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Henry Riddle

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2021

Stories (39)

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39 Stories

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Friends in Need

Henry Riddle

'The freak' as she was dubbed, approached him silently with no ill intent. This was fortunate as Winston had been staring at the sky long enough to dissociate from all his senses. But the twist of her boot on loose gravel snatched his attention."Hey Saskia."The ice blue eyes of a young girl, unburdened by cruelty desire or vengeance, and instead given something far more fulfilling, blinked as she came beside him."Jake told me that you would be here. Why are you alone?"Winston shrugged. "Waiting the night away. Typically, I would be meeting w...

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The Plot Thickens (like the sandwich)

Henry Riddle

There's no surer sign of an idiot then the lack of a trustworthy friend. That is what Nate thought as he burst through the door and slammed against the wall. He was panting in rapid succession and yet felt unable to speak. He was rendered immobile by dread.He stood still. Sweat slithered across his scalp down to his cheeks. Breaths continued to race each other but more softly. Turning his eye to the door, he forced his left hand to shut it.Was anyone coming? Had he gone too far this time? What was left to do now? These questions joined the b...

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Self Reliance (A Children's Bible Fan-Excerpt)

Henry Riddle

Rafe met Sukey at the top of the Silo. She leaned against the rail watching the landscape and the animals on the field. The sun had found a spot between the gap of two hills which seemed to caress the bloody orb as it sunk further beneath the surface."So you've ruined your life, hm?" Rafe said, doing his best to sound playful.Sukey rolled her eyes reflexively. "It's not my baby.""But you're the one who decided to take care of it. Why?"Sukey didn't know the answer. "My mother's dead. It's not like I'm gonna drive back to hurricane encino and ...

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Peace is Not Savory, Despair is.

Henry Riddle

"I really should stop.""No no. Much of the story has yet to be told. Besides, there are no errands for me to run until nightfall. I insist.""Well as you recall, she and I set upon the farmlands north of Silva where we had hoped to last a good year or so before returning back home. The price of the gold that I excavated during my adventures would have driven the landlord insane with greed. But alas, a quarter of our earnings was enough to satisfy us both."The mage made no distinct display of intrigue for the gold, but hung on to every word as...

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Hardball

Henry Riddle

So what's the catch?*She looked at him wryly. He thought his stomach churned, but he steadied himself.I mean, why are you sitting there. Taking in the sunrise?Apparently, you must need glasses, because a, the sun's going down since it's nighttime, and b, I just beat the shit out of the other team by one run, and it's only been thirty minutes. Can't a girl rest?How much rest do you need?Less than you, I think. Are you waiting for someone?No.Just sticking close to the infield. Fantasizing about being the next Strawberry, Smith, or Sax. I will ...

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The Law of Betrayal

Henry Riddle

The box was heavy and only hurt more to look at it. A dull sheet of grey on all sides to appear inconspicuous to the eye. Brimming with content but giving no audible sign of frailty when pushed closed. One padlock dangling from the face, swaying like jewelry upon a nose. All nine of them had the same vestige and components. It was as if the maker, Aaron Levie, had designed boxes for every conceivable instance, cargo, or condition. He was no oracle or for-seer of any sort, but any customer with a box or crate in their possession, satisfied th...

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At Odds

Henry Riddle

Unfinished2I cannot recall the number of times Jake trailed me."You have the persistence of a cockroach, you know that?"He smiled unabashedly at my joke. It was times like this when I couldn't tell whether he was oblivious to the insult or received it with the same sardonic gesture I use when the other girls insult me."How can you refuse this?" He asked in all sincerity, "Your status has dropped 7 points, that's 7 classmates who all previously said you were a decent girl. Want to know the worst part?"Beneath my glazed composure lied an insat...

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A Snake Tries To Run

Henry Riddle

The air appears to carry a great density to it. The turk cheerless sky helps emit the illusion that you’re surrounded by an enclave of physical darkness. It’s only after you take a prolonged breath that you realize the air is just as clean and synergetic as any other night. The aftertaste settles in the back of your throat as another brief thought whisks by: is air delicious?The asphalt you walk on reaches a rump and you're shook from your reverie. Beneath your white shoe are the stained wood planks, brown complexions that appear to hav...

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Starting with the man in the mirror

Henry Riddle

DO NOT READ THIS:Self Care is the greatest middle finger of all time. *What's that terrible noise. That's the only thought I'm able to get out before my fall from the wrinkled futon. I barley acknowledge the injured fingers my thigh lands on as I force my eyes open. My ram-shacked home materializes to greet me a 'good morning'. All I do is grunt back. Gus, the man at the Pizza Hut driver in has better manners, but at least it's something. Speaking of which, the empty cardboard lies open, a dark oval inside, sitting just on top of ...

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Red Dusk

Henry Riddle

The soccer ball rings the leg of the goal and falls to a rest. From the bleachers, it looks like a goal worthy of a full minute roar of applause. From how I am sprinting, it almost looks like a lucky shot. The latter opinion is the most probable, as I have been juggling the ball for thirty kicks before deciding that one record break a day is more than adequate. Perspective is everything, I tell myself.After witnessing the ball come to a complete stop, my sprint tempers to a jog and comes to a walk. I am heading towards the setting sun, which...

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This City Has a Vast Memory

Henry Riddle

The roof was vacant, as it was meant to be. The sounds of the streets were nearly indistinguishable from the twilight silence that cloaked the place. The roof, aside from the few objects illuminated by nearby neon lights, was still and monochromatic. The metal platform was covered in dregs of loose pebbles, broken glass, and the leavings of birds and men. White and red splotches. The floor had not always been the sporadic design it was now. But time after time when me came up here to speak, tussle, drink, or simply appreciate the beauty of p...

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Broken Castle

Henry Riddle

The shirt instantly soaked on the floor. Its marine cotton turning a poisoned dark blue when it lay upon the water. Although the water was devoid of any toxic or acidic substance, it was still an uncomfortable position to be in. Days of labor by tailors, seamstresses, and fashion designers was being appraised by the leftover spill.But then, Henry rose from the floor, halting the spread. He quickly tugged the back towards his left abdomen for a better view, and attempted to strangle the stain of all vapor. The shirt hissed as it lost drop aft...

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The Wicker of Whispers

Henry Riddle

It was quiet in her room. It had been that way since morning. But that was not uncommon. What was uncommon was that it had lasted all day, to now, the night, which was more foreboding that soothing. A conclusion of a year long campaign against a nation that declared war only because they got in the way of her father and their kingdom's expansion was supposed to become a reality in matter of days and a stronghold. However, many noblemen claimed that a knife was being held at the emperor's throat from behind the curtain. As if another vicious ...

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Obliviate (Please)

Henry Riddle

It's been several years since my brother told me I should sit it out. He didn't scream or shout, his compassion was always the front of all emotions, but at the same time I felt betrayed. How could I obey my brother's abrupt request to stay when I was encouraged consistently to take a chance. The docks that I stand upon are beautiful. Beautiful and eerie. I find it peculiar how often those two descriptions coincide. But perhaps it was the low orange rays of light, spreading its arms across the shore, that bedazzled me to think such t...

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Baroque

Henry Riddle

My dad asked me if I was excited. I told him 'sure' as I put down a book by one of my favorite authors and met his gaze. His smile wrinkled by the hardships and turbulent emotions that passed through him in his adulthood. I smiled back.That warmth would have remained untamed had it not been for mom, who warned me to be nice. I showed no facial transformation, but I found it demeaning that she still treated me like a child after these past few years. I knew better than her that the mood of an atmosphere, especially social ones, always depende...

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