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John K Adams

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (288)
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940 Followers
1151 Following

288 Stories

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Behind the Door

Shortlisted for Contest #208 ⭐️

Duncan pulled his reins as his horse emerged from the copse of trees. The castle Camelot stood dreamlike atop a distant hill. Campfire smoke spread beneath the haze lingering from morning. Bucephalus, his steed, stamped restlessly after the long ride. It knew their destination. A covey of quail scurried across the path and into the underbrush. A hawk circled. He dismounted and let the stallion graze. It felt good to stretch. He drank from the stream. Soon Duncan would join others in Arthur’s great hall. Guinevere would return his smile and ...

23 likes 25 comments 25
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Proof Positive

Submitted to Contest #207

Howard Marks drove onto the Sequentrix Industries’ lot. He’d successfully passed the security gate. The sun had dipped behind the mountain. It felt like he’d driven forever up endless winding roads. ‘Thank God for GPS.’ The unassuming low-rise building built into the hillside was a former Buddhist monastery. He’d been called there but not informed of his purpose. He had lots of questions. Not sci-fi, Sequentrix was the most secure research lab in the world. Most didn’t know it existed. Fewer knew its purpose. Hardly anyone knew its locati...

10 likes 11 comments 11
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Embrace Your Fear

Submitted to Contest #206

Logan awoke alone in the forest. He felt at peace. A few stars still winked through branches. Abandoned but not afraid, he’d expected it. Planned for it. ‘For his own good. That’s how it works,’ he thought. Ever resourceful, he’d find his way. Untamed but not threatening, to Logan this was mere wilderness. Not sure why he came, fear held little sway in his life. He was not destined to die of exposure. Logan knew his fate lay within, a more interesting place to explore than this trackless expanse. That’s what Sal, the shaman, told them. Loga...

17 likes 7 comments 7
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The Boba Master

Submitted to Contest #205

Adrian dragged the last of his stuff into his freshman year dorm room. ‘First dibs on the bed…’ he thought. He arranged his luggage to unpack as needed. He left space for his roommate, whom he had not met. Adrian sat on the bed and checked his list. He had his class schedule and books, a heavy load. His counselor said to go easy first semester. Adrian wasn’t there to party. He aimed to finish in three years. Tuition paid, he hoped he saved enough to finish without loans. Once done, he’d walk unencumbered into his new career. Whatever that ...

21 likes 9 comments 9
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Finding Joy

Submitted to Contest #204

Ambrose said, “What’s the point?” They scanned the unbroken desert stretching to the horizon. “If we don’t change direction, we’ll end up where we’re going.” “That is the idea, Ambrose. I told you, we’re not diverting. We’re going where we’re expected.” End of discussion. Josiah had nothing else to add. “But maybe there’s a better way. Look at that.” The sun hadn’t shown itself, but the sky shone brighter by the minute. “I see it. Need to go…” A dark line of a mountain range marked the boundary between earth and sky. One could almost think...

10 likes 6 comments 6
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The Charm

Submitted to Contest #203

Coleen eyed her parents’ house from the shade of the tree a few doors down. They hadn’t lived there long, but today she began planning her move out. Preparing for the ‘big reveal,’ Coleen draped her sweater over her ring finger and walked resolutely to her home. The family had lived there since the beginning of her senior school year. Her parents, Michael and Heidi, bought it along with the Sunny Day Café behind them, on the next block. Michael loved the convenient commute, mere steps away, across the alley. Coleen found her ‘new kid’ wor...

12 likes 10 comments 10
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Precipice

Submitted to Contest #202

I blew it. Like a clockwork demolition, in a matter of seconds, I destroyed my life. Sitting in the darkness, on the curb outside my parent’s home, I contemplated my bleak future. Did I have one? Homelessness? Prison? My carefully plotted, bright dreams had gone. Poof! Could I ever return to the house I grew up in? The only home I’d ever known? I miscalculated and took a high dive into a shallow pool. Dread clung to my bones. I hoped it was worth it. Were those distant sirens coming for me? Did he call them? Wouldn’t anyone? Never rash or re...

17 likes 12 comments 12
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What Families Do

Submitted to Contest #201

“Where’ve you been?” Hudson heard a familiar voice from across the foyer. He looked from his mailbox to see his brother, Christopher, sitting on the floor. Hudson said, “Hey Bro! Long time nose-y! You know… Concert with friends. You lost? Whaddya want?” Christopher ignored his brother’s question. “How many concerts you been to?” “Fifteen. I think. So far. ‘Bout one per week.” Puzzled, Hudson asked, “Why are you here?” He started up the stairs. His brother followed. Christopher asked, “Local bands?” “We follow the tour.” ‘What’s he want?’ “H...

