John Heard

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2023

Stories (4)

4 Stories

77 karma pts

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“La Dolce Vita” by John Heard

Submitted to Contest #239

Wanda began drawing when she was a young girl. When her family lived in Sweden, her father would take her on walks along the Strömkajen, where the ferries departed for the Stockholm archipelago, the chain of islands that connected the city to the Baltic Sea. Wanda had a drawing pad and she sketched the ships, seagulls, and fluffy white clouds that drifted overhead. A sympathetic art teacher gave her some extra pointers about detailing and shading and soon Wanda’s simple drawings improved dramatically. When the family moved to Rom...

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“The 6:18 from Boston ” by John Heard

Submitted to Contest #227

The 6:18 from Boston, or The Hard-Earned Cup of Hot Chocolate It’s odd what you remember, or don’t, about your childhood. A comment, an old picture, or a song can bring it all back or leave a yawning space in your head. I vaguely remember my Uncle Matty. He came home early from the Korean War. He had been shot in the back of the leg. My father said that Matty was never the same in the head after his experience, and he died mysteriously a year later. I was too young to attend his funeral, and that was that. Likewise, my...

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“Start. Stutter. Stop.” by John Heard

Submitted to Contest #198

Larry Jones looked at the clock in his office. One more hour and he could begin his three-week summer vacation. He was the 11th and 12th grade counselor at the Academy School, located an hour west of Boston. The school had 300 students with 75 per grade level. There was another counselor who worked with the 9th and 10th graders and together they shared one secretary. It was a heavy work load, particularly for him as he was responsible for the college admissions process for the senior class.He had reason to be happy this July.&...

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“Leave it to the Caretaker” by John Heard

Submitted to Contest #195

The staff room at the Academy School had been moved twice in the past ten years. At one time it was adjacent to the Head Teacher’s office which made it convenient for the secretaries, Bursar and Registrar but less so for the teachers whose rooms were at the other end of the building. When the Board of Governors introduced a residential program, and the enrollment increased by 30 students, and more administrators were required, the staff room was requisitioned for an office. The staff room was then moved to an empty space which h...

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