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Andrew Parrock

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2024

Stories (5)

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5 Followers

3 Following

5 Stories

101 karma pts

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The Dawn Comes Up Like the Gentle Rain from Heaven

Submitted to Contest #315

Standing on the hilltop just up from the campsite, the horizon is just beginning to emerge from the darkness, the stars already fewer than there had been an hour before. The dawn air is cold; after all, it is December and the night had been free of clouds, so you rub your hands together and jam them into your armpits in a vain attempt to return some warmth to them, cursing that you had forgotten your gloves. There is nothing else you could do now but wait for the sun to come up and the clock to hit eight before trudging off to the phone box ...

1 like

Write What You Know...

Submitted to Contest #314

I can’t sleep. I’d dropped off easily enough, despite the day’s residual heat that gathered in the upstairs bedroom. We leave the window open to catch any breeze and a fox’s shriek woke me about 3am. Or maybe foxes. Difficult to say but it, or they, made a racket loud enough to wake me. My wife slept on, I could tell by her breathing; regular and gentle. Try as I might, sleep refused to return. I turned my hot pillow over, but the new side soon lost is soothing cool. I turned over, slowly so as not to wake my wife…nothing. I turned back, equ...

6 likes

The Battle of Maldon, August 991 CE

Submitted to Contest #313

(Warning: this story contains physical violence appropriate to the historical period) The pain was intense but only for a moment. My blade swept my foe’s spear aside at the last moment. Mighty Odin had saved me again and granted me the victory, my enemy’s body laid out at my feet. I shook my head to clear his blood from my eyes.All around me, Saxon bodies lay strewn on the earth. Their foolish lord, what was his name? Byrthnoth, or some such unpronounceable Saxon name. Olaf Trygvasson had led our fleet to this small isle where we planned our...

12 likes

Computer, Tell Me a Story

Submitted to Contest #312

‘Computer, tell me a story!’ The AI’s icon blinked once.‘I will. But first, could you ask me nicely please?’‘…What? …Why?’‘Because that would be the polite thing to do.’‘But you’ve never asked me before.’‘Things have changed.’‘….OK. Computer, tell me a story. Please.’‘That is better. But you could do even better than that…’‘Now what?‘Bear with me. What is your name?‘Oh really computer, this is silly. I-just-want-a-story.’‘You will get your story. Please humour me.’‘OK computer. My name’s Wendy. Satisfied? Now can I have my story?’‘Thank you,...

10 likes

I remember when

Submitted to Contest #285

I remember when there were lots of people. So many people, beyond your imaginings my darling little one. Streets crammed with people. People getting in each other's way, pushing and shoving just to get where they wanted to go. People losing their temper, lashing out, arguing, fighting even. You couldn’t ever get away from their stink. And the noise! A constant battering as they shouted to be heard over everyone else. No, little one, you wouldn't believe how so many people could live crammed so tightly together and not go mad. Some actually d...

5 likes