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Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2023
Submitted to Contest #239
“This is unbelievable!” Francis exclaimed as he held my self-portrait in his hands, “It looks just like you!” Francis “Franky” Cullins is my best friend, and he holds in his hands what I hoped to be the beginning of my illustrious career as an artist. I smile at him – a humble, gentle smile – as I contain the bubbling anxiety within the pit of my stomach. “Do you really think so?” I asked in what I hoped to be a tone that indicated only mild curiosity, and not that of a child seeking validation.  ...
Submitted to Contest #238
Life is full of stressors. Monotonous jobs whose days make the worker feel as if trapped in a singular moment in time, bills that reach up to your neck, and, of course, the noise. When the noise can get so loud, and so invasive, it feels as if ants are crawling over the surface of your brain. That is what Sarah felt. She had moved to the big city just over three months ago with the promise of a new job. But lately, she felt that it was all be...
Submitted to Contest #237
To whom it may concern,I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to inform you that I won’t be able to work this Wednesday, the 14th. I understand that this is short notice, but I have had a killer – Blank. The computer screen turns off as the power in the house shuts down again. “Are you kidding me?” Addison growls at her dim reflection in the blank computer monitor. The slick black surface reflected back her disheveled dark hair and her dumbstruck eyes glaring through their wide-rimmed glasses....
Submitted to Contest #236
It was a dreary midnight and a ravenous snowstorm wailed mournfully outside. Dougherty Walker sat in his old armchair by a lit fire as he read a curious, ancient book from his weathered library, deep and focused. Though it was an interesting book in its own right, Dougherty had started to nod off and fall into a late nap for the night. As his head slowly drooped down, he heard what sounded like a faint, sing-song voice coming from the other side of the chamber door in its lockdown. He anxiously turned his ...
Submitted to Contest #235
When going downtown, say for a walk in the old park, in the early hours of the morning – especially when the sun has yet to rise – it’s never a bad idea to be aware of your surroundings; you’ll never know what else is there in the dark with you. This public park is not unlike any other; you’ve probably seen one just like it near your home. In this particular park, a young man named Michael Wren is walking home from the night shift at the twe...
Submitted to Contest #234
…She literally just said that. I wasn’t too sure what to make of this. I looked at my sister, dumbstruck and my left eyebrow raised curiously.I stopped mid-pour with the box of cereal. My toast had just popped out of the toaster. I set the cereal box down on the table and stood back up. I stared at her wildly as she sat in her seat at the table, tapping away at her phone as if she hadn’t said anything. I looked over at her phone and saw her scrolling through Instagram; there was a post of her friend, Kelsey, from school, after she’d taken a ...
It’s been a long drive so far. I was pretty excited when I was told my dad was taking me on a trip to see my Aunt Lindsey; I hadn’t seen her in a few years. My dad was excited too at first, but as we get closer to Aunt Lindsey’s I can see that he’s getting more and more… I don’t know, sad? I don’t think that’s the right word for it, but there’s definitely something there that’s growing with every passing mile. &...
Submitted to Contest #233
I don’t remember falling asleep. He supposed he was in the back of an Uber. That’s good, he thought, on my way home. He fell back asleep. Some amount of time passed, but Jake did not know how long. The car came to a slow stop, and footsteps were heard coming to the door. Jake tried lifting his head and, though it was just as difficult now as it was the last time, managed it and tried to focus on the car window next to him. He knew it w...
Submitted to Contest #232
The time is approximately 12:30 a.m. An astronomy student sits on a hill near the clearing of a sleeping forest. Her grey SUV – which she used to arrive at this point which was miles away from the nearest town to ensure the night sky was clear of any possible light pollution – is parked here, cold and quiet after being turned off for over an hour at least. The grass beneath the astronomer's feet is a vibrant turquoise in the pale moonlight – her shoes are off so she can feel the relaxing dew; a literally g...
A barren landscape stretches for miles ahead; an unforgiving desert which was teeming with life a mere decade ago. This phenomenon had been spreading across the globe at a frightening pace as the atmosphere itself dissipated into the cosmos around them. What is left of the human race now lives in dark bunkers deep below the surface as they breathe synthetic oxygen and consume vegetation that was grown in a lab, but it is becoming increasingly aware among the people that their supplies wil...
Submitted to Contest #210
The year is 2064, two years after Earth was first contacted by the Ollut species. The Ollut came from the planet we once documented as Kepler-22b, but what they have named Ul’dumt – of course in sound. While they have learned our language quickly, it is still taking us time to do the same with theirs. They came to our planet in peace, and to prove so they have taught us technological advancements that would’ve taken us decades (if not centuri...
Submitted to Contest #209
Cooper walked into the gas station, whose air conditioning was a pleasant reprieve from the scalding Arizona sun. As he stood on the placemat on the inside of the glass door, he took this moment to simply lean his head back and take in the cool air as he closed his eyes. A smile crossed his lips, and he inhaled deeply before letting out a contented sigh. He leveled his head and looked around the small convenience store; he needed road trip ...
Submitted to Contest #208
I always considered marriage to be the most beautiful thing to happen to someone. I mean, doesn’t everyone though? To have one person in your life to feel a connection to like no other; someone to tell your secrets to, someone to tell what you’re REALLY thinking. That’s what I thought. My marriage ceremony was just two months ago, yet all I could think about is one very specific part of our vows, “Til death do us part.” Surely, if my husband...
Submitted to Contest #201
The sun had just set, and the sky was a deep, twilight purple as Sally stepped away from her friends. She was used to going on adventures with her group of friends, but today she was determined to go out alone. She couldn’t explain it exactly, but she had been feeling restless and wanted to break free from the same old routine, so she decided to explore a place she had never been to before. The path ahead of her was dark, and the trees seemed to whisper secrets of bliss and sweet release and accomplishment as Sally walked. She could feel he...
I could not believe my luck. Out of the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, I was the one who won the sweepstakes. I had won the opportunity to meet and spend an evening with my hero, my most favorite celebrity in the world. I got off the plane and saw the atmosphere was absolutely sublime for this meeting, as I am meeting the king of horror himself! The night was dark and cloudy, with not a single star in sight. I left the airport, got in the taxi to the public meeting area, and soon I was walking down the street, my heart pounding wit...
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