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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2025
Submitted to Contest #326
Long, long ago, the mayor of a small town was gifted a large fountain by an old couple.“Take care of this fountain,” they said. “For it can provide water to your townsfolk any time they need it. When it rains, the fountain will replenish. But if the fountain runs dry – it will never work again.”The fountain sparkled in the sunlight. The water poured from it with such a forceful flow, the mayor had no idea how much could possibly be stored in it. He graciously accepted the gift and placed it upon the center square of town. The townsfolk came ...
Submitted to Contest #325
CRACK.The sledgehammer bangs against the wall loudly. Drywall crumbles like fresh powdered snow all around me. It smells burnt and chemical-like, reminding me of the hospitals I would visit with my mom as a child.I wipe my brow and swing again.CRACK.The wall barely budges.I’m going to be here all night at this rate.I sigh and sit down on my couch, tossing the sledgehammer aside. It thuds against the floor and topples over. In front of me, on the coffee table, a letter lies in mockery and I stare at it. I’ve read it over a thousand times. I c...
Submitted to Contest #324
The crackle of the VHF radio broke the quiet hum of the cabin.“—day, May—... Mayday...”Mike leaned forward, fingers adjusting the squelch knob of the radio to cut through the static. The voice returned, choppy and low — definitely a woman’s.“All... dead. I—only... survivor.”Goosebumps prickled down his arms. He grabbed the mic. “Unidentified vessel, this is the Chalkydron, repeat your position. Over.”Nothing but static.He flipped to the secondary display, pulled up radar — no nearby contacts. The AIS was blank. He tried again.“Mayday caller,...
Submitted to Contest #323
The room was dark, an eerie glow from the moon shining in through the window. Evan peeked his head inside. A single candle flickered on the counter.“Do I have to?” he asked, glancing nervously over his shoulder.“Aww, quit being such a wimp,” Carter said, shoving him forward.“Yeah, we’re right here,” Susie added, her melodic voice making Evan’s ears burn.He quickly faced the bathroom again and stepped inside. The moment he cleared the doorway, Carter slammed the door shut.“Alright Evan, I’ll let you out once I hear you say it!” he shouted thr...
Submitted to Contest #321
Every morning, the old man arrives early and grabs the park bench right by the pond, binoculars in hand. His old, tattered bird-watching book sits beside him as he gets into his routine. He picks up the binoculars, scans the sky as the birds fly past, then mutters to himself as he jots something down in his book, before returning to the birds again. I first saw him about a year ago, on my morning walk before work. The New York City traffic buzzed through the trees, a low hum in the distance. The sunlight caught my eye in a way that made me t...
Submitted to Contest #320
The Girl Scout Law “I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout” There was something unusual about the old troop cabin in the woods. Lily had only been to the old cabin once last year, but as the large van of troop 43890 pulled up, she could still remember the way the door groaned as it opened, beck...
Submitted to Contest #319
The evening sun lit the path up ahead as Mittens tightened her paws’ grip around her bicycle’s handlebars. She had ridden the path through the park several times and loved the wind whipping through her fur as she raced past the trees and bushes.She turned the corner and saw, just ahead, a Mother Duck crossing the path. Slamming on the brakes, Mittens stopped – but stopped too close to the family.“Watch it!” Mother Duck quacked loudly at Mittens, who hung her head and slumped her shoulders.“Sorry,” Mittens whispered. She lightly patted at the...
Submitted to Contest #318
Stephanie sat in her living room, watching TV. The city council had scheduled a public speech regarding the new zoning policies. With the new suggested policy, Stephanie would be paying double in city taxes.Stephanie thought it was appalling to even consider a tax increase on her home. In fact, she felt like the city should be paying her for taking care of her land so well. At the rate they’re discussing, she would likely have to sell part of her land to decrease the amount. There was no way she could accept that.“We’re currently live outsid...
Submitted to Contest #317
Trigger Warning: Scenes involving death and chronic illness DELILAH “Don’t you remember me?” I ask, hurt. I mean, I get that we hadn’t seen each other in years, but the short time we shared—it couldn’t have been just me. Could it?“I’m sorry, no,” the man replies flatly. He stands tall, but a look of concern sweeps across his face.“Delilah?” I frantically point to myself. “Rome?”He’s got to remember Rome! I reassure myself. Steven and I had shared an intimate time together—usually frequenting a lovely coffee shop owned by an older woman and h...
Submitted to Contest #316
Trigger Warning - Suggestions of trama and abuse. Have you ever hurt so much that your entire body almost wants to give out and give up? It feels like a weight that is dragging you down. Invisible chains seem to hold you in place, but you try to be brave. Sometimes, weight of those chains becomes too much – too unbearable – and you fall to the ground with tears streaming down your face. Your entire body is screaming out to just give up, but that would be too easy. You just have keep moving forward and not let the pain take over.Today started...
Submitted to Contest #315
My eyelids jolted open, and I sat up abruptly to scan the room. My lights are all on, but other than that, everything seemed normal. Shifting my body, I gazed at my phone lying beside me on the nightstand – The screen read 2:59 a.m. Then it changed. 3:00 a.m., exactly. This is becoming a problem.It all started two nights ago. I had been doom scrolling before bed, as I usually do, before coming across an article. “Does your sleep position affect your dreams?” It mentioned how left-sided sleepers tend to have more nightmares. I laughed at the ...
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