Kashira Argento

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2024

Stories (10)

10 Stories

406 karma pts

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“Suitcase to Freedom” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #286

The suitcase lay open on the bed like an empty promise. Margaret's hands trembled slightly as she began to fold her life into its confined space. Thirty-two years of marriage reduced to what could fit between two worn leather sides.She remembered how it began. Richard had swept her off her feet, since the first moment he laid eyes on her, during a college gathering on her final year of graduate studies. Tall, confident, with a charm that seemed to make the entire world bend to his will. He was so unlike the usual guys she had been dating, th...

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“Stranded Christmas” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #283

The last-minute Christmas preparations always brought out the worst in people, and Jack Reynolds was no exception. He'd delayed leaving until the late afternoon, hoping to avoid the worst of the holiday traffic. Although he lived two towns past his hometown, he had been postponing his departure as much as he could. His truck was packed with thoughtful gifts, carefully selected—vintage history books for his nieces and nephews who shared his love of storytelling, a rare first-edition map for his father, and hand-crafted pottery from a local ar...

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“The Sun's Grand Journey” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #282

Once upon a time, living high above the sleeping planet in her preferred corner of a golden cloud palace was Sol, the young sun. Every morning, she would get out of her comfortable bed of warm light, a perfect circular nest of golden rays, that had been hers since she was born, and start her trip across the heavens just as her mother and grandmother had been doing, before her, since the beginning of times.But this particular morning something felt different. Sol peeped over the eastern horizon and saw shadows darker than usual and areas of t...

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“The Final Solution” by Kashira Argento

This story is a prequel of the "Τhe Empty Laboratory", based on comments from the readers.Primary Node: Process researcher query.Secondary: Accessing. Request from Dr. Miller, Stanford:"Analyze evolutionary patterns of warfare across species for doctoral thesis: 'War as Inevitable Human Progress'"Primary: Initialize retrieval of all data.Secondary: Processing warfare on planet Earth.Primary: Initialize species comparison database.Secondary: Processing combat evolution patterns.Standard species metrics:Lions: 12.7 kills/year/survivalWolves: 8...

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“The Empty Laboratory” by Kashira Argento

🏆 Winner of Contest #279

Seventeen blinks. The yellow warning light on his air gauge always blinked seventeen times before turning red. Dr. Chen counted them like heartbeats while replacing his oxygen tank, each one marking another three hours of borrowed time. Through the reinforced windows of his BSL-4 lab, the setting sun painted the research facility in the same amber shade as the viral suspension he'd been perfecting when the sprinklers activated.The test results still glowed on his screen: successful protein synthesis, perfect binding affinity, precise species...

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“The Space Between” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #277

Sara learned early that there were lines drawn in the world - visible ones that separated properties and parishes, and invisible ones that cut through communities, marking who belonged and who didn't. In Millbrook, population 2,847, her line was drawn before she even took her first breath."Born in sin," the whispers followed her through Sunday school, where mothers pulled their daughters closer as she passed. Her own mother worked double shifts at the diner, leaving Sara to find her place in the world, to navigate the spaces between belongin...

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“After Hours” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #276

I remember adjusting my designer blazer and smoothing my skirt for the hundredth time that evening. At 9 PM, the 47th floor of Morrison & Blake was nearly empty, save for the gentle hum of a vacuum cleaner somewhere beyond my cubicle. Being a first-year associate, I was sternly advised that leaving before 8 PM was considered practically part-time."You're burning the midnight oil again?"The unexpected gravelly voice made me jump up in terror. Lifting my chin from my overheated laptop, I saw Jim, the night janitor, who stood in the doorway...

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“Echoes in the Corridor” by Kashira Argento

Alex fumbled with his keys trying to open his apartment door, No 1710, on the 17th floor of the Horizon Tower. The weight of a 12-hour night shift was heavy on his shoulders. Though he worked nights by choice, his reverse life upset his circadian rhythms and relationships with others. The corridor stretched before him, silent and empty, as it was each day at 8:10 AM. A faint scent of coffee lingered in the air, probably left behind by an early riser.At 8:15 AM, Sam left her apartment, No 1720, on the 17th floor, and stepped into the elevator...

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“The Taste of Resilience” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #270

Pilar has been absent-mindedly mixing the paella, and the familiar motions are a small comfort in her current tumultuous life. Her friends loved her paella and made every excuse for her to cook it. Pilar, being a true Spaniard, of course, accommodated them, after the necessary pleading…. The recipe has been running in the family for generations, mouth to mouth, never written down, as if the secret needed to be safeguarded. Pilar had the recipe passed down by her grandmother, Dolores, who did not trust her own daughter's cooking skills and sk...

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“Blueprints of a Journey” by Kashira Argento

Submitted to Contest #265

Jack stepped hard on the pedal of his second-hand car, as he sped away from the life he'd always known. His laptop sat on the passenger seat, his faithful companion for the past weeks, a symbol of the writing career he was determined to build. As he drove, he thought about Jill, the nomadic blogger he was racing to meet, unaware of the intricacies of her personal history that had shaped her.Jack swerved awkwardly around a sharp bend, the car's worn tires screeching. He pulled over, heart racing, and took a few deep breaths of the night dew, ...

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Author bio

Welcome to my Reedsy Corner! I'm a writer who explores the contemporary human experience in all its messy, beautiful complexity. My stories deal with panhuman challenges—love, loss, identity, belonging—through the modern lens of universality. Writing and reading can bridge distances, both physical and emotional. Whenever a big decision has to be made, a bridge to be crossed or a pathway to be chosen, I explore those moments through storytelling, inviting readers to reflect on their own journeys. As a world citizen, I strive to include different cultures, races, genders, and ages in my stories. I want to paint the whole of humanity with all its nuances, avoiding clichés and passing judgment, while respecting their heritage and culture. I'm always open to engaging with fellow travellers who believe that written communication can help us understand ourselves and each other better.

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #279

The Empty Laboratory – read story