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John Del Rio

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020

Stories (56)
Comments
Library
135 Followers
75 Following

56 Stories

1447 karma pts

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In the Library

Submitted to Contest #91

“So I’m in the library and I stumble across this book.” As he is saying this, the large man holds out a small leather volume, that is clearly old, and has seen better days. He is a big man; nearly 190 centimeters tall with broad shoulders and tipping the scales at 18 stone. The man hands the book to a small figure and continues; “I mean I literally stumble on the thing.” The one now holding the book smiles brightly and opens the old volume as the bigger man keeps talking. “It must have fallen off its’ shelf;” he continues, “I snatched ...

17 likes 9 comments 9
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Gewehr 98

Submitted to Contest #90

Rockhampton Express. For an express train, it did seem to be somewhat; not. There had been multiple stops; many of them unexpected, along the way of an already lengthy rail trip. This particular coach was fairly crowded. The bench style seats held 3 adults comfortably, and nearly every single one was full. For almost the entire journey, he had a bench all to himself. He was several hours from his destination; having travelled through the long night. There had been several times after stopping at various stations, that someone had walke...

21 likes 8 comments 8
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Vittorio

Submitted to Contest #89

He hadn’t always been a killer. He had started life as an adorable, chubby babe. From outward appearances, his early life had been quite idyllic and indeed, even privileged. His family was descended from a minor Italian noble house; more wealth than importance really. His mother had encouraged him to join the clergy, and he had been in his first year of seminary school when the Great War erupted. His experiences over his several years at War definitely changed him. In particular it was his time in the chalky trenches during what ...

15 likes 5 comments 5
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About Pecht

Submitted to Contest #87

Pecht had found over the years that he sometimes lost track of time. He knew that this happened to a lot of individuals. He didn’t think that this happened to a lot of people like himself; because technically, he wasn’t “people”.Now Pecht did not forget anything; ever. It might sometimes take him a moment to speak or act: because he was recalling so much and contemplating so many possibilities, but to outward appearances he could seem somewhat scatterbrained.Pecht was a Pixie. These days, it was exceedingly rare to encounter any sort of bein...

18 likes 6 comments 6
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Cornish Heath

Submitted to Contest #86

Nellie was near the rear of the shoppe when her aunt opened the door for the killer. It was a little past normal closing time for Flowry. That is the name of the thriving floral boutique that is run by her aunt. Nellie has worked there for several years. The front door to Flowry was a milky glass; this did not lend itself to knowing who was on the other side of the portal. There were two large windows to either side of the door; but if you didn’t see who was coming, through one of those windows, then it was a surprise when they ent...

17 likes 2 comments 2
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GERALD 2.0

Submitted to Contest #85

Gerald looked confident; it was a look that did not often cross his coarse features. Teague told him; “I don’t see how you can be so sure about that?” “Vittorio has got to be on the run now; because as much as Mr. Penrose did not want to start anything permanent with the Italians;” Gerald explained to Teague. “You have to know that the Italians’ feel the same.” It made sense; what Gerald was saying, Teague had to admit. This was unusual because more often than not, it was Teague’s job to explain things to his coworker, and fellow troub...

14 likes 2 comments 2
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Tenkha

Submitted to Contest #83

Gerald looked confused; it was a look that often crossed his coarse features. Teague told him;”I said we need to get you a change of clothes Gerald”The enterprise bruiser tilted his head slightly; like a hound who had heard an unusual sound. So Teague continued with; “you look like bloody murder man.”This was absolutely the case: the large man was currently in his shirtsleeves, having discarded his cotton jersey because it was drenched with his life’s blood. This was due to Gerald’s encounter with Vittorio in a back room of the Italian eater...

