K. Antonio

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2020

Stories (17)

17 Stories

2156 karma pts

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“Shadows of the Bishop House” by K. Antonio

(Content Warning: Mentions of death and rape)Most of the people in town know Barley Bishop only through the tales. How he murdered his wife and daughter in a craze. They say he tortured and buried at least fifty slaves. That he was killed by his maid which he tried to rape. It's also been spread that everyone who occupies his house ends up dead.From this distance, the Bishop House looks small, derivative of something from a fairy tale, quaint and fragile, made of match sticks that with the ligh...

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“The Skeleton and the Mirror” by K. Antonio

The water droplets from the halo-like showerhead ride the boney curves of my body down to the drain. I listen to the patters like heartbeats, feel the heat loosening my muscles, and making it easier for me to breathe. The tiles are slick, the wall moist, the sliding glass door of the box is shut, the lights are off. My hands wander for the soap, for the shampoo, for the sponge. My fingers run through my hair, the bitter taste of suds tainting my mouth and almost drying my tongue. The burn forces my gaze up, has me open my eyes for the wat...

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“Anna's Hummingbirds ” by K. Antonio

I see the plastic tube hanging from the hook nailed onto the wooden beam of the front porch. I can still hear the sound of their rapid wing beats in my mind, their flutter just a bit louder than wasps. Their iridescent feathered bodies danced around the fields like fairies in a time when we were still graced with bountiful crops. The feeder is filled with a clear liquid. It's ornamented with gaudy, neon-colored artificial flowers, unrealistic and unconvincing, at least to fool a hummingbird.The flowers stuck to the body ...

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“Dear Jay ” by K. Antonio

Dear Jay,I swung by your house today. I saw your room. The window was open, and the curtains swayed from the breeze. The sun was looming in, almost touching the foot of your bed. I was surprised by your room; how there were no traces of dust settled on the window sill, over your desk, or on the bedside table. All the wooden furniture looked polished and shined, as if the space was being cleaned and maintained to receive you, waiting for your arrival.Your mom had also removed the carpeting. Maybe that’s ...

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“Exit Wounds” by K. Antonio

I look at the barren, snow-covered field in front of me; the garden, the backyard all look grim and lifeless. Clouds close in all around the house, gray giants swarming and expanding until becoming one mass overlay. The sky grumbles. Sharp teardrops fall at a rapid pace, piercing the snow, causing a series of exit wounds.The garden, by the end of the shower, will look ugly, partly dissipated and battered. The trees will have less frost on them, and the grass just might be visible, fighting for its place between the survi...

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“Don't Mind the Roses ” by K. Antonio

Nikola hated the smell of the roses; their acrid scent burned his nostrils and made his eyes water. He stared forward at the red ocean, the rows of blossoming flowers that extended from his location down to the end of the plot. His work had just begun, and he was already suffering from heat exhaustion, with beads of sweat that ran long across his face and trickled down his chin. He stared at the bucket in front of him, the thick, syrup-like mixture that reminded him of coagulated blood. He didn't understand what the substance was made of;...

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“The Law of the Jungle ” by K. Antonio

“That’s the thing about this city, Riley,” Juan pauses. He takes a puff from his Newport and then continues, “Shit here is never gonna change.”We’re both sitting on the ledge of his front porch. Juan’s letting me tend to his newly acquired black eye with a frozen T-bone that his mom can still hopefully marinate for dinner.“They can’t even see us talkin’ to a girl that they pounce like fuck’n jaguars.”I don’t understand why Juan is so pissed off. It’s not like he lost his life today. Us...

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“Dormant Hope ” by K. Antonio

My mother, in the beginning, sang to me every night. She caroled Dutch lullabies while her arms were wrapped around me as we laid together on an old worn-out mattress; her tired voice was like rough silk rubbing against my cheek, echoing into my ear. My sister, Grace, would lie down beside her husband Otto, her hair like tassels and his shirt covered with creases and sweat stains at the pits. As my mother's tune ended, my father ghosted around the room, giving us each a sleeping pill. At night we had to rest, but it was also imperative th...

