Delbert Griffith

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (79)

79 Stories

4642 karma pts

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“The Care and Feeding of Monsters” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #206

Viya Sol looked around the mansion with distaste. She didn’t like being here, and she certainly didn’t like what she had heard about the monster who used to live here. Not that she put much credence in the old tales that some of the more senior members of the Lollipop Guild talked about. Those wizened relics of the past had many tales to tell, all the stories outrageous and all the events sounding just a little too fantastic to believe. Viya poked around the foyer and the living area, marveling at the size of the place and grimacing at the t...

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“The Way of the Sensei” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #205

May 27I admit it; I’m being a voyeur. The delicious-looking man across the fence is shirtless, smoking a cigarette and sipping something I’m sure is alcoholi...

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“Gordita” by Delbert Griffith

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #204

You won’t find it on any map. When spoken of, it’s usually by old men drinking coffee at the local Dairy Queen. The town is part legend, part myth, a relic of the old west that left nothing behind to mark its existence save a lot of old bones and a half-buried, rotted sign displaying the town’s name. Not that anyone has lately seen these bones, or the sign; they are lost in the vast West Texas desert, bleached by the sun and sniffed at by coyotes. The sun returns daily to further ossify the bones, and the coyotes abandon the bones in search...

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“A Matter of Interpretation” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #204

Jarod Cochran was here to hang a man. And maybe to kill a few others who got in the way. The badge of a U.S. marshal came with responsibilities. Amarillo, Texas was growing at the end of the nineteenth century. Almost a thousand souls now lived in the area, carving out a life and a future from the semi-arid and seemingly empty land. Cattle ranches dominated the region; barbed wire and guns determined who owned which parcel of land. Jarod stayed on his palomino and ambled through the town’s main street. It wasn’t much: a saloon, a hotel/resta...

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“Vampire Weekend” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #203

FRIDAY NIGHT “Wh – why are you doing this?” Jessie’s tear-stained eyes were red, her voice hoarse and weak. Beads of perspiration popped from her forehead, dripping down onto her torn jeans. Her wrists and ankles hurt from ...

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“The Advantages of Decorum and Good Breeding” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #202

2002Marjory stared at the gargantuan painting, unimpressed. She stepped backwards over the dead body to inspect it from a greater distance. She was still unimpressed, even when Lillian told her that it was an original Rothko, worth upwards of seventy million dollars.“It looks like a very tall elementary school child did this,” Marjory said, shaking her head slightly. “Or...

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“Falling Like Rain, Burning Like Fire” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #201

Malcolm looked around. Everything was in place. The interview could begin as soon as Jackson Keller finished wiping the residue of white powder from his nose. Malcolm Hall was excited, nervous, and a little star struck. Getting the reclusive author to agree to an interview was a major coup, one that could propel him to a bigger office and a better salary. “The son of a bitch offered me some coke – and a ride on the Keller rocket,” Jill whispered to Malcolm. Malcolm looked at her, surprised and alarmed. Jill smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry....

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“The Detritus of Utopia” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #201

“It’s official. Lesbians are filthy,” Tetchy Tommy said, shaking his head. He bent down and picked up an empty plastic cup, filled with cigarette butts and a slightly pink liquid substance. He shuddered at what that might be.“Wear some gloves, mate. Safety first,” Oliver said, surveying the massive amount of discarded Dixie cups, food wrappers, and gum that littered the arena.“Butterfly Boudoir. Wha kind uv name is that?” Tetchy Tommy scoffed.“A sexy name for a bunch of sexy women,” Oliver answered.“Bollocks. Nothin’ sexy about a bunch of ca...

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“Sweetness Is Easy but Cinnamon Is Tricky” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #200

March, 1995Michael watched the old man for some minutes before approaching him. He had only seen photos of his uncle before today. Grainy black-and-white images of a leg...

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“Sister Sister, Rat Bastards, and Fierce Ice” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #197

I’ll just say it. I’m free. Fourteen months of eating food with sketchy provenance and enduring the company of unwonderful people has left me devoid of any fond feelings for Huntsville state prison. Also, I can now pee without an audience. It’s the little things that matter. Don’t take that the wrong way, buddy. I have thirty-seven dollars to my name, so getting a hooker was out of the question. A decent chicken-fried steak, though, was in the cards. I got to Lily’s Chicken Palace and sat down. I was soon approached by a waitress large enoug...

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“The Bullet that Esther Stopped” by Delbert Griffith

🏆 Winner of Contest #196

II shot papa square in the heart but he didn’t die. That damn bible he carried with him saved his life. I was considerable lucky that papa had his axe at hand, and that he kept it sharp. I picked it up. It was a heavy thing, so I swung with all my might and put it right through his head. Seein’ his brains made me throw up. I moved away so it wouldn’t get on papa. That would be disrespectful.Papa was a big man. I couldn’t bury him like that, so I started choppin’ off his arms and legs with the axe. I was down to the right leg when Sheriff Cul...

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“Eden in the Rearview Mirror” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #196

Jarod plopped the bag of food down on the desk and likewise plopped himself in a chair. The afternoon sun had creeped in through the windows, showing off angular shapes and making the shadows appear denser, solid. Sounds from outside the room were muted. No one, it seemed, wanted to further fracture a day that had already been horribly shattered. “Thanks, bro,” Fenny opened the bag and poured the contents out. Two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and a double cheeseburger. “Lot of cops out there, Fenny.” Fenny took a large bite out of the first fish...

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“A Little Story before I Die” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #195

March 21, 1923Dr. Camp felt it. The years crushed down on him, leaving him with the unbearable loneliness that comes from losing one’s lifelong companions and the physical pain that an adventurous life gave him. The nurses would give him morphine, but never enough to eradicate the physical pain, never enough to ignore the loneliness.Truth be told, the good doctor was ready to die. Yet…yet he wouldn’t. Not yet. He had one more tale to write, one more story that had to be penned before he would let himself move on to whatever came next.“I don’...

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“Please Hold While I Kill a Bad Man” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #193

“Hi, dear! Are you busy?” “Yes, mom. I’m in a meeting.” “Ok. Call you back later?” “Sure.” ************** I love my mom, but she is absolutely driving me crazy. ************** The back room of the brothel was a study in unhygienic habits. A thick coating of dust rested on top of sticky-looking grime. Beth counted no less than twenty used glasses and empty beer cans. The table where she sat was littered with the detritus of take-out food and full ashtrays. The smell of stale tobacco and unwashed bodies permeated the air, causing Beth to wrink...

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“How to Kill Someone after You're Dead” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #192

I didn’t know my murderer, and he didn’t know me. Carl Bronson was his name. He killed me with a 2021 Ford Mustang. The man was drunk and ran a red light, going at a speed not meant for city streets. The impact was terrific. I felt intense pain and I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t. All I could do was groan weakly and suffer; fortunately, the pain quickly dissipated. A sort of dull euphoria overtook me, a washing away of pain, replaced by a tiredness and sleepiness that felt soothing and natural. And then…permanent oblivion. Or so I thoug...

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Author bio

Currently engaged in writing a cozy mystery. Wondering how many "cozy" deaths would be acceptable. I'll get back to you when I have an answer. Cheers!

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #196

The Bullet that Esther Stopped – read story

Shortlisted 5 stories ⭐️

Contest #208

Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters – read story

Contest #204

Gordita – read story

Contest #191

The Girl Who Played the Giuoco Pianissimo – read story

Contest #171

The Rules of Arithmetic – read story

Contest #165

It's Murder, Sir – read story