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Andrea Krist

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2023

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24 Followers
2 Following

29 Stories

443 karma pts

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Delayed Encounter

Weekly Contest #271

Gena sat in the metallic chair with her back pressed to its dismal cushion. Her hips and lower back ached from the lack of padding and she could not help recrossing her legs yet again. She sighed as she drew her backpack closer to her side and switched the hand holding her open book. She was trying to read, but the uncomfortable seat was connected to two more on either side of her and none of the chairs had an arm rest or a barrier between the seats. It meant there was nothing between her and the mother with her young son on her left or the ...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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To Sneak A Snack

Weekly Contest #270

Pico peer around the corner into the dark kitchen. The room smelled like cut lemons and the remains of dinner. Light from the streetlamp shone in through the window above the sink and made the laminate floor shine like fresh ice on a lake. Beneath the counter hummed the dishwasher. Its rhythmic swish and thump like a thunderous rain storm. His long nose twitched with his whiskers. Beyond the disinfectant chemicals the humans of this house used to clean every surface, he could smell traces of beef, potatoes, carrots, corn, and green beans. He...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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A Scoop of Magic

Weekly Contest #269

She can't be serious. Carla was not sure what her face looked like at the moment, but doubt and disbelief had to be present. She blinked at the other woman—at least, she figured she was a she. It was hard to tell sometimes, especially this late at night—on​ a back street that was lit by a single flashing bulb.  Maybe she's nuts or just looking for a way to entertain herself. Carla narrowed her eyes at the woman's lanky frame. The heavy overcoat she wore was several sizes too big, her wrist small enough that Carla was sure the ...

6 likes 0 comments 0
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Backward Advancements

Weekly Contest #268

The sun-bleached envelope was no longer crisp but textured with a layer of age. John slid his gnarled fingers along the dried-out seal so he could wheedle out its contents. A folded piece of paper dropped to his lap followed by a second. His name was written on the top of each: one with the notation "age 20" written beneath and one tagged "age 25." The familiar handwriting on them was the same script as on the front of the envelope. It was his handwriting. He lowered the envelope to his lap with trembling hands and opened the page labeled "a...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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Lofty Adventure

Weekly Contest #267

Pale light flashed beyond the clouded windows. One... two... three... four... The crack that followed echoed across the roof line and faded into the trees surrounding the property. Lilah tightened her fingers around the corded rope and pulled. The attic stairs swung down with a metallic chorus as the ancient springs woke from a long sleep. She reached overhead and drew the lower portion of the staircase to meet the floor, settling it before glancing into the dark chasm overhead. Lightning lit the upstairs hall and stairs to the main floor be...

2 likes 0 comments 0
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Twisted Tales

Weekly Contest #266

Hi, my name is Bella, which is short for Isabella. I live outside the city in a small neighborhood with long sidewalks and few trees. Don't ask what city it is because at the moment I can't remember. I realize I should know where I live, but recently details—especially ones pertaining to my life—have been getting all mixed up. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like someone is playing a practical joke on me. It's like I'm constantly forgetting who I am. Some days all the details feel right and sometimes they just feel—wrong—like they were s...

3 likes 0 comments 0
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Familial Ties

Weekly Contest #265

Keeta pressed her laptop and power cord into the navy blue suitcase next her cell phone charger. The bag was already filled to the zipper line, but there was still something missing from its cache. Clothes, shoes, toiletries, electronics... She was not sure what exactly she had forgotten, but the the lack of--whatever it was--nagged at her. She spun around to survey her bedroom. Everything she needed from the closet was already in the bag.The essentials from her desk had been removed and included amongst the clothes. All that was required fo...

8 likes 3 comments 3
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Fated Switch

Johnson pulled the collar of his crisp suit jacket away from his neck. He hated formal wear. He hated the white attire and gold buttons, the red pants and black shoulder cape. He hated the shallow brimmed hat with feathers and the stiff boots that made his feet ached from stuffing them inside. If he had had the choice to ditch the entire outfit he would have. If he could back out of the ensuing ceremony he would do that too. But the order to attend the crowning of a new ruler in one of the neighboring countries had come from higher up the la...

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Tidal Waves

Weekly Contest #263

Travis sat on the bed and stared at his hands. It was gone. He could feel it. He was not sure how or why it had been taken from him, but his ability was gone. He rubbed the tips of his fingers with his thumbs. Nothing external had changed. He looked, sounded, and--for the most part--felt the same. The residual tingling in his palms and wrists was normal, but he was not as he was before. There was a deep-set knowing, an empty hole in the pit of his stomach that lay open and exposed, raw and bleeding. A part of him was missing and he knew in w...

5 likes 1 comment 1
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For the Last Time?

Weekly Contest #262

Kelsey sat in the car with her cheek on her fist and her elbow on the armrest. Brian--her husband--had been inside the Resident Hotel for almost an half hour talking to the hostess about getting a room. He had, unfortunately, taken the keys with him, so the air was thick. Sweat poured down the sides of her face and dampened the hairs on the back of her neck. She had long since tuned out the cars that lined up behind them in the drop-off area. Their horns and shouts for them to move had faded along with their attempts to get her attention. T...

2 likes 1 comment 1
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Tallia's Thanks

Weekly Contest #261

Dear World, Today my mother gave me an assignment. She says I need to take some time to stop and think. She wants me to write down all that I am thankful for. I told her that would take too long and was not worth starting. She said to try anyway. So, here I am trying. To the Sun, Thank you for your warmth. Thank you for the light you give each morning that springs above the hills and begins a new day. Thank you for the colors you bring to the sky in the evening and for knowing how long each day should last so that the world can take the rest...

2 likes 1 comment 1
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Of Castles and Cages

Weekly Contest #260

Richard adjusted himself in the saddle and stared across the English countryside. The rolling hills calmed his spirits whenever things did not feel right, but today they were as ill-at-ease as he. A cool wind blew the grass and ruffled his cloak. He pulled his chaperon lower upon his head and glanced at his companion. Penelope was a few years older than him--although she had never confided her true age. She was mature in her mannerisms, suitable to be a bride, yet remained unwed. Though he assumed she was no more than sixteen many in court ...

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Unearthed

Weekly Contest #259

Valli deposited the bag of refuse in the bin then closed the lid. A second later she could hear the motor whir as the garbage was whisked away. It tumbled down a series of chutes that led to the collection site outside of the habitat her family lived in. Every complex within the protective dome operated the same way making things simple and easy--a stark contrast from the way things had been before. Even from their seventh story apartment window, Valli could not see over the wall that separated the dumpsite from the habitable space. Clean a...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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Uncovered Hope

Weekly Contest #258

Shayla peeled back the charred cover of the book she had been reading--yesterday. It had been no more than twelve hours ago that she had last touched these pages. Now they were black, brittle, and scented with smoke. No resemblance of the magical world she had been living in through its crafted prose remained. It had all gone up in flames. Tears welled in her eyes. Everything around her was cracked and broken--the table and chairs she sat in for dinner, the fold-out couch she lounged in to read, even her computer. Every key had melted into a...

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