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Alek Pouliopoulos

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2026

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19 karma pts

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This Isn’t What I Signed Up For, But It’s What I Do

Submitted to Contest #336

There’s a clarity that comes from being kicked in the mouth; an alertness and awakening that not even the strongest stimulant can rival.As her foot connected with my jaw, it’s like time slowed down and I gained the ability to look back at all of my choices and wonder how exactly I ended up here. This isn’t what I signed up for.I signed up to put out fires. I became a fireman to crawl through the heat and the darkness of a burning building, not to change smoke detector batteries at 3 a.m.I signed up to save lives. I became a paramedic to rest...

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