Michael Jefferson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2022

Stories (117)

117 Stories

2257 karma pts

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“Wedding Bells Won’t Toll for Thee” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #237

“It’s time you boys contribute to the good of Catatonia!” King Rupert Dornhoffer shouts at his two belligerent sons. “I just won the European Championship Chess Tournament,” younger brother Humphrey replies. “That should help Catatonia gain some recognition.” “Yes. We’re now the destination for little boys who hide in their basement and play with dolls,” King Rupert mocks. “They were action figures!” Humphrey protests. Gabriel pushes his smaller brother aside. “I’m contributing to Catatonia’s popularity. I’m in the gossip columns every day....

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“Memories Are Made of This” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #236

  If there’s one thing Astea DelMonte loves, it’s casual walks in the woods. The fresh air and freedom clear her head, and the walks also help fulfill her commitment as Chairperson for the town’s neighborhood watch. Her favorite section is a clearing with tall trees and a thick floor of pine needles called Sunspot. Astea has spent many hours in Sunspot lying against a fallen log, listening to the birds chirp as s...

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“I’ll Buy the Chalupas” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #235

Something bad always happens to Elroy Lowe whenever he goes on a field trip. Today his stink meter is off the charts. Noticing Elroy’s worried expression, eight-year-old Kendall Caribou, a rambunctious redhead born to needle boys asks, “What’s up, buttercup?” “Nothing.” “Right. You look like you need a change of underwear.” The forty second graders continue to sing the lyrics to ...

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“Skunk Cabbage” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #234

Cooper Conell groans as he rolls on his side. Grabbing the bedpost, he pulls himself up, coughing until he’s a wheezing breathless wreck. The sad part is this is as good as he’s going to feel all day. He blows a kiss at his late wife’s photo. Cooper grimaces, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his hip as he wobbles to a standing position. He pats his ever-expanding belly, running his hand over hi...

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“O For April” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #233

Coming out of a successful spring training camp, the Detroit Tigers seemed primed to finish in first place. Then their ace, Pickles Primeau, fell down a flight of stairs while taking out the trash, tearing his ACL. In his first at-bat of the season, the team’s best hitter, Perdido Morales, slid into second, breaking his ankle. Good things come in threes and the Tigers soon found out the same is true of bad even...

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“It’s A Long Walk To Nunavut” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #232

“Put your safety glasses on,” Dr. Carter Eubanks cautions. “We’re seventy miles away from the blast site. There’s still a possibility of going blind?” researcher Hugh Hansen asks. “We don’t know yet. That’s one of the reasons we’re here,” Carter replies. Brenda Byrd puts on her protective glasses. “How did you get through research training without reading any source materials?” “CliffsNo...

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“A Heep of Trouble” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #231

Catfish Paradise, Arizona 1886 Lindy Drinkwater watches Jackie Diamond continue to fleece the Heep brothers. “What a bunko artist. Jackie should at least lose a few hands.” “When it comes to cards, tin horns always think they’re the top dogs,” Tuck Barnett replies. “Diamond’s makin’ me jittery,” Lindy replies, rubbing his bald head to ease the str...

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“Knocked Into Next Week” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #230

Greg Van Fleet drifts in and out of consciousness. “His helmet is split in half,” a voice says. “He’s lucky his head isn’t in the same condition,” Head Coach Steele Stoneman replies. “Guess we’ll get the money for padded goalposts now.” Greg tries to stand but can’t move. He gasps for air. His heart pounds and Greg tries to remember how he wound up flat on his back… Our L...

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“The Queen of Mean Is Here” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #229

“Pearls, please.” Hyatt “Hy” Rhodes fastens a string of pearls around his wife’s neck. Lane Rhodes stands back from the mirror. Sucking in her stomach and fluffing her auburn hair, Lane asks, “How do I look?” “Just as beautiful as that pretty freshman cheerleader I brought home to Christmas dinner eleven years ago.” “I looked like a scared rabbit being led to the slaughter back t...

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“It’s Easy, Just Get Cheesy” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #228

Loretta Cibo opens her suitcase. “Okay, let’s go over our equipment. Pepto Bismal, Alka-Seltzer, Ex-Lax.” “Check,” Sam, her husband, replies. “I got some barf bags just in case.” “Hide those. I don’t want to look like an amateur.” Sam and Loretta believe their quaint general store in Leap Frog, Idaho is a culinary treasure that needs a unique product or two to become everyone’s favorite food stor...

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“A Priest, A Rabbi, And A Minister Walk Into A Diner” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #227

The ground was covered with snow by the time Virgil Vestoff got back to his office from the sales meeting. It was the kind of fender-bending, wet slop that demands the sacrifice of any moving vehicle foolish enough to challenge Mother Nature. “Where’d this stuff come from?” Virgil yells at his friend, Sheldon, who occupies the office next to his. Sheldon halts in front of Virgil’s office, his ca...

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“Click-Clack” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #226

Chloride, Arizona 1880 The scorpion crawling over his face brings Dustin Racklin back to consciousness. Wheezing, and hacking up blood, Dustin realizes he’s near death. He recalls being ambushed, shot in the leg, side, and through the lungs by two sidewinders and a boy he called his kin. Dustin had robbed the one o’clock stage out of Jacinto along with D...

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“I’ll Learn How to Bark” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #225

The blind man and his collie sit passively, waiting for their flight to be called. Hans Gudeguest grins at the Swiss Air service agent as he pays for his ticket and checks his bags. In a little over eight hours, he’ll be back in his villa in Switzerland when his associates release sarin gas into the New York City subway system. He pauses at a souvenir shop, picking up an “I Love New York” cap. Checking out the f...

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“Living In A Dream” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #224

Alec Rutchman jumps up in bed, surveying his surroundings. “Uh… I can’t sleep. Where am I?” The tail of the Felix the Cat clock swishes happily back and forth. The white floral tapestry Angelique worked on for six months hangs on the opposite side of the wall, framing the perfume bottles, lotions, and makeup on her dressing table. Home. He’s home. Angelique reaches down, stroking his hair...

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“If You’re Quoting Me, That’ll Do” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #223

For the past three years, California’s Tyson Tigers have been college baseball’s toothless pussy cats, with no wins in fifty-four games. When the Tigers start the current season winning ten in a row, freshman reporter Bertrum Cornell is assigned the task of demystifying the miracle. With a two-week deadline, Bertrum knows his debut article could either propel him to front-page feature writing or condemn him to writing h...

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Author bio

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