John-Paul Cote

“The Unconquerable Monster” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #215

I am close.I have sought this creature for years. This unconquerable monster, I am told.I have been called arrogant, ignorant, mad in my pursuit of it.The monster haunts my ever waking thoughts and deep into the recesses of my dreams.Each brush stroke brings me closer to my nemesis.I have been creating this painting nearly my entire life.When the monster first struck, I did not know what to do. It cursed me as a child. It cursed my mother and father. My siblings. As I grew, it followed and cursed those I called friends. I found little solace...

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“My Better Life” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #214

    This has taken me months. Since the first day of summer break.The plan had been forming since grade nine science.It all made sense.I felt like a fool for not thinking of it before.Slowly over the summer, I gathered part after part.Circuits.Transistors.Wires.Diodes.Microcontrollers.Resistors.Connectors.Power sources.It took the chips from eight smartphones to make the neural network operate properly.The planning.The blue prints.The soldering.It tried escaped the first time I turned it on, like it already understoo...

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“Final Passage” by John-Paul Cote

Southern Expedition, Journal Entry, April 8, 1902             My leg is broken. There is no doubt. A compound fracture. Joseph and the last of the porters set it. I took the last swig of our whiskey and bit down on a piece of wood. We had no anesthetic. I heard a snap or a pop. The pain was intense. I blacked out. Southern Expedition, Journal Entry, April 9, 1902             I have been unconscious for fourteen hours. In ...

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“The Balmoria Pen Pals” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #212

       The Balmoria never had any glory days. It was a tenement building that was barely maintained enough to keep the building inspectors at bay. A few dollars here and there also helped. The brick exterior was as much of a sign of the years she had seen as the blinking neon bulbs from the ‘20s for the old girl. Fire had hit it more than once in its hundred-year history. Plywood and faux wood paneling covered the damage. Otherwise, it just meant that the rent would be that much cheaper for the next tenant....

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“Dead Letter Room” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #212

She looked down at the blood splattering over the hundreds of envelopes displayed before her. She felt every heartbeat pump it out and bring her closer to death. Her head was light. Her body was weak. She finally slipped off of her chair into the forgotten pile of mail that she was becoming part of.“Someday,” he said from behind her, “someday we will find the solution and Annabelle will be beautiful again.”Weeks before, the punishment seemed inhumanly cruel. All Cassidy had done was sneak into a restricted area for a story. It was a story he...

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“Fathers and Sons” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #211

       Reggie’s Diner was bustling as usual at lunchtime. It was the perfect setting for the meeting. It felt like an eternity since they had spoken. Such a crowded place would hopefully discourage an outburst from either of them.            When Luke arrived, his Father was already there. Typical of the Old Man, taking a power position. Letting him and everyone else know who was boss. Luke pushed down the anger, or was it frustration, he felt buil...

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“Are You Using This?” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #210

           Archie took a swig of his coffee and spit it out.            “What the Hell…” he said out loud at the monitor.            Everyone in the control room looked up as he put his feed on the big screen. There was a stunned silence from most. Others muttered some kind of “What the…” like Archie.            They watched ...

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“Along Came a Wolf” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #209

            Jacques’s feet were sore. He had been walking for some hours now. Worry crossed his mind. He should have arrived at Valroux. Time to sit and bring out the bread and cheese he had for the journey and eat. When he finished, he set his mind on finding someone to help him.            After another half hour, there was a farmhouse. He approached and knocked on the door. A large man opened the door. Jacques could see ...

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“The Gas Station” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #209

      Grace entered the gas station. Broken windows and the door swung back and forth in the wind greeted her. A light covering of radioactive dust coated everything in the store. The dust had long ago bleached her hair blonde. She pulled down the handkerchief that had been covering her face and lifted her sunglasses. The leather jacket she wore was covered in patches. She had taken it off the body of some preppie biker wannabe. The denim overalls she had on were rugged and well-worn. Leather cowboy boots tha...

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“The Getaway” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #209

“Clyde, you hold on, man, you hold on.” “It hurts, Gill, it hurts so bad.” Clyde lay in the back of the 1974 Chevy Impala, dying. A gut shot had him bleeding all over the seat. It had been a lucky shot by the cop. Gill returned the favour with a shot to the chest. The heist did not go as planned. It was a cluster fuck. Billy was lying on the floor of the bank. A hole in his head. The car was shot up. It was pretty obvious who and what they were. There was no time to stop and steal another one. The cops were hot on their tail. Gil...

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“The Ugly Toy” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #208

Ugh I’m an ugly toy.  There’s not much else I can say. It’s just stating the obvious. Some come out as pretty toys. Some come out as adventurous. Some come out loving and cuddly. They’re the worst ones. I came out ugly. And not ugly, as in the little ugly duckling way. It doesn’t get any better for me. No life altering, self-help guru I am what I am and we’re all beautiful in our own way type of ugly. I’m just ugly. Like I hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down. That’s ugly. The people at the factory were not sure what had ha...

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“Don't Blink or We're All Gone” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #207

BIG IDEAZ16 February 2032YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH. I CAN’T.It is the most secret, most secure facility in the world–it’s thousands of feet under New York City. And the research being done will make us all question our very place in the universe.=========================Sindy ChenStaff Reporter, Big IdeaZ My life will never be the same. The burden of the secret I know has made me question the meaning of existence itself. Out of millions of journalists, I am the one that Project Starlight asks to come for a visit.Project Starlight....

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“Nostalgia” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #205

 Harlan felt panicked that far down the dark alley. The lights reached far enough to leave everything in shadow or silhouette. Something scurried between his feet. His shoes stuck in God knew what. He was waiting to be knifed by a junkie looking for a few credits to feed his habit or arrested by the cops for just being there.He felt out of place. Clean-cut and dressed nicely. He had a good job. He had close friends and family. What was he doing?Harlan was here with two men. One was Walsh, his friend and the contact for this underworld f...

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“Marauders of the Plains” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #204

SUMMER, 2199, ORIONIS STEPPES Arne and Frode looked out over the scene. Many bodies from both sides lay on the grass of the field, now bloodied by battle. It was bodies neither side could afford.  The native Betorans’ numbers were dwindling because of the Great Plague brought by the settlers had taken many of them.  For the settlers, the meteor shower had destroyed their ship and communications, cutting them off from space. They were alone. There would be no rescue coming. “We cannot keep up this fight,” Arne said. “Each time t...

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“The Last Adventure” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #197

“More iced tea, Mr. Siddiqharran?” The android servant asked. “Yes, that would be fine, Corius.” “Perhaps some biscuits as well?” “Later, thank you.” Corius floated off to fetch the iced tea. Other drones moved about the garden, tending to the flowers and plants and mowing the lawn to a consistent height. The sun shone down. Barely a cloud in the sky. Jacob felt the warmth as he sat in the lounge chair beside the pool reading his book. The transparent aluminum walls kept out the noise of the streets and city life. It was an ideal paradi...

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