John Steckley

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (97)

97 Stories

1869 karma pts

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“It's a Fact” by John Steckley

“It’s the strangest phone message I’ve ever received. And I’ve I had a number of very weird ones. You see I am a retired university scientist, and to keep my mind active, I host a local weekly cable television show called “It’s a fact”. What I do is debunk some of the dumb ideas out there held by a lot of people in town: conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination fears, UFOs, and the like. It is a lot of fu...

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“Plotting in the Library” by John Steckley

It was dark. The library was closed for the night. It should have been quiet inside. But it wasn’t. Sounds could be heard if you walked closely beside the north side of the building.It was Monday night. Earl was taking his dog for a walk, as he did every night. She (her name was Louise) was an energetic dog that require a great deal of exercise. Their Monday night walk took them past the library. There was a path there that leads to a trail in the woods. As they walked past the bui...

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“The Pear Tree” by John Steckley

Ron“I have it now – my own farm. I am working for myself – not my father or my older brothers, but myself. And of course for my wife Diana and our child-to-be. I’m sad, sure, that Granddad died, but the money that he left me gave me enough for a down payment on this farm.           And I’m going to make it like no other farm in the area. People, especially my family members, are always saying ‘Ronnie has his own mind.&nbsp...

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“S.O.S” by John Steckley

One thread that is woven brightly coloured through the cloth of just about every year of my life is the walk in the woods. I remember so well my adventures that way as a child when everything in the woods world was new and exciting, even the little critters that I more or less take for granted now. I had few worries in such walks. My only fear then was that of being bitten by one of the much-dreaded, p...

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“So Here I am” by John Steckley

My Life on MarsSo here I am on Mars, the first human to live on the red planet, and right now the only one. Not bad for a guy who doesn’t generally like to travel, and never did well enough in science and math at school to seriously consider becoming an astronaut. I will be here on this planet for the rest of my life. And I’m feeling now that is not such a bad thing. I would not have thought that a year ago, when I had no idea that there were Martians, that they could come...

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“Hansel and Gretel in the 21st Century” by John Steckley

The children were all sitting quietly in their seats, when their teacher came in with another woman whom they had never seen before. Their teacher spoke with her most formal voice and said: “Students, you are very fortunate today, because our special guest is Hilary Grimsby, the famous author of the children’s book Fairy Tales for Children of the Twenty-First Century. Please greet her with appl...

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“Junior's Joke” by John Steckley

Everyone at work called him ‘Junior’, but not to his face, as they knew he didn’t like it, and he did have power in the company. Still he knew what they were saying when they used his name ‘in vain’. He had overheard such talk too many times for his ego to stand it much longer. It got so bad that he actually thought of removing the listening devices he had planted in quite a few of the offices, one Sun...

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“A Freak of Nature” by John Steckley

Every word came out slowly, like he had to think each one out first carefully before speaking. “Your.. face.. tells… me… you… think… I… am… a … freak, a… freak… of… nature… maybe just… stupid.” He was mostly right, of course. He had read my face right. I was in desperate need of a ‘public interest’ story for our weekly local paper. I had heard about this guy, actually overheard in a bar, from some old-timers talking about ‘Harris the freak.’ These are desperate times for journalists. I have to...

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“Tiptoe Through the Tulips” by John Steckley

Melody walked through her garden very slowly and carefully that day. For reasons that she knew only too well, it was absolutely necessary for her to tiptoe through the tulips at this moment. The explanation is a long, and occasionally complicated story. Here it is. In her teenage years Melody had become a flower child, a hippie. Her given name was Priscilla, which she changed when she turned 16...

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“City Lights” by John Steckley

1978 First Impressions I have arrived. Here I am, a small town kid who just got a good job, my first job that wasn’t working for friends of my parents. I am an employee at Woodbury’s Financial.   And it’s in the big smoke, the city. I did not ever think that this would happen. I have to admit that I am a bit intimidated. Everyone seems so sophisticated, so big city. I wonder whether the peo...

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“March 13, 2020 to 2021” by John Steckley

It all began with the Toilet Paper Crisis It all began on March 13, 2020. That was the day when we were told that there was no more toilet paper to be had. Where I live that is a highly valued commodity. It is kind of  a long term hospice that specializes in taking care of younger people (no one over 60) with disorders that will probably eventually end their lives over a span of at least 10 years. My pare...

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“Shark Beach” by John Steckley

Shark Beach I am sitting in a very friendly open-air bar by the beach of the first tropical island that I have ever visited. I feel like I am in the set for a Jimmy Buffet video, even though I do not drink margaritas and don’t wear flip-flops. The general good feeling that the people in this place have produced for me, makes me think that I can ask the question that has been buzzing in my mind ever since ...

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“One Friday Unlike the Others” by John Steckley

It is late Friday afternoon, 4:56 or 16:56 to be precise. It is almost what my co-workers call ‘quitting time’. They are beginning to talk about subjects that are not work-related. There is smiling and laughter. I can tell that they are making plans as to where they are soon going to go to eat, drink, and, as one co-worker puts it “be merry.” They will not include me in their conversations along these lines. Nor will th...

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“A Thirty Year Old Crush: A Story of Romance and Deception” by John Steckley

This is my story. It is thirty years now since I graduated from high school in this part of the city, and left for a job offer across town, never to return until now. What had been what seemed like a going nowhere job at a hardware store became a career that has just led to an executive job back ‘home’ where I grew up. I need the familiar now, as my second wife and I divorced a year ago.It is funny how certain memories are triggered when you return to the places you once saw nearly every day.&nb...

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“Nano Waves: An Hypothesis” by John Steckley

Beginnings Fred had become involved with science as a teenager both because it was something that he was good at, and because there was a certainty and a kind of security in experiments and supported facts.  Plus he felt no such security in talking to strangers, or even people he knew, but not well. That had remained true throughout his life. So the fact that he would soon be broadcasting live on televisio...

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Author bio

I am a retired college professor who researches and writes about Indigenous languages and cultures. My specialty is the Wendat/Wyandot language.