Joshua G. J. Insole

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (178)

178 Stories

7115 karma pts

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“Montis Absentia Pt. IV” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #59

1A wind blew through the trees behind them and pine needles skittered across the asphalt. The sound was familiar. It was the noise of the year’s demise, of autumn, of Halloween. It was the sound of orange and brown, the warmth of a thick jumper, hands wrapped around a mug. It was teeth as they fell from gums. It was the shatter of glass. It was a million spiders as they scuttled on the ground. It was death.“Do you think there’s anyone down there?” Steve asked the thought that had crept up into her mind.Mary swallowed, throat dry. She shook h...

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“Montis Absentia Pt. III” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #58

The two paths split, and the righthand branch — which led down to the cemetery — descended further into the nebulous fog, whilst the one they followed rose up an incline. A steep bank of mud separated the two, and before long, Steve felt waves of vertigo wash over him.Although neither one said it, both Mary and Steve were puzzled that they’d not cleared the greyness that encroached upon them. It pooled around them, thick as soup, swirls left in their wake as they waded through the haze.“It’s not as simple as all that,” said Mary.“How is it n...

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“Montis Absentia Pt. II” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #57

They’d walked on through the fog for what seemed to be hours, but they’d not stumbled across the signposted town. Their footsteps did not echo, the walls of grey that pressed in at them from all sides dampened the sound. Steve still walked with limp, but he hadn’t grumbled about it at all. “A spelling bee?” Mary grinned at him. The blood had congealed on her forehead. “Are you pulling my leg?” Steve held one hand in the air, the other he didn’t move much, and Mary suspected it was broken. “I’m not pulling anything. I swear to God—” he pl...

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“Montis Absentia” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #56

1The two sets of headlights intersected each other in the midnight’s blackness, shades of yellow and orange sliced through the inky gloom. The still of the mountain pass was shattered by the squeal of tires, the screech of metal, the sound of broken glass. There was a moment of silence, in which a preternatural hush fell across the ridge like a winter blanket, followed by the unmistakable — yet wholly alien — cacophony of two vehicles experiencing the profound effect of gravity.Mary let go of the steering wheel the second her SUV tore throug...

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“In the Dark of the Zombie City” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #55

“So, the first item on our agenda is killing Ethan.” Lilly looked up from the sheet of paper on her judge’s desk. “Are we all in agreement?” A few glances were exchanged between the children seated in the crowd, but no objection was voiced. One of the boys shuffled in his seat, eyes wide. Ethan, who was gagged and bound like a trussed turkey in the space between judge and jury, screamed into the cloth that muzzled him. Outside, the perpetual rain drummed onto the roofs of the now-dead city. “Very good.” Lilly shuffled her papers. “Any su...

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“Eye to Eye” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #54

A glimpse was all I needed to recognise my childhood sweetheart; I’d never forget those killer’s eyes. I swallowed hard, my throat like sandpaper. That blood-pumping muscle in my chest began to thud so violently my whole body vibrated. She slowed and turned to face me. The whites of her eyes told me she’d not forgotten me either.Time slowed, the microseconds tick-tick-ticked away as our eyes locked. I willed her to turn back around, to keep going. But, as I knew she would, she allowed herself to be guided by the primal instinct tha...

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“18.01528” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #53

The old man spoke, pale blue gaze resolute. He ignored the barrel of the assault rifle that was aimed at his forehead. “We were neither prepared nor equipped to cooperate.” His voice was hoarse but powerful. He spoke into the bloodshot eyes of the kid who held the weapon. “I said shut up!” The muzzle wavered, the sweat dripped, the air rippled in the heat. The boy stood over him, rifle clutched in a white-knuckle grip. Undeterred, the bound man continued. “The demand outstripped the sustainable supplies.” “Stop talking!” The boy’s cra...

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“Lights Shined Into Pried-Open Eyes” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #52

The plasma glow from the television was the only source of light in the apartment. All the curtains were drawn — they always were, day or night. Al glanced towards the obscured window of the lounge and searched for a trace of sunshine that might indicate the current time, but his gaze was watery and pulsated from hours of screen time. Al returned his red eyes to the display.The air inside the flat was lifeless, he could smell it, could taste it, but he didn’t care. The odour was that of old food, sweat, gas that has been long-since...

