Nataliia Stempkovska

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2023

Stories (5)

5 Stories

95 karma pts

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“A Perfect Match” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #183

"To be honest, this is the first time I participated in such an event, and I don't even know how to tell everything about myself in five minutes," the guy of the office clerk type, sitting opposite Jane, began the conversation. He was wearing a dark jacket over a white shirt, with the top button resting on his Adam's apple that went up and down under a thin layer of skin. From time to time, he slipped his finger between the collar and Adam's apple, the way dog owners check if their dog's collar is too tight. Jane ran her index finger along t...

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“The Night Shift” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #182

On a dark, narrow street in a residential district, it's rare to see anyone at two o'clock in the morning on Tuesday.Except the local tramp Harry, who wakes up at this time from the persistent whining, which rises from the lower abdomen to the solar plexus and forces him to snoop around the trash can of the local bar in search for something to eat.But even Harry was nowhere to be seen today. Only Bobby's tired, unshaven, wrinkled face, which seemed even older in the blue glare of his phone screen, could be seen through the windshield. Bobb...

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“The Final Step” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #181

She stared intently into the light-grey, sad eyes of a young woman who silently stood in front of her, afraid to move. The brown flared trousers, washed almost to the bald spot, were neatly ironed and slightly concealed her unhealthy thinness. Under a plaid jacket two shades darker than the trousers hung a white blouse, under which thin protruding collarbones were slightly visible. The black, tattered pumps were out of color scheme, even though Mom always said black went with everything. Her thin hair, just below her shoulders, was pulled ba...

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“Unlucky Day” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #180

A short, thin, middle-aged man moved cautiously down the street, keeping away from the walls of the house. Nervously adjusting his glasses, he looked around as if looking for someone. It was pitch-dark outside, and not a single lantern was lit. The man reached into the pocket of his worn old coat to get a flashlight, only to find that there was a huge hole. He chaotically stuck his other hand into another pocket — another hole. “Damn, when will this day end!” John thought to himself and wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead with his s...

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“Ambitious Year” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #179

‘What else should I do in the next year,’ a tall brunette stood in a bright glass office on the top floor of a skyscraper. The sun was reaching its zenith, and with the remaining rays it illuminated a wide white board, to which she attached multicoloured notes with inscriptions, various photographs, as well as hand-drawn figures and signs. Bearing her weight to her back foot, she stared at the vision board, touching her lower lip with her index finger. With narrowed eyes, she carefully studied the product of her brainstorming. Then, clicking...

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Author bio

Writing is one of the few things that always helps me to unwind. We talk faster than we write because our brain works faster than our hands (which are operated by the brain). Therefore, there is a bit more time to think about what and how we want to write. It keeps our brain concentrated because when we talk, we can do something else simultaneously, but when we write — at least when I write — I can't do more than writing. Therefore, the only thing I am thinking at that moment is writing itself. And for me, this is the most precious thing nowadays — think just about one thing at the time.