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Annalisa D.

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2021

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73 Stories

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The Nightmare

I desperately needed sleep. I mixed melatonin powder into a warm cup of lemon chamomile tea and played some haunting instrumental piano music on my cellphone. Then crawled into bed, closed my eyes and took deep breaths. The warmth of the blankets soothed me. I felt my body being tugged into sleep, when a loud advertisement for some deodorant product interrupted my music. I turned off the phone and hoped I was close enough to sleep that I no longer needed the music.I was in a meadow outlined by tall, red barked trees. Wildflowers of various c...

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Blow it All Up

The typed words in the rejection email blurred together as moisture pooled into Jenna’s eyes. Quickly, she blinked the tears away, while putting a hand to her face pretending to itch her forehead. She couldn’t be seen crying at work, and regretted opening the email. Of course, she couldn’t have known whether it’d be good news or bad without reading it, but with how her life was going, she should’ve known. Moving ahead any distance, nevermind reaching-her-dreams distance, felt impossible. She told herself she’d add this email to her collectio...

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The Town Jack O' lantern Competition

With blurry eyesight, I strained to make out the words and images on the paper. I reached for my pumpkin coffee mug filled with pumpkin spice coffee but my hand knocked it over instead of lifting it.“Shit!” I jumped up, shoved my blueprints away from the dark brown wave stretching towards them, and ran for the paper towels. On my way, I tripped over a dog toy. A loud squeak pierced through the silence of my house. I landed on a small end table, knocking it and a stack of books onto the floor. I groaned in pain, but leapt up and stumbled for ...

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Late Night Treasure Hunt

Graveyards terrified Bernadette, so I graciously took this leg of the treasure hunt solo. Looking at the gothic welcome gate, with a flashlight in one hand and map in the other, an excited electricity zapped through my body. I rarely feared anything since my dad passed away. It truly felt like his spirit stayed with me and protected me. Since he was a treasure hunter himself, he passed down the best tools. He also left me an unusual necklace. The necklace had a small glass ball that sometimes glowed and sometimes didn’t. Sometimes it looked ...

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Never Getting Back Together

This man had yelled at me for so long, it surprised me he had energy left to keep going. His face was tomato red and he looked on the verge of collapse from lack of oxygen. His arms flailed enough for a workout. I didn’t hear a word he said, because when I pulled into this parking lot I got a text from Tommy. The text said he was back in town, and I couldn’t handle another round with Tommy. Every time he came back, he’d tell me he had this big revelation that I was the one for him and this time things were settled. I’d be thrilled to finally...

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Our Neighborhood Watch

The first time the stranger tried to warn me, I couldn’t hear. When I got out of the shower, I saw Thor, my tan pitbull, sitting at the door to go out. I didn’t have my hearing aids in yet and didn’t want to put them in because of my wet hair, but thought I’d be fine since we were just in the yard. It was dark, so I grabbed a flashlight and put Thor’s leash and harness on. He sniffed around the grass, while I stared at the stars above.Everything was quiet. Too quiet, I knew. My mind conjured up images of bears, coyotes or mountain lions atta...

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The Playground After Midnight

I didn’t expect to see Aubrey Blake walking through an elementary school playground at midnight. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever see her again at all. It had been years since I’d heard anything about her. I wanted to say something to her, but she moved fast and direct like she was on a mission. Also, I didn’t want to freak her out with it being so late at night and all. Being a man she may or may not recognize, sitting in the dark and wearing dark clothes, could understandably scare someone. I didn’t look great either. Just a couple of hou...

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The Bulletin of Missing Things

Every work day morning, Ted grabbed his “World’s Most Okay Dad” mug filled with tongue burning hot coffee and went straight to the “Missing Things” bulletin board. Keith started the board when he pinned up a paper detailing his stolen ham-and-cheese sandwich and asking for anyone with information to contact him. He even had a picture of the lackluster sandwich. Perhaps he took pictures of all his lunches every morning. For what reason, Ted couldn’t possibly guess. Now everyone posted their missing things, hopeful of finding the thief and put...

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Something of Value

A sense of pride billowed through my fluffy cotton stuffing and excited tingles tickled through my fibers as David carried me up the stairs to the red front door of his wide, cream-colored house. Moments ago, David had rescued me from a pile of one-eyed dolls with choppy haircuts, tattered teddy bears, rusty tricycles, and coffee stained books. He pulled me free of the endless smells of vomit, rotten fruit, and spoiled meat. Then placed me in a cool car with smooth, clean seats and the glorious smell of artificial strawberry air freshener.&n...

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The Most Famous Portrait

Note: This story is connected to "Burn The Future" for anyone interested in more. I stared at the painting, wondering why someone would allow such a grotesque piece to be exhibited in a museum. Vomit-yellow colored snakes curled around a naked woman. Was it some sort of biblical reference? The details of her body suggested the artist had never actually seen a naked woman, or perhaps she was a human-adjacent alien form. Hideous colors clashed together poorly. The look of sheer horror on her face sent shivers down my spine.  “She was on...

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Love Lake Killer

A sense of dread churned in my stomach, thickening like cream to butter. The office clock’s ticks sounded too slow. I wondered if the battery was dying. “Rachel?” I jumped up and gasped. Sandra laughed. “Jumpy today. Everything okay?” I nodded and reached for the papers she held. “A little preoccupied, I guess.” “Big date night plans?” Sandra’s cheeks dimpled as she grinned. Romance was her favorite topic of conversation. It made sense. She was young, single, and devoured romance novels at an impressive rate. I could...

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All Around Us

My lungs burn from the crisp winter air. A metallic blood taste pours up from my throat and coats the inside of my mouth. I can’t really feel my legs anymore, but I try to keep my stride short and my cadence high. My feet keep slipping on icy patches, but I can’t slow down. My nose and cheeks sting, but sweat coats my back and armpits. The sound of Matty’s wheezing assures me he is still close by. Running is harder for him, and I wish I could carry him. I want to see how far behind us the creature is, but I know looking is foolish. I want to...

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Undertow

Warm droplets of water gently wash the icy chill of winter from my arms. My cheeks and jaw relax with the soothing pleasure, but my nose remains an icicle. Blue paint swirls around my feet and runs towards the drain. It’s frigid, dark nights like this when I miss my husband the most. I can still picture his face for a moment before it fades to black. A knock on the door causes me to jump and almost lose my balance on the copper tiled shower floor. It’s seven thirty in the evening, and I live in an isolated home along the shore. My neigh...

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Playing Games

Content Warning: Some adult language and themes I wanted to be pretty. Pretty enough to make boys crazy and inspire songs, poems, and stories. That must feel so powerful. People lied and said it wasn’t all beauty, and sure, some boys loved girls with pleasant personalities. That’s another type of love, though. It’s appreciating practical value. Acceptance, not desire. Pretty people shifted the world with their presence. Changed how people acted. I craved that desperation to impress, but I looked as plain as possible. Incapable of elicit...

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The Hero

Feeling frustrated with his day, and perhaps the world as a whole, Elijah abandoned his routine and ventured into the woods. He had never followed this trail before, and he had no idea where it would end up. None of that mattered. At that moment, his only concern was moving as far away from everything as possible.  Sweat soaked through his white button up dress shirt and the wet material irritated him. He loosened his red tie, but left it dangling around his neck since he didn’t know what else to do with it. With a laugh, he considered...

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