Silvia Bartolini

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2020

Stories (8)

8 Stories

223 karma pts

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“Omamori” by Silvia Bartolini

The old man grinned, eyes squinting as they drowned in a sea of wrinkles. He fished in the pocket of trousers so well worn the fabric was almost see-through and came up with a wooden object."This," he said, not bothering with tongues between teeth or half-way vowels, "is a strummolo."Nami bowed her head in polite acknowledgment and joined her hands under the man's to receive the offer. The clash of Italian enthusiasm and Japanese politeness had the old man laugh as he grabbed both of Nami's hands and shoved the obje...

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“Porcelain” by Silvia Bartolini

Tok whirled around, eyes wide with panic. "Where's the pan?" Although his movements slowed down by a tiny fraction and his ears tilted back as if trained on a possible conversation, Tik kept rummaging in his rucksack, pretending he hadn't heard. On a good day, Tok already had no patience for it. Today wasn't a good day. He jumped up and in two strides was towering over Tik, drowning the older boy i...

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“Over the Rainbow” by Silvia Bartolini

Hugh's foot slipped and he dangled from the rope ladder, heart pounding in his throat as he glanced down at the ground a good ten feet below. The weight of the binoculars he was carrying caused the strap to cut into his neck as they bounced against his back, thrown around by the sudden movement. Hugh's legs scrambled to gain purchase, but with a big rolled-up poster held in one arm, the other one struggled to lift his bodyweight enough for his attempts to be succesful."Give me that!" came a voice from above.Olga was looking ...

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“Twinkle Twinkle” by Silvia Bartolini

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Jenny knew something was wrong with the girl. The man who was carrying her on his back nodded in polite greeting, face hidden under a baseball cap. Jenny moved closer to the wall, hugging herself in reflex. Her nose scrunched up at the reek of alcohol, the man's protruding belly on an otherwise lean, almost emaciated frame the sign of an unhealthy addiction.As the doors closed, she stole a glance at the pair. Father and daughter, perhaps? The girl couldn't have been older than ten. Jenny couldn...

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“Not What You Think...” by Silvia Bartolini

We enter a living room through double French doors, satin curtains billowing in the ocean breeze. The beach is like a mural painting through the tall windows, framed by clear blue skies and palm trees. Inside, everything is white fabric and woven bamboo. Bright-orange, tropical-afternoon sunshine engulfs the space.A smartphone lies face up on the coffee table. A tinny voice, irritant like a flying mosquito, fills the room, the words indiscernible. A young man sits on the plump sofa, hands in fists as his excitement mounts. A low-vo...

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“Generation Gap” by Silvia Bartolini

The hand that grasped Ryan’s in a firm hold didn’t shake it, so he gave it a couple of light squeezes instead. Electric shocks, a subtle show of power-play before letting go. He kept eye contact as he wiped his palm on his trousers, making a point.Ryan's boss was unimpressed, and looked up at him from her 5' 1'' with a frown lurking behind black-framed glasses. She turned to the other, much younger man she had just introduced to Ryan.“Ignore him," Sarah said with a head-jerk towards Ryan. "Grumpy here doesn't like change." S...

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“The Perfect Gift” by Silvia Bartolini

Mum is upset. I can tell by the way her hand shoots to her breast, eyes wide as if staring at one of my much bigger cousins. She tries hard to stretch the corners of her mouth in what is meant to be a congratulatory smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She squeals in high-pitched would-be delight and claps, but keeps her distance. I look at the gift I’ve brought her, but by the time my eyes come back up, she’s gone. I get up from my seating position and walk away, dejected. It’s going to be the dustpan again.I reach the end of my ...

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“Acrylic and Candy” by Silvia Bartolini

The sugary dribble reached the bottom of the girl’s hand, pooled into a fat droplet and sank to the floor, joining its predecessors in a puddle of melted popsicle goo. She shifted the stick to her other hand and proceeded to lick off the flavoured water from her fingers. She dried them on her summer dress before using them to pick up a toy from the shelf. Connor seethed, his crossword forgotten. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and cleared his throat, ready to tell the child off when the entrance bell rang. He wa...

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