Delbert Griffith

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2021

Stories (76)

76 Stories

4460 karma pts

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“A Matter of Interpretation” by Delbert Griffith

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 whi...

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“Vampire Weekend” by Delbert Griffith

                                                      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 the restraints. The more she struggled, the more pain it caused. “True. I could simply slit your throat and be done ...

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

                             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 h...

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

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 rid...

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“The Detritus of Utopia” by Delbert Griffith

“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. N...

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

                                                               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 image...

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

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-f...

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“The Bullet that Esther Stopped” by Delbert Griffith

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 ...

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“Eden in the Rearview Mirror” by Delbert Griffith

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...

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“A Little Story before I Die” by Delbert Griffith

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 ...

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

“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 n...

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

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 w...

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“A Different Type of Air” by Delbert Griffith

It happened practically overnight. The Disaster, mother called it. Apocalypse, father said. My brother called it Ruination, but he always was a drama queen. And me? I didn’t call it anything until seven years later. Now I call it Salvation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amy was not a person who woke up with anything approaching grace. She felt that alarm clocks were her personal en...

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“The Girl Who Played the Giuoco Pianissimo” by Delbert Griffith

February 3, 2021 I will die in this house and no one will be here to see it. The thought comforts me. **************************** “You smoke too much,” Ash said, eyeing the full ashtrays in the living area. He plopped himself down on the sofa and waited for Portia to finish what she was doing. Portia took off her headphones and leaned ba...

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“Love, and other Deadly Sins” by Delbert Griffith

Someone invented romantic love. Probably a woman. I hope she contracted syphilis and was drawn and quartered for her sins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Well, it’s ugly and depressing and oppressive,” Talia said, touching a countertop and then wiping the dust from her fingers. “It has some good qualities, dear.” Layla drifted through the...

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Author bio

Will be away for a bit, doing NaNoWriMo. Like Arnold, I'll be back. 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