Sprite Akuma

“Insomniac's Paradise (TW: Blood)” by Sprite Akuma

Cold autumn wind blew through the streets, stirring leaves and making houses creak. The only light came from streetlamps and the moon, the latter being the most reliable as it could not flicker. At the end of the road stood a rickety iron gate, fencing off a house that had not been lived in for ages. The grass had grown so long that it made rustling noises as it swayed against the iron in the br...

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“Connection” by Sprite Akuma

Autumn winds drifted through the streets, carrying leaves and pollen with it. The cool air that usually graces October was nowhere to be seen, replaced with the warmth felt in the beginning of September; it was a rare flash of heat, the summer’s last push before succumbing to fall and eventually winter. Clouds drifted through the sky, casting light shadows onto the city as the sun shone bright enough to create dappled patterns below the trees. As nice as the pleasant temperature was, it could never be enough to warm the scene of bitter co...

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“What's On My Mind” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #76

“So, what’s on your mind today?” “I don’t know. My brain is a mixture of thoughts, feelings, and worries that constantly tries to cripple me. My mind is filled with anxiety and it doesn’t go away. Distraction only works for a short while. Otherwise, I am plagued with intrusive thoughts and feelings every single day. My brain takes advantage of my emetophobia and makes me nauseous every time I try to ...

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“That Time I Fell Out Of A Tree” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #63

Autumn has finally arrived, and my grandpa’s apple orchard is bustling with customers clad in brown jackets, jeans, and scarves. A hundred or so people run along the dirt paths of the orchard, placing apples into bags that my grandma had sewn herself. My grandpa takes pride in the fact that his orchard has been the hotspot of the fall season for many years. I take pride in the fact that I, being related to him, get to ha...

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“I Will, I Won't” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #57

Well, here I am. Lying on the floor, head and neck aching, unable to do anything except stare at things until my bad eyes cross and double them. I was told to stay off of devices as much as possible after getting a concussion, but I never imagined it would be this hard. I can’t talk to my friends, I can’t post on Instagram, I can’t listen to music… Oh man. I can’t write either. How am I supposed to satisfy my en...

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“Hay Fever” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #53

Online meetings suck. Especially the ones where you’re required to keep your camera on. In my opinion, the teachers don’t get it. So what if I want to leave for a second to grab a snack? I did it all the time in regular school except this time my kitchen is my locker. I shift in my chair, holding my computer still so it doesn’t shake. My science teacher doesn’t notice, yet of course she would notice if I switched...

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“Splendid” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #49

He could hear hundreds of train wheels gliding over the tracks as he strolled through the busy station. The number of trains and destinations the huge place supplied never failed to amaze him. So many places to go, yet he was headed for only one. The man’s suitcase clicked against the cement flooring as he headed to Aqua Gate #7. It was not hard for him to tell that he was going in the right direction; the walls ...

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“New World Experiment #2,613,937” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #45

“Hey, can I see your world? Mine is a bit… hard to look at right now.” After years of studying civilization and creating new universes, it baffles me how we’ve gotten nowhere. I doubt my research looks any different than my coworker’s, but I allow him to have a look anyways. “Eek. That’s what’s been happening in mine. I don’t get it. No matter what we do, how many challenges and gifts we give to our experiments, they always end like this. Why?” I peer through my glass screen again, watching the small people in New Wor...

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“And It Goes Like This” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #42

Exploring my grandmother’s flower garden is my favorite thing to do. Every day I run down the not-so-steep hill from my house to her house, say hello to my grandfather who is sleeping on the creaky porch swing, then hop into the garden. Grandmother says I have to be careful not to trample the flowers, so I follow the path of pretty painted stepping stones. Each one pictures a different kind of flower; my grandmother says she wishes she had the creative talents to make them. Instead, my mother made them for her. My mother is an artist. ...

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“Insomnia” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #40

“So… who are they?” Zelda holds up her phone excitedly, showing me a picture of five girls sitting in a circle. “They’re called Nightmare, my favorite artists these days. Their music is so awesome! You should listen to them, Kilian. I think you would like them, they’re really spooky.” She takes away the picture and opens another app instead, searching for a song to play for me. I told her that I’d let her introduce me to some new music groups… although her fangirling is kind of annoying sometimes, I need new ...

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“Not Now, Please” by Sprite Akuma

Submitted to Contest #38

Day 17 of quarantine: I’m sitting around at my house, piles of work to do yet still bored out of my mind. Trying to do schoolwork from home makes it so easy to get distracted. I seem to have fallen into the mindset that, oh, I have all the time in the world. I don’t have to go anywhere, and it’s not going to matter whether I finish this in the morning, in the afternoon, or at night about 23 minutes before it’s due. From what I’ve been seeing on social media, I’m not the only one with this mindset. Clearly, since people have the time to p...

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