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Andrew Darrah

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2024

Stories (12)

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12 Stories

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Submitted to Contest #300

I remember it was a humid night last summer, maybe June or July. The sun had just begun its descent into the Colorado horizon. All the local kids were out playing, embracing their summer freedoms. Bouncing balls, swinging sticks, tossing curses and insults. Meg and I were sitting on a nearby bench, fiddling through our phones, occasionally glancing up to check on Jaxson. Just a typical summer night. Or, it should have been. A supply truck - transporting potato chips - pulled over to the side of the road not far from where we sat. A man exite...

4 likes

Science Fair

Submitted to Contest #299

“Do you feel ready for tomorrow?” asks her mother. “Ugh… no,” responds an exasperated Li. She’s been dreading tomorrow for months. When the project was first assigned, she’d been SO excited to take this on. It would be vastly different than the usual essays and word problems and reading. A chance to CREATE something! A chance to showcase her creativity and innovation. But… no. The project’s been a complete disaster. Tomorrow she’ll need to admit this to everyone, all her teachers and fellow students. Her project failed. SHE failed. “Well, y...

8 likes

The Snorkel King of Florida

Submitted to Contest #298

[March 1992] I passed my exit and kept driving south. Nope, no work for me today. Ohio’s a boring state, but I kept going. I powered through the mundane. Determined. Unsure where I would end up, but anywhere seemed better than there.Goodbye to my boss. Goodbye to my friends. Goodbye to my father.Cornfields and bridges and rivers and trees. Mile after mile of Ohio scenery I hoped to never see again.Eventually I stopped to fill up, use the restroom, and grab a snack. I took the map from the glove compartment to look ahead. It was purely ceremo...

3 likes

Ray

I learned an unfortunate truth about myself on July 19, 1995 - I’m a coward. Even today, years later. I’ve carried that guilt with me for my entire adult life. It’s defined who I am.Today I’m meeting my old friend Ray for a quick lunch. We see each other every now and then. He’s struggling, as usual. He’s still not right.“How’ve you been, Ray?”“Doin’ good,” replies the eternal optimist, slurring his words just the slightest. “Doin’ good. How about you?”I just nod, as if that explains anything. I look down at his hands, which are shaking a li...

0 likes

Orange River

Submitted to Contest #292

We’ll never forget the day the river turned orange.We called it Pig’s Foot River. Can’t really say why, to be honest. The name had been in place for centuries by the time any of us were born. Ole’ grand Pig’s Foot, with its mighty waves and currents. A fierce beauty, such a steady, integral part to our little burg.Little Charley Plimton was the first to notice the change. A boy of eleven, notorious for skipping class to go fishing. It was a Tuesday morning, and sure enough, Charley should have been in school but was not. Miss Atkins had step...

4 likes

Houdini

Submitted to Contest #290

The man emerged from the mist, a little magic trick under moonlight. One moment, nothing. Then, the man. Like a shadow monster, a silhouette standing tall amongst the light seeping into the alleyway. Ahh, here he was. The man Emma had been searching for for months now. Houdini, as her coworkers referred to him - for obvious reasons of course. The slickest, most uncatchable criminal in the whole city. He’d become almost mythological. Emma hated that. And here he was! Just standing there. Waiting in the alleyway. Hands in his pockets, co...

7 likes

3,808 Miles

Submitted to Contest #287

After the day’s game concluded, Henry promptly returned to his dingy little motel room, kicked off his shoes, untucked his shirt, and sat on the bed. He was not a large man, but the mattress eagerly submitted to his weight. Finding himself now several inches closer to the floor, Henry sighed, debating whether to just go to sleep at 7:30. He preferred night games, as they left him exhausted upon return, ready to let the night consume him. But today’s earlier start - and finish - left him with too much time to kill. He was depressed enou...

4 likes

Everpresent Radiance

Submitted to Contest #281

“Who’s that fella over there?” asked one of the rabbits.“Not sure. I’ve never seen him before,” replied a deer.“Well, he kind of looks like you… except for, well, you know,” a squirrel chimed in.“Yeah… what’s the deal with that?” asked another deer.“And what’s he doing here? Was he invited?” inquired a chipmunk.“Hey, it’s Molly’s party,” said the first deer. “She may know him.”The woodland animals had no idea what to make of this mysterious guest. He just wandered into the clearing, where they were holding a birthday party for their friend M...

7 likes

The Narrator

Submitted to Contest #280

Umm… is that a dead body? Whoa. Yeah, I think it is. Shit. Shit. Holy shit. Yeah… Is that….? Mm hmm. The narrator. Oh my god. The narrator’s dead? But how? Shit. Shit. Well, what should we do? I suppose we should call the cops… Thats what people do, right? Probably. There’s a lot of blood. I think I might… oh god. You alright?... Hey? Did you just… Ugh. Sorry. I just… wow, it never gets easier no matter how many times you see it. Sorry. No worries… so, the cops? Yeah. Do you mind? Sure… hi, 9-1-1? Yeah, we’re at the park on Walden St. ...

2 likes

The Audit

Submitted to Contest #274

Part One Jason leaned over conspiratorially, motioning for me to do the same. I obliged. “Mark, do yourself a favor. Buy stock of Wagner Electric. Right now. As much as you can afford.” I pondered this, wondering what my buddy knew. He did tend to have good contacts in various industries. “Wagner Electric? What do they even do?” “I’ll save you the elevator pitch,” we waved off. “Just know that they’re about to score a HUGE government defense contract. Huge. And the best part? No one knows about this yet. Top secret stuff.” I considered...

6 likes

The Following

Submitted to Contest #273

My name is Adam. And I am a “Follower”. Who am I following? Well, they call him Brother Ignatius. Some call him a prophet. Sent by God Himself to save us all. He may even be the chosen one. Depends on who you talk to I suppose. But in reality, no, he’s just a cult leader. Before we get too far into this, I’m not exactly bought in. Yes, I joined The Following of my own free will. No coercion, no brainwashing. Very little convincing even. I am a willing Follower. But there’s a catch. I want to write a book. Just out of college, not sure what t...

11 likes

Chester’s Recipe for Quick Cash

Submitted to Contest #270

Ingredients: Five Star National Bank1 bank robber5 witnesses1 flashback1 twist1 coffee shop (with very strict bathroom rules)2 police officers Instructions: Preheat to Sunday at 10:37 PM Okay, this is it. For all the marbles. I get this… well, my plans can change. I won’t need to do… it. But if I lose? Yeah… I’ll need to do it then. He clicks. Holds his breath. Closes his eyes just for a millisecond. Says a prayer to any deity that will listen. And he waits. It’s only a second, and the results come in. And the results are disastrous. W...

6 likes