Herman W Clarke

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2021

Stories (6)

6 Stories

261 karma pts

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“Möbius Strip” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #252

The old man’s eyes had seen too much; the young man knew this, because the skin around his eyes was deep, and dark. The old man’s hands had felt too much; he knew this, because his hands were leathery and pocked full of scars. The man had lived for too long; his crooked and broken posture betrayed this secret even from a distance. The young man had met him at this bus stop every morning for the past three years, and with each year that passed, the old man appeared to have unnaturally aged by five. The young man pitied him, but there was also...

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“My neighbour, Percival” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #241

Under clouds heavy with rain, a herald carrying the Earl’s banner arrived in the centre of Avebury village. He dismounted his horse, and in the time it took him to retrieve the scroll of parchment from the saddlebag a throng - wrought with apprehension - began to form around him.The thatched homesteads and hovels emptied, village folk whispering of war, who it might be with, and how many of the village’s men might be called upon to join the Earl’s levy.The herald held out the parchment at an arm’s length and loudly began his announcement: “A...

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“308 Years Later” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #224

“Just listen, don’t talk. You need time to wake up, for your eyesight to return. Everything will be a little hazy and you might not remember how you got here, but you need to focus on my voice. My name is Dr Yadav."I tried to lean forward, but my body felt as if it weighed 100 tonnes. I barely moved an inch before I slumped back into the bed.“This is going to be a lot to hear at once, but it’s important that you know these things right away. In 2043, your body was suspended in an experimental bio-amber, freezing your body until woken. You pa...

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“Fermi, Where Did The Stars Go?” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #210

ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE '33 Dr Johannes Korhonen, principal senior researcher at the ELT telescope, thought that people would call him a madman. He had even begun to think so himself. If he published his findings, he told himself, his credibility in the field of astrophysics would be eviscerated. But the results of the spectrographic scans were undeniable: dozens of stars were disappearing from the night sky.“Maria!” he shouted at the door. “I’ve found something remarkable!” Maria, assistant researcher to Dr Korhonen, came bounding into the offic...

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“Stars, Shooting Across The Bow” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #209

The cashier of the Tex-Am gas station slammed the side of the crackling television set. The signal, which seldom reached this far into the deserts of New Mexico, began to fade again, before buzzing momentarily back into life. “40 days on, and theories on where June’s comet landed are still abound. We’re here in Artesia New Mexico to ask local people their thoughts on the phenomenon.” The news reporter announced, approaching an elderly woman in the street. “You - miss - any theories on June’s comet? A sign of good things to come, perhaps...

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“Photograph of your dreams” by Herman W Clarke

Submitted to Contest #144

She clicks the button of her film camera, capturing the gleeful faces of graduates huddled together in the lobby of the university. The lobby, sterile, colourful and featureless contrasts sharply with the warm humanity captured inside these photographs. She clicks the button of her camera again, and she clicks it again and when the click weakens she knows that there is no film left. The pride on the faces of the graduates washes away at the hollow click, leaving only disappointment. This almost breaks her heart. “I’ll be back”, she says, doi...

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Author bio

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