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“In Circles” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #51

I just woke up in this place, and I don’t know how I got here. I’m not alone, but I don’t know any of the people that are with me. We’re all dressed rather formally, so perhaps there was a party or a ceremony of some sort?The thing that really puzzles me is why we’re all covered in dirt.And why we’re just walking around the same plot of land, over and over, going round in circles, going over our old footsteps, over and over. I’m just following those in front, and I have the sneaking suspicion that the ones behind are just following me. But w...

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“Where the Children Used to Play” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #50

They couldn’t climb, so she knew she was safe, even if only temporarily. Mary let the sunlight fall upon her face, closing her eyes in the warming glow. She knew she should be doing something, as opposed to the nothing she was currently doing, but did it really matter that much, in the grand scheme of things? It wasn’t as if there were many people left to judge her, any more.The rough square that had been sawn into the boards offered her a perfect view of the lush green trees swaying in the wind and the endless cobalt blue of the o...

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“The Lonely Earth” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #49

She stepped barefoot onto the grass, feeling the dampness of the night against her skin. She breathed in slowly, relishing the fresh air, feeling it cooling her throat and lungs — it was delicious. The aromas of the evening danced on her tongue. A chilly breeze, wet grass, darkness. It was strange to say that darkness had a taste, but it most certainly did. She would be the first to argue so, even if she couldn’t quite articulate what she meant. She sighed and craned her neck to look at the night sky. Far above, the stars glinted down at h...

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“A Little Bit Off” by Joshua G. J. Insole

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #48

1We all knew there was something a little bit off about Hugh. He was a single man who collected comics, for a start. He called them his “research”. He also had black silvery skin, purple eyes which he kept perpetually hidden behind a pair of oversized pink glasses, a ridiculous fake white moustache and no nose. Oh, and the glasses he tried to hide his eyes behind? They were regular glasses — not sunglasses, not the kind with mirror lenses, just plain old glasses. Hugh didn’t seem to be aware of his error, however.I’m not quite sure exac...

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“Treading Water” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #47

“It was supposed to be a sunny day,” you say to yourself, as the rain lashes against the window which has cracked into a spiderweb. Your voice barely sounds like your own, and you almost don’t recognise it at first — it also has a wavering, trembling quality to it that you don’t particularly like. You say these words to yourself because you are the only one in the room, and possibly the only one left in the whole facility. The precise fate of many of the others is unknown, but you know how a few of them went, oh yes…You feel a judder as the ...

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“Sequel to the Apocalypse” by Joshua G. J. Insole

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #46

1Baldahr Seltro didn’t mean to cause The Great Undead Uprising of the third century (third century post-Reckoning, that was) but cause it he did.To understand how Mr Seltro caused this slight little mishap, one must first understand the difference between intelligence and wisdom. You see, Baldahr possessed plenty of the former — bucketloads, in fact — but almost none of the latter. Intelligence, they say, is knowing a tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable. Wisdom, as the saying goes, is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad. (Not that it...

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“(Don't) Listen to Me” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #45

1Don’t listen to me.I am a straight white male who was born in the United Kingdom in the early nineties. My parents worked in healthcare and banking. My sibling and I never wanted for much when we were growing up, and we both attended university. What do I know about sacrifice and selflessness? What could I possibly know about that? Sure, my life hasn’t been a perpetual picnic in the park (I’m working-middle class), but all in all, I’ve enjoyed my fair share of privilege. I admit that freely. Anyone who comes from my sort of background who s...

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Author bio

Joshua G. J. Insole is a British author living in the Austrian Alps. He has achieved a triple Reedsy triumph, showcasing his love for horror, comedy, and sci-fi. His tales are available in his published books and various anthologies. https://joshuainsole.com/

Winning 3 stories 🏆

Contest #65

Bridgemoss Guardians – read story

Contest #8

Astro Naught – read story

Contest #3

The Things That Do Not Float – read story

Shortlisted 8 stories ⭐️

Contest #93

Gender Reveal – read story

Contest #48

A Little Bit Off – read story

Contest #46

Sequel to the Apocalypse – read story

Contest #30

Sea the Moon – read story

Contest #15

Honesty in G# Minor – read story