James Mckinley

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (27)

27 Stories

494 karma pts

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“cemetery ghost ” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #274

The worn path through the woods was covered with newly fallen leaves. The trail was known to many who took the short cut. It was a quick way for you to shave at least a mile off of your walk. Instead of traversing the main road, you could cut through woods behind an old church. The trail was marked and used year-round by bird watchers, nature lovers and hikers alike. Some people claimed that it felt unwelcoming at certain times of day. In the early morning when mist would rise from a small creek between the trail and the church where an old ...

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“Dandelion rain” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #239

Dandelions, why did it have to be Dandelions! I just wanted a little water to cool things off. Oh, my mom is going to be mad at me! One little weather spell gone awry, and I get flowers falling from the sky. I know I read the spell right and mixed the potion properly. Now I have flowers falling from the clouds instead of cooling rain drops. Instead of lightning flashes I have pollen burst. The sky looks like a yellow tapestry of gold dust. I can only imagine the people in the village, they will be sneezing their heads off for a week. I guess...

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“a new adventure” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #231

Journal entry: the sky is overcast this morning and they say we are expecting more rain. It is humid and hot here and I am not sure when I will be dry again. My tent seems to work well enough but the Mosquito netting is a bit tedious. I got tangled up in it again this morning when I had to get up and go pee. I am having trouble getting used to the silence, or at least the lack of the drone of artificial noise. The sounds of nature can be just as deafening but I have been assured that I will soon get used to it. I know I resolved to stop sitt...

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“the arrival” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #210

The Arrival The Earth, a blue jewel sitting in a precarious position near a Yellow Sun. A planet with so many questions and struggling for answers. Through wars, political upheavals and disasters both manmade and natural, there was always a hope that someone or something would save us from ourselves, unfortunately that never materialized. For the first part of the 21st century, humanity struggled with the same old familiar problems, then in 2030 there was finally a breaking point. The breaking point was both in scientific advancement and c...

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“making a change” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #192

Jessica looked in the mirror, she stared at her face and her hair. She leaned even closer over the sink getting a really good look at herself. She wasn't dissatisfied with her appearance; it just reminded her of her situation. She looked at her arms and the tattoos she had. She turned on the cold water and leaned over to wash her face. She still felt kind of hung over from too many beers the night before. It had been her 23rd birthday and she had partied with some of her friends, yeah, her friends. Some of them were 30 years old and still ha...

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“technology troubles” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #184

Houston, we have a problem, that is what I said to my cat Houston who sat indifferently as I tried to get the TV to come on. The remote wasn't working again. I will now have to get the manual out and reprogram the thing, which takes forever! I leave the security of my nice warm bed and lumber through the apartment to find the book written in so many convenient different languages. I speak English, or at least the American variant of the language. I finally find it in the drawer of my desk stuffed in the back with a bunch of receipts that I h...

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“misfortune” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #180

Oh how my foot hurts! My back aches and I think I am coming down with something. I have a headache to end all headaches. My whole life has fallen apart! I can't wait until I can get into a hot shower and then into bed. Oh crap, what is this on my door. A notice from the landlord, the hot water is going to be out for the next two days, why me! I was doing so well! I was sailing along without a care in the world, now the world hates me! I cannot figure out what is going on? I get into my apartment and nearly fall over a package that my landlor...

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“changing” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #174

The Alarm clock won't stop. I put my pillow back over my head but I can still hear it. I roll over and hit the snooze button. I then look at the time and panic, but then it hits me, I don't have to get up this morning. It is 7am and for the first time in years I am not on a tightrope schedule. I pull the covers back over my head but then my bladder hits me, I shouldn't have drunk so much water last night before bed, but my diet says stay hydrated. So, I pull the covers back and roll off of my futon and slide across the floor in my wool socks...

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“you don't need money” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #159

You don’t need money The world was evolving, the ideas and concepts of the 20th century were fading as a new generation of people began to mature. The designations of Generation X, Generation this that or other was lost. The invention of cyber currencies that were derived from computer generated algorithms had come of age. As computer savvy teenagers and 20 something young adults began to find more creative ways to engage in commerce, the governments of the world were falling behind. The use of coined money and hard currency was being repl...

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“why should I care” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #155

I don’t even bother to watch the news anymore. What is the point of hearing nothing but bad news. I go to bed and I am tired. I wake up and I am tired. I leave my apartment and there are people sitting on the sidewalk strung out on something. I walk around them because I have to get to work. I get to work and someone is always calling out sick. My boss tells me I have to pick up the slack, he doesn’t care that I have problems of my own. I go to school 2 nights a week trying to finish my degree so I can hopefully get out of a crappy life into...

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“The Tea Service” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #154

The glint of the enamel coating was a little dull. The gold trim was slightly faded. The serving tray had seen better days, but my Grand mother was still proud of her tea service. She would bring it out every time I would come to visit. She would take such care to place the cups on doilies and the pot containing the hot water in the center along with the cream jar and the sugar bowl. The service was able to accommodate 6 people and came with accompanying small plates for serving scones. My grand mother was ever so proud of her tea biscuits. ...

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“Through anothers eyes” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #105

The room was quiet; all you could hear was the sound of breathing. Alex was sitting on the side of the exam table waiting for the doctor to come in. His brother Mark was in the room with him along with his mother. It had been what seemed like an eternity since the accident had taken his eyesight. Now after nearly two years of waiting on a donor and 6 weeks after the surgery, he would finally learn if the transplant took, he would finally find out if he can see again. The door opens and the doctor walks in. Hello he says with a cheerful dispo...

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“waiting on a sign” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #103

Julie was so dog eared tired of bad relationships. She had tried everything from dating apps to blind dates to going out to clubs to meet people. It seemed that no matter how much she tried on her own, she just kept ending up with mismatches or total jerks. So finally in desperation, she decided to turn to the supernatural, no not Witch craft, but Astrology. She began keeping track of her Zodiac sign and looking at horoscopes. She began burning incense to clear out negative energy that was plaguing her life. She even hired someone to redecor...

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“Faith no more” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #102

Has it really been 20 years James thought as he limped up the Granite steps at the front of a Federal Prison? He couldn’t believe it had been that long. He thought back to when he could still run up the steps, and was full of optimism. Now 20 years on, the system has taken its toll on him. He staggers up the stairs one last time, through the sliding wrought iron gate. It is the last shift, the last day of his career. The building still looks the same, the ornate wrought iron fixtures, and the shined brass lamps on the wall. The White Marble ...

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“Its just not the same” by James Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #101

The rooster crowed, and then the cows began to moo. Mary stumbled out of bed and into her slippers. Life starts early on a farm, each morning is a routine. She goes in and jostles her son awake along with his wife Peggy. She heads down to the kitchen and turns on the lights. She looks out the window and sees the horizon getting light. The sun is finally awake thanks to the rooster. She goes to the cabinet and gets out her mixing bowl. She pours flour into it and begins making doe. The stove is turned on and set to 400 degrees, a routine that...

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Author bio

I am a world traveler. I am a student of philosophy and history. I have been writing on and off for most of my adult life. My focus has been mostly on poetry and short stories. I have only been published in a few obscure periodicals. I write and post on Hello Poetry since 2015. I have retired from one profession and I am currently looking into another.