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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2020
Submitted to Contest #54
“I’m a writer, not a killer.”Perhaps I should have said that when I first met Sal. Then I wouldn’t be in this basement learning how to mix chemicals and saw off shotguns. The thought of sawing shotguns made me wince, and I looked down at my left hand, the hastily wrapped bandage still seeping blood.“Hey, look, I’m sorry,” Sal said, when he saw me look at the hand. “The saw slipped. Sometimes it happens. You gotta watch out for these old saws. Sometimes, they slip, especially when they get old and rusty.“It’s good you learn that lesson early....
Submitted to Contest #46
William punched the keyboard in frustration. “That sentence sucks,” he said, pushing the backspace furiously. William Tucker, the bestselling author seven times over, hadn’t written a novel in three years. Novel? Forget that. He hadn’t written a worthy sentence in nearly three years. Much less a novel. He turned in exasperation to the novels on his shelf. He let out a sigh. Why couldn’t he put anything to paper -- or, more properly, to computer -- worth reading? It was a long bout of writer’s block he couldn’t seem to escape.&...
Submitted to Contest #41
elizaBEEth was ready to go with the first sign of light. Even if the sunlight didn’t wake her up, the sound of her thousands of sisters buzzing their wings did the trick. This was the way every day started. As soon as the sun went up, the sisters began their work. Some were guard bees, keeping watch day and night over the entrance. elizaBEEth looked at those stationed out there today. Good. They were the same ones from last night. She was always sad when new ones were there, because it meant something happened to them overnight. ...
Sniplering yawned and stretched his talons, blinked away the sleep in his eyes, and turned his neck back and forth to wake himself up. “Is it time to go out front again?” he asked. “It seems you only wake me up when--” “Yeah, I know. But remember, you can’t talk about that. We can’t talk about it. No one can,” Sarah snapped. “Of course. I just wish I could see the world when things weren’t so...dark,” the Ploperheimer said. Sarah lowered her torch to eye level, and looked back the way she had come. She sniffed the musty cave air, and l...
One thing to remember when hunting moose in northern British Columbia -- always look out for bears. Nick knew that. He had grown up in the western province of Canada, and he had been going outdoors his whole life. His father taught him how to hunt, how to fish, and how to always be aware of those bears. Black bears you only really needed to know about during the spring. They didn’t tend to be aggressive. They were more interested in trash cans and beehives. But in the spring time, when the momma bears had their cubs, these bears could be dan...
Justin Jay and Armande Benoit rose early that morning, rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. “The sun surely rises early up here this far north,” a sleepy Justin said as he stretched.Armande looked at his watch, and he yawned.“Three o’clock in the morning, eh?” he said in a French-Canadian accent.At that time of day, the air was still chilly in the valleys of northern British Columbia, even in June. The two outdoorsmen were exploring the northwestern province, hoping to get some fishing done as well as see some of the legendary wildlife....
Submitted to Contest #40
Whenever the group got together, things had the potential to get out of hand.The Meeting of the Dandelion Denizens often assembled to discuss various items. Sometimes they planned the day or the week; other times they met to discuss treatment options; sometimes they had to welcome a new person; there were just many, many reasons to have to assemble. They didn’t always meet. Sometimes the day was too busy. Sometimes the day would be too stressful. Sometimes, they each did their jobs without communicating. Then there was the issue that so...
Many years ago, I made a miserable mistake. I majored in newspaper journalism while in college.Now, I know what you’re thinking. “What’s a newspaper?” Back many years ago, people got their news from these assemblages of dead trees called “paper.” Words would be printed on them, and after reading these papers with news printed on them, they would either use them to line their bird cages, wrap presents if they ran out of wrapping paper, or roll dead fish in them at a fish market.Well, after 12 years of doing that, and watching my benefits...
"Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that." -- Ally Condie“You won’t believe what happened when I was at the principal’s office,” my mom said when she stormed into the house, angry after another conference between her and my teachers and principal. It always seemed those teachers didn’t appreciate my comic wit, nor my perfect timing. But my best friend Brandon did. “I told them how you were a good kid unless Brandon was around you. And you know w...
Submitted to Contest #39
“Stars fell on Alabama, last night.”Jim laughed at himself for thinking of those lyrics, lying here in rural Calhoun County, Alabama. This field, those stars.“No stars falling tonight,” he smiled. “But at least I have a good view of them.”Jim lay in the field, staring at the stars. This far from any city, the heavens offered a splendid view. Here, he could look at the stars, and think about his life, his day, where he’s going, where he’s been. “Promise me you’ll always wear a helmet,” his mother said when he brought home his motorcycle....
Of all the ways to begin a day of driving, a flat tire is the worst. Peter opened his front door, saw the Google Street View car with the prominent camera, and immediately noticed the flat on his passenger side front wheel. Not just a little low. Flat. As flat as Kyrie Irving’s view of the Earth. “Great,” he muttered into his coffee cup. “That’ll get me started late.” He set his coffee cup down and walked over to inspect the tire. He gave the tire as good a lookover as he could with it weighed into the curb. He couldn’t find the ...
Submitted to Contest #38
Stephen’s day started like every other Thursday since the shelter-in-place order started. He stared the ceiling for a few minutes after his 5 a.m. alarm rang, wishing for the days when he could perform his duties in his office. Of course, as he looked over at his wife of 17 years, still holding the school-girl looks that made her the darling of her small southern town, he considered his luck. Yes, the Covid crisis had its benefits. As the superintendent of a large county in southern Tennessee, he had to lead six school systems and 19 sc...
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