Mary Bendickson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

Stories (94)

94 Stories

7926 karma pts

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“Thank You, Reedsy” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #261

Thank You, Reedsy Dear Reedsy,I wish to express my gratitude to all the creators, staff, professional support members and, of course, the talented contributing authors that make up the Reedsy community. As an aspiring author entering the weekly short story contests my linguistic pursuits have been enhanced and inspired by this online family.Before I relate my journey let me thank and congratulate Laura for her tenure as prompt coordinator in Reedsy Prompts for the pass five years, if I understand correctly, and welcome Isabelle to the positi...

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“Interrupted” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #260

InterruptedHer eyes popped open. Someone had their lips on her mouth. Kissing her. Oka-ay. Kissing... She let her eyes drift shut to enjoy the sensation. It must be her mate. What? Wait. No! It can't be...She had the overwhelming need to cough. She couldn't help it. She coughed. Turned her head to the side and coughed and… Ew. That had to be a turn off! She spewed out even more. Poor fellow trying his best to make passionate love to her coming in again to close his mouth around hers just got spit on instead.He turned her towards him and patt...

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“Where's the Elephant?” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #259

Where's the Elephant?Barry ambled across the park-like grounds of the facility and pulled on the long brass handle to the double doors of the low stacked stone building with the thick columns to make his entrance. He was met by a uniformed personnel member bustling about performing her duties. “Excuse me, I'm look...” “About time you got here. You're running late. If you want to work here you gotta learn to be on time.“ The worker, 'Buffy' according to her name tag, chastised the new hire. “Grab a bucket and mop from that closet and join in....

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“Day the World Changed” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #258

Day the World ChangedKelly barely arrived at work when news started breaking of a terrible accident that involved an inferno in the crowded downtown. She instinctively grabbed her camera gear and headed out into the fray. Chaos reigned as some pedestrians and vehicle traffic ran toward the source to rubberneck what was happening while others ran the opposite direction in fear of what was happening. What was happening? Nobody seemed to know for sure beyond the bone-jarring crash they heard and acrid black smoke billowing upward.Being a profes...

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“Much Ado About Nothing” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #257

Much Ado About Nothing“About face! March! Hup, two, three, four. Hup, two, three, four. Halt! About face! March! Hup, two...”This goes on in daylight and in darkness.“Red, yellow, black and white. We keep everything in sight. Day and night.” Marching Mustard remarked. “We are the Watchmen keeping watch over the rails of the ramparts in Messina...”“Halt!” comes the command.“Oomph. I hate it when you stop so suddenly, Colonel Catsuppi. You being red and me so white we'll come out pink colliding all the time.” Ranchairo exclaimed.“That would cr...

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“Fair Lady Charity” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #256

Fair Lady Charity Carlton gawked at Riley. Riley gawked at Carlton. Then they couldn't help bursting out in laughter.“Did you see that fool running around like a banshee screeching with his head afire?” Sir Carlton guffawed. “Then making a beeline to the exit with his bigwig still steaming once the flaming baton twirler doused him with the pail of water?” Sir Riley chortled. “Never witnessed anything quite so hilarious!” His good friend still snickering choked out.“How did his pencil neck ever hold up that enormous fancy wig?” Riley tried to...

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“Fair Lady II” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #255

Fair Lady IISir Riley Fenwick paced back and forth wringing his hands. “Hurry up, Ole Chap! We'll never find her again if you take all day getting your shirt back on.”“Don't despair, Mate. In this crowd she can't be moving very fast. Help me tie this confounded cravat. The least this boxing venue could have done is provide a mirror back here if they expect a gentleman to strip to his bare chest to participate in a match. How is one ever supposed to go out in public again half dressed?”“Don't need to get fancy, Carlton. We're not headed to a ...

