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Mary Bendickson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

Stories (131)
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131 Stories

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Mule Deer In The Rear-View Mirror

Mule Deer in the Rear-View Mirror“Thirty.”“Thirty? What are you counting?”“Mule deer.”“Mule deer? Why! Why are you counting mule deer?”“Thirty-one. Because I couldn't help noticing--thirty-two--how many of them I've seen since we passed the Wyoming border. Thirty-three. So I started counting them.”“Wow! Cassie. You must really be bored. Come a little closer so I can wrap my arm around your shoulder. Have I not been giving you enough attention lately?”“Are you serious, Drifter? Thirty-four. We spend twenty-four hours a day together. Eleven of...

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Too-Cute Names

Too-Cute Names “Can we go see Miss Chrissy's babies? Huh? Can we, can we?“May we? 'Can' asks 'are you capable' which I believe you are. But the question should be 'do we have permission' to see the babies. So you need to use the word 'may' instead.”“Well, may we? May we go see the new babies?”“Yes, Carson. Miss Chrissy has invited us to visit her and Mister Kool to meet the new babies. But it will be at the hospital. The babies are too little to come home yet. And we can't hold them. They have to get stronger. Even Miss Chrissy will be in a ...

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Too-Cute Twin Talk

Submitted to Contest #280

Too-Cute Twin Talk “Shush. Did you hear that?”“Huh? What? You waking me up again? Isn't it enough you always have an elbow in my ear? How am I supposed to hear anything? That sound is always there. Shush, shush, shush. It lures me to sleep.”“This time it's more than that. Now listen real hard.”“Thump. Thumpity thump. Thump. Thumpity thump. That one is constant, too. Now leave me alone. And there is no room to change position. Stay where you are. Ow! You're always kicking me in the worse places.”“This is the only place we have ever been. Not ...

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Fair in Love and War

Fair in Love and War “Charity, I'm coming in.”“No, don't! I'm not properly dressed, Father.”“Nonsense. I've seen my little girl undressed before. I must talk to you and I can't do it through this door.”“If you insist. But give me a minute to pull on my robe.”“Now - Why aren't you in any night clothes at all? You have nothing but that flimsy robe on. That's highly improper for a lady of your station.”“Oh, Father! I was so totally exhausted after trying to get dressed for that ball tonight you were so insistent on me attending. My maid accompa...

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Holes in My Story II

Holes in My Story IIIs there a catch, Liza?The catch is I can't get the clasp on our harness to catch, Mr. Henry. 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.Okay, that's good then.Nope, that's bad.Why is that bad?I'll never get my bucket list completed.Oh, that is bad.Nah, that's good.How is it good?There is a hole in my bucket, Dear, Liza. All my dreams and aspirations slipping away.Well, fix it, Mr. Henry, Dear Henry. Can't you fix it.No, I left the flex-seal in my car...

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Seeking Fair Lady

Submitted to Contest #279

No matter how much she fussed with her blonde locks, Lady Charity Farnsworth cast a blue-deviled countenance before her boudoir mirror so could not achieve a desirable outcome. She finally relinquished the brush, tossing it to the make-up strewn vanity as she thought to herself:Whatever am I to do? My father has forbidden me to ever entertain my beau, Sir Riley, in any genteel Ton company henceforth. He doesn't understand the depths of our love for one another. What is the point of attending yet another tea or ball in pretense of making a ma...

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Too-Cute Apologies

Submitted to Contest #278

Too-Cute Apology “Good morning, Sunshine!” Russell nudged Chrissy as she opened her eyes and started a long cat-like stretch.“Aren't you cheerful this morning? To what do you contribute such a blissful attitude?”“It is Thanksgiving Day and I have an abundance of blessings for which to be grateful. Foremost my beautiful wife and the two miracles she is carrying in her incredibly appealing hot bod!”“You mean this round beach ball I'm tumbling about on? The one that makes me extra clumsy and incapable of walking more than a few steps or incapab...

