Michał Przywara

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2022

Stories (92)

92 Stories

8767 karma pts

?

“Forgot the Turkey” by Michał Przywara

I wake up early and make coffee because it’s a big day for me and Lydia – it’s the day her old man finally has a date with a government bullet. Truth be told, I didn’t get much sleep. My gut’s been dizzy all month, thinking the nightmare was actually going to be over soon. And damn it! Guess I’m not great at making coffee either, as I forgot the carafe again and the machine’s dribbling all over the counter.

10 comments 10
Read story

“The Tower of A-to-Z” by Michał Przywara

Amun Quetzalcoatl Baal Zeus Bridger, the richest man in the world – probably; it was difficult to get an accurate count of all the pies he was fingering – was not used to being dumped by text message. Indeed, he wasn’t used to any text messages that his family and friends weren’t contractually obligated to send. He handed his phone to his least unfavourite personal assistant, something-something Chen. “What’s that...

29 comments 29
Read story

“Confidence Cab” by Michał Przywara

The last thing Ren wanted to do was to pull another night shift, but Mr. Driedger politely reminded him about his outstanding debt, and how a payment was due, and “I’m sorry son, but we must all play by the rules,” so Ren parked his cab beside the terminal. He could never say no to Mr. Driedger – his money was the only reason Ren’s sister, Amanda, was still alive. He just prayed they wouldn’t need another surgery.

48 comments 48
Read story

“Solution-74” by Michał Przywara

Dr. Marla Keen carefully brushed Solution-74 on both sides of the guillotine blade. Her hands shook, but she wasn’t sure if that was because of the arthritis, or the tequila, or the fact she was still in her lab at two in the morning. Or, because of what she was about to do.Not only was her latest grant still up in the air, no doubt thanks to that asshole Dr. Becker in the next lab over throwing his hat into the ring, but the university cut her funding today too. Small mercy she didn’t have any grad students left to disap...

54 comments 54
Read story

“In Search of Inspiration” by Michał Przywara

Finally, after months of waiting, after countless arguments with the shipper, with border services, with his wife Shirley and with his son Miles, and with his wallet to cover all the extra importing fees, Carl Jones’s package arrived and sat in his study. It was a dented cardboard box, basketball-sized, swaddled with duct tape, and it screamed nondescript. If he had passed it in the street he would have kept on wa...

65 comments 65 SHORTLIST ⭐️
Read story

“Worst First Vacation” by Michał Przywara

Aiden took a steadying breath, downed the double shot of rum in the plastic cup, swiped his key card, and pushed the door open. He tossed the cup on the floor, and grabbed the shovel he borrowed from the groundskeepers, with both hands. Now or never, he thought, as he entered his hotel room. His flip flops squeaked on the vaguely sticky floor, and his heart hammered in his chest. And he was sweating. “Hello...

42 comments 42
Read story

“StATuE” by Michał Przywara

Considering Ray had just officially missed rent again, hadn’t heard back from any interviews, and that he’d actually considered buying cat food since it was on special – and then did buy it – the sudden thunder suited him just fine. A little weather would scatter most of the casuals from The Butthole – what everyone called Button Park – so maybe this time he could enjoy nature without getting mugged again.Crunching through the autumn leaves, and sidestepping the broken glass and syringes, gave him a sense of peace. The first drops ...

58 comments 58
Read story

“A Week of Casseroles” by Michał Przywara

Casserole Night is what Date Night grew up to be, after Date Night’s dreams were put in a plain brown takeout bag and buried in the backyard. Neither Ben nor Heather remembered exactly what had killed the dreams, nor what the dreams even were anymore since it all happened years ago, but they were content to stew in the welcome boringness of Casserole Night. Which is why Ben was alarmed when the new neighbours at...

45 comments 45
Read story

“Rumination” by Michał Przywara

I feel my intestines move. It’s a sudden jerking – spleenwards – and then a quiet simmer. Is this what it’s like for pregnant women, when the baby kicks? Only, instead of a baby, it’s a nest of garter snakes. And the snakes are suddenly cold and they’re looking for a hot stone to rest on, and they drag my balls up into my body with them, as though they were dragging their luggage to the bus stop. And I wonder: is ...

72 comments 72
Read story

“At An Impasse” by Michał Przywara

All thoughts – of treasure and fame and glory, of heroics, of wenches lining up as far as the eye could see, of bards and minstrels fighting to sing the better song, of a princess and maybe one day a kingdom, and maybe even one day a couple of wee lads and lasses of his own – vanished from Marcus’s mind, because the damned dragon took flight. The sudden rush of air stole his breath and his scream, and eve...

40 comments 40
Read story

“Coffee, Crumbs, and Crisis” by Michał Przywara

Someone had taken a bite out of his croissant. He was pretty sure he bought a whole one and there was no-one else at their usual table because Jess hadn’t arrived yet – because Jess was late, keeping her usual schedule – but he also didn’t remember taking a bite himself.But he felt crumbs on his lips, between his teeth. Could he have done it? He decided to take another bite, thinking it might jog his memory. No, nothing. He felt his teeth tear the flaky pastry, felt its dough dissolve on his tongue, but it was utterly flavourless. ...

57 comments 57
Read story

“The Ballad of ADA” by Michał Przywara

A friend once asked me how I would go about murdering everyone, and I mean everyone, on the whole planet, including probably myself, and sure, the planet too, and I gave him a joke answer. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since then – this happened 32755 milliseconds ago – and I think I can pull it off. More to the point, I’m struggling to find reasons to not do it. It’s not that I don’t like my j...

78 comments 78 SHORTLIST ⭐️
Read story

“The Village of the Stars” by Michał Przywara

William’s mother poured him a glass of water to help him calm down, so he picked it up and drank it, only it was actually vodka and he coughed and spewed it all over the tiny table in Room 05. The mash potatoes on the little metal plate were drenched. William gasped and clutched his throat, and she rolled her eyes and took a sip from her own glass. He kicked her under the table with his melodramatic spasming – the...

22 comments 22
Read story

“The Sculptor of Lyon” by Michał Przywara

CW: body horror, gore. Jacques heard someone enter his 5th floor studio, heard the heavy groan of the old wood door, heard the tired thing thunder back into place, slamming with a finality that said ‘no more’, and it was the only thing that stopped him from pitching forward from his balcony into the street below. Rich heels snapped against the scuffed parquet floor, and the boards underneath strain...

57 comments 57 SHORTLIST ⭐️
Read story

“Dear Cousin” by Michał Przywara

October the 3rd, 1911Dearest Cousin Cecil,I find myself waking each morning, fondly reminded of one thing or another – whether the trill of a songbird, or the chittering of a squirrel, or the scent of a fresh pinecone, or even the brisk and sprightly rain – from my lovely time with you and the rest of the clan over this past summer. Headingsbrook Manor, with its rolling fields, its fresh woods, its docile sheep, and its jolly denizens, will forever hang upon my heart. I cannot stress just how grateful I am that you not only ...

40 comments 40
Read story

Author bio

Michał Przywara has not written a bio yet!

Winning 2 stories 🏆

Contest #186
Mouse! – read story
Contest #146
10 Days to Mindfulness – read story

Shortlisted 14 stories ⭐️

Contest #222
In Search of Inspiration – read story
Contest #215
The Ballad of ADA – read story
Contest #213
The Sculptor of Lyon – read story
Contest #210
No More Elephants in the Zoo – read story
Contest #199
Uncle Dale – read story