Neil Achary

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2023

Stories (3)

3 Stories

50 karma pts

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“The Problem of Four” by Neil Achary

Submitted to Contest #243

Haru ruminates in a darkened corner of the café, away from the wooden counter and the queue of customers. We lock eyes as I wander over. He stirs his tea three times in a circular motion with a silver spoon. "Were we supposed to meet again so soon?" I ask as I take a seat at the table, putting my satchel of books down beside me."No. That's the problem."Chaotic jazz music lilts overhead from speakers attached to the wall. I don't know who the artist is, but the melodies and rhythms seem to collide and bounce off each other. My eyes lift, and ...

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“The Gap in the Mountains” by Neil Achary

Submitted to Contest #239

Si was midway on his journey when he stopped and sat on a white rock. An adjacent, crooked signpost with indecipherable letters (except an 'A' and an 'O'), pointed up a rising, straight road. His manual watch had stopped at ten o’clock, and he had forgotten to wind it up when he woke up earlier. He could not remember what time he left the hotel, but he did remember the rosy sunrise from the dirty bedroom window. Thirsty, and a bit warm, he took out a water bottle from his leather backpack and drank from it, then looked back. As he did so,...

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“The Spotter on the Path” by Neil Achary

Submitted to Contest #204

The sun was rising when the Spotter crossed the trickling stream into the Borderlands. His steed was a black Rhodanian horse, known across Errat for their fierce tempers and immense strength. It was the only horse that he could ride, and this one he had tamed personally. "Steady, Quickbeam," he whispered as they rode onwards. On the horizon, encircled by orange hills, was Triumph, a town founded after the Genocide...

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Author bio

I'm a writer born in South Africa and educated in the U.K. I am currently undertaking a PhD in History and tweet at @achary_neil