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Ken Cartisano

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2023

Stories (36)

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71 Followers

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36 Stories

1002 karma pts

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The Human Element.

Submitted to Contest #204

1842.With an audible thud and a flash of light, he appeared, kneeling in the sand. He removed his blindfolds and opened his eyes and couldn’t see a thing. Was he blind? Did the machine malfunction? He held his hand up in front of his face, and could not see it until it was inches from his nose. His eyes were fine. No moon, no cities, no such thing as streetlights. They didn’t warn him that it would be this dark, yet they claimed they had thought of everything. Jim looked up—and saw the stars. There were so many. Billions. It was a breathtaki...

17 likes

Lord Of Lights.

Submitted to Contest #202

I knew it was a mistake as soon as I walked into the room. Nobody recognized me, and no wonder, I hadn’t been to a high school reunion in fifty years. Three things brought me here: Free food; free liquor; and an invitation from the bride, ‘Patty McWhatsherface. I looked at the invitation, Correction: ‘Patty Collier.’ I should probably memorize that, I thought, as I tossed it into a trash bin. The room was dark and smoky, with a dance floor, a dangling disco-ball and a makeshift flower-laden altar. The whole thing was hideous: rendered in our...

15 likes

The Lips Don't Lie

I was ushered into the clients large, well-appointed office by the back door, an inauspicious way to begin a sensitive consultation. He offered me a seat and warned me bluntly, “Don’t smoke in my office.” I put my unlit cigar back in my pocket. “So, I understand this is a missing persons case.” “In a way,” the client replied. “I met her at a party, fell instantly in love, but before I could get her name, or address, she slipped away.” “Whose party was it? We could start with their guest list.” “No,” he said. “It was my party and she ...

6 likes

Reproduction.

Submitted to Contest #191

I sat hunched over a table in an obscure little café I used to frequent. The place was deserted. All the locals go to the nightclubs a few blocks away these days. I just wanted a quick drink, and anticipated another quiet evening at home, alone. My expectations for the evening were low, but I felt like I had recovered from my break-up with Sue, and was thinking more constructively about relationships in general. There are certain things a woman has a right to know, but at what point in the courtship, exactly, does a man lay his cards on the ...

21 likes

The Father, The Sons-of-Bitches, and the Unholy Ghost.

Submitted to Contest #189

I turned up my collar and tightened the belt of my tattered coat. It was well past midnight and a cool fog had drifted in from the harbor.The muffled sound of voices signaled the passage of three young thugs at the end of the street. They were moving fast, and keeping their chatter down. I don’t think they felt any safer than I did. Not in this district.The solitary streetlamp was no match for the gloom. Its amber light flickered now and again, threatening to go out altogether.Something small and hard thumped to the ground near a pile of tra...

21 likes

The Trouble with Singularities.

Submitted to Contest #188

Future History. I was there. I saw how little weight the professor’s opinions carried against the institutional forces that make the decisions. I needed no further convincing on the futility of his protests. “I hate to bore you all with the same set of facts again,” the professor began, “but the problem with this project, is that the theory predicts a second singularity, of unknown coordinates, somewhere outside the facility. Which means it could pop up anywhere.” “We’re all aware of that professor.” “And this committee finds such a ...

9 likes