13 likes 23 comments 23
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GERALD

Submitted to Contest #84

Gerald looked confused; it was a look that often crossed his coarse features. Teague told him; “I said that they took Pet from her, not that they took her pet.” This had admittedly confused Gerald because Teague seemed to be contradicting himself. It wasn’t Gerald’s fault if the other man sometimes didn’t make no sense. Gerald had gone on to comment about various sorts of pets; like his sister’s rabbit. That thing had not cared much for Gerald. He had tried giving it carrots and other things that rabbits are supposed to like but it ...

20 likes 6 comments 6
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Nellie

Submitted to Contest #81

She remembered the first time she had met him. It had been early morning, and the large man had been in the shoppe looking for flowers for his employer. “Pardon me Miss,” the big man had said. “Do you have any Cornish heath?” Nellie had to take a moment to consider the question, because she had not been the one to pick up the day’s large order of flowers for the thriving floral boutique where she was employed. “You know some folks call it Wandering Heath“ she had told the big man. “That’s what my Mum used to call it” Fitz had told ...

12 likes 5 comments 5
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Tobias

Submitted to Contest #80

Holy Moly was the first thought that popped into young Tobias’ mind as he spied the little man walking through the hallway of the fine hotel. Tobias had seen more than you might expect considering his young age. But he had not seen something like this before. He had already seen a historical day in the unseasonal Snowfall that happened this afternoon. It was only mid-June and yet it had snowed  in the city for several hours. And now; if he wasn’t mistaken, he had to be one of the first to see an actual fairy in the city. He was on...

12 likes 5 comments 5
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Razors' Edge

Submitted to Contest #79

Gerald looked confused; it was a look that often crossed his coarse features. Teague told him; “I told you that I would deal with Vittorio, what were you thinking.” Gerald tried to speak, but he couldn’t find the breath. That will happen when you find yourself on the wrong side of an ivory handled razor. Gerald who was normally a ruddy faced individual, was now exceedingly pale, and growing more ashen by the moment. That will also happen when you find yourself on the wrong side of a razor. Teague had found Gerald amidst the maze of ...

12 likes 11 comments 11
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What kind of Pet?

Submitted to Contest #78

Gerald looked confused; it was a look that often crossed his coarse features. Teague told him; “I said that they took Pecht from her, not that they took her pet”. The third man who was larger still than both of the other two large men looked at the interaction with a slight smile on his plain, serious face. Gerald spoke once again; “well what kind of pet did the cook lady keep? Was it a dog, a cat, a rabbit?” Teague slowly shook his head as the bruiser continued with his not quite tirade; maybe it was a speech, it was at least said wi...

11 likes 7 comments 7
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Snow Day

Submitted to Contest #77

Teague found himself in front of his employer’s door. The door was closed, which was a little unusual. Mr. Penrose prided himself on his approachability and his door was almost always “famously” open. The door in question opened onto a suite of rooms with the first and largest being the office where Penrose held court if you will, and otherwise conducted daily business for the Enterprise that he had spent years building. The door was in one of the finer hotels on the West Side of the city. It was different than all of the...

15 likes 6 comments 6
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What's next

Submitted to Contest #75

This all started because I swore something that I never would have the year before. That's not to say that I wouldn't have made this particular vow; it's just that before a few days ago I didn't know that there was a reason for me to swear to kill a yet to be decided number of people. I know that might seem horrible. Honestly I have to say that no matter the justification; no matter the type of people involved, it is a rather horrible thing that I am contemplating. So now i’m in the back of a patrol car he thinks to himself...

10 likes 0 comments 0
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Nadelik Surprise

Submitted to Contest #73

It’s Christmas eve and he’s nervous. Not many things make him nervous. He is a big man. Two meters tall and weighing in at 21 stone, there aren’t that many men larger than him. He has thick hair, black as pitch, and a calm serious face.  His full name is Branok Fitzsimmons, but most know him only as Fitz. His employer routinely calls him by his given name; something only his mother and father had done before they passed several years prior.    Coincidentally his employer was one of the few things t...

12 likes 2 comments 2
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