B. D. Bradshaw

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2023

Stories (10)

10 Stories

4 karma pts

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“The Incident at the Black Dog's Crossroads” by B. D. Bradshaw

Have you ever wondered what became of those fantastical beasts of folklore? Because I certainly had.It was easy to accept ideas like dragons being hunted to extinction, but what about smaller critters and creeps? Were fairies just really good at hiding, or were they all gone? Had deforestation led to their demise?I'm sure you probably think I'm crazy talking about this, and you wouldn't be the first. 'It's only nonsense, Keira.' 'Grow up, you big baby.' 'Don't be such a weirdo.' - and that's the PG vers...

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“Self Portrait of a True Artist” by B. D. Bradshaw

Brush on canvas, draft pencil and paint strokes to define shape and tone... A piece of artwork certainly. Disgustingly, not art. I wasn't an art college undergraduate anymore. Back then I was young, naïve, ignorant and pathetic - a life yet to be lived and a person still to be defined. She had been moulded by societal indoctrination, and an education system contrived by a patriarchal government determined to keep her sick and stupid. I was not that woman, for years of misery and kindness had crafted within my f...

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“A Perfect Night For Necromancy” by B. D. Bradshaw

The first snow of the year. A great storm lashed against the fort shutters. The northerly winds met the squall with an unseasonal chill, freezing the downpour to hail. After the first few waves, the eye coiled overhead, and the raining ice calmed to delicate stars, settling upon the frigid stone.A perfect night for necromancy.Little Solikha hid beneath her covers, straining to withhold her giddiness. She'd waited to make sure everyone else was fast asleep, listening out for the distinctive patter of foo...

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“Salvage” by B. D. Bradshaw

High sun would come soon, Xzavis mused, charting it's course through a tinted visor across a malachite cosmos. He may have an hour to return to the habitat before risking the cyclonic flares that scorched the glass-sand sea. Not that he thought to worry, after all, he had with him the fastest dune sled that side of the Fortuna-6 star cluster. He could be home with a vanilla cooler in hand by the time the solar spectacle...

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“Forgotten” by B. D. Bradshaw

My life began much like any other. I knew a warm home, loving parents, friends, neighbours - comfort, support. That all changed. It started at school. I'd raised my hand in class and was ignored. They stopped calling my name on the register. Then my friends rebuffed me, refusing to acknowledge my presence. When I got home, I met much the same from my parents. My bedroom stood empty. Photographs of me were taken off the walls. My toys and clothes were gone. I cried out, begging to understand. But no one knew me. I hadn't died. I wasn't aba...

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“Bibliotheca Imaginum” by B. D. Bradshaw

By Udren, how big is this place? To think the Solar of Literature would know the site of each page the same as the stars in the sky still confounds me. Ten thousand years into my apprenticeship and I am yet to locate the right shelf half the time. And I should be the one to succeed them? Solars' bane. Curse these labyrinthine halls. My lantern would barely shine upon the signpost of the upcoming section, how doe...

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“At the End of the World” by B. D. Bradshaw

"Yo, Bex! You keeping up back there?" Jaden cried, muffled behind the cloth of his mask. The newbie loitered towards the rear of the party, dragging her feet through the bog. Typical. Because why would she think to follow in the others' footsteps? No, but they only had an extra eight years experience traversing the miasma. It was not a benign classroom, one wrong step and that would be it - 'there ain't no poi...

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“An Insight into the Institute Of Ambiguous Autecology” by B. D. Bradshaw

November 1, 2025 By Dr. Morgan May With my thirty-two years in the field of zoology, I have been most privileged to be invited to a number of research facilities all over the world. From the Testing Bureau of Acarology in Canberra, to the Centre Of Improved Apiology in Montreal - with every facility I have visited and interviewed, it has been my delight to share my experiences with the dear readers of The...

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“What Happened at Hillview House” by B. D. Bradshaw

The chill air rushed into my car as I unlocked the door, taking a step outside onto the open road. It was late, much later than I'd feared. I was sure I'd followed the directions exactly, but I thought to check them again anyway, just in case. Searching my pockets, I soon recovered that crumpled scrap of paper Katrina had given me. My eye wandered to the clock on the dashboard - barely one in the morning. I'd driven well...

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“The Detour” by B. D. Bradshaw

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. "You've ruined everything!" I howled, fixing my stare on my reflection in the dirty passenger window. Miserable - I wrapped the grubby coat he'd shared with me tighter around my body, desperate for a reminder of warmth. "I was only trying to help." I refused to talk to him, watching on into the growing storm. If I could only focus on ...

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Author bio

Heyo, thanks for stopping by! My name is Beth, I'm from the UK, and I'm a self-published author in the fantasy genre. I have about ten years writing experience, but as I've found, I've still got lots to learn about the industry. My aim is to be formally published eventually, though in the meantime, I'm happy to continue honing my craft. I have three novels on Amazon, which I am in the process of editing before releasing paperback editions (saving paper and all that). As my fellow authors will (hopefully) relate, I have a habit of procrastinating on my main WIPs. Even so, I'm still trying to be productive - using the time to explore other genres and writing styles by drafting short stories for you to enjoy. I hope you like them x