premises. Being an absentee landlord, his son deferred to Peyton.The prospective tenant was a young woman, smartly dressed.Terrance chided himself. “Everyone looks young to you, old fool…”He sensed she was high strung despite her professional, relaxed demeanor with Peyton.The...

22 likes 12 comments 12
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Scoped

Submitted to Contest #274

Harry sat unmoving at his bench, staring at the petri dish containing his latest biology lab assignment. Everyone else busied themselves peering into microscopes, passing notes or asking questions.Harry only appeared to be staring. Lost in a reverie, he could have been anywhere. His parents’ argument that morning replayed over and again.Nothing new, their arguing was consistent and boring. A bad soundtrack to his life.‘But the things they said… How can people talk like that? They even hear each other?’Harry doubted it. He didn’t understand m...

18 likes 14 comments 14
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Three Wishes

Submitted to Contest #272

Furman Bentley awoke in a foul mood, an emotional state more common than not. “Deadlines… deadlines, deadlines…!”A popular author, Furman resented his editor’s incessant prodding him to excellence. Harley Houston, of Houston, Farley and Plum was his editor and publisher.Their phone conversations usually ended abruptly. Furman would tell Harley, “I’m always excellent. I don’t submit until it’s perfect. You only make changes to justify your pay.” For emphasis, almost his signature, he’d slam his phone down. Preserving the freedom to slam phone...

32 likes 16 comments 16
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Boogieman

Submitted to Contest #272

Jonathan’s kids, Arlo and Devon, crawled into their beds. Cal, their cat, curled up at the foot of Arlo’s bed. Its tail swept up and landed with a contented thud every few seconds.Arlo asked, “Will you read us a story?”Devon giggled. “A scary one.”“I don’t know… would your mom like that? The idea’s to sleep, not get nightmares…”Grinning, she held out an old, hard covered book. “This one…”The book looked familiar to Jonathan, as if from a dream. Taking it from her he looked at the faded print on the spine, ‘Stories for the Sleepless, by Edwin...

18 likes 8 comments 8
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Wedding Hells

Submitted to Contest #271

It was a romance worthy of a soap opera. Each stars of their own show, Pearl Swinney and Wayne Waxen met at an industry event for actors and agents. Witnesses described their meeting as ‘electric,’ ‘smoldering,’ or ‘like a short circuit.’ That sparks flew was not seen by all as a positive sign. Anywhere outside of Hollywood, what happened between them would be called bizarre. In this town, it was called ‘Wednesday night.’No one denied their passion. They proved inseparable. Seen everywhere holding hands and trailed by paparazzi, everyone kne...

26 likes 12 comments 12
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Much to Talk…

Submitted to Contest #270

Bianca got her boyfriend, Geoff’s text at work. ‘Meet at Manson’s, 6pm. Much to talk.’Manson’s, the most expensive restaurant in town, was pronounced ‘Mansion’s.’ So people wouldn’t think Charlie owned it? Or an added gloss of pretension? No matter. It was a favorite of Bianca’s.Either formal or glib, Geoff could be such a mystery. ‘Much to talk?’ Had some jock set a homerun record? Or had Existentialism found proof of Nihilism’s emptiness?Guys can be so casual. They’d gladly know you biblically before bothering with your pedigree or even yo...

21 likes 8 comments 8
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Half Hearted

Submitted to Contest #269

Lionel Bricker, or Brickbat, as his friends called him, came home one day and saw the need for a change. ‘Decluttering’ had become all the rage to his coworkers. Lionel became aware of it overhearing his workmates during lunch. That grown men should waste valuable time discussing cleaning strategies struck him as odd. His staff explained that ‘Swedish Death Cleaning’ was about ‘intentional decluttering.’ Relieved, Lionel said, “Oh, I thought it was a bizarre Viking burial ritual.” He said, “I’m not going anywhere. To ensure loved ones are no...

15 likes 6 comments 6
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Taking the Fourth

Submitted to Contest #268

Christine’s phone buzzed at an incoming message. It had gone to voice mail. She clicked on it and began reading the transcript. ‘Hi, Chris, this is James. Been a while. Hoped we could talk. I owe you an apology. Let’s meet so I can offer it in person. If not, I get it. Hope you’re well. Let me know.’The voice mail started before she’d finished reading. Hearing James’ voice, she almost dropped the phone.The phone rang. Startled, she answered reflexively. “Hello?”“Chris!” It was James at his cheeriest. “What do you want?”“Thanks for picking up...

11 likes 12 comments 12
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