Mary Bendickson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

Stories (18)

18 Stories

1228 karma pts

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“A Little Birdie Told Me...” by Mary Bendickson

A Little Birdie Told Me...Two long time neighbors met over the backyard fence.“So how's things down at the mill?”“Oh, you know how we millers are. We keep grinding them down and spitting them out. What about at the winery? Any good news there?”“Heard some good ones through the grapevine just yesterday.”“I can't wait to hear but I'll let you tell all of us at once when we get together over at the park. We plan on meeting between the telephone poles. We'll have a bird's eye view of the lay...

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“For-Get-Me-Not” by Mary Bendickson

For-Get-Me-Not 'Memories, Like the corners of my mind Misty water-colored memories Of the way we were...' No radio but the song kept recycling in her mind. 'Of the way we were...' She clenched back the tears. Couldn't cry now. Would never be able to see the road. The glare of the setting sun was alr...

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“The Alternate” by Mary Bendickson

The AlternateI didn't make it... No, surely I made it... Didn't I??Other girls in front of me were either squealing in delight or turning away with crest-fallen hopes. Four of my other sophomore squad mates were holding on to each others arms bouncing up and down full of giddiness. Of course they had made it.Then one of the Patties met my eyes and had to look away. What had she seen on the single sheet posted outside the gymnasium that I hadn't been able to see yet for the cluster of swarmi...

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“Justice Screams” by Mary Bendickson

Justice ScreamsChapter Five from my unpublished manuscript “A Brilliantly Scathing Life”. Part One of the book features chapters alternating between characters adjusting to life with the wagon train and time before joining the wagon train. Leroy was thrown from a horse and killed in the first Chapter (see Trampled Dreams and Trampled Dreams Part 2 in my profile).This chapter is some of Leroy's backstory. Shortly after Pappy passed away unexpectedly, Leroy decided the remaining Potter party members would b...

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“Bubbles On the Horizon” by Mary Bendickson

Bubbles on the HorizonThe wagon master, Mr. Marcy, traveled with his new scout trying to catch up with their lumbering wagon train snaking across the grassy Nebraska prairie.As they approached the line of canvas covered wagons looked like bubbles silhouetted on the horizon. Each wagon was like a little bubble world all of their own floating in a sea of the unknown tethered together with others for survival.The Indian scout wasn't one for talking so the leader's thoughts wandered back to the spirited c...

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“Trampled Dreams Part 2” by Mary Bendickson

Trampled Dreams Part 2 (Second half of first chapter in my unpublished novel “A Brilliantly Scathing Life”) As he rode away from Kendra Potter's wagon party the trail leader mulled over who masterminded that outfit. Surely, not that greenhorn who got himself thrown from his horse this morning. He wondered why anyone who had obviously put so much forethought into travel accommodations had overlo...

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“Trampled Dreams” by Mary Bendickson

(Excerpt from Chapter One of my unpublished novel 'A Brilliantly Scathing Life'. The plot thickens...)Head hung downward, Kendra stared unseeingly as the dry earth passed beneath the massive hooves of the oxen team pulling her heavy Conestoga wagon. Then the freshly turned earth came into view just under her high bench seat. Already it had been flattened by the wagons streaming ahead of her and was fading to blend with the surrounding clay. The wagon master had insisted that was the way it had to be to keep wild...

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“Best Basset” by Mary Bendickson

Moral: Be careful what you wish for, you may get it. “I wish I didn't have a basset hound.” “Hello, Sis. So nice of you to call. What's that about your basset hound?” “I wish I didn't have one. He is nothing but a barf-bag!” “A barf-bag? Are you talking about that adorable little floppy-eared puppy you paid a king's ransom for at a pet shop a few years back because your lonely youngest daughte...

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“Monotony” by Mary Bendickson

Ridin’ around in my automobile. Tryin’ not to fall asleep at the wheel. Round and round and round I go. Where I’ll land nobody knows.Caught in a spin cycle. Spinning my wheels. Never any end in sight. Think I’m getting ahead then some guy on a steel horse passes me by. Heck, the rate I’m going even that construction guy pushing the wheelbarrow is catching up to me.Endless, I’m tellin’ ya. Hopeless. I put in my paces, smile at the faceless faces hiding under haute hats all so I can chase that elusive money bag, pick up my sal...

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“Timothy's Birth Day” by Mary Bendickson

This is most certainly true: Timothy's Birth Day It is spitting rain today. Of course, a week-end day. So I am stuck inside on the first week-end in spring watching snow melt and rain drizzle wishing I could take a walk in sunshine. Maybe spy some brave crocus poking their purple pates above the white caps. Oh, wait. I can't walk much anymore anyway. I injured my knee a year ago (oh, wow, ...

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“Working On It” by Mary Bendickson

Working on It(Meant to offend no one, or, at least, all equally:)Narrator: Once upon a time...Director: Hold up there! I believe I have heard that line before. Who first said that? We can't just plagiarize someone's work.Narrator: It is a common start to many stories. So well used the statute of limitations has certainly expired. It enjoys common-use status by now. No danger of being sued.Director: Well, I still don't like it. Above all else we must be original. Who...

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“No More Bullies Re-Imagined ” by Mary Bendickson

True storyNo More Bullies Re-imagined(I must continue to tell this tale or not be liked by you-who-know-what-I-mean)It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling. It was almost dark. It was the fourth of January. It was our little girl's fourth birthday. It was the day of her death.###Long time before: Seemed like a good idea at the time. Certainly no harm in it. We were only dating and looking for something different to do. Carter's friend had told him about a dog show coming int...

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“It's a Gamble by 'She-Who-Shamelessly-Shucks-Chips'” by Mary Bendickson

It's a Gamble by 'She-Who-Shamelessly-Shucks-Chips'It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. Typical January in the American mid-west. But I felt left out in the freezing, biting cold. And my future certainly looked dark, indelibly black, to tell the truth. I had boldly issued an ultimatum. A poorly thought out ultimatum, obviously. The hand had been dealt. I took a gamble and lost. Lost big time. Lost not only for myself but for my young family. Oh, yes, I knew gambler's grief. ...

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“Holes In My Story” by Mary Bendickson

Holes in My Story “So what's the catch?” “The catch is I can't get the clasp to catch. This is bad!” “Nah, that's good.” “Why is that good?” “I really didn't want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane anyway. Makes no sense.” “Okay, that's good then.” “Nope, that's bad.” “Why is that bad.” “I'll never get my bucket list completed.” ...

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“No More Bullies” by Mary Bendickson

No More Bullies Seemed like a good idea at the time. Certainly no harm in it. We were only dating and looking for something different to do. Carter's friend had told him about a dog show coming into the city. Dog show? Who would be interested in watching prissy dogs sashaying around showing off their who-knows-what-there-was-to-show-off? There are only so many restaurants to eat ou...

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Author bio

I am not like so many of you who have yearned to write their whole lives. I have always loved to read but seldom had time when I was raising kids and running a business. When I retired I started to read. I cleared out my Mom's house and found hundreds of romance novellas. Some great, some leaving much to be desired. I wondered if I could do better so spent 2022 writing a book with my laptop perched on my belly. It came out as a historical fiction with a little romance. I haven't tried getting it out there yet. I didn't study rules let alone follow any so now I am educating myself in how it is supposed to be done.