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Scott Christenson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (136)
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459 Followers
171 Following

136 Stories

6345 karma pts

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Letters from Malaysian Flight 370

Submitted to Contest #212

[Voice message found in a mobile phone]Life is a mystery, isn’t it? One day we are in control of everything, taking exams, passing tests, choosing which job interview to attend. And then, if we work hard, we move up in our career, step by step.But the whole time, there’s a parallel universe that we don't control that affects us strongly. Our boyfriends get transferred to different cities, our employers go bankrupt, our friends get sick.I’ve made the right choices my entire life. I was polite to others, took care of my parents and grandparent...

29 likes 35 comments 35
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Philadelphia Writers Block Society - A Day Sentence

Submitted to Contest #212

To: KevinMcMurdle@uiowa.eduFrom: JakeJohnston720@gmail.comSubject: An Awful Day at the Philadelphia Writers Block Society It has been an arduous journey writing the first draft of my Great American Novel. Every morning, I sit in front of my typewriter, the same model F Scott Fitzgerald used, and confront the page. Next to me sits the most trusted edition of Merriam-Webster. When the words to write don’t come, I scan the collected works of Fitzgerald, and a few volumes of Hemingway and Richard Yates.Most days, to warm up, I complete the ...

27 likes 32 comments 32
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Cathyheimer

Submitted to Contest #210

Cathy nudged up her Vint & York Adeline glasses as she studied the data on her screen. It was unmistakable. A signal.Until that moment, Cathy had believed the future of the planet to was hopeless. Global warming, inequality, pollution, the mistreatment of animals–so many issues. And there was no way out. People were too driven by their own selfish desires.But what if we received help from another race of intelligent beings? One that travelled the stars would know how to transform this planet into a truly sustainable ecosystem. Follo...

23 likes 19 comments 19
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Booba at Barbenheimer

Submitted to Contest #208

Booba looked down on the ridiculous blue planet below. He had parked The Hand Of God on the far side of their moon and was keeping a low profile until he decided what to do. The persistent ache in his 7th knee was bothering him, and this planet's resemblance to the one responsible for flinging the antimatter torpedo at his starship during the Battle of Lookai intensified that ache.He knew this world wasn't capable of tossing anything like that at his ship. So, it was safe to linger. He should probably be doing more important things, but mayb...

18 likes 34 comments 34
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Six Syllables

Submitted to Contest #205

In Japan, everyone says “Itadakimasu” before each meal. It's an unquestioned tradition. There are many such rituals in Japan: the aisatsu greetings for good morning and good night, bowing to superiors, the proper way to use chopsticks, that go back so far in Japanese history, people can’t imagine it being any other way.Everyone except for our son Kenji. He likes to make his own rules and has long ago decided uttering six syllables before eating is an inefficient waste of everyone's time.In kindergarten, his teachers said, “He refuses to say ...

35 likes 25 comments 25
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A Few Credits More

Submitted to Contest #204

Four miners point blasters my way–not the welcoming party I was hoping for. Jander told me not to come here, maybe I should have listened to that little guy. Standing in front of my trading ship, the Galactic Kakapo, I await their next move. A man behind a heavy cannon mounted on a mining truck eyes me closely. “You carrying Terra credits?” he asks. “On my ship.”“Good. Are you alone?” “I’m alone–” Their fingers move toward their triggers. “Except for this guy here.” I point down to a Jander VII drone at my feet.The miners stud...

28 likes 19 comments 19
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Don Perezoso

You know how everything changes after high school? We were best friends, now I serve drinks at his parties to earn $500, while he’s worth billions. Gzy-X gets the attention of the guests at his estate. “Everyone, this man is my best friend, and pours the best tequila in Orange County.” I wave at his guests and try my best to smile.He leans over and says in my ear, “It’s great to have you here, Jake.”“Thanks. So, do you think I could come to the office next week for an interview?”“Sure thing, buddy.” He gives me a smile that project...

7 likes 12 comments 12
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Dangerous Descent

Submitted to Contest #203

Just because Mike was a billionaire, didn’t mean he didn’t need to listen to his wife. Cathy patiently waited for him to finish explaining all the details of his new gadget, an ACH160 business helicopter, as they ate dinner.After his lengthy monologue, Cathy jumped in to fill him in on a topic that was much more dear to her heart.“My sister is having her 25th anniversary party. It's in Sheboygan, this July.”“That’s nice.” He said, while chewing on the white asparagus appetizer, obviously still thinking about helicopters. One needs to be dire...

