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Beth Murray

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2020

Stories (17)

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20 Followers

0 Following

17 Stories

236 karma pts

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Work, not worked, and not will work

Beth Murray

"I spy a person lying in the ditch with brown hair. Hurry up Mom you got about 600 feet to spot it and win," said Olivia with great questioning hesitance and haste. Theresa spoke in a confirming, yet questioning manner, "Now it might be a trash bag full of trash, with a discarded pair of shoes, right?" Olivia blurted out, "Mom, that trash bag has an arm and the pattern on the arm is rosy and peach just like that hitch-hiker's shirt that we saw at the rest stop. You know that lady with the long braids? You know, the one you bought the water, ...

2 likes

Break through

Beth Murray

Macy Hallmark had come in the morning to her job as a technical writer and illustrator. She had been working for James and Harvey for four years at an hourly wage. She checked her emails first thing, and there was a company mass email which was from her boss. The email had in the title: Company meeting to be held at 9:30 this morning. The email's context said that Mr. Harvey planned to announce and introduce the new lead technical writer and illustrator. As soon as she read that her blood pressure must have shot up. Because she felt moist, s...

1 like

It's going to get worse, before it gets better

Beth Murray

At least I am not working the graveyard shift at the morgue. These people are at least alive, some of these women have had nervous breakdowns, and some are addicts off the streets of Dallas detoxing. Precisely what made me believe that working the night shift in a psychological hospital means weird stuff is going to happen? Nah, not likely... I mean come on most of these women have had some hefty doses of drugs that pretty much knock them out, plus lots of residents here take sleeping pills too. I just need to chill out. So I put in my earbu...

1 like

A career choice or life choice

Beth Murray

Every since I was a little girl all I ever wanted to be was a housewife, and a mother. Boy was I ambitious. I mean that quite literally because this job is exactly that- it's ambitious, and one has to have nerves of steel to attempt it. If you start becoming a mother, with no prior training, witness to good motherhood, believe me, you'll need the Lord's help to keep at it: once you find out how much it takes out of you. You also gotta have serious ambition to want to continue pressing on each day after reality sinks in. Yup, each day is ev...

1 like

I can handle it!

Beth Murray

"I can handle it!" were Janey's last words to Mr. Rawson. She just needed a little space to work things out on her own. Sure she appreciated the offer to assist, and help her out if she needed it. But how was Jane going to find out if she could in fact handle it, if there were someone watching her every move, and catching her before she had a chance to stumble; moreless fall. It's all because he lost his wife due to an accident when handling the horses. But Jane was nothing like his wife, she had passed on now. It was so difficult for...

1 like

This is how I survived my teens

Beth Murray

I asked Macy, "How is that you seem to breeze through school so easily, and in athletics you never fuss, complain, or even looked anoid today when Coach gave us both 20 sprints for talking during class?" Macy just shrugged her shoulders and bugged out her eye-balls before she said, "I dunno," next she curled her bottom lip down. I confided in Macy, "I was tired of feeling let down when other girls got chosen for home-coming queen, by a 1=one vote win, and contemplating if I should just quit making an effort." Macy then: I think at last rev...

2 likes

No more PTSD episodes...

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #104

"Are you coming tonight?" asked Tony. "I will if you want me there, I will come" Brandy nonchalantly said. Tony was hesitant to answer, or else he was fixed on watching the boxing match. Either way, I didn't like being a third wheel. "Tony.......Tony do you want me to come tonight?" Oh I was starting to get annoyed. Why would someone ask you a question, and ignore the answer. Oh that gets me, if he asked me- you be sure that I better answer, if he asked me that question. And Ton doesn't wait around for anyone. Well, all that o...

16 likes

Maybe we'll be sisters

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #104

"I'm never going out with you again, Dad!" Ashley said under her breath as she left the dance hall. It was really the school gym, but it was decorated in a theme to make it look like a dance hall. Ashley felt humiliated and completely childish. Andy walked to the car with a bewildered look of fear and confusion on his face. As soon as both doors were closed he looked at Ashley and said, "Sweetheart, I have lost your mother, and I can't bare to think of loosing you. You don't watch the news, you don't hear the reports about the kidnappi...

