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Matthew James

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2025

Stories (5)

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5 Stories

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The Garden's Last Harvest

Submitted to Contest #309

The dew was still heavy on the tomato vines when Samuel stepped into the garden, his worn canvas shoes darkening with moisture. Forty-three years of tending this plot had taught him to read the morning like scripture—which plants needed water, which were ready for harvest, which whispered secrets only he and Margaret could understand."Look at you beauties," he murmured, cradling a cluster of Cherokee Purples in his weathered palm. "Margaret always said you'd be the stars of the show." The tomatoes released their earthy perfume as he placed t...

2 likes

The Confession

Submitted to Contest #308

The Confession“You want to know why I called you all here?” I set down my coffee cup, the ceramic clicking against the saucer with a sound that seemed too loud in the quiet café. My three companions—Sarah, Michael, and Tom—leaned forward expectantly. We'd been meeting for coffee every Tuesday for six months now, ever since I'd moved to this sleepy town, but today felt different.“I need to tell you something about myself. About where I came from.” I glanced toward the large windows where morning sunlight streamed in, stopping just short of ou...

12 likes

Spin Cycle

Submitted to Contest #307

The fluorescent lights buzzed like trapped wasps, their hum mixing with the wet thud of clothes tumbling in the dryer. Daniel sat in the moulded plastic chair, one of those institutional yellow ones with the diamond pattern pressed into the back, watching the timer count down from seventeen minutes. The numbers flickered between red digits, sometimes catching, holding a "6" too long before jumping ahead. The laundromat felt wrong tonight. Not dramatically wrong—just off, like a room where someone had shifted all the furniture three inches to...

2 likes

Under the House

Submitted to Contest #306

October 3Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m meant to write. Dr. Hayworth said to keep a record of anything Isla says or draws that seems “distressing or persistent.” His words. I guess this counts?It feels strange, documenting your own child like a science experiment. But I’m willing to try anything at this point—particularly after three nights without sleep. I keep jolting awake just as I drift off, half-expecting the sound of her scream.Or that silence. Worse, sometimes, the silence.Last night, it was around 2 am when she screamed. When I got...

6 likes

After the Fire

It took Riley a few seconds to realise she was utterly and completely lost.The cold bit at her cheeks as she walked, her boots clicking in an uneven rhythm—one too heavy step, then a dragging shuffle. Her head throbbed, dull and slow. Not quite a hangover. Not like anything she recognised. Her limbs felt wrong somehow, like she was wearing someone else’s body, moving through syrup instead of air.She didn’t remember drinking. Not really. But her body moved like it had, and the fog in her head made her wonder what she’d missed. There were flas...

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