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James Mckinley

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (29)

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16 Followers

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29 Stories

520 karma pts

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Faith no more

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 ...

6 likes

Its just not the same

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...

9 likes

Meal gone wrong

Submitted to Contest #100

Allen was looking at his watch as he left out of the building. He didn’t want to be late for his next appointment. That was the scheme of Allen’s whole life, planned down to the second. Every since he got out of high school and got into a prestigious college, he has been a stickler for detail. It is time management, precision in everything that is his key to success. He practices it in his daily routine right down to a bathroom break. Now he has to be on time to keep up with his schedule. So he is out of the building and to the Taxi sta...

6 likes

The right choice

Submitted to Contest #95

It had been a long day. I was worn down to the frazzle. All I wanted was to catch my bus and head home. The Metro street bus came pulling up. Just as it came to a stop, several people got off. I looked through the window as they disembarked and saw that it had been standing room only. I stepped up as the last person got off of the front of the bus. I looked around and it didn’t seem that there was anywhere to sit. I thought to myself, great now I have to stand up, my feet ache and I am weary. Just as I was about to give up hope, a person nea...

8 likes

inherited shadows

Submitted to Contest #92

The paved road had long ago given way to dirt and gravel. I was a bit worried about the whole situation. We had started out from the city before the sun was up, not that we needed the sun in a metropolitan area. The bright white lights that hung from each lamp post gave a soft white glow that lit up the whole area. As we got further and further out of the city though, I began to realize that there was another world out here. I hadn’t wanted to come on this trip, but my cousin and friend said it would be fun. I was actually bewildered and tak...

7 likes

The Book

Submitted to Contest #91

Randall hadn’t always been an ardent believer in any one cause or group. He wasn’t really a leader, he was more of a follower, in fact he was more of a fringe hanger on. He never really thought he fit in anywhere. He wasn’t an athlete, he didn’t relish academics, he just simply went with the flow. Then one day while surfing the web, he came across a website that had great graphics. He began to read up on the ideas that the people who put it up were advocating. He got up the courage to sign up for one of the virtual group me...

8 likes

Global disaster

Submitted to Contest #90

Congressman Langstrom looked out the window of his Oklahoma home. The arid dry land that could be seen for miles was covered in tumble weeds. He took a drink from his water bottle with the filter on top to make doubly sure that no contaminates such as micro dust particles were consumed. The water tasted like a hospital surgical ward he thought. He could remember back in 2025 when water had a certain quality that was pleasing, now anything you drink has to be filtered and rigorously tested to make sure you don’t get sick. He hit the button on...

4 likes

what tomorrow brings

Submitted to Contest #89

Bryan couldn’t believe his mother was still trying to baby him. Today was his high school graduation and she will still fussing over him. He was 18 for goodness sake, he just wished she would stop fawning over him. In a second hand suit with a polyester tie with cap and gown in hand, in just over an hour he would be crossing the stage to receive his diploma. Finally, he was out of school, not that it hadn’t been fun, because it hadn’t. Bryan was a square peg, not for round holes, but there were no holes that fit him where h...

6 likes

The Unvarnished Truth

Submitted to Contest #88

The traffic outside was loud! Marcus didn’t want to get up yet. His head was throbbing, it felt like the rhythmic beat of a machine gun. He knew he shouldn’t have stayed out late last night celebrating with friends. Now the 26 year old activist is what his dad calls “Paying The Bill”! It isn’t a bill he wants to pay right now. He looks at the clock through blurred eyes, it is 10:30 am. Too dam early, but he needs to get up and pull it together. So out of bed and on to the tread mill, a trick he learned playing baseball in high school , exer...

9 likes

Be Careful What You Wish For

Submitted to Contest #87

Angus McKinley wasn’t what you would call a lucky man. In fact you might say he was a bit of a hard luck story. For most of his life, it seemed that he was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He always seemed to make poor choices that lead him to inevitable bad outcomes. Many people said that the Irish were lucky, but not Angus, he seemed to have been born under a dark cloud. Of course, you couldn’t say that other factors didn’t contribute to his poor circumstances. You see, Angus had been brought up by a dad who was less than ...

10 likes

One With Nature

Submitted to Contest #86

ONE WITH NATURE &nb...

8 likes

Changing The Neighborhood

Submitted to Contest #85

Changing The Neighborhood By James M. Vines I cannot believe it, another business is closin...

9 likes

Making It Work

Submitted to Contest #84

Making It Work By James M. Vines The Sun ca...

7 likes

110 comments 110

Up From The Depths

Submitted to Contest #83

Up From The Depths By Jam...

6 likes