Kendall Defoe

“Try” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #196

Was it clear from the message what they wanted him to do? * The letter arrived in a beautiful envelope, with his name and address written in embossed letters on red glossy paper. He had woken up that morning wondering if he was going to speak to his neighbor about their dog and their children again (they were always teasing the poor thing when he saw them in their yard). At his front door, he picked up the letter and thought that this might be another joke. But as he read the note inside, he realized that this was a real company and that he ...

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“Zeppo” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #195

Sit down, sit down… There’s no point in having an office like this if I cannot share it with fans, especially ones like you. You really look beat up, as you should be if you really traveled all this way just to speak to me. My secretary would not have believed it without my letter and your determination. So please…take a breath and we can start. * You are absolutely right. Most of the fans know nothing about me. They don’t even know my real name (impressed that you found that out; so much information out there if you hunt for it). Herbert wo...

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“The Trail” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #194

Day One: I am investigating the disappearance of some food from my locker. I understand that I should not expect any help from my fellow classmates or the school, so I will be undertaking this venture by myself. In the event that I do not solve this mystery, I intend to carry about my own food and then find a way to replace my combination lock – or locker – without breaking any of the rules of this institution. Several teachers have advised me to let this go, but I am a fan and devoted reader of mysteries, and I know that there is always mor...

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“A Beautiful Day” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #193

Mr. Peter Smith looked at the clock above the desk and smiled. After twenty-five years on the job, he was happy to look at the last moment of his working life ticking away. Insurance was an interesting world for him; not that his wife and friends would think so; not that certain colleagues in his office would believe it. Most of them thought that he was overjoyed at facing retirement, rest, and Mondays without a long commute. Mr. Peter Smith smiled at the clock as it ticked over into five p.m. The same white numbers in those same black squar...

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“Another Day on the Job” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #191

I blame the Underground; I really do.I got called in for a job that January and they told me that I had to be there by ten, so I knew that everything was already at the office and my wife, my Gloria, had me sandwiches ready for me and the mug of tea to go on the counter when I was reading the paper that morning. Angie, my youngest, lost her bleeding mind when she knew that I was going to be in when they was going to be in.“Can you get an autograph, da?”“Let your father finish his tea. He isn’t goin’ in to get autographs.”Oh, Angie. Such a br...

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“High Note” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak now…”            “What?”            “It’s just something I say when I go to the shows. ‘Speak now or forever just hold your…’”            She was just staring at me after that, but I knew that I got to her.            We had just had dinner at Alfreddy’s when I told her about the show, so it was a good meal…for a littl...

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“Terminus” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #189

“Have a good night now.”All the passengers loved him. The driver said the exact same thing to everyone leaving the bus on Dark Wood Road, no matter who they were: young high school students; older women with shopping strollers; surly men looking for something they could not find; endless parents and their children trying to get through the day. They all heard the same thing. He would look up at the rear-view mirror or look over to his right and smile if they left out the front. And he did it for all of them, every single ...

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“The Fine Print” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” To be honest, he was getting ready to go out that night and did not expect that he would have to deal with such nonsense after making the offer, but nothing ever worked out the way he expected it to with these people. There was always some small little problem that was never anticipated. All these years and all those surprises… “I beg your honest pardon?” “Honest, right… What I mean is…what is it that I’m missing? I mean, here you are with a great offer and it looks pretty straightforward on paper, but when you get a ...

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“Shopping List” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #186

Eggs, milk, bread, butter, peanut butter…Should have written it all down, or used the damn phone for more than…“Turn left at the next intersection.”Right.What else is on?“If you leave me now…”“Lady in red…”“She knocked me out with those American…”The kids; did Sheila pick them up?“Weather warning: snow squalls and…”About thirty-five pages tonight… Not a break; not even with time-and-a-half…“Rock the casbah, rock…”No traffic; not bad on a Friday.“Return all carts to the proper section after use.”Five things…anything I missed?Eggs?Brown? Duck?...

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“Four Worlds” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #186

“Who’s next?”“Me, sir.”“Good. You have all the forms?”“Yes. All complete.”“Okay. Let me see… Right, so it is not a machine or…?”“No, no. Just some written work to protect.”“Okay, I see. May I ask about the application of your work?”“I am not sure I understand.”“I mean, how would the layman use the ideas in your papers?”“This is for science…”“I see. To benefit mankind.”“I think that may be too much to say at the moment.”“But it is for science?”“Yes. My own theory.”“A theory?”“Yes, for now, it is my own idea. But if my ideas are correct, it ma...

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“Close Call” by Kendall Defoe

This was a very real fortune cookie:“You are one in a million.”Yes, that’s what it said, right on time for the end of our date. No, I should be more specific: Right on time for the end of a relationship. She had something that she wanted to say, and she said it between forkfuls of Pad Thai and the shared white pot of very strong green tea. I hadn’t wanted to pour it out after she said it was over. It tasted right without anything to sweeten it. No bitterness there...Fork… She said something about them and Asian restaurants. She said that if ...

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“Instruction Manual” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #184

Please read carefully…Congratulations on your purchase of the device from one of our many fine dealers! We do not yet offer the product in the regular chain stores, so your purchase must have taken place through the many new and wonderful franchises now growing and thriving across the nation, soon around the world. We thank you for your interest.As you inspect the device, it is necessary to remind you one more time that once you decide to use it, it is a one-time deal. No money back guarantee is offered on a used device, unless you decide to...

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“The Fly and the Spider” by Kendall Defoe

It all started before lunch. Usually, when we had lunch at Cicero’s, our table would be waiting for us, our menus set on the table, and a little peace of mind for an hour and half would be available. From our office, the walk would be about ten minutes, even if I had to walk with her and take into consideration her slower gait. That was Laura, of course. It is strange to think about it now, but no one ever commented on us going out to lunch together, or working on projects when the rest of the staff left for today. Our results were excellen...

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“The Prince's Trust” by Kendall Defoe

Dear sir or madam… Well, that might be a difficult way to prove my point. And what is my point? Not all of us Nigerian princes are a threat to you… I have tried to write this on a computer that was not connected to the web, but I realize now that I will have to use the World Wide Web in order to make my message clear. Too many of us are judged for things we have not done, and things are getting worse for all of us. There is a reason why I have decided to write this in the woods; there is also a reason why I am no longer in Nigeria. Let m...

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“Things to Do” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #179

20. First, I am going to really aim at those ten pounds I need to drop (the doctor said very little about it, but I know what I have to do). Another gym membership might be a little expensive, but I think I can afford it if I save some money. 19. Save more money from work. I don’t have to buy a lunch every day, and I can learn a little more about how to cook things that are not eggs and bacon. I think I might have a cookbook somewhere in here. Maybe I should also skip buying coffee every day at the café. Not all my fault. 18. Tell Laura how ...

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