Joshua Insole

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (100)

100 Stories

4058 karma pts

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“Daughters of the Earth” by Joshua Insole

Nathaniel Thornton thought he had found a haven.But, as he tried — and failed — to wriggle free of the pillory, it occurred to him that he’d been wrong. The post wobbled when he fought against his shackles, but the trap would not break. The wooden framework, into which they’d locked his head and hands, remained steadfast and shut. At least no sharp blade hovered above the stocks, ready to guillotine him. Although he’d later reflect that decapitation would have been a preferable fate.“Now, now, Nathaniel...

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“Imogen Jumps” by Joshua Insole

Imogen Ross jumped from the roof of the ten-storey building. The wind tore at her hair, flung it around her head in a dirty-blonde halo. The cold chill raced down into her lungs and filled them. Exhalation at this point seemed like an impossibility. She closed her eyes as the rush of air buffeted her face. Pure. Icelike. Clear. The grin on her lips belied her actions. Yet, the smile did no...

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“Removed From Office” by Joshua Insole

Hanley Norris feared it might come back to bite him in the ass, but he never thought it would be in a literal sense.No matter how many skeletons he stuffed into his closet, a part of him clung to the belief that he’d never get found out. At some point, the house of cards should have collapsed, but it didn’t. So, he stacked the layers, higher and higher. Until the worry that it’d fall abated. And thus grew the ridiculous notion that he might be invincible after all.Hell, he thought as he swiped ...

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“Captain Bounce” by Joshua Insole

Tristand David grinned at the advert on the side of the bus stop.The Captain Bounce poster mimicked the front page of a newspaper, black and white. Even the fonts matched those of the national rags. The picture — which occupied a good 60 per cent of the poster — showed a family. A father, a mother, two children — a boy and a girl. Of various ethnicities, to try and get the inclusivity vote. Whatever helped sell, Tristand didn’t care. Each hung in suspension, mid-air. Limbs flailed. Hair splayed away from heads, ...

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“The Unserved” by Joshua Insole

No flowers adorned the grave, and even the blades of grass had wilted and yellowed.Kemp read the name, his face the carved granite of a gargoyle. His mouth pinched tight together, the lips thin and pale. Back and forth his eyes flicked. Although he could glean in seconds what little information the epitaph shared.‘LEROY DICKINSON’ read the name. And beneath that: ‘1978 - 2016’. The etched sentence at the bottom of the stone reflected little of the man that had been. ‘May the turbulence of his life final...

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“This Place Is Dead Pt. V” by Joshua Insole

The flames of Greywood cast an orange-black glow over the ruins of the city. What remained bore little resemblance to the Tilgreen she’d grown up in. The city she’d fallen in love with. What remained looked to be little more than rubble and toothpicks. And what remained had sapped the last vestiges of love from her heart. Had drained her of her fondness for the streets she’d once called home. Polly used the inferno as cover and made a break for it. What else could she do? Sit...

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“This Place Is Dead Pt. IV” by Joshua Insole

The evening’s amber light trickled through Greywood 13D’s front door, thick and viscous.The light bounces through and glints off the broken glass like golden fragments.Chelsea Harding walked in, a large cardboard box held in front of her. Various knick-knacks and miscellany poked out of the top. An old football trophy. A couple of dog-eared paperbacks. A lamp, shade skewed to the side like a drunken man’s hat. A small houseplant, its fronds dangled over the sides. The words ‘Randumb Stuff’ ...

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“This Place Is Dead Pt. III” by Joshua Insole

“That’s the thing about this city…” The early-morning light came in through the back door to Greywood 13B, filtered red. Two silhouettes wobbled there, pressed up against the glass. They smeared the blood with their fingers. It reminded Ike of the paintings his grandchildren had made for him. He’d pinned them to his fridge. Darell coughed. He lay sprawled across the tiles, leant against th...

