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Alev Gefen

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2025

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50 Stories

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Wrestling Till Dawn

Alev Gefen

Weekly Contest #312

Jun's fingernails scraped the tatami mat. He awoke with a start, the moonlight nearly piercing through the paper walls. His wife lay on her side, and his sons' chests heaved softly under the weight of each breath. Jun tiptoed into the adjoining room, treading carefully so as not to topple the table. On it, a half-full carafe of cold sake towered over three cups and a delicate wooden tray full of half-eaten pastries. Jun slid the shoji open and stepped out into the garden.Isao is here. I know it. He may not want to hear me out, but it's the o...

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The Road to Bethlehem

Alev Gefen

Weekly Contest #311

"There you are." Liz pushed through the bookstore door, her smile faltering when she saw Miriam's face. "Somebody's in a festive mood.""Hardly." Miriam's hand moved instinctively to her abdomen, where the fabric of her spring dress had begun to cling. What was once flat now felt like a mound, and soon there would be no hiding it. "Joe wants to move the wedding up. His father insists we marry next month."Liz's eyes narrowed with the look Miriam knew too well—her friend's uncanny ability to sniff out secrets. "Don't tell me you're still hung u...

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Salt and Memory

Alev Gefen

Weekly Contest #309

Shintaro was not in a hurry to leave his apartment that muggy morning. The sun wasted no time, dousing the streets of Ikebukuro with heat at seven o'clock. He picked out an off-white Ferragamo to complement navy blue slacks, then settled cross-legged on his futon with a sleek, moss-green book. A peach-colored bookmark reading "Sugihara Street, 2016" split the pages down the middle—a keepsake from somebody else's journey.Two folded papers slid from the book. One bore kanji calligraphy of his name, שינטארו. The other: a plane ticket dated Apri...

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A Midsommar Awakening

Alev Gefen

l understand. He's always been patient with me.Dani picked up her phone and sent a text. Moments later, it rang."Hey! Um... Sorry, I know you're busy with the guys right now... Uh-huh... You're with Josh at CPK... And Mark? Oh, well, say hi to them for me... No, it's nothing... I'll tell you later. OK, see you tonight." Later that night, Christian and Dani sat on his couch, their bodies close together, though Christian visibly flinched when she leaned against him. Dani threw furtive glances his way, inhaling slowly, ready to speak. She stopp...

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Last Train from Shinjuku

Alev Gefen

Weekly Contest #305

It’s five before midnight in Shinjuku. Soft breathing echoes down the vast, empty station. The last train’s sleek frame disappears into the tunnel, its lime-green sash glistening.Isao shuffles down the escalator, his suit clinging in the August heat. He can’t go home like this. He missed the train after yet another obligatory drinking party with his boss. His head throbs, though he managed to avoid touching a drop of sake.He should have. Might as well look the part—his family always knows where he’s been.Except they’ve been in Kesennuma sinc...

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Author bio

Alev Gefen is a short fiction author and poet. With a passion for cultures and languages since childhood, Alev has always sought out the company of classic literature and dictionaries. The 2020 lockdown inspired Alev to explore themes of spirituality and endurance, which she addressed in her debut publication, *Faith-Forward: Poems About Hope, Inspiration, and Strength.*
((C) 2021). Her follow-up books include *Love Lines: Poems About and From the Heart* ( (C) 2023) and *After Forever* ( (C) 2025). Alev interweaves themes of cultural identity and language into her short fiction and poems, having emigrated from Belarus in 1996. She has lived in Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; Shanghai, China; and Tokyo, Japan. The latter's language and culture are her lifelong passions, as Alev had studied and worked there in 2010 and 2017. She currently resides in Redondo Beach, CA, and frequents West Hollywood. Apart from writing, she enjoys painting, music (rock/metal, classical, and world), and spending time with family.