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Ben Battles

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2023

Stories (4)

Comments

Library

5 Followers

3 Following

4 Stories

71 karma pts

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Haven't You Ever Wondered?

Ben Battles

Submitted to Contest #230

“I’m glad we could catch up, but you said there were two questions you wanted to ask me?” He sipped his coffee, holding it in one hand, and then leaned back against the booth.“Yeah- yeah, I reached out because I have an opportunity you might be interested in,” shyly she looked down into her cup before returning his gaze. “Given our shared background I thought you might find it exciting.”“Ooo, so it’s a techy thing? Is this something from your work?”“Yeah, it's related to the project I’m on.”“Am I being vetted for a job? Do they need some dat...

6 likes

Blackmail and White Christmas

Ben Battles

Submitted to Contest #229

The night I rolled into Eastbrook, after fifteen years away, the cold air burned in my lungs as if I’d swallowed a hot coal, my frozen breath was the smoke rising from my chimney esophagus. When I moved uptown, I thought for sure I’d left this small town behind. I thought I’d never walk these streets again, but then I never thought I’d take a gig like this either. Empty pockets are a powerful motivator. Turnabout is fair play though, that’s what I tell myself. Policing blackmail is a joke, you always run the risk the blackmailer releas...

6 likes

The Last Speck

Ben Battles

Submitted to Contest #204

The driver’s white knuckles clung to Wyatt’s soaked shirt, stretching, and finally ripping it at the shoulder. The white water roared like endless rolling thunder in his ears as he wrestled against the current. Hugging the man under his left arm, Wyatt reached desperately with his right, pawing at handfuls of churning river water, hoping for purchase on the sandy shore. Between gasps, he searched for lifesaving strength enough for two men. His lungs burned, his biceps ached, the untamed liquid force of nature rolled over him; adrenaline jolt...

5 likes

We Try Again

Ben Battles

Submitted to Contest #196

Beneath the maintenance entrance lay a craggy patch of dirt. Originally intended to become extra storage, when the stadium’s construction went a million dollars over budget anything that wasn’t front and center to the patrons was moved to the bottom of the to-do list; this unsightly remnant of heavy handed bulldozers and artless excavators was the last place the cameras swarming the stadium would want to be on this historic championship night. So they would have assumed. If an intrepid reporter had been there they might have seen something t...

13 likes