Miles Gatling

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2019

Stories (64)

64 Stories

1556 karma pts

?

“Steve Fitniss” by Miles Gatling

The damp forest air clung to Steve's clothes. His pace slowed down to crawl as the sunlight quickly faded. He cut his forearms on jagged branches in an attempt to keep both his eyes in his skull and not have them dangling from a pine tree.  Even though Steve jumped at the sound of every branch cracking, every critter scurrying about the forest floor, he marched ahead. An orange flame flickered on the horizon and Steve sighed. Brushing aside the last of the forest pines the man stood before a clay hut, an old hermit stirring into a cau...

0 comments 0
Read story

“The wizard, the knight and the beaver” by Miles Gatling

"Forces of darkness, heed my call. Nightmares of the ancients, answer my prayers. Devils of... Melvin, honey, dinner is ready." "Shut up, Mom, I'm busy." "We've talked about this. Come eat dinner like a big boy with your father and me." "I'm not hungry. Bring me some cereal." "Cereal for dinner? Not a chance, young man. Come downstairs this instant." Melvin mumbled down the steps, dressed in his oversized pajamas. His greasy hair locks constantly poked one eye. The black shirt with "Life is pain" smelled like freshly cut flowers....

0 comments 0
Read story

“Rip and tear a tendon” by Miles Gatling

The doctor's office looked nice. The chair was leather and a pitcher of water and some candy for the patient were set atop a wooden coffee table. All that could be heard was the clicking of a keyboard. Can you recall when you first noticed the loss of feeling in your fingers? Did you note down the sensation in both your left and right trigger fingers? Silence Did the incident relate to trauma, or did it occur during the demon-slaying campaign? This information is crucial for an accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The tests we ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Mark of steel” by Miles Gatling

Lord of the Rings spoiler The horn pierced his backplate, jutting out just above the breastbone. It lifted the knight high above the muddy field. The men under his command fled as best as they could, sliding and falling every which way. He was waved above the battlefield like a banner in the wind, neighs echoing throughout the grasslands. With a thud, his body dropped to the ground, slowly pooling. The beasts rose on their hind legs and stomped the ground near the knight's head, mocking the dying soldier, snorting sparks and glitter into...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Low in sugar” by Miles Gatling

There's a soda can on a wooden desk. The room has no windows but is super bright. A scientist is being interviewed; can't say I know him. It looks like it's something about additives in food and water. The reporter is from a big newspaper. I think I saw him in a TED talk. Let me check. He stars in a TV show with computers and software. That must be the scientist in charge of the project. He's sipping from the can, nodding at the reporter. He's laughing, making friendly chit-chat, pointing at his soda can. "Do you want a sip?" That's a weird ...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Your password is too short, ask Nick” by Miles Gatling

The elevator doors were just about to close when Nick heard a woman cry out to him. He pried them open with his free hand.“Thank you, I can’t be late today. Big meeting with the board…”“No problem, glad to help.”“You look familiar. Have we met?”He sighed. “Don’t think so.”“Hey, now I recognize you. The whole company is talking about you.”“This is my floor, excuse me.”He pushed past her.“Wait please my number is 555-”The doors closed with a clang. He carried his heavy briefcase up the stairs. The last few steps left Nick breathing hard. He fr...

7 comments 7
Read story

“Midichlorians” by Miles Gatling

“Se-ren-di-pi-tous!” * chair is levitating, Harry Potter theme playing in the background. * “Oh, shit.” The air felt heavy. It smelled of flowers and wet cloth. In the dead of night, a light breeze brushed the treetops. It reminded him of the sea for some reason. The clear sky led up with stars. He could see her face, white and smooth. “Do you mind me being here? she said.” “No, I like talking to you,” he said blinking fast. “Why’s that? Her smile was so inviting. Tiny pearls glistened in the low light, a blue tint radiating behind h...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Dante and the dark wood” by Miles Gatling

