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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

6356 karma pts

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A Byzantine Trade

Submitted to Contest #192

Being in a traveling antique roadshow, one learns to keep a close eye on the competition. Especially the Greens, they organize this roadshow, but have been against me from the beginning.Across the aisle, a young man looks disappointed with whatever Isaac had to offer him, and heads my way. There’s a good chance Isaac—not as educated as I—might not have discerned the cultural nuance of the historical antiquity the young man is trying to sell.When he approaches, he shyly avoids my gaze yet looks hopeful. “My grandfather says this is valuable.”...

21 likes 10 comments 10
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Expat Stories: An Auction in Osaka

Submitted to Contest #191

In Osaka, during the first week of my new job, the only work I’ve done is to buy flowers. The rest of the time, I sit inside Ishikawa Real Estate’s small and crowded office, waiting for something to do while flipping through a manga under my desk, studying Japanese, and trying not to bother any of the real estate agents.The owner walks in. Everyone sits up at their desks. Like a commanding general, Mr Ishikawa has gray hair, rock solid posture, and an aura of extreme confidence. He looks amused each morning to see an American working for his...

21 likes 15 comments 15
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Not Out of the Woods Yet

Submitted to Contest #190

[Trigger warning: illness] ‘This is dope. I’m going to meet Jim Jackson next week’ I tweet and watch the replies: “pass on my hopes for his recovery.” “UR soooo lucky.” “jim is an inspiration.” Jim hasn’t replied to me at all, despite me being his greatest fan. I’ve been with him since the beginning. I know, he’s grown his follower base, maybe sometimes he’s too sick to type replies, but he could at least have sent an emoji once in a while. My Mom, on the other hand, is too much information. She worries the trip to New York might affec...

24 likes 26 comments 26
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Out of the Woods on Mt Tateshina

Submitted to Contest #189

Sayako waves goodbye from our apartment window as I pull the car out of the driveway. With one hand, I wave back, feeling slightly guilty about leaving her for the day. But her broad smile transmits an assurance that it’s ok to go on the hike today, she’ll be there waiting when I return.On Sundays, we have an agreement I can take the day to recharge by hiking alone in the mountains of Nagano. Getting out of the car in the empty parking lot at the trailhead, I pack light: 2 liters of water, mobile phone, an extra jacket, a survival bag a...

30 likes 14 comments 14
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Chaos at the Cryptocurrency Conference

Submitted to Contest #188

[TW: all 5 prompts + multiple douche bags + Toxic Positivity]“So, what’s the catch of the day?” I ask the waiter, already knowing I’m going to reject it as I like to screw with people–be oppositional, as they say. I’m also desperately trying to impress Monique.“Glad you asked. The catch of the day is line caught Hogfish Snapper,” the waiter says all in one breath, because he trying to take his share of orders from the 200+ attendees of Blockchain Overdrive's VIP dinner in Palm Beach.“I think you can do better than Hogfish. Ask the kitchen to...

27 likes 26 comments 26
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Something To Talk About In Palaio Faliro

Submitted to Contest #187

Professor Katopodis had a habit of turning every conversation topic into an academic discussion. He had a feeling that retirement would take some time to get used to. On his first day in Palaio Faliro, a seaside town 10 km south of Athens, his wife suggested he might out go for a walk to clear his head of the 37 years of strife he had endured at the National University.Stepping outside this morning, the first thing he noticed were the oranges. Bright and plump, they littered every inch of the pavement. And then the cats. They lounged in the ...

16 likes 13 comments 13
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Kayaking in Hong Kong

Submitted to Contest #186

I can’t wait for this story to end.As I sat in a hotel bar in San Francisco, my eyes are drawn to the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen. I approach and offer to buy her a drink. To my delight, she accepts, and we spend the next hour chatting and laughing. Then, she leans in and whispers in my ear, “I need to go, but if you would like to see me again.” She writes a name on a napkin and slips it into my front jacket pocket, “Meet me at this coffee shop in Milan.”“Milan, Italy?”She nods, as if that's a normal answer. My heart flutters as...