23 likes 21 comments 21
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Open Pit Mining

Submitted to Contest #200

A lot of people are opposed to open pit mining, tearing up huge chunks of the earth, so people can have more cars, more gadgets, more of everything, but trust me, when you've just lost your job, your girlfriend, and are receiving student debt bills, concerns about the world in 2200 are not the highest priority. Which is how I found myself a week ago travelling across the world, and starting work last week at Fimiston in WA.Seconds before I’m about to get my truck into gear, Robb jumps in. He's invited himself. Having a companion for the tent...

26 likes 27 comments 27
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Tell Me Why I Don’t Like Memoirs

Submitted to Contest #198

Damon, a ghostwriter, finished the editing of yet another memoir he had written for a successful business person. Someone who climbed the corporate ladder and managed to become CEO of a large company, for a few years. And then, reading between the lines (Damon was good at that), the CEO was let go for underperformance. In interviews, the CEO was pleasant, if dully conventional. The type of man women want to marry, and then not talk to their friends about much afterwards.Damon’s draft title for these sorts of memoirs was invariably, Tale...

37 likes 42 comments 42
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The Goddess Must Have Her Way

Submitted to Contest #197

Her gaze lingered on the muscular men working on the plains of Oklahoma. She desired them all, but there was something about the power in his shoulders, the way he carried himself, his easy smile when he cajoled the others, that made her think this one was her choice. Her hero. The Goddess of Stone sent messengers.ↂↂUnder the roaring heat of the natural gas flaring off above, Avrel hauled the next pipe segment into place, sweat exuded from all his pores while his rippling muscles worked to place the 35 foot of steel that hanging from the boo...

17 likes 5 comments 5
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Chat To Me (Emily's Story)

Submitted to Contest #196

My toddler has been crying since yesterday. I really need to turn this thing off soon.“Emily, You can’t go offline now,” my teammate Zeke says, always pushing the mission as usual.“He’s right.” Freya’s face appears, looking concerned. “You promised to stay with us until the trial.” She is the easy-going one, so when she gets serious, that's a sign something is important.We are on our way to the trial of Copernicus to present arguments for clemency. If we don’t reach Rome by 1616 and petition the Pope, the timeline will see Galileo hange...

17 likes 22 comments 22
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The SPON

Submitted to Contest #195

Things turned from bad to worse for my roommate David, back in the 2020s. His problems began with the YouTube videos, then the TikTok and Instagram shorts, and finally, companies began to distribute information on how to ‘spot the narcissist’.“It’s not fair!” David moaned. “On every new project at work, the architecture team puts me on bathroom and storage design saying, "so my ego doesn’t grow any larger.’”I tried to look sympathetic. “It’s not their fault. Everyone has been receiving training on how to deal with Cat-7 narcissists.” “C...

25 likes 25 comments 25
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It Takes Two to Tango

Submitted to Contest #194

I’m sitting down with Wordle and a plate of nachos for dinner, when my mobile rings. An unknown number, but I answer. It might be an opportunity to play games with a telemarketer while I eat. My three rescue cats, Erudite, Musical and Justice, are also eating their dinner under the table next to me.A female voice asks, “Fred Anderson?” “That’s me.” I take a nacho and scoop refried beans from the paper plate.”Alberta's scrabble champion?”“This is correct.” Crunching on the chip, I wonder could this be a reporter?“This is Jen,” she says. ...

21 likes 25 comments 25
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The Brand Ambassador at the End of the Universe

Submitted to Contest #193

After quitting a telemarketing job that wasn't my aesthetic, I spend a lot of time at home. Dad watches me eat my breakfast each morning, then go to my room to play computer games, with steadily escalating frustration as the days and weeks go by. I hear him mumble the word 'failure' to Mom behind closed doors, while she murmurs more comforting sounding words. She must be restraining Dad's bootcamp drill sergeant instincts, for now, at least.From the way his foot taps the floor more loudly each morning, he must be reaching his breaking point,...

21 likes 19 comments 19
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