Zelle J Christian

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2021

Stories (5)

5 Stories

105 karma pts

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“Master of Mataró” by Zelle J Christian

Submitted to Contest #105

I begin to paint with a brush dampened by tears, as if my pallet contains shades of sorrow. I force myself to step into my patron’s shoes, wrap myself in her chiffon and silk, feel her sadness in the valleys of my soul. With a delicate smile resting upon her lips, my patron poses in the Baroque gold and white wedding-cake of a room. I can see melancholy veiling her gaze, that smile not quite touching her eyes. Yet, viewing life from her perspective, I cannot seem to grasp it. I have no poverty of compassion…perhaps simply because of my you...

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“Silver-Eyes” by Zelle J Christian

Submitted to Contest #103

This must be by design. As if your soul touched my engine and turned the wheel of my car to this specific spot—our synchronicity should be unnatural and unsettling, but I find myself unsurprised by this coincidence. You are tethered to me, and trying to guide me home. I reach into my pocket and re-discover the worn photograph I have carried with me all these years. It shows me a family in a sea of crumpled wrapping paper. A woman with deep grooves carved into her forehead, the stress of long hours scarring her face—a young girl with sicknes...

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“Standoff” by Zelle J Christian

Submitted to Contest #101

It was a cinematic standoff in the night. A mist of heat and streetlight, abused cars jamming the deserted strip mall parking lot, teenagers clustered around the fringes, an expanse of gleaming pavement separating the two of them. The victim only offered a shrug of his shoulders. Slicked to perfection, Jesse’s nonchalance glossed the flush blooming across his cheeks and ears. The bully stalked closer—though Jesse’s blood was charged with terror, he stood his ground. “I don’t think your parents would want anything to do with you if they wer...

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“Rosewood” by Zelle J Christian

Submitted to Contest #100

Hidden out of sight, I peeked between the slats of the closet doors to find flashes of an unwinnable fight. It seemed to last for an eternity while I anguished.Suddenly I heard a heavy load tumbling down a flight of stairs.Shattering glass as a body crashed through the sliding glass doors at the bottom.Footsteps leading towards the slamming of the front door.And the rage smoldered away, leaving only a boy fractured in the yard and tire smoke forlornly curling off the driveway.In his darkened bedroom a puddle of orange lamplight spread across...

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“Tragedy” by Zelle J Christian

Submitted to Contest #99

The sound of a slamming door startles me. I peer out of the window to find a van outside the house, a woman emerging from the vehicle, and a young man standing in the street with a smile visible from my distance.His distinct mannerisms strike my memory from three summers ago, when as a ten-year-old I stared from the beach. I will not forget the pathos of his expression and the movement of his hands.There is no mistaking him.And now, the same boy is here, standing outside of my house. The mother helps him towards the house adjacent. The ...

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Author bio

Criticize by creating. -Michelangelo