Reina Johnson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2021

Stories (5)

5 Stories

101 karma pts

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“Every Little Thing” by Reina Johnson

Four years ago we boldly declared that we wanted to get married on Christmas Eve. The holiday season is unforgiving of our recklessness. Until this year, he has never forgotten to schedule the reservation. A last-minute cancellation finds us in an upscale restaurant with names neither of us can pronounce and a bottle of wine as a centerpiece. His face is flushed when he returns from parking the car and he hasn’t paid attention to a word I said.“I’m sorry,” he says. “It’s not you. There’s just so much going on inside of my mind righ...

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“Yellow Brick Road” by Reina Johnson

Dad used to complain that my brother, Aaron’s, head is connected to a swivel. No matter how familiar the noise, his brain requires an image to attach to it. He tucks a container of instant coffee into the crook of his arm and watches the cart with the rickety wheel disappear into the home goods department. His fingers curl around a pack of BIC pens before tossing them into my basket. Another quirk Dad can’t stand. He can...

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“Both Sides Now” by Reina Johnson

Mentions loss of a sibling and thoughts of suicide He doesn’t remember the night Fritz left, but he imagines it like something out of a movie scene. His brother is spewing gravel and a cloud of dust trails behind him. The horizon is aflame, crowning his blond hair as he flies down the interstate. A postcard arrives from a gas station in Nevada, which is so out of character it fits. There is no evi...

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“A Place In This World ” by Reina Johnson

You frown at the syrupy stickiness of the menu. Hours of trying to unravel the mystery behind serpentine streets led to dead ends, graffiti covered walls, and a diner with initials etched into the vinyl booths. The glass of water given to us by an equally exhausted server sloshes onto the table, and you use your sleeve to wipe the plastic. Mine has a lipstick stain on it. I ignore it. We’ve spent hours not speaki...

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“The Things We Leave Behind” by Reina Johnson

He memorized the planes of his father’s face, so that he saw signs of him each time a member of the audience’s eyelids crinkled or they leaned forward with their hands clasped together. His mind transformed the dimly lit auditorium. He imagined lights ensconced in gold and burgundy velvet furnishing the metal folding chairs. Tomás’s nicotine stained teeth sank into his lower lip as he bit back a smile. He nudged the elbo...

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Author bio

Reina Johnson is a nonbinary writer from Ohio. They enjoy reading and writing stories, listening to music, and their kids. They’re still working on actual events. :p

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #142
A Place In This World – read story