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Raquel Rodriguez

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2020

Stories (27)

Comments

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405 Followers

86 Following

27 Stories

1042 karma pts

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What Money Can't Buy (temporary title)

Raquel Rodriguez

August 2022 Cicadas flick their wings together in the trees above my head, producing a melody that rustles the leaves of the trees and surrounds me. The gentle glow of the lamps warms me as I take a seat on the wooden bench below them. The fresh breeze urges my eyelids to flutter shut as it tickles my face, and I don’t resist.~ Hot breath fans my face, and I roll over, eyelids squeezing together until my eyelashes brush. ...

6 likes

One Sucky Christmas Day... (Lyra's POV)

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #73

“There! All done!” my little brother - Adryan - screamed, his arms above his head in a jumping jack position. In front of him, the lights of my mother’s Christmas tree twinkled red and green.A loud, shrill beep came from the kitchen, and the mouthwatering smell of candy-cane cookies filled the air. My mom rushed into the kitchen, a grin on her face. We all followed her, ready to help her whenever she asked.“Lyra, when did Marcia say she was coming?” Mom said. She took the cookies out of the oven and put them on a separate platter.I glanced a...

69 likes

597 comments 597

Love You Always (Not)

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #72

𝕁𝕠𝕝𝕖𝕖I stare at the TV, my eyes sometimes flickering to Ana.Her eyes are glued to the screen where a fighting scene is playing. Action music plays on a low volume in the background.History books with faded covers and ripped pages clutter the clean wood floor of the living room. What Ana doesn’t know is these ‘history books’ are filled with techniques. Special techniques.“Do you want a glass of water?” I ask, turning my head in her direction.Ana doesn’t break eye contact with the TV, as if they’re having a stare-down. She clears her throat ag...

43 likes

191 comments 191

Romi and Julie

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #71

“Macarons, macarons! Get the most delectable macarons in town here!” Julie says, a huge grin on her face. People smile at her as they pass, and some stop to buy some cookies and macarons. “We have delicious butter cookies, fresh out of the oven!” I avoid the glare Julie gives me and turn the other way. “Hey, Romi!” I roll my eyes. “Please don’t-” My eyes widen as I turn my head to see Rosalie waving at me. “Oh! Hey, what’s up?”“Nothing much, just here to buy som...

43 likes

166 comments 166

Time is Running Out...

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #70

“We’ve got the results, 母!” Kazumi cheered. Warm sunlight jabbed at the old woman’s eyes, which made her close them tight. They stayed closed for a long time until the woman opened them again. Her lips curved into a smile, the biggest she could manage. “This is huge! They could’ve found something.” the man said, his mouth curved into a grin.He dusted off his tie with his hands, then fixed the belt on his pants. Kazumi wore a suit for the occasion, the fanciest he had. “Alright, see you late...

53 likes

254 comments 254

End of the Line

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #68

Gold sliced through the light pink like a knife. The gold exploded where it was, filling more of the sky.It looked fabricated, too good for the conditions we had been facing. I knew it wasn’t though. It was a perfect time to die. While the sun was still young.“Wow,” the girl next to me murmured, her hazel eyes widened and her eyebrows raised.I laughed at her, and she turned to me, laughing too. “Haven’t ya ever seen a sunrise like this?” I asked her.“Yeah,” - she nodded and slapped my shoulder, her lips pursed - “course I’ve, idiot! But this...

49 likes

233 comments 233

Love Ya 'Till The Cash Comes

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #67

Trigger warning: strong(ish) language𝐼𝓇𝒾𝑒’𝓈 𝒫𝒪𝒱I jump out of the taxi as soon as it gets to the airport.Taking my wallet out of my pocket and turning my head to the driver who is staring at me with his lips pursed.“Sorry, how much?” I ask him, staring at my wallet.The taxi driver just stares at me, his eyebrow flat on his face. “50.”I take 50 dollars out and hand him the money as he takes all of my suitcases out of the trunk.“Thank you so much,” I say as he puts my suitcases onto the sidewalk.The man rolls his eyes and says, “No problem, hav...

