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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2022
Submitted to Contest #191
Anoize looked out from his office to the long lines of Friday’s bank customers. Why couldn’t they use the Instant Tellers? Why couldn’t they stay home and do their banking on their computers? Nadia stepped into his office. “I feel like I’m dying in this place.” Anoize announced to Nadia. “Eric Leon is here again for the bank draft to close the home sale for the McDougalls.” “They’re down. They’re still down. I’ll talk to him.” Anoize motioned to Nadia to send...
Submitted to Contest #190
Boone knelt at his wife’s grave. “I know, Clara, you never wanted to take up with a man that carried a gun, or took to whipping another man, but I’m determined Larry Barkley has a price to pay.” The mourners stood nearby waiting for their turn. “What’s he saying?” Chester asked down the funeral line. “Reverend, what’s he saying?” Reverend Kent was trying to protect his bible from the rain. He waved Chester to be silent. Charlotte slapped Chester’s hand to quiet him. “He’s talking to her spirit...
“’Speak now.’” Arlene pointed at me on her way up the stairs to bed, and then held her finger to her lips to make the shush face. “’Speak now.’” I smiled, pointing and shush facing. Our grandson, Jeremy, looked up from some game he was playing on his cell phone. “Your grandmother and I have been saying that since our wedding day. Well, one of our wedding days. “You know, your great grandfather, my father, was a judge, and he told me before I married anyone I should go down to the courthouse and s...
Submitted to Contest #189
It was a three bedroom walk up and every girl had paired off with a boy except for me. I was the only girl left. Three engineering guys were heading out to continue their party at a bar. They were the bottom of the stairs saying goodnight to a couple. Once the door was closed the couple put down a blanket and made the landing at the bottom of the stairs their own make out spot. The bedrooms were full, and the kitchen. And, gross, there was a couple in the bathroom, too. I went back to the living room where I fou...
Huey drove and drove and drove. He hadn’t hit her that hard. Not that hard. Couldn’t have been that hard. He looked at his hands on the steering wheel and the dried stains of red. It would be dark soon. He had to get gas. He was only halfway there. He stopped on the highway shoulder and got out and washed his hands in a snowbank, all the while worrying that the passing traffic might be watching him. He got more gas and paid with the cash he had gotten maxing out his overdraft before he left hi...
Fuad opened up his apartment door to find Laurie standing there with two suitcases and a knapsack. “It’s two in the morning.” “You said you’d help me.” Laurie stepped in with her luggage and inspected the apartment. She made her way to the doorless bedroom. “I meant, like, to help you find shelter. A woman’s shelter.” “That’s not practical.” Laurie opened his closet, and then his dresser drawers. She began to unpack her things. ...
Submitted to Contest #188
“I thank the boss for this dinner and this award for Top Producer… Top Poop Producer… Top Poop Poop Producer. Poop Poop Pee Doo. “And may I say I got no help at all this year? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, very much. And thank you Mr. Timmins. Our bossy boss who made me do sales pitches to every homeless person who wandered onto our car lot. “And thanks to our Deceptionist, Emily, for every client she directed my way who was either a bankrupt or an ex-convict. And Jonathan, my keep-your-e...
Today was the wedding day and I was not going to let anyone ruin it for me. It began with me awakening from my sleepover at Krissy’s, my maid of honor’s, house. Though I was nauseous and headachy from the few drinks the night before, I could still manage. I was determined to manage. The excitement was unbearable. Terri, another of my bridesmaids, made scrambled eggs riddled with broken shell pieces. It was delicious. Terri decided to take this opportunity, with just the two of us awake so far, to warn me. ...
“Isn’t this the best? It’s what I have always dreamed of.” Joseph smiled and nodded at Anja. “Put the open sign in the window.” Anja handed the open sign to Joseph who took two steps and then put it in the window. “No, this side. See? Then you can turn the little sign on the door to say open, too. So, we got the big sign on this side, and the little sign on that side. See?” Joseph smiled and nodded. “Okay, let me go through it all first. We’re go...
Submitted to Contest #187
She called me Mr. Cuddles, and took me from the shelter to her one room apartment near Kensington Market. I was just beginning to get my weight under control at the shelter. A lot of cats have complaints about the shelters but I always found they have a good weight detox program when your owner has really let you, let yourself go. Her one room dwelling was horribly claustrophobic. The only window ledge was far too high for me to climb. Similarly, the bed as well. A litter box was shoved into a corner, unceremoni...
Buster was eighty-seven years old and his wife Georgie had rescued me from the shelter to keep him company. Buster and I sat in the sunroom watching the backyard for hours. A perfectly fine use of time in my opinion. We both turned our heads to the conversation in the kitchen, and then, with dignified scorn, we returned to watching. “Ma, why did you get him a cat?” Thomas said. “He needs company. He sits out there alone all day.” Georgie said. “He’s got stag...
Owen pulled himself up from the overturned truck. His passenger door was face up to the sky and fell closed the moment he was clear of it. He slid down the roof side of the truck into the snow. There was a long gash in his right leg that hurt bad. Why did the old man put up such a fight? From the way the truck had hit the ditch and rolled into the tree and landed on the driver’s side, he knew the old man was dead for sure. Why did he fight? When you have a knife people are supposed to listen to you. Owen could se...
Jeanette was already late for her shift at the Giant Killer Coffee House when she spotted the stray. It was grey calico sniffing the snow beside the plowed sidewalk. It gave a cry to her. Jeanette squatted, balancing herself and her over loaded knapsack. She made kissing noises and took off her mittens to offer the back of her hand for a sniff. The stray approached. “Hey, Dusty. Are you Dusty? Is that your name?” she asked. Of course, it probably wasn’t her name, but it was somewhere to start a f...
Submitted to Contest #186
“Hello, I’m Wayne Moto. My father was Manny. He said when the time came, I should pay my respects when your husband passed. I’m sorry for your loss.” “I’m Amelia. My husband didn’t like your father.” “They were friends once.” “I don’t know about that. My husband said he lost half his business when your dad opened his shop. My husband was here first. He said because you dad was Japanese people wouldn’t buy anything oriental from us after that. We couldn’t sell Occupied Japan Ch...
“This place isn’t at all the way I imagined it would be.” “No, so many of you morsels get it wrong.” “Morsels?” “Mortals. Did I say morsels? Well, that’s on me.” “I shouldn’t be here.” “Oh, let’s be honest with ourselves, Francis. Well, you be honest. I’ll be true to my nature. This is exactly where you should be.” “This is a dream.” “Sure. Believe what you will. Whatever sinks your boat.” &nbs...
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