Marty B

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (77)

77 Stories

2857 karma pts

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“Tosca, by Puccini” by Marty B

Handcuffed and sitting in a red velvet chair, the suspect is bleeding from his mouth and nose, the top buttons of his white ruffled dress shirt are ripped with threads dangling, his bow tie hangs loosely around his thick neck like ratty socks. Detective Sergeant Hope Mirabella paused her interrogation to give the suspect a chance to breathe. She looked again at the Tosca poster on the wall. The huge, vintage op...

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“Future Gazing” by Marty B

“Damn, there is no way she can make that.” The boy said looking up at her on the stairway landing, the light from the 2nd floor window vibrating around her. Dense bass and drums with screaming vocals was pouring out of someone’s device, adding to the chaos of the high school lunch period. Tali held her board by the truck, it dangled next to her long baggy canvas pants while she looked down the stairs str...

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“The Library Of People” by Marty B

Under the ‘Ask a Librarian!‘ sign, Emily smiles warmly to Elgin. “We bring them to you, I understand your confusion, but we are not that kind of Library, trust me. I am your Librarian and I will find just the right Book for you.” Several strands of her frizzy black hair pop out of her bun, and the pen behind her ear moves along with her understanding nod. She points to a chair, “Please sit down. Tell me what you are...

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“The Gray Lady” by Marty B

Lizzie had no one else to talk to about the Gray Lady, except Mildred, the Inn’s housekeeper. “She’s generally benign, as ghosts go, I mean she does have that odor, and makes strange noises, but she is driving out all the guests! The Inn is not going to make it past summer if we don’t get better reviews, and more guests” “Something changed when you showed up, dear, she’s more active." Mildred said. “I h...

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“A Bite To eat” by Marty B

I was so ready for the weekend I could taste it. It was just noon; I still had several difficult calls to make and a meeting to get through. The walls in my office cubicle were closing in, I needed to escape. The stress reaching up from my back and into my neck made my shoulders as tight as a board. I dreaded that project planning meeting; missing the deadlines, I deserve getting dragged through the mud. My phone rin...

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“The Blue Rhinestone Dress” by Marty B

Driving the long road to the mansion on the hill, Mankell looked out at the dark clouds forecasting a mighty storm on its way. For the family he was going to visit, the storm had already come and crashed their carefully laid plans all about, leaving a dead girl, and a missing dress. It was Mankell’s job to make sense of what happened. He had most of it put together after the last couple days on the case, just one thread still dangling. It isn't going to be what the Dame wants to hear, but it will be straightened up, on...

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“A Company Picnic” by Marty B

Staring at the laptop screen perched precariously on two old books on the folding table, Otis wonders if his co-workers even know he exists as a human. He could be replaced by a bot, an artificial intelligence computer program to fill out spreadsheets and submit reports; what is real anyway? The tiles of their faces and names on the screen blur together; after a year plus of video calls, he and most of the accounting t...

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“Just One of the Boys” by Marty B

It is a slow walk up to the batter's box, the last out of the little league game, unless Shane can make something happen. Waiting for the umpire to sweep the plate clean, he sees his teammates packing up, they don’t expect much. Shane longs to prove them wrong, to show that he deserves to be part of the team. He takes two practice swings and then tries to find the balance in his batting stance, his weight back, his fro...

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“Cape of Fear” by Marty B

The ringing phone interrupts her typing. “-Hello?" “-The harassment meeting will be today? No one told me-” “-1 PM, OK. I just want to tell my side of the story-” “-No. only myself, was I supposed to bring representation? I dont have anyone.” “-Thank you.” She hangs up the phone, and looks at the clock. 3 hours, 47 minutes. The wai...

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“Telescopic sight” by Marty B

-violent themes- Robert worried he could never really know what someone else was going to do. How can he know their intent, know their heart? He was a spotter for a sniper team. His role is to see people, to know whether they mean harm to the soldiers and facilities he watches over. He views someone's actions, and he makes assumptions. What if he misses something? Robert joined the Army to mak...

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“The Heart Shaped Box” by Marty B

Everything I learned about love, I learned from a heart-shaped box. As to how it came to me, I hope to understand one day. It all started the day I moved in to the Tic-Tac-Toe house.Driving in a rented moving van, we pulled up to a dusty, once-yellow house. It had an unkept overgrown yard, paint or something on the windows, and it was mine.“Andriy- that is a beat up house!” Danny says. My oldest friend, he was helping me get everything moved for the usual fee of beer and pizza. I had jus...

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“ The Good News” by Marty B

Susanna reads the plaque above the clock in the office, ‘Jesus Saves Sinners’. Will Jesus save her if she has Pastor Mason’s baby? The sun shines brightly through the glass doors and windows of the Heritage Baptist Church front office, highlighting the two-tone tan desks, with no papers or pencils disturbing their empty desktops. Two women sat as a matched set, both at one each desk, each with carefully blown-out dyed blonde hair and in pastel sweater sets. Fidgeting anxiously, they kept looking at the ph...

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“The New Boss” by Marty B

Staring into her webcam, Pam feels disgust rise up in her throat as she introduced her boss the ‘new Sales Manager, Maddy Tigree’ on the sales call to her biggest opportunity and potential client. This bitch took her promotion, and now is stepping all over her big moment. Pam has had enough working for people who only care about themselves. She will never forget this no matter what Maddy does. T...

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“What's In A Name” by Marty B

My Hero is dead, killed by the Beast thundering outside the door. I am just a Sidekick, Besnik the Loyal. I can only wait until a new Hero arrives to take up his sword and save me. Until then, I must hide from the terror that has taken control of the castle. The battle was fierce, the scaled and fire-breathing Beast, Sepheron, was victorious and defeated the courageous Hero Kane. The castle grounds are...

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“The Granite Park Chalet” by Marty B

The last time I saw Robert was from the scope of my rifle, I can’t believe I missed. How did he get here? Now two years later in another country, the snow is blurring his face, but I would recognize that gorgeous jawline anywhere. I had left him for dead, stole his money and somehow he found me here in the States! I thought I had left all this running from Berlin, escaping to manage the Granite Park Chalet, o...

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Author bio

It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there. Asphodel, That Greeny Flower [excerpt]   by William Carlos Williams Copyright © 2023 Marty B - All Rights Reserved. Using content without written permission is prohibited.

Winning 1 story 🏆

Contest #161

Long Distance Phone Call – read story

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #213

Anand's Lamp – read story