44 likes

226 comments 226

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #65

The wind howled like a banshee, cutting through the silence of the black sky like a scissor.Boys and girls - even parents - of all sizes flooded the decorated streets.The witches in the house had scared many trick-or-treaters away with their 'creepiness,' blood, and pranks, so they were bored out of their minds now, needing something to do.“Alright, let the-” Amany said, waving a stick in the air and kicking her chunky black wedge heels off. She was forced to the side by an elbow, and a girl who was smiling from ear-to-ear took her place.“Le...

53 likes

682 comments 682

Ceaseless Cycle

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #64

Red. Red like blood. Blood red. Dripping down the walls, spinning, spinning, never stop spinning. She grabs her cheeks and holds them hostage in her bloody fingers; her nails sliding down like blades. She screams gleefully, laughs, and slaps her legs raw. Her cheeks now have blood marks on them. Fire. Covered in the fire. Red, bloody fire. Blood vessels burst open in her legs and blood rushes to the surface of her pale skin. “What a great friend!” she screams, banging her fists against the icy cement ...

56 likes

247 comments 247

Alone With the Fire

Raquel Rodriguez

By the time you step outside, the leaves are on fire. But you didn’t step outside. You were in your room the whole time.Orange and yellow flames flicker in front of your face.Hard banging on the door disrupts your focus.“Open the damn door!’ your father yells, but you simply shake your head.It’s my fault, you think, I need to face it.So you ignore your dad and sink back into your mind, wanting to torture yourself until you break. Because it was all for her.I could’ve stopped her, but I’m so stupid, and I didn’t.The day she moved, she didn’t ...

39 likes

143 comments 143

'Charted' Territory

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #62

Trigger warning: SuicidePink sunlight flooded the room, caressing every surface with its light, rosy fingertips.Zaneerah stared out of the open window, hands fidgeting with the dull sand-colored quilt on her bed.Behind her sat her mom, who held a wooden comb and a piece of Zaneerah’s hair.The brush connected with Zaneerah’s hair in soft strokes, brushing each piece with such delicacy-.Zaneerah cried out as the hairbrush discovered a tangle in her silky smooth hair.“Sorry, Zan,” her mother said, her eyebrows furrowed and her full, red lips pu...

39 likes

Only Alien

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #61

Avani sat at the edge of her bed, staring out the window of her pod. It was past her bedtime, but who cared?She put the book she was reading down on the table next to her, untangled her legs from her white blanket, and stared at the sky.Bright flickers of light were all over as if Georges Seurat used pointillism on the night sky.She caressed her hair, staring at the glimmering, silvery curls. She picked up an old-looking comb - she'd found it on the ground when she arrived on planet Earth - from the table next to her bed and began brushing h...

59 likes

Lights Out!

Raquel Rodriguez

“Ugh, can this elevator be ANY slower?” I yell, my hands balled into fists at my sides. The others in the elevator scowling at me. “Can you shut up?” one of them says to me, his gray eyes harder than a rock. He and I engage in a staring contest, and I win, sticking my tongue out at the boy and winking at him. “Why aren’t we moving?!” the boy says, his arms crossed and his thick eyebrows furrowed. Everyone’s eyes widen, and one girl bangs her fist against the doors as if we’re horrible animals that want to devour her soul. “No...

47 likes

Second Chances

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #54

A tall woman with a small head pokes her ugly blond wig into the room. “Are you ready?” She asks, her eyes pointed at the ground so that our eyes don't meet. “I'm never going to be ready to see my ex again,” - I seethe, inwardly laughing at her stupid wig - "but you don't really care, so go ahead." The woman nods, whispering into her headset. She motions for me to come towards her. The woman nods again, and opens the door of my room, glaring at me as I pass. “You better behave out there, or ELSE.” She sa...

68 likes

Separate Neighborhoods

Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #52

August 15th, Wednesday9:45 PM1923You lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Your mind flashes back to Bakari, as the burly white men drag him down the dark road. Tears slide down your pale cheeks, remembering how he cried out your name in his husky voice. *****“Are you sure nobody will see us here?” You asked Bakari after you had walked up to him. He didn’t respond. For days, both of you had met up in the same place: a graveyard. The stones on the graves looked like they would tip over at any moment if a gentle breeze...

103 likes

129 comments 129