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J.C. Vayda

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2022

Stories (10)

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10 Stories

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The Factory

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #326

Steel My Pa always had a saying . . . “Andrew Carnegie took a fragile world and reinforced it with steel. That steel also helped clean up this town of garbage.” He always told me that when I was a young boy. I never quite knew what he meant at the time, but it seems I was unfortunately destined to find out the night I went to the factory . . . Now, I’ll be the first to say that steel sure helped my Pa increase production on his farm. He wasn’t the only one, either. More folks in town benefited just like him. This was a good thing because wh...

10 likes

Adrift

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #247

An alarm went off in the control center and the intercom voice system came to life. “Warning! Warning! Sudden Impact! Sudden Impact!” An asteroid the size of Manhattan came into view, and Space Viking I was about to crash. The only crewmember onboard never imagined she’d hear that alarm go off when she went through the academy. She treated it like the boogeyman—some fake, made-up terror that haunts you by manipulating your imagination. The boogeyman isn’t real, right? He’s not actually going to burst out of my closet, right? The sudden imp...

7 likes

From The Void Of The Other Side

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #225

The sun dipped behind the mountain, and a blood-red aura swept across the late blue sky. This began the usual transition of day to night. The valley below turned grey, and the streetlamps began to flicker on. A few spiders had already set up their webs and awaited the first moth to fly into its trap. (You have to wait for the streetlamps to come on before you go outside, dear. It seems the ghouls don’t like the light very much.) Her car rolled to a stop sign, and she paused for a moment. She could turn around right now. Head back home—...

6 likes

Paintings

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #210

At night, if you gaze upward, the vastness of the universe may prove to be nearly incomprehensible. Billions of stars (including galaxies) gather, come alive, and present their unique beauty above us whether we’re preparing for a night out, laughing with our family during dinner, mourning a lost one while sulking in a shower, or simply rolling the covers back and preparing for bed. Perhaps you’re on your back porch, boating dock, or out camping, and you take the time to stare up at the sky as the grand stage lights light up and present to y...

7 likes

The Man With The Brick Face

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #206

Christmas Eve The family began to gather around the brick fireplace. I grabbed the old Polaroid camera from the table beside me. My daughter laughed when my dad kicked a present accidentally, causing something within it to begin singing a corny toddler’s song. “Move closer together,” I said. My mom and daughter started to take their places and smile. My younger brother was standing there unamused and ready for the picture to be over with already. My pregnant wife was trying to angle herself to hide her enlarged belly. “Oh, get over you...

5 likes

Rising Wind

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #197

The wind whipped across the surface of the ocean, and the waves crashed upon the rigid rocks of the bluff down below. The tree line that was standing tall behind him cut off the rest of the world, and they swayed like a recently closed stage curtain after a long play. Nobody stood up and applauded. Nobody laughed. There would be no congratulations. There would be no reward. Instead, there would be only silence, sorrow, and regret once again. He fell to his knees at the edge of the world and screamed into the wind, but his voice got lost lik...

16 likes

My New Friend Is A Dragon

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #185

There once was a small and humble village located on the far corners of the world in the land of Navenon. It was a quaint little place, unlike the large and thriving city that lay just passed two mountains, a great lake, and a rolling hill. They were hunter-gatherers. They fought with swords and shields. They hunted with bows and arrows. They drank mead for thirst and ate boar for appetite. Though the village was poor, they have still been a well-established community for the last fifty years. For the last ten years, the village has been ab...

6 likes

Annexation Night

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #184

It was New Year’s Eve, and the night was clear of clouds, letting the stars and moon light up the sky and the earth below. The year was 2023, and the clock read 11:55 pm. Everyone began to gather in the living room. The television was on, broadcasting the New York City ball drop. All the Pop bands had played their set and all the most famous celebrities of the time made their appearance. Champagne bottles began getting passed around. They were bought illegally. Jack had a fake ID, which made him probably the coolest guy at the party.Zach, Ma...

7 likes

A Very Old Christmas Carol – A Holiday Tale

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #178

On the days leading up to Christmas, Lily, a sweet little ten-year-old girl, was sad. Though she ate and though she played, something was missing. That something was her beloved dog, Chimney. She loved Chimney. They were inseparable. That was until Chimney fell ill earlier that year and passed away at the age of two. Chimney’s third birthday would’ve been on Christmas Day. As a way to try and lift her spirit, Lily’s parents bought her a stuffed animal that looked just like Chimney. It had smooth brown fur, dark eyes, ears that flopped, and ...

9 likes

Old Friends and Bad Guys

J.C. Vayda

Submitted to Contest #174

Old Friends and Bad Guys A SWAT team was seen stacking up alongside a brick wall outside an unfinished and abandoned warehouse. There were five members, four of whom were veterans, and one was a new guy. There always had to be a new guy, right? He had been a police officer for several years, but finally, after multiple attempts, he was picked up to be on the Special Weapons and Tactics team. This was his first operation. He could feel his heart thumping under his bulletproof vest, his hands tightening around the foregrip and handle of his...

15 likes