R. B. Leyland

“A Done Deal” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #216

There she sat, the tickling sensation building into a crescendo as the sweat bead finally reached the end of her nose and dropped in to the cup of horrific black liquid beneath her. She didn't even bother wiping the next bead that began its trek, knowing that the sign of discomfort would be seen as nothing more than a weakness by the being she had come to meet. Around her, people bustled and shoved, slaves to the modern day need to have routine in the blandness of their lives. Many waited in line, the ones at the back turning in disgust as ...

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“Sanctity of the Mind” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #152

Feeling nothing but disdain, Orym plastered what he hoped was his best smile on to his face and spread his arms wide.“Welcome to the Orym Oracle experience. Please, take a seat” he said.A twinge of guilt made itself known as the frail, old lady lowered herself gently into the cushioned chair opposite, being helped down by a weathered looking man maybe thirty years her junior. He brushed it away with a practiced air, using his mind as the perfected tool he knew it to be. Grief emanated from the pair ahead of him, but most who came to him had ...

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“The Goddess of Life” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #151

Content. That is the word I’d use to describe my current condition. Surrounded by a warm substance, fed what I want at my slightest whim, surrounded on all sides by cushioned walls. Some would probably call where I am a prison; I call it paradise. Compared to the rest of my life, feeling safe and secure is more than just a bonus, it’s a delicacy I never thought to consume. A comforting female voice was my constant companion, whispering to me and planting her warm, loving hand on my head. Less common was a deeper rasp, but no less loving...

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“Lapse in Control” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #135

The steady tapping of the keyboard was the constant companion to my ears these days. When I dare to take a second’s respite, even the muted sound broke through the thick, material booth that was meant to segregate us all from each other. No communication, no chance for discontent; take the cards you were dealt and keep your head down. This was the way they wanted us. Docile. Hopeless. The perfect workers to fuel the idea of a perfect empire. Since countries around the world had decided that enough was enough, that the constant protests ...

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“Emotional Baggage” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #134

Stamping furiously towards the monolith of a building in front of her, Agrile drew the eyes of the many passers-by with her bedraggled look. The first time She had sent one of them out in years, and it had to be on a bloody day like this. She had a sense of humour, it seemed. That didn’t even break a smile on Agrile’s face as an icy tendril of water slid down the back of her collar, courtesy of the cheap umbrella she had bought as the storm had set in. Weighing her down as always, her anger fuelled her forwards and kept her feet on the groun...

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“A Futile Apology” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #116

The crestfallen face of my best friend is stained to my memory, as the click of the door handle indicates the doctor leaving the room after announcing his dire news. I try to murmur words of consolation to him, but he closes his eyes with a huff of breath laced with resignation. This, more than anything, worried me. Always a ball of hope amidst any sorrow we encountered, to see him like this broke my heart. Once more, I attempt to regain the friend that I knew, but was totally ignored for my efforts. As though the world realised I ...

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“The Queen's Lament” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #96

Dust motes spiralled through the air, illuminated by the dim light that easily broke through the netted curtains that hung, moth eaten. The tip tapping of tiny feet was the only thing that broke the silence, barely disturbing the dominating quiet that reverberated throughout the inn room. It had been paid up for the entire year, the inn keep asking no questions but also asking a thousand in his head. Who has the money to pay for a year? What do they want? Do I really want to be involved? Those were the thoughts of the middle-aged man who ran...

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“A Cup Half Full” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #94

Trigger warning: Mention of suicide/self-harm“Because I’m your dad and I said so!” I yell at my son’s sulking retreating form, wincing slightly as the weathered door crashed against its crooked frame. Great, another night of furrowed brows and awkward silence at the dinner table, caused by my pig headedness. Would it really have killed me to say he could stay over at his friends tonight? Maybe. Just because I’m still miserable, doesn’t mean he has to be. Every Friday night was our family night, it’s the only thing that truly keeps me sane. I...

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“The Secret of Dance” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #93

From the moment I could walk, I'd danced. Shaking around to trance music or nodding my head to rock music, I did it all. My mom had enrolled me in all sorts of dance lessons, ballet, tap, street, salsa, the list goes on. Ballet I never took to; though it's a beautiful piece of art, it just wasn't me. Tap, I quit on the first lesson. All that noise just got on my nerves more than anything else could. Aside from that, I loved it all.Many times, I resented the time that those lessons had taken away from my other pastimes. It was only after that...

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“Friend of the Dark” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #92

Not being able to see your hand in front of your face is a surreal feeling. I should know, since I can't remember the last time I saw mine. A thin chink of light is all that we're permitted, as they force the scraps of bread and a bowl of water through the flap at the base of the door; I'm never quick enough to rouse myself from a delirious slumber and see the outline of my fingers, slumping down disappointed after each attempt.You begin to get used to finding the food on the floor after a while, despite the pitch black. Running those invisi...

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“The Oath” by R. B. Leyland

From the book I'm writing again, hope you enjoy!Searing pain was the first thing that registered in Joseph’s delirious brain as he dragged himself back in to consciousness. He remembered the assault on the town, him doing his best to hide at the back. He remembered the inn burning, the chase through the streets, then the skirmish that had ended with him writhing on the floor as his hamstrings were slashed by an unseen assailant. Then, all he remembered was darkness. Now he was fervently wishing he was back in that oblivion, instead of in a w...

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“The Meadow's Insight” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #86

This one is another about a character in a book I'm currently writing. Hope you enjoy!Blades of grass danced to the wind’s song, tickling Aldred’s ankles in a not unpleasant way. The meadow somehow always held it’s dazzling beauty, even when the winter came and the flowers died. But in spring it was so vibrant, so alive, he could almost feel it’s personality filling him with love. It was that, or the image of perfection that walked alongside him, a radiant smile gracing her features, dimples on her rosy cheeks and a small button nose sitting...

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“Ode to Ted” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #86

This one’s a little bit different, more a good memory I want to share with you all and hopefully will cheer some people up. Enjoy! Edit: Realised too late the prompt said start the story with the pointing out of spring, rather than end. The sound of the phone calling reverberated through my car speakers as I cursed myself yet again for having the music too loud. Two beeps and it hangs up, opening the gate that bars my entry to the works yard. I do a lot of cursing in the morning, for multiple reasons. Always waking up just in the nick o...

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“The Brave Face” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #85

This is a short story about one of the key characters in a book I’m currently writing. Hope you enjoy!“That's the thing about this city" his mam said conversationally as she put down the basket of vegetables on the small wicker table. “It chews people up and they enjoy it, somehow.”Lucius didn’t know what to say to that, so he flashed his usual crooked smile that had gotten him out of trouble so much in the past. His mam rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment. As she was unpacking the meagre ingredients they had procured, she whistled a tune he...

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“The Bloody Change” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #85

It began in blood and carried on much the same. Since the night I was cursed, I had felt the all too familiar pulsing coursing through my sinuses, forcing my mouth to salivate and my teeth to sharpen, my eyes to focus, my nostrils to flare. We’d been made for one reason and one reason only: to kill. Bullets still penetrated us, knives still cut us, our bones still broke. But we healed at a speed that belied belief, spat the bullets out from between our teeth as our bodies did the unnatural and soldiered on.At the start, we were used against ...

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