16 likes 11 comments 11
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Sandcastle of Desire

Submitted to Contest #199

As if the sun shines only on her, all eyes fall on ‘the woman’ as she strolls across the classic Italian city square. A flock of pigeons parts before her. Dressed simply, she looks better than those watching. In awe, they stare. She’s perfect. ‘The man,’ distracted, almost collides with ‘the woman,’ crossing her path. As if receiving an angel’s tap, he turns and sees the woman he’s been trying to meet. Their eyes lock. One can almost hear music swell with their emotions. A team of laborers pass between them, oblivious to their role in this ...

13 likes 2 comments 2
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DMV in Retrograde

Shortlisted for Contest #198 ⭐️

“You nervous?”“A little. You know… I’ll be okay.”“I’m sure you will. I’ll be at the café. Text me when you’re ready.”Corey, fifteen-and-a-half-years-old, repeated ‘You got this,’ to himself. If only he believed it.He’d driven hundreds of miles practicing over the last few months. But until he passed this test, to the world, he knew squat.First tests… firsts of anything are mysterious to the uninitiated. Rites of passage used to mean something. Crossing that line meant leaving childhood forever. He’d take on the mantel of adulthood and everyt...

30 likes 22 comments 22
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The Olympics Gamed

Submitted to Contest #197

Mars, the god of war, clapped his hands and addressed the crowd. “Welcome! What a beautiful morning here on Mount Olympus.” The crowd cheered. Epimetheus suppressed an ironic smile. The god of afterthought and the father of excuses considered his lowly status amongst his peers. “Some gods get all the breaks. Why is the god of war presiding over the opening of the Olympic Games?” No one answered him. Sitting on his lonely cloud, the other gods considered his location ‘nosebleed’ territory. Mars continued, “Minotaur, Chimera and Cerberus wa...

12 likes 7 comments 7
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If Only

Submitted to Contest #196

‘Drab. Who would design anything in drab?’ Carole looked around. It seemed everything sang a dirge of that same ‘blah’ color. Evelyn entered. Carole stopped sketching and watched her daughter make herself breakfast. She sat opposite her mother without speaking. “Good morning…” Evelyn nodded and took a bite. Carole returned to her sketch but soon set the charcoal onto the table. “Is something wrong? Are you not speaking to me?” Evelyn swallowed. “You always say not to talk with my mouth full.” She took another bite. Carole rolled her eyes...

12 likes 10 comments 10
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The Front Man

Submitted to Contest #195

‘Here we go,’ thought Angel, standing outside the rear entrance of Joaquin’s. About to start his shift as busboy, he wondered, ‘Should I go in? I never felt like this.’ He weighed his options. ‘Why should I quit? It’s not my problem. Let them sort it out. Why should I start over?’ The door burst open. Pretending graciousness, waiters, Diego and Cisco offered each other the door. Then jostling, they squeezed through together. Diego pointed a finger in the other waiter’s face. “Not cool, Cisco. You don’t poach customers.” He scoffed. “You’re ...

15 likes 11 comments 11
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Seed Crystal

Submitted to Contest #194

Ian needed an entry point for his story. No portal, no story.The sun shone through his window, creating a bright trapezoid on his floor. Dust drifted through the beam. The house was quiet.All he needed was a simple dust mote on which his story’s beautiful snow flake could form. He could pick any one.‘Always to the dust returning.’Ian never called it ‘writer’s block.’ ‘That’s a faulty understanding of the problem.’ Ian felt he needed to find this story’s crystalizing agent. With enough research and life experience he could conjure a story on ...

17 likes 8 comments 8
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Hamster Wheel

Submitted to Contest #192

Elaine said, “I hate to tell you this…” Greg looked up from his newspaper. “What?” “Oh, never mind.” “Elaine, what?” “I don’t want to fight.” “Who’s fighting? Talk.” “We’re… in a rut.” “We are?” He reached for her. “Greg, our hamster wheel...” He stared. “It rattles and spins but never goes anywhere.” “Uhm, Honey, if it rolled away, you’d lose the hamster…” Elaine rolled her eyes. “Never mind…” “No, what’s this about?” “We’re too comfortable.” “You want discomfort?” “We used to have adventures. I don’t want to watch the clock until qui...

15 likes 9 comments 9
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