reedsymarketplace
Hire professionals for your project
reedsyblog
Advice, insights and news
reedsylearning
Online publishing courses
reedsylive
Free publishing webinars
reedsydiscovery
Launch your book in style
Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2025
Submitted to Contest #304
It didn't take more than the first week I went to school, before people called me defiant. After being at school for a few days, a few of the older boys started calling me raggedy. No other name, just raggedy. I am not sure why they called me that, because I was wearing my favorite dress, a nice, light blue, checked knee length dress fit for church, one Mama made for me that I was extra proud of. I took exception to being called that name, which I won't repeat, for although some of my clothes were old and worn, they were always clean and men...
Submitted to Contest #303
My name is Hiram Fisher. I live with my family on 500 acres in the area called Red Springs, Virginia, on the banks of Willow Creek in Monroe County. Our family consists of my father, Samuel Fisher, his wife Sarah, my grandfather, George Fisher, and his wife, Margaret, along with assorted brothers, sisters, and two slaves, Josiah, and Henry. We own 500 acres of good land. There were 6 horses, 20 cattle, plus chickens, pigs, and goats. We farm tobacco, some hay, and work the trees for lumber to sell or use. I have been going to the town...
Submitted to Contest #302
In 1975, I was working at Springdale Gardens, one of the largest apartment complexes on the east coast of America. There were close to 3000 garden apartments, meaning three floors, and townhouses spread over 100 acres. The site was one of 12 or so apartment complexes the Johnson family owned around the Philadelphia-Washington area. My job was Assistant Grounds Supervisor. Aside from the Grounds Supervisor and myself, we had 17 laborers to get all the grounds work done, plus evictions. We did the evictions because we had the labor for them, ...
Submitted to Contest #301
Me life hasn't been a walk in the park by any reckoning. Abandoned by me da, after me mum died when I was 10. Lived in the workhouse til I turned 16, when I was kicked out onto the street. Started a fire in the meal room, I did. Had to get some revenge, Father Mulroy had locked me in a closet for three days, the usual punishment for any act they considered against the rules, written or not. They was forever bothering me to work for my stay, but the work was beneath me. I have lived on the street ever since, surviving by me wits, if you will...
Submitted to Contest #300
Our family, well, the wife and I, decided to bypass Ocean View beach this year for Accomac Island, an hour south. Ocean View just got too crowded. Most streets have been changed to one way, and blocked by a median, it was like going thru a maze to get anywhere. Getting a meal could be an hour-long journey, just to go ten blocks. The first trip to Accomac was when my eleven year old daughter spoke up as we missed the turn for Ocean View. “Daddy”, she said “that turn is the way to the beach”. We had tried to prepare our two girls that w...
Submitted to Contest #299
I'm Charlie, and I'm in fourth grade. I write in a diary, my doctor says it will help me sort my feelings out. My mom says I am “on the spectrum” but I am not sure what she means by that. She says I have to be aware of what goes on around me, all the time, even on the bus, where we are supposed to behave like we would in school. There is even a sign with directions like “Keep hands, words, and belongings to yourself”. Some of the kids don't behave all the time, but Nick, our driver, usually doesn't let them get away with much. So I watch, an...
Submitted to Contest #298
Joe put the envelope in the church collection plate, and passed it to the next person. After church was over, he said goodbye to the Pastor, who said “Joe, every gift you give has “For Nick” on it. I didn't know you had any family named Nick”. Joe said, If we can talk later, I can explain.____________"Father, my wife, Mandy, and I had finally had enough of the city. We had been saving to buy a place in the country, someplace in the mountains, with a view, where we could raise kids. We found a vacant lot for sale, then had several parties whe...
Submitted to Contest #297
We are a loose group of friends who play a friendly game of poker every Wednesday night. We rotate homes, so everyone gets a turn to supply food, drinks, whatever is needed. The betting levels are nothing fancy, just nickel, dime, quarter, no bets over $2.00, three raise limit to a hand. These levels are kept low to discourage egos and keep one from losing large amounts. Me, Frank, Larry, Bill, Enrico, and Elizabeth. Not everyone can make it weekly, but we always have 4, sometimes five. There is always a good bit of friendly trash talk at t...
Submitted to Contest #296
Yesterday, someone tried to rob me. I own two laundromats. My dad owned one laundromat, passed it to me, and I soon purchased another. Both are in towns around Philadelphia, in relatively nice areas. Even so, crime can be where, and when you least expect it. Dad got robbed once, when he was older, and working by himself. In examining the robbery, we found that he had a pattern of going the same times and days. He would collect all the money in buckets, and go to the bank once a day, after he had done all he wanted in the laundry. So...
Submitted to Contest #295
Charlie And the Lotto We were on our way to our yearly family vacation, on Accomac Island, along the east coast. Family was me, my wife, and two daughters. We have been going here for years, and love it. It's a sleepy little island, population around 5000. There is little to no traffic, unless you come the week of the Fireman Carnival, the Accomac Volunteer Fire Department fundraiser. There isn't much to do- one small amusement park, really just a glorified Putt Putt 18 hole course, with a few other attractions. You can sample all ...
Submitted to Contest #294
Burn the devil One of my poker playing buddies, Larry, found me in a bar our poker group frequented. “I would like you to do something for me, well, my Grandmother”. He added “please don't act like this isn't something you don't know about. I have a general idea what you, Hank, and Ramon do for a living , and would like you to do something along those lines We are a loose group of five that play poker. There is H...
Oops, you need an account for that!
Log in with your social account:
Or enter your email:
8 likes
