Dana Shelton

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020

Stories (7)

7 Stories

108 karma pts

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“The Time of My Life” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #43

1987Jessica sat cross-legged in front of the TV, eagerly awaiting the start of Dirty Dancing. All of her friends had seen it already; Jessica’s mother finally relented when it came on cable television and now Jessica would not be out of the loop. Her mom, Liz, settled into the old brown plaid couch, avoiding the squeaky cushion in the middle. She passed a bowl of buttery popcorn to Jessica for them to share.Jessica was riveted to the sight of Patrick Swayze’s gyrating pelvis. So this was what all of her friends were gushi...

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“Anticipation” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #42

Chloe bounded down the stairs and popped her head into the living room where her mother was settled into her ratty, worn recliner, reading the latest thriller by yet another female author dubbed “the next Gillian Flynn!” “Mom, I’m heading out! Taylor’s here.” Evelyn glanced up at her 20 year old daughter, wistfully recalling the time when she had unlined skin and curves in all the right places. “Chloe, no later than 1:00. I mean it, no more hours past curfew. And text me if you go somewhere else.” Chloe rep...

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“Ride or Die” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #40

Shannon contemplated the tall glass of clear liquid in front of her as she sat alone in her apartment. It was so still and quiet without the kids here; left alone with her thoughts and regrets. She had been staring at the glass for several minutes, long enough that one of the ice cubes melted slightly, permitting the others to make their familiar clink against the side of the glass. It had been so long since she had heard that sound but yet the melody was familiar and soothing; alcohol was her oldest friend. She had not h...

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“Mitigation” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #39

Interviewer: “October 19, 2050. I am in a location that will remain undisclosed and using an encrypted voice recorder. My interviewee’s face will remain obscured. This in my first interview with Mr. X about his experience as a Google street view driver and subsequent fallout.”“Mr. X, thank you for agreeing to speak with me. Can you tell our viewers how you came to be a Google street view driver?”Mr. X: “It was 2020, the year the pandemic started.  I had been laid off. I needed to pay the bills, so I de...

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“Fame” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #38

Bryce was a good kid. For an 11 year old, anyway. His mom, Meg, had persuaded his dad to buy him his own phone a few weeks ago. Most kids his age had an iPhone or equivalent for a year or more already. His mom was resistant at first (she never had a phone growing up, basically because they didn’t exist then). But he had done so well in school, in sports, with friends, that when the time came to renew their phones she persuaded his father it was time to invest in a phone for him. He reluctantly agreed. Bryce...

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“This is Not an Exit” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #38

Jen unpacked another box and set it on a stack with the rest. She was almost finished. Jen and her two boys, Eric, 11, and Adam, 9, had moved to the small house in the woods a few months ago. She hadn’t wanted to leave their beautiful home in the suburbs, but after Chris died it was necessary to make ends meet. The boys were settled into their individual bedrooms, playing Xbox or watching YouTubers. Jen brought her flattened stack of boxes to the basement for storage. It was dusty and unfinished, but so were mos...

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“The Fall(s)” by Dana Shelton

Submitted to Contest #37

   It was a beautiful 78 degree sunny day in June. It would be a perfect day for a trek to Trinity Falls. The trail to the falls had been closed recently, but I knew that wouldn’t stop Troy. He’d always lived life on his own terms, whatever served him best. Currently, he was up in his office/music studio; the one outfitted with the expensive soundproofing foam that Tina had paid for). She knew better than to disturb him; best to let sleeping dogs lie. Eventually he’d take a break from surfing his ...

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Author bio

I'm getting back into writing again after a long hiatus.