John Rutherford

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2023

Stories (13)

13 Stories

352 karma pts

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“Daisy 2” by John Rutherford

Something cracked or popped in her head, it wasn’t physical, like the realignment of joints or soft tissue cracking under pressure, it was an emotional pop; an explosion in her brain, a soft pop, like a bubble of chewing gum exploding, as the force of the trapped air escaped the flimsy gum membrane. The membrane was the thin line between Denise’s dreams and the reality, and the pop now occurring was those dreams being pu...

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“Nipper” by John Rutherford

The famous painting was displayed on the easel, the protective covering cloth draped behind the easel to make the artwork fully visible to both Francis Barraud, the artist and oil painter, and William Owen the potential buyer. They both surveyed the painting in hushed silence, in the boardroom of William’s offices in London. William broke the silence. “Yes, this is good, but can you rework or repai...

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“Daisy” by John Rutherford

(It’s not a concert, it’s not a nightclub, it’s the 19th century, but that day of the poetry recital did have a spiritual experience for Susan, which lasted a lifetime.) (This is part of a chapter from a book. Excerpts of the book have already been adapted for short stories. This is a chapter with the underlying theme of karma “The law of growth” – Daisy the dog that inspired Denise with her wr...

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“SEVEN” by John Rutherford

SEVEN – the lands of constraint and the infinitesimal. The lands were governed by seven rulers, representing, two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth – named The Seven. These seven ruling figures governed by the dogma handed down from generations upon generations. No one questioned the dogma; it was followed blindly in every minute detail. Life itself was constrained by...

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“Crossed Paths” by John Rutherford

He was rummaging around in the box, trying to find the piece of paper that contained her address. The box contained many possessions from a previous life, artifacts, pictures, memorabilia, left behind when they moved abroad. There was the uniform cap, scrap books of sojourns and travels, it was a time capsule of sorts. He found it, a scrap of paper with her address. His Dad appeared at his side, stood bes...

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“Winning ticket” by John Rutherford

Dot stared hard at her stewed cup of tea, clenched tightly between hands, as though she were praying at an altar. Thinking deeply about her life and her problems. It was a normal day, sitting in Jim’s café along the road from Liverpool Street station, waiting for her son to arrive by bus from his school. Good hearted Jim, the owner of the small café, generously served Dot her afternoon tea without opening the till. Jim w...

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“Butch” by John Rutherford

Butch loved an open fire. All open fires, the small fire with the black metal grate in the station master’s office, the furnace fire being stoked underneath the boiler of the locomotive trains, or here today, the big open log fire crackling and sparking as the greyish blue plume disappeared upwards in the wide sooty chimney. Butch was the son of Prumt and Beatrice, his legacy, a Jack Russel legacy, was a karmic dog legac...

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“Bert's Botch” by John Rutherford

My Dad was my hero! He was my hero in so many ways. Not like a hero from DC or Marvel comics, he was my real-life hero, someone that was part of my life, someone to look up to, someone to take into your head, your heart, your soul, a spirit that lingers on for the rest of your living days. His name was Bert, the picture hanging in the room, of that smiling and grinning face, with an ear-to-ear smile, gre...

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“Fitz” by John Rutherford

“I’m going round and round in circles here, Fitz, what’s the answer boy.” The physician looked down at the dog; the dog cocked its ear and looked at his master with intent; listening with sparkling intelligent eyes. The flickers of the candle reflecting in the pupils of the dog’s eyes. It was 1846 in Vienna, the small shabby room was framed in darkness, only the flickering candlelight, showed the untidy p...

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“Baggit” by John Rutherford

Baggit She appeared in front of the table of the Yorkshire Rose that evening, like Medusa, the snakes were replaced by this long fizzy 70’s style look, that had been hastily doused with a spray can of wet look. The three at the table didn’t turn to stone, but her appearance created a sudden end to the quiet conversation, and they all looked ...

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“Revenge is a double-edged sword” by John Rutherford

Revenge is a double-edged sword. Revenge is a feeling that is all consuming. It will eat you up inside like cancer, psychologically wise, pervading all other thoughts. So many days and nights, his thoughts darkened, and brow narrowed, and he vowed he would have his vengeance. He now felt cheated and betrayed b...

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“The fable of KOAN the fox & PRUMT the dog” by John Rutherford

The spirit in the sky recognized my ancestors for their bravery and fair-mindedness. Yes, they hunted the foxes in their burrows. But, unbeknown to the humans, except The Reverend John, we never harmed the foxes, we honored their homes, and their families. Always, making sure the little fox cubs and their parents were never harmed. That code of conduct between my ancestors, and the fox kingdom, became a great fable in th...

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“Women’s Day on Moon Day” by John Rutherford

He wanted to impress her. In her culture Women’s Day was a big deal. He had seen this over many years, when he worked in numerous offices, and processions of flower deliveries arrived at the ladies’ desk, the more the better. Every woman or girl became the recipient of flowers, gifts, this was the queen of days on the annual calendar. He was so eager to impress her and show his care and gentlemanly attention. But the universe was against it. This year, anyway.She was an avid believer in astrology, and the moon’s cycles. ...

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Author bio

It has always been a passion of mine to write. This is the right time in my life to sit down and pick up the pen. After years of traveling like a gypsy around this beautiful planet we all have the privilege to experience each day, I started to write down, children’s stories, mythical stories, stories that are inspired by poems, Chicken Soup stories, and stories from my adventurous past. It’s time in my life to be creative, and to use my imagination. I hope you find some pleasure in my scribblings, and dear readers, thank you for your time. Kindly provide your feedback. With the first step taken, like a lot of my life, I don’t have any idea where the journey will take me.