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Les P

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2024

Stories (6)

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4 Followers

0 Following

6 Stories

111 karma pts

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I Will Not

Les P

Submitted to Contest #301

I followed the server, heels clicking against the marble floor, to the table. I glanced at the vintage mechanical watch on my left wrist, rose gold dial ticking methodically. My timing was perfect, with five minutes to spare. It was poor form to be late when meeting a prospective client. Especially so when they make it clear they're serious about hiring me, or when they have this much money to throw around. His choice of venue was impressive. A winery in name, but the menu featured imported beef and fine seafood, at "market price." Most peop...

6 likes

How I Became Acolyte to Primordial Chaos

Les P

Shortlisted for Contest #299 ⭐️

CW: TransphobiaHow familiar are you with chaos theory?An old adage goes that if a butterfly somewhere in Brazil flaps its wings, it can potentially form a tornado in Texas, because everything is connected. Ask a meteorologist how often they consult butterfly wings when writing weather reports, and they might look at you a bit funny. But the metaphor still works.So what if you could control the butterflies? Not just one, but all of them? Every single factor in the complex, nearly unknowable ecosystem that led to the destruction, or lack there...

23 likes

The Arcade Machine

Les P

Submitted to Contest #285

(This story is based on the song Cabinet Man by Lemon Demon) "Are you sure about this, Professor?" a nervous undergrad with a significant moustache said, in a soft voice. He smoked a cigarette in the older man's garage, gazing at the work. Professor Arthur McMills stood over a half-complete arcade machine, wires exposed. Tools were scattered around the two men. On the far end of the room, a gurney stood, prepped for surgery, in whatever makeshift fashion a computer science professor could arrange in a few hours' time. "I just know this will...

2 likes

Alix in Wonderland

Les P

Submitted to Contest #275

Alix stumbled out of a bar, already three whiskeys deep into his night. The streetlights danced in his eyes, and he saw the whole world as if through a few inches of water. He felt around his pockets to make sure he hadn't left his belongings in the bar. Finding everything in place, he turned to the right to begin the short trek to his apartment down the way. He felt confident nothing could come out of place in this sleepy Chicago neighborhood. Three minutes north on the main road, then two down the side street to his duplex. A path he'd bee...

5 likes

Category Z

Les P

Submitted to Contest #267

The television screen blared with an emergency warning. A spokeswoman on the local news channel spoke in a hurried voice, as an elderly woman sat on her living room sofa and watched. "We come to you now with breaking news. A major leak from a local factory has released dangerous chemicals into the environment. Originally created to improve battery efficiency, this lead-like contaminant has been known to cause rapid and severe changes in human behavior soon after exposure. Irritation, aggression, and even unprompted violence have been reporte...

3 likes

Ritual Inspiration

Les P

Submitted to Contest #266

September 6th, 2024 It's been so long since Milo died. I've become a worse author without him around. My characters are flat, my pacing stunted. We used to talk for hours about the ideas that were rattling around in my head. When they stay in my brain, they just suffocate. But once he put his touch on them, they came to life in a way I could never accomplish on my own. He was my muse, my best beta reader. And for the past two years, I've written nothing of worth. I miss him so much. That's why I've resolved myself to fix this situation, what...

8 likes