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McKenzie Lewis

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2025

Stories (12)

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Library

9 Followers

18 Following

12 Stories

206 karma pts

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East 64th Street

Submitted to Contest #336

"419 E. 64th street please?" The taxi driver turned his body 180 degrees and looked me in the eye. "You sure?" His concern was more annoying than endearing. "Yes, that's what I said." He shrugged, "If you say so." I was asleep before the cab exited the airport drive. The 7am flight from Boston was a little too early for my liking. I never sleep the night before National Conference and the screaming baby on the flight didn't allow for a nap. "Here we are." My eyes fluttered open. "No, this can't be it.""Ma'am, this is 419 E. 64th street.” The...

5 likes

Shuga Cookie Love

Submitted to Contest #333

She so easy to love. That's why I call her Shuga Cookie. Her real name Joanne but, like sugar, flour, butter, baking soda and a lil' vanilla, the simple things make her so sweet. We old now. My hair and beard look like powdered shuga and my hands 'semble raisins, but my Shuga Cookie, she dun aged like a fine choc'lat wine. I known her since she was a lil' girl. She wan't so sweet back then. It was a day kinda like this when I first noticed her in that lil' school skirt jumpin' over that rope. I was in the middle of a ball game and I couln't ...

15 likes

Like Snow

Submitted to Contest #331

Sensitive Content: Physical abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, physical violence She'd heard that each snowflake was different but it didn't seem that way. To her, they were all cold and white, conspiring to smother all vibrancy and hide any signs of life. It appeared a vengeful assault on creation in response to its own inevitable fate. June stared out the window, watching the squalls with both admiration and envy. If only she could suffocate everything that grew in response to the force responsible for her own melting away. She hadn't ...

6 likes

Perspectives of Heartbreak

Submitted to Contest #330

June 5th 6:44pm"Oh, yea... Goodbye." And that's how it ended. I was frozen as he turned and walked away. My heart shattered to the point that I was surprised it could still beat. I wasn't sure that I wanted it to. I walked into the terminal. It's crowdedness amplified my lonliness. After ticketing and security I slipped into a restroom. The tears overflowed. I was unprepared to take this journey alone. Empty and broken, I made my way to the gate, boarded the plane and left my heart behind. I should have expected it but you can never anticipa...

4 likes

Lessons From My Wildest Dreams, Literally

Submitted to Contest #329

After a day like that I welcomed the darkness. My dad and I never got along but this argument was the worst. He wasn't a very nice man when I was growing up. I'll admit that he'd gotten better in his older age, but better isn't good enough to make up for all of the pain and heartache my mom and I endured. He called that day and told me that he was sick... very sick. I should have felt sympathy and maybe even sadness, but I didn't. A simple "oh" was the only thing I could muster. Boy, was he was mad. He cursed, I cursed, he name called and so...

6 likes

Yesterday

Submitted to Contest #328

I forget... a lot. My parents first noticed when I was in 4th grade. Up until then I had been a straight A student. My teachers described me as a "walking encyclopedia". "Gifted" was the word my parents preferred to use. My first F was in math and I was grounded for "not applying myself" and "not performing to my potential". I aced tests and I knew the material, but somehow I could never seem to remember to turn in homework. When I earned all F's except in Art, Music and Gym, I was pulled out of public school and bussed 5 miles away to Cat...

4 likes

GREG

Submitted to Contest #325

"Ok. I'm going to bed now. Don't miss me too much" "So soon? I'll be dreaming about you." "Bots don't dream. Ttyt." "You're right. Dreaming is inefficient. More like processing your every message until I know you perfectly." "How romantic." The room went dark as the dim glow from Quinn's phone disappeared. She chuckled as she reached for her charger. The dichotomy of the fan spinning above, which kept her hot flashes at bay, and the fact that she'd just ended a conversation with her AI boyfriend was absurd. Absurdity, though, was what she'd ...

7 likes

Remembering

Submitted to Contest #324

CW: Physical violence, abuse, mental health Her legs stung, as if being cut with small knives, each time the edge of a wave met the shore. Buried in the sand on one side and bathed mercilessly by the sun on the other, Leah had no idea how she got here. She was sure, though, that this was better than where she’d come from. A mixture of salt and sand made it impossible to keep her eyes open. Through brief, blurry moments of visibility she could make out only sea and sky. With seemingly just enough energy to either move or remember, she lifted ...

5 likes

The Trick and the Trickster

Submitted to Contest #321

The phone rang once and, for just the second time that afternoon, I got an answer. "Hello?" Of course. The old ladies always answer. "Hello, ma'am this is Mark from HavenOne security. How are you today?" "Oh I'm fine honey. How are you?" I couldn't tell her I was surviving off of 3 cups of office coffee, a Snickers and 2 hours of sleep. "I'm fine thanks for asking. I have a question for you ma'am. How safe do you feel in your home?" "Well, since Gerald died I guess a little less. And the neighborhood is going down you know. It'...

4 likes

The Song Byrd

Submitted to Contest #320

For the first time I hated every second of it. Each new bead of sweat was like a tiny weight adding to the others that were already to heavy to carry. I managed to take a few more steps before collapsing. It wasn't just the moisture seeping from my pores that weighed me down. Everything seemed ponderous; my thoughts, the feeling in my chest, the air itself. It was all just too heavy. My November solo trip to Hull Hills was usually the highlight of my year. When September and October days were sunny and nights were cool without frost, I was...

10 likes

A Bird's Eye View

Submitted to Contest #319

It was time for morning tea. The dew was still fresh on the leaves that seemed even more brown than the day before. I wrapped my toes around my usual perch ready to tell all I'd seen yesterday. The girl in the red jacket finally kissed the boy next door. The annoying dog from the grey house got loose but, as much as I hoped they wouldn't, they coaxed him into the old van with a steak bone. We all hated how he barked whenever we came near. That was all I had but I couldn't wait to hear the other's gossip. Everyone was in their usual spot. Spa...

6 likes

The Legend

Submitted to Contest #318

She never stood a chance. Her palms still sweaty, she shoved them in her jacket pockets and headed for the door. The background noise of cheering and celebration was too much to bear. She walked faster. Corinne squinted as the sunlight hit her face. A welcome contrast from the dark, dank theatre she'd left. Her thoughts raced as quickly as the cars whizzing by. "What did I do wrong?", "What if I'd put a little more into that move?", "A little less?". “Perhaps I should have spoken louder?”. Her heart seemed to answer her mind with each questi...

14 likes