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Nothing Wicked to See Here

Nothing Wicked to See HereOnce upon a time a bushy-haired regular customer took his turn in the chair at his favorite barber shop.“You're looking worn out, dear Friend.” Remarked the observant barber.The regular guy lamented, “I can never get my little boy to go to sleep at a decent hour.”“You need to tell him a bedtime story.” Advised the helpful hair expert.“Oh, I've tried reading every fairy tale I know and he still won't get sleepy.”“These kids these days are very discerning. You've got to stay one step ahead of them.”“And how do I do th...

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Close Encounter of the Man Kind

Submitted to Contest #276

Close Encounters of the Man Kind I spent nine years wandering in a desert. Searching. Always searching for a way out. Searching for a bright mountain I remembered from before. If by chance I stumbled on a promising route, something would happen; a subtle shift in the wind of fate or a tsunami of faith and that hopeful path would close itself off once again. I tried to convince myself everything was okay. I could survive and be fine exactly as I was. Go with the flow; drought or flood, hill or valley. Enjoy the variety. All challenges would m...

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Bewitched

Submitted to Contest #275

Bewitched I'm bewitched. Well, that is, I'm becoming a witch. No, not the true, crone looking, broom flying, cauldron cooking kind of witch. But still a witch. A pretend witch, that is. And only for one evening. Not so bad. And I'm actually being encouraged to become a witch or something I'm usually not. Don't intend to cast any spells on unsuspecting souls, good or bad. But you never know. Could happen unintentionally, you understand. Since I'm only eight years old how bad could it be? I have never been schooled in becoming a witch. I'll ha...

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Lifer

Submitted to Contest #274

LiferThe parking lot was empty. Except for dry weeds squeezing up through cracks in the asphalt; except for the deserted rusting basketball hoop on one end; except for rustling leaves skittering across fading parking spaces in the gathering dusk; except for oil spots shimmering with rainbow colors after a recent sprinkling, the parking lot was empty. And, because fate is resourceful, a steady gloomy rain started falling blurring any hope of discovering the mysterious body called in by an anonymous tip.“What's in the corner by that dilapidate...

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Fair and True Love

P.S. This is a continuation of the 'My Fair Lady' Series. I must credit and give abundant thanks to Trudy Jas for this romantic interlude. She was able to bring the right Regency flare to this saga. Very few of these words are mine. She is the genius behind it. Thank you ,Trudy. Sincerely, Mary Bendickson. Fair and True LoveSir Riley was both in seventh heaven and at the seventh gate of hell. His mind, one of his finer traits, a feature he had been proud of, was failing him. His wits having borne him through academia, withstanding taunts fro...

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See Forest Run

See Forest Run“Run, Forest, RUN!” Mary suddenly shouted as we were introducing ourselves.Totally confused, I stood stock still. She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside as the folding chair beside us seemed to crumple in front of us. She jerked me down as she rolled under a three-foot wide air vent and pulled me with her to the other side. Then crouching, she ran along side the vent to the other end of the cavernous utility room encouraging me to follow silently while she shielded the light from her flashlight to emit only enough illumi...

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The Fox Hunt

Sir Riley Fenwick hunched over his portfolio trying to make sense of the gibberish written there. Nothing made sense to him no matter how much he tried listening to his inner voice conjuring up the lectures from university days that should shine some light on how to solve the problems of these modern day cause of action or discovery methods.Maybe frustration with his workload was no more than his mind roamed elsewhere – focused on one incomparable beauty he encountered at the colorful crowded market fair a few days prior. The enticing fair m...

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Too-Cute Kitchen Chatter

Too-Cute Kitchen Chatter The evening was still warm and muggy on this the last summer holiday of the season as Russell Koolridge helped Anna Merriweather from the car into the front door of their shared Victorian home. They'd spent a worrisome day at the hospital awaiting news on the condition of Chrissy, Russell's wife of five months and Anna's granddaughter. She had doubled over in pain that morning at breakfast and was rushed to the hospital. Emergency appendectomy surgery was necessary but her 20-week pregnancy complicated everything. So...

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