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Alicia Feng

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2024

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23 Followers
13 Following

11 Stories

272 karma pts

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In The Crack Where Life Thrives

Weekly Contest #337

After the tomb-sweeping day, it rained more. Sometimes, it drizzled; sometimes, it showered. The mists lingered in the valley for days, wrapping the mountain in its arms. The sludge along the way seemed to swallow every step, making it hard for Lan and other villagers to walk. Each foot had to be pulled out speedily before stepping into the bog again; otherwise, you could never wade across the mud. Lan sat on a stool at the door, waiting for the shower to stop. Her mother’s tomb was just in the thicket behind Lan’s house. On the headstone, ...

23 likes 14 comments 14
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Selling is like Acting

Hong stood behind the counter in the big shopping mall, observing people wandering past her. In the counter rested bottles of hair growth products, and the shop sign shouted: Natural Glimmer, Make Your Hair Grow and Shine. Natural Glimmer was the brand name. She had been working here for a week, but she had sold nothing. Pulling her to the outdoor smoking area, the supervisor was about to lecture her on sales skills. “Hong, you can’t be too shy. Promote our products to customers,” the supervisor, a bald man wearing a wig, instructed her. “...

6 likes 2 comments 2
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Mama, Don't Go

Weekly Contest #334

Beijing’s lanes stretched astonishingly wide, overwhelming most pedestrians. Crossing from one side to the other took nearly ten minutes. From the overpass, you might be captivated by the grandeur, but also unsettled by its menace. Gazing into the torrent of cars racing across eight lanes could leave you dizzy. At night, when every headlight blazed, the city glowed as bright as day. Only days ago, a man hung himself on this very overpass. Remembering the news, I shivered. The last bus pulled into the station and I sprinted toward it. When ...

15 likes 9 comments 9
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Tomorrow is Another Day

Weekly Contest #333

My work was done. I rode the elevator down to the hall, where people hurried past, their footsteps echoing around me. My ears, attuned to every nuance, allowed me to almost see their faces and feel their hearts. In the rhythm of their steps, I heard a quiet yearning – for the comfort of home. The rain was waiting as I passed through the revolving door. The receptionist, familiar with me and my work, offered an umbrella with quiet generosity. Her gesture was small, yet it warmed me with gratitude. Water dripped into the slits between the ti...

14 likes 11 comments 11
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Storming Into The Good Night

Weekly Contest #332

In downtown Beijing, the chilly draught marched alongside the rain, which battered the pavement ferociously. The chill seeped through Ling’s coat and into her skin, making her tremble. She stood by the curb, trying to hail a taxi, but failed again and again. Without an umbrella, her coat was soon soaked. Each occupied taxi sped past, windshield wipers working relentlessly, splashing water high into the air. The six o’clock traffic jam became a nightmare for every commuter longing to return home. Ling had just fled the dreary, pointless team ...

19 likes 4 comments 4
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Nian, The Ancient Monster

Weekly Contest #331

(The story contains theme of bullying) The clouds gathered, growing heavier. Ying’s tears had already dried, leaving faint streaks across her face. She squatted down, blood seeping from her scraped knees. Lifting her head, she stared upward - the sky fractured into countless squares. A mesh fence stretched above her, enclosing the deep pit of the playground where she sat. The pits - meant for trees – remained empty, turning into tools for the bullies. She wept and shouted, but no one came to rescue her. Above the pit, more clouds gathered. ...

18 likes 13 comments 13
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A Farmer Without Land

Weekly Contest #330

My father and mother had me one year after their marriage. In countryside, if a man or woman hadn’t married by the age of twenty-four, they would be called “leftover”. People would talk behind their backs and predict a miserable future – no wife or husband, dying alone without being noticed for days. With the help of a matchmaker, my father met my mother, and they gave no chance for gossip. My father, though the son of a farmer, was not as accomplished as his own father, for he failed with every crop he planted – peas, eggplant, potatoes, ch...

11 likes 5 comments 5
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As Beautiful As a Dream

Weekly Contest #329

In the backstage makeup room, Wen sat before the mirror, its row of glowing bulbs casting a sharp light that left his freckles nowhere to hide. The mirror seemed a portal, carrying him back to the self he had been twenty years ago. His agent urged the makeup crew to hurry, the sound team tested the system over and over, and he drew a deeper breath before stepping onto the stage. As the spotlight engulfed him, he felt suddenly blind. Faces dissolved into brightness, leaving only the glare. For an instant, he was nothing more than a specimen i...

8 likes 7 comments 7
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Sorry

Weekly Contest #328

“Lu, a wonderful news!” The doctor said on the phone, his voice brimming with excitement. “Your younger brother was regaining his memory. We gladly inform you that his cognitive function greatly improved.” “Did he say anything?” Lu asked, his tone edged with unease. “He told our nurses that he had a dog called Doudou,” the doctor said. For an instant, the memory surged back – that the dog that Lu and his younger brother, Lin, once had rescued from a cruel peddler. When Lu asked for a pet, their mother declined; yet when Lin carried a dog ba...

4 likes 5 comments 5
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The Love

Weekly Contest #327

My mother lay motionless in the bush, showing no trace of life. I wept until every tear was gone, and until I was left exhausted and starving. I had no choice but to wait for death and reunite with my mother in heaven. The last morsel of meat was stale, maggots crawling from it; though it sickened me, survival demanded I eat. I devoured it in haste, but I choked as it caught in my throat. I was breathless and soon my vision blurred. Beside my ears, my mother whispered again and again, “you’ll be only yourself, until the person who matters mo...

10 likes 4 comments 4
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Burn

Weekly Contest #326

“Do you still believe magic?” my daughter asked. “Yes, I do,” I replied. “This world is full of wonders.” I pulled the blanket up to her chin. After she drifted into sleep, I quietly left her room. This was our nightly ritual--- a story each night. I fumbled through a large box where I kept things that mattered most to me – old photos, seashells, and dairy books. I picked up one of the dairies and flipped through its pages. The ink had faded, but my feelings hadn’t. The date was 18 April 2008. Today was the final test day for graduating ...

8 likes 4 comments 4
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