Kashira Argento

“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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