Zane Dickens

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2020

Stories (7)

7 Stories

138 karma pts

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“Blood Runs Cold” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #65

The pair of them stood out on the narrow porch and stared deep into the night. The distant city lights twinkled around angry red and white streams of opposing traffic. Far off voices carried on the wind, rendered shapeless whispers. The summer heat lingered from the long past sunset. The humidity held scents close, of wetlands nearby and rotten underbrush.A howl cried out.“Dog.”“Mmm.”The silence bloomed with imagined violence; the horizon threatened light. A glance pushed that back. One stood very still, the other’s face lined with a questio...

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“Gaining The Family Trust” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #64

Mary dreaded the drive. The scenery swept by in an endless blur of flat, beige and brown sameness. The kind of landscape a painter would render in the hastiest of brush strokes. But the leaden knot in her stomach had far more to do with her decision to head up to the house today.Even as she sped down the freeway, the sun hung above the horizon. Mary gnawed at a fingernail as she drove, while her other hand tapped out the seconds. She ignored the diamond on her finger.George and Mary were off. Their relationship was broken, and now she saw it...

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“Forbidden Flight” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #63

The days are growing shorter, the nights longer and lonelier--more hours without the fellowship of birdsong. The warmth of another summer dwindles, and again a jittery passion charges me throughout. Vibrating through my body, this energy has me beating my winds and testing the limits of my home. Above me, the sun flees and goes about its passage oblivious to my struggles. To chase down its kindness and fruits, to join with others and become of singular purpose again. To do what I have never done, to rise and soar. To be buffeted ...

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“40 Million Winks” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #62

Today I lay myself down to rest, before the icy waters rise and take my breath from my unmoving chest. Today I lay down and welcome the cold embrace of darkness. Today I do this, so that I may see a thousand, a million tomorrows hence. Today I die, so that I may live tomorrow. Inside the capsule the padding is smooth and fine in places and scratchy and rough in others. My head rests of a firm cushion, my neck feels a slight crick in it. The angle is wrong. I try to adjust myself. A flash of worry overcomes me for a mo...

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“Brothers at Arms Length” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #61

"More of this, brother?" came the sudden voice behind him. Dellan started at the rough rasping voice of his brother. "Yes. And why not?" said Dellan The man moved with such quiet steps, Dellan swore his former profession before the cloth was one of the shadows. "It's eons passed," Archimus said. Dellan stuffed the pages he was studying under his own unfinished manuscript, as Archimus settled behind him at his own desk. He listened as his brother took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of his work, the ink, the paper and the ri...

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“The Bargain” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #59

The moon’s bulbous face glared at the scurrying masses in the streets, those hurrying home and those waiting for them. Brash electric lights sneered upward, backhanded praise to the watchmen’s lantern above. They shouted, we are now and can do without, we are here the month throughout. I am eternal, I am primal, I speak to more than just the fear of the dark, came the answer. Their battle rages on. My battle with my sheets however, is over. Too light to sleep. I step outside into my courtyard, silvery blue light casts deep shad...

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“Too Little Too Late” by Zane Dickens

Submitted to Contest #48

Pacing the darkened room, I spoke to the gathered crowd at my feet. These everyday people, all together to witness this moment. Late afternoon rain pelted down above us onto the atrium, giving the light a sombre caste. "I didn't just wake up one day with a superpower." My audience sat there huddled together staring up at me. Silent and still. Not even a whisper, the moment drew out a long slow beat or two. There really was nothing like it. "I wasn't bitten by a radioactive spider or struck by lighting or blasted with gamma rays." Their pure...

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Author bio

I'm a writer, in heart and soul, but a UX Designer by day. ✍🏼 You can find more of my writing at: https://zanedickens.medium.com/ I've been a documentary filmmaker, advert promo director, scriptwriter, TV series editor, digital nomad and more. Being a great dad to my two girls is the hardest job by far.