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David Nutt

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2021

Stories (58)

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13 Followers

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58 Stories

870 karma pts

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Solving a mystery

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #310

Solving a mystery Patrick liked to arrive early on a warm summer’s morning and take a coffee before he turned the key to the front door, switched on the lights and took down the shutters. He sat on the cafe’s terrace in front of his bookshop for a few minutes thinking about his uncertain future. His was the only independent bookshop in the town. There were two other large bookstores owned by national names known in the book distribution activity. In the last few years the sector was being dominated by Amazon. He felt like a tadpole caught in...

0 likes

He lost his soul

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #309

He lost his soul“Hello George, what are you doing here? Coming to see what the competition is doing?”“Yes, I am coming to see what all the fuss is about. The young artist, John Atkinson, you are exhibiting is creating quite a stir.”“We had the opening two nights ago. I had to call the police because there were far too many people. I was fearful they would damage my gallery and some pictures. “Yes, I heard about it. Look, if you are free, let's have lunch together and I will tell you all about John Atkinson. “Delighted.”“ Give me twenty minut...

3 likes

A stange story covered in the mists of time

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #307

A strange story covered in the mists of time.It was one of those glorious, peaceful and tendered summer evenings when all is still and nature is preparing for nightfall. The leaves on the trees showed fatigue after a long day in the hot sun. Even the birds were silent, enjoying the last rays of sunlight. Georges was on his evening walk enjoying this rare moment when one feels in harmony with your surroundings. He felt a great sense of peace after semi-retiring from several years on the London foreign exchange market. He was just passing the...

2 likes

Communication

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #306

Communication without a series of emails, calls and text messages.My early life was a nightmare. I had a drunk father. Within three years of my parents' marriage my mother had thrown him out of our two bedroom apartment in the Pigalle area of Paris. Mother then without the support and warmth of a man started to slide in a deep depression. It was not long before she lost her job. In order to maintain the minimum income to live in the city she turned to prostitution. Consequently there always seemed to be numerous male friends invited to our s...

5 likes

Homework, winds, kites and a disaster

David Nutt

Homework, winds, kites and a disaster.I stood in front of my class. Before me were sixteen young children between the ages of 8 -12. Their faces showed attention and a desire to listen and learn. I believe they enjoyed my geography lessons, I always tried to make them interesting.“Good morning everyone. First I will read the roll call.”There were slightly more young girls than boys. The school was a private international institution that lived by high student fees and the occasional donations. “ Excellent everybody present. Now I want to wr...

1 like

My heart And time stood still

David Nutt

My heart and time stood still.I was born in India and remained there until I was ten. At that age me and my brother, two years younger, were bundled up and found ourselves on a boat for England. If I remember correctly only our mother and her personal maid traveled with us. We were told father would join us in a month's time after concluding some business deals. My father had created a large import/ export company in Delhi. He was Indian by birth. A member of a large wealthy family with a collection of brothers and sisters , aunties and uncl...

0 likes

The lonely clown

David Nutt

The lonely clownOn an early spring evening it was a good crowd for Thursday. I had positioned myself outside the station. It was late afternoon. I was entertaining the people coming from work. They needed a few minutes of amusement to decompress themselves before opening their front doors and being faced with all the emotional baggage of family life. Through my face mask I could see the people were enjoying the show. I saw numerous people throwing notes and coins into my bowler hat. My act today was the result of three years of working the s...

1 like

I found out who I am

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #296

I found out who I am.I was born into a working class family. My father worked as a machine tool operator in an industrial town in the North of England. My mother had married below her station in the town’s social world as she was a teacher. In marrying my father she stepped down to his level of a working class member. All this at birth and for several years after meant nothing to me. It was in my early teams that I started to understand the complex undercurrents of living in a structured and closed community. Father was a good looking man. H...

7 likes

From churches, graveyards to funerals

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #295

From churches, graveyards to funerals I was fourteen when I had the pleasure to start accompanying my father on his various road trips. In my mothers mind school was always a priority whereas father thought missing the occasional term time day to travel with him on his sales rounds was an educational lesson in the real world. Also it had a geographical aspect to commend it. My father was the senior salesman in a company making hoovers that sold their product range through home demonstrations. It was a young company with limited production fa...

4 likes

Dying with peace of mind

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #294

                                Dying with peace of mind        Daniel Summerfield to Harold Ffinch……14 june 2024 My dear Harold, I am writing this letter from a small isolated village a few miles from the Salange National park in the Republic of Congo. You find me on my deathbed with a severe attack of yellow fever. Although before leaving Engl...

4 likes

Bewitched and bewildered

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #290

Bewitched and bewildered He lay on the floor in a semiconscious state. He had fainted, but why?  It had all begun three weeks ago. It was Monday morning he sat at his usual place 426 in the New York Public library on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, a daily habit he enjoyed. He recalled he was studying the life and works of Theodore Roosevelt.  For a minute his mind focused on place 426. He remembered the first time he started going to the New York Public Library.  He was immediately struck by the magnificence of the building, an...

4 likes

When you are handed a losing hand

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #288

Content Warning: This story contains themes of stalking and marital conflict                       When you are handed a losing handI gently pulled back the curtain so that I could look down at the street without being noticed. There he was standing near the lamp post on the other side of the street. It was raining quite hard but that didn’t seem to disturb him. He wore a heavy macintosh with a large hat that covered any chance ...

6 likes

It was no ordinary Cafe

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #287

                               It was no ordinary cafe The two brother’s sat there discussing politics over a glass of whiskey. I was half listening while thinking about my pending marriage. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the conversation changed to detailing their plans for a visit to Cairo in ten days time. They turned to me and my father said. “Come with us, it’s probably the last ch...

4 likes

Desperate measures

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #285

                     Desperate measures  Hi, Joe it’s Richard. Can I call you on your secured line?  I want to discuss something with you. Sure, just give me ten minutes. Richard, go ahead. The line is fully secured. Thanks, Joe. I want to discuss a problem I have at my law firm.  You sound very stressed out. I am to the extent that I am preparing myself to take  a dramatic decision. Let me give you a quick overview of...

8 likes

Extraordinary happening when traveling alone

David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #284

                      Extraordinary happenings when travelling alone. I sat there at the head of the table. I was about to say grace and quickly realized in our family this touching act was a thing of the past. In fact even in my childhood my parents relegated grace saying to past traditions. At that moment it did cross my mind that many commendable and worthy traditions were being shelved in the world’s leap forward to explore and i...

5 likes