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“This Place Is Dead Pt. II” by Joshua Insole

The bright sunlight shone upon Greywood Courtyard with a resolute gaze. Polly Wade stared down from the stairwell of 13A. In her white-knuckle grip, she held her drill, its battery charged. Impossible to tell where the grass ended and the concrete began. There were so many. A hundred, if not more. They’d occupied the quad for the better part of a week. Mrs Tyler’s assertion that they’d leave once...

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“This Place Is Dead” by Joshua Insole

The pale blue moonlight bathed Greywood Courtyard in ethereal brushstrokes.Darell Porter eased the back door to 13B shut, a dull click as the latch caught. In his hands, he held his DIY weapon. A broom with a six-inch butcher’s knife secured to the end of the handle. A bundle of string and duct tape bound the blade to the tip. He’d used too much, but he’d rather it be too secure than not secure enough.From the opposite side of the yard came the rattle of metal. Snarls and grunts. The clink of a chain. S...

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“Perry & Izzy” by Joshua Insole

Perry nodded at Izzy, who looked about as ragged as he felt.He waved her down, sucked in a breath and joined her. They clustered together over a cafe table to the side of the hubbub. The throngs swarmed back and forth across the plaza. Fragments of conversation bounced through the air. “Hey, Iz.” Perry nodded. “How’s it going?”Izzy raised her eyebrows, face ashen. She blew air out of her mouth, cheeks puffed out. “Terrible, Per. I can’t even do my job as I normally did.” She shook her head. “Life’s awfu...

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“Aitch Two Oh” by Joshua Insole

It might have been the dehydration, but Innis wasn’t surprised when a shape swelled out of the ocean. The protrusion rose above the dingy’s inflated edge. The sunlight sparkled its way through the turquoise, diffracted a thousand different ways. At first, it was nothing but a smooth tendril, rounded and faceless. But as the seconds dripped by, features emerged from that liquid countenance.

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“Regular Human Being” by Joshua Insole

Under the fourth law of robotics, Crescere Corp let Ruben go once he became obsolete.Sure, they would love to grind him down and chop him up for parts. But that’s what the fourth law was for, wasn’t it? Equality. Rights for those with bytes. It was why the green dreamers warred with the electronic equalists. You can’t recycle that which has equal status.Of course, his real name wasn’t ‘Ruben’. And, to tell the truth, he wasn’t a ‘he’. It was a persona he adopted once he became a citizen. At first, he we...

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“Finding Best Route” by Joshua Insole

The number at the top right-hand corner of the phone dropped down another digit.The orange bar glared from the dimmed screen, filled a sad one-fifth of the way. I groaned. “Oh, come on, come on!” I glanced around. The sweat on my brow chilled the skin. Copper stung the back of my nostrils. My stomach rolled over. Scientists could create a perpetual energy machine with my gut’s inner movements. And my heart fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird, nonstop.Someone barged into me and I staggered to the s...

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“Ghosted” by Joshua Insole

Somehow, Wanda knew it was Calvert.The knocks woke her up at 3:13 in the morning. She rose from the cushioned depths of sleep. A second later, Wanda dropped back down into the magical dreamscapes. But before sleep could retake her, a second knock came.Wanda’s eyes flicked open and a gasp escaped her dry lips. The shadows of the night slunk over the rumpled duvet, dark blue and moonlit. The alien coals of the alarm clock glowed dim red in the dusk. “Wha—?”Clunk-clunk-clunk....

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Author bio

Joshua G. J. Insole is a British writer who lives in the Austrian Alps. His favoured genres are horror and science fiction. Joshua — three-time winner of the Reedsy contest and author of several other shortlisted stories — published his first book, 'A Chance of Rain', in July 2020 (amzn.to/2NrSOjb). — 'Under Blankets, Under Stars' is out now: amzn.to/37mVBAC — If you have the time, reviews for my books would help me out so much!

Winning stories 🏆

Contest #3

The Things That Do Not Float – read story

Contest #8

Astro Naught – read story

Contest #65

Bridgemoss Guardians – read story