Ken Coomes

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jun, 2020

Stories (44)

44 Stories

1080 karma pts

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“Wishes (Lucy, part V)” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #51

It’s late, it’s dark, it’s lonely. I’m sitting at the train station, waiting for the next train. I don’t know where it’s headed, and I don’t really care. As long as it’s away from here. And not back to San Quentin. There’s no one else here. I can’t even buy a ticket yet. Out of nowhere this woman appears and walks over to my bench. She sits down next to me, leaving a small amount of space. I can smell her perfume; Woolworth’s Summer. Lucy’s favorite scent. I can’t not look at her, even though I really want to be alone with my thoughts....

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“Counting Stars (Lucy, part III)” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #51

I looked up at the velvet canopy overhead, littered with diamonds. Well, at least at the small square of the universal quilt I could see through my cell window. I loved the night. My cellmates, and most of the inmates here in San Quentin, preferred the daytime. That was when we got to be out of our cells, spending time in the prison yard. It was a little easier to remember what it was like to be free when you could feel the sun on your face and the breeze and smell the grass. And when you could take maybe 100 steps in a row without runnin...

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“Grace” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

“I’ll help,” Grace offered, with a baby on her hip and another crawling between her legs. She felt so tired. But Penelope needed her help. “But you’ve got six kids of your own,” Penelope countered. “I’ll try to find somebody else to watch my Nicky.” “Don’t be silly,” Grace argued. “A gaggle of 7 kids isn’t any more difficult to watch than a gaggle of 6 children. The more you put together, the more they find ways to entertain themselves.” Except for when they aggravate each other, thought Grace. Sometimes I wish Penelope wanted to watch a...

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“Victim to Victor” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

Rachel Timmons strode into the courtroom with confidence. She felt like all eyes were drawn to her as she proceeded to the table for the prosecution.  She suspected some of those eyeballs were glued to her tailored Saint Laurent double-breasted lamé-striped wool-blend jacket. “Maybe even to my double-breasted body filling it out,” she allowed herself to indulge in a small lack of humility. Others were probably paying closer attention to her pin-striped wool-blend trousers, also by Saint Laurent. The thought “I hope they’re not staring...

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“Chess Moves” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

Matt looked the chessboard over, very carefully. Then he moved his Rook to h4, announcing “Check.” He raised his head to look at Sam, sitting across from him. She wasn’t studying the board - she was looking at him with that cute little half-smile of hers. “Are you sure you want to move there?” Sam asked. Matt’s gaze lingered on Sam’s face a few seconds more, then he returned his attention to the chessboard.  “I thought I did, until you said that.” Matt looked over the board again. He noticed Sam could take Rook with Knight, revers...

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“Anniversary Paper” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

Ron set his BCW magazine and document bin, sized for comics from the Golden Age, on the counter in Jeremy’s comic book store. But he didn’t let go of it; not just yet. Then he looked up as Jeremy finished a sale and headed his way.“What’cha got?” Jeremy asked with a smile. “Some more Archie and Jughead?” This was a standing joke between the two of them. Jeremy knew full well that Ron didn’t care for what they referred to as “funny books” instead of comics. He was a full-on dedicated collector of superhero comics. And while Jeremy was knowled...

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“Hmm.” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #48

Hmm. If you could wish for one superpower it would be flying? Hmm. I’ve never really thought about flying as a superpower. After all, birds fly. Except for Penguins. There can’t be a single penguin that can fly, surely. If they could fly, you just know they wouldn’t stay that far North, or South, all year long.  Oh, and Ostriches can’t fly. Run like crazy, yes; but that’s not a superpower, either. Stick their head in the sand? Better than anyone, I guess. But they can’t fly. Still, most birds fly. Hold on, I’ll be right back. Zip. ...

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“Party On” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #47

You check the time on your new luxury Apple watch, the Brikk Lux Watch Omni. Four minutes after eight o’clock. And based on the cars parked up and down the street, everyone else is already here. Except for Francine. You don’t see her Beemer anywhere. Perfect. As intended, you’ve arrived fashionably late. With time to spare. You look in the mirror one more time. It’s a good thing you do. A touch more mascara will complement your hazel eyes just the right amount. Naturally, your eye shadow, blush, and lipstick are preternaturally superb. You...

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“Cloudy, with a Chance of Golf” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #47

Staring out the window, you mutter a string of choice words. In your mind; not out loud, even though you are the only one here. Then you laugh.“It’s true,” you tell yourself. “Weathermen,” you ponder briefly, wondering if weatherwomen is a word yet, and you decide it probably isn't, “and weather women get paid a lot of money, and they don’t even have to get it right. If they share their best guesses on television they get paid even more.”This isn’t the first time the forecast has been wrong. It isn’t even the first time this week. You should...

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“Plan A” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #47

Suitcase in hand, you head to the station. At least, that’s the plan, as you lock your door behind you and walk to the car. Perhaps you should call it Plan A. It seems like most of your plans these days change often, sometimes daily.You open the trunk, toss in the suitcase, close the trunk and get in the driver’s seat. Then you can’t help yourself; you look at the passenger seat to your right. The seat where Jinny used to sit. It’s empty now, of course.Taking a deep breath you detect a hint of Grasse Jasmine and May Rose, bringing along whis...

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“Regrets” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #47

What? Another postponement? Those were your thoughts, but somehow they didn't make it from your brain to your mouth. “That's OK,” you tell him. “I understand.”But you don't understand. Why has he postponed yet again? Is he really interested in you, or not? Wasn't that first date as much fun for him as it was for you? He certainly seemed to enjoy himself. He said he loved it. He said he would call you.Well, he did call. He asked you out again. A lovely invitation to go to the Grand Opening of that new Greek restaurant downtown. Probably becau...

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“The Letter” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #47

You've had a rough six months. Hell, it's been a rough six years. Ever Since cancer took Doris. If there's a silver lining there, and you don't really believe there is, it has to be how fast it took her. She didn't have to go through any prolonged pain, suffering, treatment, wondering how long she had left. That was a mercy. Maybe the lack of kids, too. It was hard on Doris, and hard on you. But she didn't leave any grieving kids behind.The silver lining, if there was one, or maybe two, was heavily tarnished. Days, weeks, months, years passe...

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“The Phone Call” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #46

“Are you going to get a real job now, Johnny? Catherine knows a woman who knows a man looking for another salesman.” “I'm a writer, mom.” “You told me you just finished your book, Johnny. Catherine says Freddy says the job at the insurance company pays really well. Once you have a good number of clients, anyway.” “But mom, . . .” “Listen to me, Johnny. Selling anything pays good money. Except accordion lessons. Remember when you went around the neighborhood trying to sell accordion lessons? That didn't pay well at all.” “I think I remem...

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“Tools of the Trade” by Ken Coomes

Submitted to Contest #46

This is so different, and yet just the same, Wilson mused. He sat staring at the blank white representation of a paper page on his computer screen. It's still white, it's still blank, and I still need to get started. Wilson loved this new computer. His youngest son Andy, otherwise known as “the geek,” designed and assembled the machine. Andy loved computer games and enticed Wilson to try many of them. They could play together, even when physically remote. Consequently, the computer had a large, high-res monitor with a rapid refresh rate, and...

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Author bio

What can I say? I read, I write, I love life. Last year I hosted what I hope will be an annual writer's workshop in the Pacific Northwest. I interview writers and those in the industry on my TV show The Write Stuff. I pulled my 1st 3 novels to write them better.