Navneeth N

“The Girl” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #75

I follow my mom down the aisle, dragging my feet behind her. She beckons at me to hold a dress that she’s picked, and I sigh, holding my arm out.  I walk down the aisle and don’t even have to say “excuse me”.  Everyone is distancing themselves from each other, and faces are bent into perpetual scowls, as if they have a score to settle with the pandemic. I stifle a laugh, wondering if the pandemic could be thought of as a tangible thing. A few scowling faces look at me questioningly, wondering why I’m laughing in a time of peril.&nb...

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“City of Sanctuary” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #74

A.D 2049 Day 1 Beep! Beep! Beep! I raise my lifeless hand to silence the alarm on my phone. It thumps around the nightstand for some time before reaching its mark. Turning on my ancient iPhone requires several taps, and once it turns on, I check the WCM (World Coronavirus Map). Blobs of red dot the map, but a marker-which marks my location-in the middle of a clearing brightens up my face. “Excellent,” I mutter. No new cases nearby. I head on downstairs, feeling privileged to be alive for another day.  The rest of the family is alr...

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“The Story of Nothing” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #74

“You promised that you would write one story a week.”“Dad, that wasn’t a promise! It was a goal.” “Same thing. I better see that story by today. Isn’t today the deadline? Plus, it’s New Year’s Eve, isn’t it? No better way than to end off the year with a story.”“Yeah. I love writing too, it’s just that… I don’t have any ideas!” I sigh. “Well, find somewhere quiet and get writing! Think hard and clear. Have fun.”Tired, I grab my laptop and trudge on upstairs, trying to think about what I can write about. I open the writing websi...

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“The Jump” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #73

Harry’s foot sailed through the air, kicking up dust as it flew. It landed with a thud against the fine dirt, and his body followed. He landed with a grunt, slipping slightly. He got up, panting. His feet ached, and he glanced over to the markers on the side of the track. The imprints of his foot were next to the marker that read 8.7 meters.  Harry pumped his fist in the air; he couldn’t believe it. 8.7 meters! Only 0.2 meters away from the world record. That was it.  Evan looked down at his legs. They were serving him well. All th...

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“MoneyBall” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #72

John’s ViewpointJohn watched as the cards danced at his fingertips. They multiplied and fanned through his hands, jumping and flying. He wished he had enough money so that he could do the same with ten-dollar-bills. He set the cards down on the coffee table that had a missing leg and sat back on the sofa. He sighed. He looked around and sighed even more. Dishes were piled up against the moldy sink, cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and trash was littered everywhere. The stains in the carpet did nothing to help, and all the furniture h...

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“Cookie Royale” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #71

Agent 000 walked briskly through the street. He sidestepped through the crowds, making his way through the groups of tourists. He sighed.  Sometimes he wondered why the rendezvous point was in Venice. It was jammed with tourists.  His eyes darted back and forth, sizing up potential suspects. His hand gripped the gun hidden in his waist belt, ready to fire.  He walked like this until he reached the steps of a large building. His nimble feet danced against the limestone, showing signs of his training. His muscles twitched, ready...

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“Fluffy” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #70

Andrew took a breath in relief as he won the bid. Five hundred thousand dollars. That much money seemed insignificant now. All that mattered was that he had only two more cars to go. Luckily, he already knew where to find one.  He sat back in his armchair and leafed through the pamphlet next to him-The rarest car collection: What you need to have. He looked at the cars he had crossed off, and how it had been so hard to get to where he was now.  It had all started with some small fun time with his father at an Indy 500 race. The c...

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“Hasteful Holiday” by Navneeth N

Luke “What do you mean, you ran away from home?” “Sorry I never told you before. I just had to get it off my chest.” “But, why? Who are they? At least I can call them to help.” “No. They won’t.” he rasped, and then Jacob’s arms went limp.  His friend, Luke, cried in despair. He looked around their apartment, frantically, looking for something to save his friend. But all he could see were pictures of them together, hands over one another. They had been best friends. Now they weren’t.  Luke was furious. Jacob’s family had never...

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“Russian Roulette” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #69

The Nicholas family is a large family. Originally from Russia, and being relatives to the Tsars, they continue to meet in their homeland every 3 years for their family reunion.  The time has come again, but a global catastrophe has stopped them from doing so. Of course, the tradition is to have a reunion, so as great-grandpa Alexander put it, “Who can stop the Nicholas family? No one!” followed by a string of Russian ranting. Everybody agreed, mainly because the least they could do was fulfill his wishes while he was on his deathbed.&nb...

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“Fatal Fate” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #68

“Go, go, go!”  Clad black figures started trying to work faster, but their energy was wearing thin. Luckily, there wasn’t much left to unload. They threw stacks and stacks at a time, letting them strew everywhere on the back of the van.  At last, it was done. They stood back and admired their handiwork while alarms blared inside the building a few blocks away. They didn’t have much time, but they couldn’t help but ogle at the 5 million dollars they had just stolen.  The mound was just impressive, and it filled the back of the ...

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“The Murder of Spruce Street” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #67

It was a pitch-black night on Spruce Street. Lucy’s heels clicked against the cobblestone. She didn’t want to be out so late, but she had no choice. Her parents had demanded that she be home after going to a party without their permission. It had been just a harmless invitation by her friends, and she was desperate to go unless she wanted to look like a coward. Now she was beginning to regret it. She had initially pleaded that she would take a ride home with her friends in an hour, but her parents had wanted her home now. She ...

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“Only One Winner” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #66

I was tired of the games. There was no other option. I had to shoot him. It would be hard, but I had to.Being scared has always been a habit of mine. It isn’t hard for my hands to become sweaty and the hairs on my neck to stand straight. But today, I have a reason to be scared. My parents and sister are on their deathbeds. They are counting on me. Why shouldn’t I be scared? I ponder this while I wait in my cell, ready to be hoisted up onto the arena like an animal. I have a flashback of elementary school, learning about the an...

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“The Curse” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #65

Lift your foot. Move it forward. Put it down. Then repeat, but with your other foot.  This had been Ryan’s and Kyle’s rhythms for the past hour- apart from stopping to refuel their canteens whenever they came across a river or stopping to clear some undergrowth. They knew that they had to keep hiking until they came across civilization before it got dark.  “You see anything?” Ryan asked hopefully.  “No,” said Kyle, getting frustrated.  He was beginning to lose hope.  He remembered their Boy Scout Troop leader’s f...

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“Three Days” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #64

“What do you mean, you both are going on a business trip?” “Honey, you have got to listen. This is for a multi-million dollar deal. This will be the first and last time, I promise.” In the 14 years I’ve been on the face of the Earth, my parents have never left me alone for more than a few minutes. Now, they’re going to be leaving me for 3 whole days.  “You can do it, honey. Look, we’ll even hire a babysitter for you.” I excuse myself and run upstairs. It takes me a full minute to make it to my bedroom—running through the painting adorne...

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“Destiny” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #62

Destiny Oliver Cadwell. 25 years old. Majored in finance. 3 years of work experience.  “Perfect. He is what we need. Make a note of him. Okay, next pile.” I wait for the thump of papers on wood,  but it never comes. I look to the side, where my secretary is slumped in her chair, snoring away. I can’t blame her. It’s almost 1:00 in the morning.  I can feel a bit of the drowsiness coming on myself. I blink and take a sip of my long-cold coffee, its taste jolting me back awake.  I can’t rest, as it seems like the applica...

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