13 likes

What a mess, but what a story

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #104

All of the kids had left the house, it was Saturday evening and Jacob, (that's my husband,) had bought me a dozen roses, some bubble bath, and a new silk robe. Jacob reminded me about that bottle of wine in the garage, and it felt like the perfect occasion for it. He said that he planned to go to the butcher and bring home two steaks to grill for us that night. I planned on soaking in a hot bubble bath, and them putting on my new robe, with matching slippers. What a nice evening in store for me, no one to interrupt, no kids and their gr...

12 likes

Just like riding a bike...

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #97

I remember the first time I tried something new. My memories of childhood are very vivid, and I often wrote in a journal. I never had to worry about anyone trying to read my journal, I was an only child. I was worried for the first time sometime before first or second grade. The whole summer had passed almost, and I still had the training wheels on my bicycle. I had planned to get off them baby training wheels before school began. It was time, I finally had the chance to do something. I had been to swimming lessons, summer camp, ballet camp,...

8 likes

The experience

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #97

"Okay the window is off the track Antonia, do you know how to fix that?" asked his mother; Hattie. "Yes mam, I thought you had grocery shopping to do?" said Antonia. "Oh yes, but I have to mop this floor, dust the living room, and mend your Father's church suit first." That seemed like a wonderful opportunity for Antonia to pitch in and help his mother. "That's ok Mom, you take the kids with you to the grocery store, and I got all this." Hattie accepted, she knew her son very well. Responsibility, sufficiency, and accomplishments were his ni...

15 likes

Do what I say, not what I do.

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #91

01-09-2002 Dear diary, how am I going to figure this out? It took me 10 plus years to figure out a way to an independent life with a traumatic brain injury. I didn't figure it out on my own, God used the church members to be His hands to do the work. Canton Church of Christ members sat in the hospital and prayed God's healing scriptures over me. Then it was my turn to try, because after a 30 day long coma I began waking to the third stage of the coma. From relearning to walk, talk, care for my hygiene needs, & feed myself to becoming an ...

26 likes

I'll take care you, even after I die

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #81

Beth turned 78 years old, and had been widowed a year prior. It was her last night in the house where she that her late husband shared their life together in. She was moving to an assisted living community. It was time that she come back to the outside world instead of hiding in her home. Yes, it had been a wonderful past 57 years. However, she was no longer interested in residing in a drafty old cabin alone. Plus, she had sold all the live-stock, and horses just to pay the farm hands on the huge 100-acre piece of land. Her boys had fam...

9 likes

Mike and Gail

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #81

"Oh my, I never thought you'd be interested in knowing all these boring facts about a couple old timers like us, Sunny" Gran said as Pops dosed in his recliner. "Well," Sunny said, "I am doing a report for the school newspaper, I'm practicing for after college when I get a job at the Canton, Herald newspaper. The report lays out the facts about how the idea and concept of marriage has changed over time, and other methods and concepts have advanced to such a degree that it's affecting society. I am analyzing the idea of same gender marriages ...

10 likes

He works through everything

Beth Murray

Submitted to Contest #81

Every morning it's the same ole' story, the same ole' song and dance, (as some people might say). You'd think that after 43 years I would have moved on buy now. Nope it's just me, all by myself, no kid, no husband, no marriage, no grandbaby to take over to Mom and Pops'. I got me a house, I work in my garden, (even though it's getting cold,) but nothing exciting comes around these days. Well, I guess I 'oughtta' count my lucky stars that nothing exciting comes around these days. In fact if something to exciting came around Mamma might h...

16 likes

Author bio

Not much for sharing, just a life filled with admiration for Jesus Christ. Sometimes when my heart aches I pick up a pen and write to stop the aching, frustration, or just express my faith in Gods abilities to still preform miracles. Being a healthy t.b.i. survivor I am so grateful for my abilities. Like breathing without the help of a machine, like eating without a feeding tube, like being out of a wheelchair, speaking clearly. Oh God is so good. I use my friend's names sometimes to help me remember the characters names. Because I am a life long disabled woman, and yes miracles do happen today. I realize that spelling and grammar icke errors do exist too, so sorry for that. I just have to give a voice to all the voices in my head, the voice of a mother, the voice of a daughter, the voice of the bride of Christ. Because he's coming back sooner than later.