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“My Fair Lady” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #254

My Fair LadyIt happened at the fair. Our eyes locked, our hearts entwined and our lives tumbled.Sir Carlton Winslow, my good chum from university and myself, Sir Riley Fenwick, decided to take in the ever popular local market fair to delve into delectable street fare hawked out by costermongers and imbibe in some hardy ale dispensed by wanton wrenches. The bawdy sights and cacophony of sounds would provide a good diversion from our unending pressures of the late season of concerts, ballroom galas and afternoon teas we young blades were expec...

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“Secrets That We Keep” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #253

Secrets That We Keep It was a hard life. No one said it was going to be easy. We chose it for ourselves. There was no going back. We made a commitment. Now we had to live up to it.At first it seemed surreal. We had heard about something, someone, that would someday come along and change our world. Could it be possible this was truly it? Is this what our ancestors have been foretelling and preparing us for our whole lives? Could it be happening in our lifetime? Most of our folks weren't sure either. They thought we were foolish youths simply ...

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“Follow Me” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #252

Follow MeCaution: Contains passing of a pet.His eyesight was poor, his gait was labored yet he followed me. Through the flowering meadow, over the babbling stream, along the dusty country road he followed me. There was a time, (was it only last week?) he would have explored along the way. Venturing off on his own quest to examine an interesting flutter near a sweet clover or search out a foreign smell capturing his attention or take a cooling splash in the water. But today if he lingered behind he was slow to catch up, hesitated like he didn...

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“Not Another One!” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #252

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 daughter looked at you with equally sad puppy-dog eyes begging you to let her take him home?”“The one and only. She was left home alone so much when her brother a...

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“The Passing” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #251

The PassingThe Passing has been passed on. The title is an obscure lost manuscript written by an infamous novelist who has promised it will never be published. Being the first ever penned by this well known best seller one can only imagine what genius it may harbor. Every published book has struck immediate notoriety. Eleven of these masterpieces have been adapted to successful draws at the box office. After thirty years of producing flawless works could it be possible the first would not live up to the last twenty five? Should the author be...

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“Secret Secret Agent Man” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #250

Secret Secret Agent Man I am new to this neighborhood. Moved in about a year and a half ago. Still getting to know the neighbors. I've an outgoing sort of personality so am not shy about starting up conversations. An equally outgoing couple live next door.It was the middle of winter the day my wife, Teresa, and I were unloading. Mary stopped to welcome us to this house that had sat empty for a number of years. As the original owner she has lived in her house for over fifty years. Her second husband, Walt, is a transplant from Iowa and only b...

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“Battle of the Sexes” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #249

Battle of the SexesSo does this mean it has finally been settled? Once and for all? Considering the debate has been raging since... well, since the beginning of time really! Who believes Adam fully forgave Eve for offering that piece of fruit? Even if they managed to populate the world nearly single-handed afterwards don't you think he harbored a little resentment for making him work so hard to feed all those hungry mouths? Must have been some bad blood brewing below the surface. Something somehow needling him knowing she had fallen for that...

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“Southern Persuasion” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #248

( An excerpt from 'A Brilliantly Scathing Life' unpublished award winning manuscript by author)Black smoke belched from the smokestack of the Chicago Alton St. Louis Rail Road engine steaming southwest. The passenger car lurched and swayed sending one gentleman trying to negotiate the aisle sprawling into the laps of Kendra and her traveling companions.“Oh, Ladies, kindly forgive me. Did I hurt anyone? Terribly clumsy of me.” He apologized as he reclaimed his footing, bowed and tipped his bowler hat toward them.“No harm done and we can not p...

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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. Yoo-Hoo! Late July, 2023. Just found out I am a finalist in a major contest (Killer Nashville The Claymore Award)where I submitted my first 50 pages of my novel. Even if I don't win it is so nice to receive validation that someone liked my work. That would be 'Trampled Dreams' and 'Trampled Dreams Part Two' and 'Justice Scream' listed here. 8/21/23 Back from Nashville with the medal for winning my genre at the Killer Nashville Awards!!!:)Woo-Hoo!

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #211

Donuts Do Not Die – read story