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Steve Krysak

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2024

Stories (9)

Comments

Library

1 Followers

3 Following

9 Stories

138 karma pts

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The 1981 Oldsmobile

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #289

“It just drove by again,” said Donovan Hunton, his voice laced with paranoia. He moved his head away from the tiny slit in the Venetian blinds and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. “That’s the fourth time in an hour. Can’t you see? I'm not making this up!”His wife, Alicia, stood at the bedroom door, her eyes brimming with tears, a dam about to burst. She took a deep breath as if to suppress her emotions, but her voice came out shrill and cracked. “I just don’t see it, honey. You’re really scaring me. Look at yourself.”Donovan ...

8 likes

Pancake Pete

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #286

“I don’t understand why you’re so determined to make me a widow,” said Juliette, pacing back and forth in the cramped dressing room.“Stop with the theatrics,” Pete replied. “Or maybe we should paint your face and shove you into the spotlight.”A slight chuckle escaped his lips, quickly shifting into a raspy, hacking cough. He stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray surrounded by empty beer bottles. Pete cleared his throat, waved away the smoke, and turned his attention back to the vanity mirror. He dabbed white makeup around his eyes with two...

6 likes

Note To Self

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #271

The clock read 2:21 p.m., and Luke Keegland’s mind was focused on two things: Pac-Man and his own impending death. Luke couldn’t concentrate as the teacher droned away about integers and fractions. The classroom clock looked too much like the video game character Pac-Man. The two hands were positioned to form a gaping mouth within the circular frame, and Luke felt like one of those dizzied blue ghosts trying to avoid being eaten. Pac-Man was also the nickname given to Chris Sherman, not just because he was big and round, but because his mo...

5 likes

Fruitless Love

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #269

“How dare you insult me like this?” Thomas St. Clair yelled in the middle of the busy restaurant. He was perched on a velvet-upholstered chair. His towering red pompadour was beautiful and intimidating like a peacock spreading its feathers. Gin and tonic dripped from his chin after he involuntarily spat out the drink, showering the Pan-Seared Sea Bass and Truffle Risotto. A woman sat directly across the table. She leaned forward and cupped her hands to her mouth, trying to screen her words from curious onlookers. “What is wrong with you?” ...

6 likes

A Taste Of Deceit

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #259

Pictures scattered across the desk had captured scenes from the Salem Witch Trials. Not paintings or charcoal sketches, but high-resolution photos taken with a professional camera. The 50-megapixels revealed, with exquisite clarity, the fear-laced intensity in the accused’s eyes. The woman's gaze remained downcast as judges and clergy, dressed in elaborate outfits, pointed at her with palpable anger.“This is some of your best work Tobias,” said a woman behind the desk. “I envision the next issue of the Chrono-Chronicle featuring this picture...

3 likes

Exposed Evidence

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #258

The abandoned building was shrouded in shadows. The air was thick with dust, invisible particles revealed themselves as they floated past the portable work lights. An old Polaroid camera, mounted on a tripod, was bathed in the halogen glow and focused on the boarded-up storefront. A beat-up aluminum framed door with broken glass windows tucked between two counters. Nearby, microphone arms were clamped to the edge of a folding table, wires snaked down into an audio mixing board and a laptop computer. Cassidy Quinn cleared her throat and licke...

3 likes

The Clock Key

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #257

Had I known I was about to destroy the world, I would have kept my glasses on. The lady working the coffee shop cash register, Rebecca, wore a low-cut blouse. I’ve come here every Thursday morning for the last five years and have never seen her display cleavage. She has changed hair styles, necklaces, and lipstick, but her taste in shirts has been consistent. To avoid the temptation of a subtle glance, or God forbid outright staring, I removed my glasses and slipped them into my jacket pocket. “Good morning, Fezziwig,” Rebecca said as I app...

7 likes

The Last Word Lost

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #256

Has your mind ever gone completely blank? Probably. But has your mind ever blanked onstage in front of 2,000 people? Not to mention the twelve television cameras broadcasting a live feed to another fifteen million people in three different countries.That was a fun Thursday night.I should have been the youngest person ever to win the Continental Spelling Masters. Instead, I will be a footnote on some Wikipedia page. Fourteen-year-old Myles Jasper holds the unique distinction of being the only participant in the history of this spelling bee wh...

5 likes

At Wits' End

Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #255

A stream of hot tears showered the linoleum floor, washing away a layer of grime at Robert Dey’s feet. His socks and sandals were damp, and his oversized Hawaiian shirt billowed as he convulsed, hunched over, in the old steel chair. Another half dozen mustard yellow padded seats formed a semi-circle around Robert, occupied by the sympathetic faces of other middle-aged men. Sobbing and an oscillating fan were the only sounds to echo off the exposed beams of the church basement. The air was humid, like stepping off a plane in a tropical desti...

2 likes