Cliff McElrea

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (6)

6 Stories

138 karma pts

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“Four views; one dilemma” by Cliff McElrea

I was hot from the hike to my dorm and nervous as I entered into my assigned room, and saw my new roommate reverently placing a framed picture on his desk. He turned around when he heard me drop my duffle bags on the bed opposite his.“Hi, I’m Adam.” He stuck his hand out.“I’m Chuck.” I shook his hand. I glanced at the picture he had placed on the well used desk.“Oh, it’s a picture my Dad took when he was on an airplane going to Vietnam. It reminds me of him. He died last year and I found this in a box of his things. My mom told me he took it...

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“Three Views of Life and Death” by Cliff McElrea

Submitted to Contest #105

Carol stepped out of her mom’s bedroom speaking in a low tone into her cell phone. She was in shear frustration when she got her brother’s voice mail. “Jan, I think mom is slipping away. She’s barely breathing. Please get here as fast as you can! The hospice lady is on her break and Connie won’t be here for another hour. I don’t know what to do!” Feeling all alone, not equipped to handle her mother’s death all by herself, her family’s circumstances kept playing in her mind. In a few days she was turning twenty-one, her sister was ...

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“What Happened?” by Cliff McElrea

Submitted to Contest #103

Moan. “What happened? Where am I?” My mother sitting in a chair a few feet from my bed gave me her sweet, sympathetic smile, then said, “Oh, hi dear, I’m glad you are waking up. You are in County General Hospital. You were in a car accident.” I moaned again as I took inventory of all my aching body parts. I realized I wasn’t feeling anything in my legs. I tried wiggling my toes. Nothing. “I can’t feel my toes!” Mom closed her well worn Bible and scooted her chair up next to the bed. She reached out and squeezed my hand. “Yes, the doctors ...

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“Natalie” by Cliff McElrea

Submitted to Contest #101

“Hi, I’m home.” I glanced around as I entered my apartment to see if Natalie was in sight. No one. I listened for activity in the bathroom or bedroom. Nothing. I put my briefcase on the coat closet floor. As I swung the door closed I called out again, “Are you home?” No answer. “Jiminy Cricket!” It’s what my grandfather always said when something unusual happened.It’s unusual that she wasn’t home by now. Her habit was to go out as little as possible which meant a couple of hours a day to do research. She didn’t know if she was being watched ...

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“The Rapper at the Window” by Cliff McElrea

Submitted to Contest #97

Rap, rap, rap, rap.Victoria jumped in her chair. She pulled her earbuds off and turned toward the window. Rap, rap, rap, rap.She froze. Who could that be? How in the world are they rapping on her second story window? It certainly wouldn’t be any of her friends. They would have texted her before coming. Rap, rap, rap, rap.Could it be a bird pecking a seedpod?Victoria crept over to the window pressing her back against the wall next to the window.A muffled male voice called out, “Vickie, are you in there?”She knew that voice, but wasn...

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“The Night with Natalie in the Library” by Cliff McElrea

Submitted to Contest #91

“Now you two need to be quiet. This is a library you know. Better yet, why don’t you go sit at the table in the far corner where you will disturb fewer people.” The matronly librarian in a navy print dress pointed to the back of the room away from the dozen tables surrounded by aisles of books older than we were. Her high pitched, crackly voice continued, “What are you studying that is so funny?” As I grabbed my backpack off the back of the sturdy, oak chair undoubtably as old as the library, I said, “We’re working on a report about the Rom...

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Author bio

I have been writing novels and novelettes for several years now - none of which have been published and probably won't be. A well published author once said she had to write 100 bad novels before she got it right. Well, I have a ways to go. I now have five short stories posted. I find a good story is a little tricky to write. It seems to have some sort of punch-line ending that makes them satisfying to the reader. See if you think I'm getting the knack of it!