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“Special Events in Port Hueneme” by K. Antonio

Nothing really special ever happened in Port Hueneme. The city was small; the population compared to the other beach cities of Ventura County, California, was dismal, and our beaches were not even the prettiest. The port always smelled of pineapples, bananas, and onions. Even the port's smell was nothing special; it was a blend of saltwater and sweetness, much like the entire city.To make up for its meagerness, to show off to the other districts, Port Hueneme boasted pride and a lot of it. Each year there were a number o...

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“When a Star Falls” by K. Antonio

Bubbles, I see a lot of bubbles. Tiny rapid globules, rising over my face, shooting up like a geyser, dissipating along the surface. I can feel something burning inside my nose, the heat expanding and tingling behind my eyes, spreading out and bleeding into the back of my skull. I’m floating, my arms and legs dangle, bend, and curve. The sensation of being suspended in the water is not what I had expected; I feel pain, soreness and I can barely see. There is very little light. Something is pulling me deeper into the darkness. My vision is...

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“You Were Like The Sun ” by K. Antonio

You scurry around like a fire ant, never once stopping to take a break. I can see your forehead glistening, your shiny wet hair, your tired eyes accompanying a cordial yet insincere smile. You're amusing to watch; I feel happy being able to spend even these small moments in the same space with you. You glide towards my table, offer me nothing but a glance while spotting my near-empty pint. You knit your brows in curiosity, point to the glass, and all I can work myself up to say is, "I'll have another, please."You grin. I...

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“Mister Americano” by K. Antonio

My sister and I played in the park while my father sat on a bench and kept his distance. We ran and tumbled on the grass, slid down the slide, and swung as high as we could on the swings. My father launched a series of quick glances our way; his eyes never seemed to remain fixated on us. He didn't laugh at our joy or tried to participate in our games. He just sat there, looked up at the sky, watched the birds, the kites, and the airplanes cross his eyes. We got tired; that was the sign for my father to take us home. He never held our hand...

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“A Lover Can Sometimes Be a Fighter ” by K. Antonio

"Come on, Luke, go ahead give it a squeeze," Raymond offered. "It's alright, just feel how hard it is."Luke felt uncomfortable; his heart was pounding at an irrational pace, "Nah, Ray, I'm good. Really!" he choked out.Raymond flexed his arm; it was bulbous, supple, and tan. His hands pressed against the cafeteria table, his chest puffed, and his eyes as sharp as shanks. "I'm tellin' ya, Luke. Karate has changed my life!" he exclaimed. "You gotta come with me to the dojo after school!""...

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“Burying David ” by K. Antonio

I see a flock of white sprites falling from the sky. They are small, insignificant beings made of ice with a guaranteed lifespan of nothing more than a few seconds. My face is so close to the glass that I can feel the frigid air slip in through the small wooden openings. I see our parents outside digging up the graves. Dad’s gray overcoat is unnaturally thick, stiffening his movements, while Mom stands beside him, hovering and wearing a long black dress that dangles slightly above the frosty ground.Today resonates a bit ...

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“After the Fact” by K. Antonio

(CW: Contains strong language.)“You know, you’re going to jail for this, right?”“The fuck I am! Just shut up and let me think. I can’t hear myself with all this noise.”“What noise Erika? There’s just you, me and him here. Do you mean the noise of the heavy breaths you're taking? Yeah, I’m sure that can be pretty disruptive to your thought process.”“I said, SHUT UP!”“Hey, is that any way for you to talk to me? You put yourself in this positio...

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Author bio

WORKING ON MY NOVEL AND THUS MY TIME HAS BECOME LIMITED. Still writing, and commenting, probably a lot less than average. Fun Fact: Though my writing can be pretty emotional, I'm quite a cold-hearted person.😂🙃

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Burying David – read story