M.D. Smith

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (20)

20 Stories

409 karma pts

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“Lion's Story” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #187

The lioness, Seba, sniffed the air for any scent of danger. She watched her cubs play with rounded stones and bits of twigs as she sat and purred with contentment. Both paws were neatly tucked under her so that the knuckles touched. The cubs played in the shade of a few scraggly trees and rocks, not far from the den where they’d been born a few weeks earlier. A boy and a girl cub, they still rough-housed with each other as two brothers might in playtime. They instinctively knew to keep their claws retracted. Seba felt her empty stomach ch...

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“My First Overnight Train Ride-1959” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #168

I was eighteen and heading home on the train from Charlottesville, VA to Huntsville, AL, for Thanksgiving, watching the autumn leaves pass. I’d enrolled in the University of Virginia as a freshman, and my father drove up there with me in my ’57 Ford Fairlane and flew Southern Airways back. Too long to drive for a brief holiday, I took the train. Looking out the window, watching the Virginia landscape roll past my window. The song, City of New Orleans, hadn’t been written yet (1970), but the lyrics would describe my first memories well. The...

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“Dreams” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #113

It was early September, yet the summer warmth lingered with tenacity. Labor Day over, kids in school, and Halloween advertising was underway. The activity stimulated my dreams, one in particular.Grocery shopping done, I was home for lunch.I remembered my good friend Erin who’d moved into a spacious new office and asked me to come by on my next trip to town.“Erin. It’s me, Jean.”“Hey, girlfriend, good to hear from you.”“Remember you asked me to visit next time I was in town? How about tomorrow? Dan leaves at seven-fifteen every morning with t...

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“Miss Cat's Unexpected Dinner Visit” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #100

When our grown children, grandchildren, and spouses assemble at our house for Thanksgiving, it’s a large party unto itself. We sometimes have one of several of my wife’s close single friends join us. This year two of our neighbor ladies were coming. Thanksgiving day was here. “Great, everybody, I got plenty of digital shots with the camera remote, now let’s all go inside and enjoy a true Jones family feast.” It was chilly but fair with overcast skies near noon in Alabama. Perfect photo lighting. I finished up the full family photos on the...

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“Valentine Chemistry” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #81

I was married once, back when the earth’s crust was cooling. I was in love and loved him --- until he left me with a house mortgage and a broken heart. The shell on my heart hardened as the ice age arrived. I’m independent now and enjoy my career as a chemistry teacher at the local college. Being the same age as my next-door neighbor, she’s always trying to find me a guy. “Frances, you can’t stay hemmed up in that school and grading papers at home all your life. Why don’t you date? I know you turn down offers. Go with us to the neighborhoo...

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“My Life In Ten Seconds” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #74

My life, as I knew it, ended ten days ago. “Ten,” the party organizer shouted over the loudspeaker at the New Year’s Eve Party, as he began the countdown to 2020. Yeah, Ten. What a number. Ten days ago. December 21st, the day she tore me to pieces with a letter she handed me out the window of her car as she backed out of her driveway. Saying she had Christmas shopping to do, and she assumed I knew this was coming. Seeing the fear in her face as she rolled up the window and backed away, my hands trembled as I open her tucked, not sealed, e...

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“Parakeet In A Pear Tree” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #73

He’s absolutely the most thoughtful boyfriend I’ve ever had. On the day before Christmas, he gave me his version of ‘A Partridge In A Pear Tree.’ It was a darling little Parakeet in a rounded top cage decorated to look like a tiny tree. It hung from a floor stand that was a single pole, bent in a half-circle at the top, suspending the cage at eye level. “Now, Marcie, all you have to do to take care of him is put some of this birdseed in his food cup each day and keep fresh water in the other cup.” That certainly seemed easy enough, th...

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“Mars Decision” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #51

Francine stirred her chocolate-stars drink and smiled at her friend Mel. “It’s a lovely day. No more dust storms expected for at least ten Mars days.” “I understand you’ve become valuable as a key member of the agrarian science team.” Mel crunched a bite of her ‘Orbit’ cookie. “This is the Mars Café specialty, and I love it.” “Central Command agrees. They just offered me the supervisor position, more money, stay long term, and bring my family here.” Francine paused. “Problem is I have to let them know in forty-eight hours.” “Does your fam...

