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Manuel Garcia

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2026

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21 Following

5 Stories

39 karma pts

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Hypnagogia

Weekly Contest #363

I The whistle of the kettle dragged Karla out of sleep like a hand yanking her upward. She jerked halfway off the mattress, one arm braced behind her, staring at the bedroom door.For a moment she didn’t move. She wasn’t even sure she was awake.The kettle kept going, shrill and insistent, until it cut off mid‑note. Silence followed—brief, thin—then the soft clatter of something in the kitchen. Metal against ceramic. A drawer sliding open. Someone moving things.Her stomach dropped.She swung her legs out of bed, grabbed her robe, and wrapped it...

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Lost in Time

I A thin ray of light slipped through the blinds and tapped him awake. He blinked at the phone on the nightstand.Wednesday — 10:29 AM.He rubbed his eyes, lifted his head… then let it fall back onto the pillow. Sleep swallowed him instantly.The phone rang.That old ringtone he’d set years ago — the one he kept meaning to change but never did. He jerked upright, half-stumbling toward it, but before he could reach the nightstand, the ringing stopped.He grabbed the phone.One missed call.He frowned, thumb hovering over the screen. Then he looked u...

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UNIT 2

IThe soft alarm on her smartwatch woke her. 3:00 a.m. Again. Same time it had dragged her out of sleep every night for the last two years.She pushed herself up, feet hitting the cold floor, and walked toward the bathroom. She opened the door, flicked the light switch up. The bulb flickered like it was trying to make a decision, then gave up and went dark.“Great,” she muttered.A few minutes later, a small vibration on her wrist. She looked down. The watch had shut off completely—just a dim red battery icon hanging in the corner like it was em...

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The Hour of no Return

IThe cart hits mine harder than it should. Metal on metal. A sharp clang that echoes too loudly in the aisle.I look up and he’s already glaring at me — this man I’ve never seen before, jaw tight, eyes narrowed, like he’s been waiting all day for someone to bump into. His hand tightens on the cart handle. Mine does too. I feel the heat rising in my chest, the stupid, pointless anger that comes from nowhere and means nothing.“Watch where you’re going,” he snaps.“I was,” I hear myself say.The words feel automatic, like dialogue in a play I’ve r...

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Primordial Variant

Weekly Contest #359

PRIMORDIAL VARIANT ISeth sat at the kitchen table, scrolling through the morning news. Alder moved quietly around the kitchen, preparing breakfast with smooth, efficient motions — the kind meant to be invisible.Seth didn’t look up when he spoke.SETH: You ever think about… not being here?Alder paused mid-motion. Not long enough to be suspicious — but long enough for Seth to notice.ALDER: If you would like me to leave the room, I can.SETH: No. I mean… permanently.Alder turned its head slightly — a gesture designed to mimic human cur...

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