Leslie Cieplechowicz

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2024

Stories (6)

6 Stories

116 karma pts

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“Serving Your Husband” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #251

Serving Your Husband Abby glanced at the cracked screen on her iPhone, trying to get Google Maps to work. She looked up, her pale ash eyes skipping over the unfamiliarity of the city, buildings decorated with rusty slate tile roofs and blackened gargoyles. Cooper would chuckle, whispering what a silly girl she was, roaming a strange town that they just relocated to. “You couldn’t find your way out of Target, if I didn’t help,” he would add. She had to locate the library and get a book about improving her marriage. She ...

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“The Lightness of Beings” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #250

The Lightness of Beings They hunched together, their damp breath spiraling in the cool air, their crimson eyes winking in the heavy darkness. The odor of decaying wood permeated their nostrils. Their empty guts twisted and cramped as they waited for their sire to return. “She will not be back,” the eldest, One, whispered. “The lighted beast killed her. We are alone.” “She will return. She outran it,” hissed Two, the creature in the middle. “Be quiet,...

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“The Great Escape” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #247

He waited, seeing if she would catch her mistake, his ebony body looped in coils in the corner. The UVB light irradiated his smooth scales and the stiff, plastic plants in his enclosure cast sharp shadows across the sand, reminding him of his prior home. His tongue winked in and out, tasting the air, his slitted golden eyes watching. The young zookeeper hunched next to the back of the king cobra’s exhibit, her fingers tapping wildly on her cell phone, a tear from her nose hitting the screen. Her blond hair clung to her...

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“Never Swing Too High” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #246

Never Swing Too High Fen and Tyrn sat curled on the curved seats layered with rusty fuzz, their ghostly bodies flickering every time a breeze stirred their perches. Their swings dangled on two sinewy ropes, mounted to a cylinder, bleached like aged bones. The apparitions’ fingers wrapped around the cords which cast stretched shadows across the small clearing hugged by mottled trees. “If only I had sticked the landing. If only,” moaned Fen. Tyrn sighed. Not again. How many d...

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“The Last” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #242

The Last By Leslie Cieplechowicz She perched as she always had, her dried toes mounted to a fading branch, peering out into the illuminated hall. Voiceless. Longing. Alone. Waiting. Crowds of humans shuffled past, their fingerprints leaving greasy stains on the glass separating her from them. An endless stream for as far as her glassy eyes could see, crowding the room, noisy and naked. Two teenagers paused. One wrinkled his nose, “This is so boring. I can see pigeons on the street.” He sneered at her drift...

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“The Porcelain Revolt” by Leslie Cieplechowicz

Submitted to Contest #239

The Porcelain Revolt By Leslie Cieplechowicz Gary’s generous, dimpled butt spread across the white toilet seat. His muddy eyes, illuminated by the haze from his smudged cell phone screen, zipped back and forth as his thumb scrolled. His acid wash jeans lay crumpled around his ankles, his hairy, pale legs trembling. He shifted his phone to his left hand while his right hand grabbed the paper roll. A groan vibrated his eardrums, and he was thrown forward. “What the fuck?” His airborne phone clicked...

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Author bio

Leslie Cieplechowicz is a photographer and writer who developed her crafts by working the streets of Detroit as a paramedic and shooting old, historical buildings she found on her runs. Her love of creating unique imagery led her across the state, then the United States, then globally, where she recently finished shooting in the country of Spain, documenting its lively culture, friendly people, and ornate architecture. She currently works as an instructor after leaving the road and spreads her love of photography to her students. Her book, Detroit Revealed: A Different View of the Motor City, features obscure and amazing hidden gems of the city which is sometimes portrayed as unapproachable.