Bad words."What's this week's prompt?" What?! What did I do?""Just leave. I'm trying to write.""I'm hurt. Truly.""Why don't you surf the web for doom merchandise or whatever it is you do in your spare time?""Surf? Sure thing, it's gonna be radical. I'll hop on my skateboard, flip to the B side and fast-forward to those sick beats. One, two princes kneel before you-""You're a living shit-post compilation.""Let me read some of them prompts, my boy. Together we can write the perfect story, with perky dragons and towering tits. A story abou...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Character creation” by Miles Gatling

Warrior’s path #-1-*-3-3.2-3.2.1-3.2.1.A-3.2.1.Aa-3.2.1.AaxTrue ending 3.2.2 or 3.2.1.AayWise decisions #-2-*-3-3.1Self-interest #-1-*-4However...# The grassy field stretches out before you, and your soldiers stand at attention, proudly displaying your banner on their breastplates and shields. However, scouts have reported a group of lightly equipped infantry heading towards a nearby hill, outnumbering your troops. Despite being nothing more than thieves and cutthroats, they pose a potential threat. You quickly devise a plan to counter their...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Imagine dragon” by Miles Gatling

Dragon deez. Of course.It launched a stone pillar like a dart. The weight of the monolith came crashing down in a gust of dust. He deflected it with ease. For good measure, he split it down the middle and ran through the crack. The leap the man managed took it by surprise. Its swipes were a blur, and its talons tore lighting from stone when the beast missed its mark. Speed did not matter, not when he could slow the flow of time. With ease, the man dodged and stuck his mighty spear forward. The embers of the blade shone on its dark features. ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Witch hunt” by Miles Gatling

One person murders others. Clank, clank. If you would spend as much time with your family as you do in this stupid shed then I wouldn't constantly be raving. We have neighbors. It’s past midnight, quit your hammering and come to bed. Do you like eating your dinner cold? Christ…” Clank, clank. Tom, you can’t leave this weekend. Your break doesn’t start till the third. When did this happen? Why wasn’t I informed? Well, you can’t go and that's final. I’m warning you if you leave out that door your contract will be terminated. Fine, good ridda...

0 comments 0
Read story

“And justice for all” by Miles Gatling

It has many offensive things.“And they never saw the ogre ever again. The end.”All the kids clapped and cheered. They sat close together on the library rug listening to the young man’s tale. Their teacher looked pleased. She blew her whistle signaling it was time to leave. One by one the children exited in an orderly fashion, screaming at the top of their lungs whatever came to mind.As he placed the book back on its shelf Aron heard another man’s voice call out to him. He wore a suit and tie and carried a black briefcase with him. His f...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Proximity” by Miles Gatling

Something was rotting inside the office. It hit X like a tree branch the second he stepped inside. This was his last interview for the week. The call never came from those other places X tried his luck. The usual questions: what experience he had, why did he leave his last job, etc. X knew what to say to get the manager on board. The past year he sharpened his communication skills avoiding confrontation and smoothing things over with a velvety promise. Since moving to the bay area he'd quickly learned that no matter what law that state enf...

0 comments 0
Read story

“No ink November” by Miles Gatling

If dad made dirty puns. Pen, condom, and pencil sat near the outlet chatting. Pen was getting worked up over something. Let’s watch as it unfolds. “All I’m saying is that wasn’t my ink inside her cap.” “Maybe you had a bit of water on your tip, bro. That makes ink change color doesn’t it?” pencil said scratching its itchy bottom. The little knob of rubber was all chewed up. “No chance, I shake it off vigorously after every rise under the sink. That was some nasty green ink. Shit had a purple sheen to it. I swear it had some sparkles in it ...

9 comments 9
Read story

“Blue” by Miles Gatling

It's a suicide story. He sat on the porch just staring at it. The dog slowly wagged its tail. It tapped a paw on the deck attempting to get an emotion out of his new owner. Given his shiny coat and proportions, the animal was far from being a mutt. It had a muscular chest and strong back. The black and orange stripe pattern gave it a tiger-like appearance. The man said nothing. His wrinkled hands rested on a handgun. A steel frame with tennis balls jammed on the ends stood by his side, like a soldier on guard duty. The wheezing got worse. He...

4 comments 4
Read story

Author bio

Not for kids