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“Another Day in the Neighborhood” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #41

Dennis walked in the back door of the Newton’s small house. “Morning, Alice, where’s Ralph?”“He might be in the back yard.”“I didn’t see him, and I came in that way.”A sly smile was on Alice’s face. “How deep did you dig.”Dennis looked surprised and then grinned as well. “Oh, come on, having him home all the time can’t be that bad.”“Then you try living with him twenty-four-seven, and you tell me.”“Did I hear someone talking about me?” Ralph strolled in the kitchen, holding his enormous round belly. “I’m hungry, Alice. Any chicken left?”“You ...

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“Old House's Secret” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #34

The old house pre-dated the Civil War in South Alabama. “This old house is a treasure of history, even though it’s going to need a lot of fixup.” Ernie strolled though his new home with his wife of five years. Nicole nodded, “I’m glad it’s finally ours. I loved it after the first tour when we made the offer.” She motioned her hand over to the study. “It’s a perfect setting for you to continue your writing career. I hope it’s not too spooky spending our first night here.” The cleaning crew did an excellent job on the little old two-story ho...

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“Without Her At Christmas” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #30

My dear cat died in early June. At age seventeen, she’d lived a long life, but it’s always hard to have a beloved pet pass away. After many years, I finally re-upholstered the leather furniture and put in my order for a Siamese baby that was born that same month. Eight weeks later, near summer’s end, I had that delightful and playful ball of fur in my arms. A Chocolate faced Siamese with a very light body but a dark face, paws, and tail. My new love began to fill the hole left by Samantha. She played delightfully with our middle age, declaw...

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“Unlike Any Mother’s Story” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #20

Selling the cow’s been difficult, she thought, but we had to have the money. Times are tough. In August of 1877 in the Wyoming Territory, the Nez Perce Indians were at war with the U.S. Army, who pursued them. Some settlers were casualties of the conflict as the Indians retreated toward the Yellowstone area. It was not far from where the Campbell family had settled.Maddie tried to nurse her infant daughter at her breast, but the milk was slow to come back. Maybe in a day or two, I’ll have enough again for Dorothy as she smiled down at the fu...

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“Little Record Shop on the Corner” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #19

What a great job, I thought as I smiled at the Christmas shoppers bustling in and out of the store. I had a friend who was a disk jockey for the radio station owner, Mr. Woodbury, who also owned The Record Shop. As much as I loved the popular songs on the Top 40 Billboard charts, to be paid to work in a store where all kinds of music could be heard at the sample record players was terrific. I think I’d have worked for free if offered that part-time job. Here I was employed to listen to Yellow Rose of Texas, Autumn Leaves, Davy Crockett, and...

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“Picked The Wrong Pocket” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #18

It used to be his profession until he spent some time in prison. That was years ago, now he had a good job, wife and two kids. Frankie Valoucci was a changed man, except he loved the skill he practiced for years, slipping a wallet out of a man’s pocket or woman’s purse. Some never noticed until they tried to retrieve it and found it missing. It had been years since he exercised his skills except to play with his kids putting things in their pockets or taking stuff out without their knowledge. His wife Doris frowned on even these ‘play’ acti...

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“Lady C’s Unexpected Visit” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #17

When our grown children, grandchildren, and spouses assemble at our house for Thanksgiving, it’s a large party unto itself. We sometimes have one of several of my wife’s close friends join us if they’ve nothing to do. This year two of our neighbor ladies were coming. Thanksgiving day was here. “Great, everybody, I got plenty of digital shots with the camera remote, now let’s all go inside and enjoy a true Jones family feast.” It was chilly but fair with overcast skies near noon in Alabama. Perfect photo lighting. I finished up the full fami...

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Author bio

A non-fiction short story writer for many years, I've just started writing fiction a few years ago. I have written over 150 short stories. I have completed two novels. One is for sale on Amazon that I self-published, the latest manuscript is finished in 2020. I write in many genres, but my novels are all romantic suspense.