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Mary Bendickson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

Stories (142)
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470 Followers
590 Following

142 Stories

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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...

12 likes 19 comments 19
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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...

36 likes 24 comments 24
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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...

26 likes 12 comments 12
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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...

24 likes 41 comments 41
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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...

30 likes 39 comments 39
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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...

44 likes 54 comments 54
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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...

40 likes 60 comments 60
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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...

26 likes 30 comments 30
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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...

26 likes 33 comments 33
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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...

24 likes 24 comments 24
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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...

23 likes 31 comments 31
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Too-Cute Objection

Too-Cute Objection “Mo-ommy! I thought we were going to Miss Chrissy's and Mr. Kool's today?”“That was the plan, Sweetie, but everything changed because Miss Chrissy is not feeling well. We will visit them another time. You can spend today getting ready to start first grade tomorrow, right? Are you all set? Excited?” Nora Conover bent down to give her son, Carlson, a hug. “But I wanted to play with Mr. Kool one more time. When school starts we will both be too busy. He's gots lots of big kids to teach about space and I - I have lots of first...

26 likes 31 comments 31
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Too-Cute Nana

Too-Cute Nana Poor Russell. He can't stop blaming himself for Chrissy being in the hospital room down the hallway. He was only being his normal playful self this morning tickling her on his lap when she doubled over in pain. We got her here in an ambulance as soon as we discovered she was bleeding. We don't know if she lost their baby.Anna watched the burly black man pace back and forth in the confined space. Five steps to the right, five steps to the left, five steps right, five steps left, right, left, right, left. Anxiety oozed out of ev...

20 likes 26 comments 26
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Too-Cute Family

Submitted to Contest #267

Too-Cute Family Back and forth, back and forth. Russell paced the OBED hospital waiting area awaiting news on his wife, Chrissy. She doubled over in pain at breakfast so was rushed here by ambulance. Doctors were working on her now.“You might as well sit down and try to relax, Son. Wearing out the tiles and your shoe leather won't bring answers any faster.” Chrissy's nana, Anna, sat at a nearby table making phone calls canceling their plans for what started out as a perfect end of summer holiday. Plans were for an annual block party at which...

40 likes 50 comments 50
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Too-Cute Couple

Submitted to Contest #266

Too-Cute Couple Russell laid on his side with his hand propping up his head as he gazed at his beautiful sleeping wife, Chrissy. After nearly five months of waking up next to her, he still couldn't believe how much she blessed his life. As the newly risen sun peeked in through the blinds, he thought back to the sunny April day he bent down on his knee and surprised her with his proposal in the midst of 299 other couples all saying 'I do' in the four minutes of the total eclipse. Always so sensible and stable, she surprised him when she said ...

36 likes 35 comments 35
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