20 likes 18 comments 18
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And Then There Were Nine

Submitted to Contest #185

Cardboard shoe boxes tower high the walls of our cramped entrance hallway of the apartment on East 23rd street. The ones I need are in a large box at the bottom of this wobbly pyramid. I hold the box above it against the wall, and using my thumb and the very tip of my pinky finger, pull the green box labelled Hoka out.A voice rings out behind me, “You have ten pairs of shoes in the hallway. I think you need to get rid of a few.”“But I need to rotate my shoes to protect my feet,” I say defensively to my wife Melissa.“Ten pairs?”I can’t see he...

27 likes 18 comments 18
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One Click At A Time

While my mom drives the 45 minutes to Downtown Austin, I pull out my mobile, open Reddit, and read the new posts in r/relationship. In what seems like an instant, we arrive and are pulling up to the entrance of Lone Star Lunar Bowl.As I get out, Mom says, “Have a good time and tell me about it afterward?”I give her a mock salute, then go inside to join my new friends. In the bowling lane cafe, we sit down, and soon are watching a video together. A young girl, at most 7-years old, is saying, “When my mom is looking at her mobile, no matt...

14 likes 10 comments 10
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Julia Goes Down the Rabbit Hole with ChatGPT

Submitted to Contest #183

(Julia) I hate my boyfriend. (ChatGPT) It's understandable to feel this way sometimes in a relationship, but it's important to communicate your feelings and try to work through any issues before making any decisions. If your relationship is causing you unhappiness and it cannot be resolved, it may be best to consider ending the relationship.  (Julia) Yes! (ChatGPT) If you have made the decision to end the relationship, it's important to do so in a respectful and considerate manner. Communication is key, and having an open and hone...

19 likes 13 comments 13
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Julia Wakes Up With ChatGPT

Submitted to Contest #183

(Julia)I hate my boyfriend. (ChatGPT)It's normal to have ups and downs in a relationship, but if your feelings of dislike towards your boyfriend are persistent and affecting your happiness, it may be a good idea to talk to him about your concerns and try to work through the issues together. If the situation does not improve, it may be worth considering ending the relationship for your own well-being.(Julia)Yes!(ChatGPT) If you have decided to end the relationship, it's important to communicate with your boyfriend in a clear and res...

23 likes 29 comments 29
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Movies That Suck

Submitted to Contest #181

My wife Janine wants me to stop organizing the monthly movie meetup in Hoboken. “Love you babe,” I tell her on the way out, giving her my best I’m a great husband aren't I smile.Without looking over, she says, “have a good time,” and wiggles her fingers in farewell.I don’t get much TLC on movie nights. But I think she understands a man needs to blow off some steam every once in a while. She’s also been giving me a hard time about being stuck in my ways, so it’s good to get the night off.I slip out the door quietly. We used to talk about how,...

23 likes 18 comments 18
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Our Lot in War

Submitted to Contest #180

[TW: pg-13 WW2 battle scene]In 1942 my father was lucky. He studied anthropology in university—even published a paper on the Minahasan people of Indonesia—and when the draft came he was enlisted into US Army Intelligence rather than being called up for combat.During the war he shuttled around the Pacific collecting information on local populations, providing weapons to resistance movements, and helping negotiate problems locals had with US military bases.On one such journey, on a troop ship bound for the Philippines, he saw something unusual...

28 likes 20 comments 20
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The Elephant in the Room

Submitted to Contest #179

I promised myself I would change, but it's happening again—at my third job this year at a New York based charity, my coworkers have started calling me ‘controlling’. At first, I heard it just out of earshot; then yesterday, Ashley told me straight to my face. All of I have ever done is try to help people and offer them suggestions to improve themselves.And about the job, even though the weekly salary is low, I enjoy working for charities, at least that's the story I tell myself. Maybe I'm just not good at anything else. I see Sharon fro...

32 likes 28 comments 28
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Seven Cliches Over Christmas

Submitted to Contest #178

[DRAFT] At the Mud Creek Saloon in Eagle River, I see American flags on the walls, pitchers of beer on the bar, and drawn-out guitar solos ring in my ears. From what I've seen on TV, this is the type of place where they kick the shit out of gay characters. Or shoot them dead in the parking lot.Not my idea of a good time. So to blend in, I pretend to enjoy the song that's playing-Sweet Home Alabama. We’re in Northern Wisconsin but it's a crowd favorite.“Don’t let anyone in Wisconsin know you stan Taylor Swift,” my coworker Justin said in...

23 likes 16 comments 16
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