Michael Jefferson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2022

Stories (58)

58 Stories

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“Draw” by Michael Jefferson

Houck, Arizona May 1892            “You really think you’re going to get away with this?” Calvin Roach asks. “You’re not even wearing masks. I know who you are.”            Lothar Hoke pokes his shotgun through the teller’s window. “Well, Cal, if you know it’s me, then you know I won’t hesitate to blow that spittoon you call a face off your shoulders.”            “Gi...

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“Angel In Disguise” by Michael Jefferson

           One of the most daunting tasks I faced when my mother died in 2020 was emptying the family home of more than 50 years of memories.            While tossing aside, books, tools, and broken exercise equipment like a deadly scythe, I came across the remnants of my Tin Man outfit from the early seventies. I was immediately transported back to when I was eighteen, had a full head of hair, weighed ei...

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“I Know Who I Am” by Michael Jefferson

Phillip Lavender eases into his chair, hoping its plush cushioning will inspire him to tear into his long-overdue review of the architectural plans for his client’s summer home.            Pushing the chair closer to the computer screen, Phillip feels something scrape against his left knee. Looking underneath the desk, he sees an envelope taped to its side.            Opening the envelope, he finds an un...

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“The Saga of Scout Ken and Trapper Mike” by Michael Jefferson

The bushes rustled. The taunting hoot of an owl sent shivers through him. Trapper Mike heard soft, hesitant footfalls. Someone was watching him, sneaking up on him. All he had wanted to do was find Frankie Cincinnati’s party. Now he was lost in a pitch-black forest and was about to be eaten. How did his life come to this? The saga of Scout Ken and Trapper Mike began one August night in t...

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“Curse of the Cane Man” by Michael Jefferson

Detective Steve Swanson clips the potted gardenia on his desk, then carefully waters it.            Chief Pasquale Puglisi drops a folder on Steve’s desk. “Something for you to look into besides domestic scuffles.”            Steve opens the folder, gazing curiously at the black and white photograph of a muscular young man with greasy hair, a monobrow, and an uneasy smile.            Steve smirks....

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“King Kone’s Revenge” by Michael Jefferson

Kyle Cleaver shakes the cobwebs out of his head, slowly opening his eyes.            He’s in a small room with a concrete floor. Tools hang on the walls and lay scattered on workbenches. Pieces of a disassembled lawn mower lay piled up in a corner.            A record player sits on a nearby card table. Several dog-eared albums are stacked against it.            Kyle’s heart races when he realizes...

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“The Lost Boys of Troop 41” by Michael Jefferson

The picture is over fifty years old, a frozen moment in 1968. Bad jobs, poor relationships, and failing health have made me forget what being a hopeful, impressionable twelve-year-old was like. But whenever I look at the photo of Boy Scout Troop 41, the little boy in me surfaces long enough to laugh, cry, and reflect.            Some of the signatures on the back of the photo capture the typical bravado of a tw...

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“Tongue-Tied to Each Other ” by Michael Jefferson

“Aw c’mon, man. Grow up!” Ralph laughed after accessing my latest girlfriend. “You can’t be serious. Her?”            “What’s wrong with Kacey?”            “Nothing, if you like bubbleheads. What do you have in common with her? What do you talk about?”            “We really don’t talk a lot,” I replied, smiling.            “Yeah, I get it, Casanova. Look, you’re twenty-eight now. You should...

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“This Ain’t No Picnic” by Michael Jefferson

           “This is so going to be worth getting up early in the morning for,” Ace said. “A day at the beach. Sun and surf capped off by a picnic.”            “You’re sure you packed everything, Daria?” Hugh asked.            “Don’t be such a buzzkill,” Daria replied. “I got it all. Towels, blankets, sunscreen, snacks, even binoculars.”             “It’s just that organization is not one of ...

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“Protector” by Michael Jefferson

Sir Morpheus’ eyes flutter, opening. “Again?” the knight asks. “Again,” the Lady of the Lake replies. Sir Morpheus has dark, swarthy features with thick, braided hair, high cheekbones, and bottomless black eyes. His strength, skills, and seeming immortality have made him the most feared and respected knight in the kingdom. With amber hair that cascades down her shoulders, shimmering green...

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“King Kong and the Alabama Slammer” by Michael Jefferson

Dalton Davis, manager for the last-place Cleveland Guardians, nervously spits out a volley of sunflower seeds. Paunchy, greying, and perpetually concerned for his job, the sixty-year-old field general is considered a superb strategist who identifies with his players. Dalton checks his two baserunners. Flint Concannon fidgets at third base, while Chase D’Amico takes a conservative lead off second base, scanning ...

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“Hang ‘Em From the Cypress Tree” by Michael Jefferson

Standing on a hill overlooking the nearby valley, Brendan Sheehan and Creed Bonham study a herd of undernourished cattle. They wipe their brows, feeling the effects of the hundred-degree heat. With wavy, jet-black hair and sculpted features, thirty-two-year-old Brandon is absurdly handsome, which suits his role as the heir apparent to the Shamrock Ranch, the biggest spread in Little Heaven, Arizona. Although he ...

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“The Ragin' Cajun” by Michael Jefferson

I received the phone call every boyfriend dreads. “This is Carrie. I’m at the boutique. Veronica’s going crazy! Get down here!” Veronica Rennie was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She had captivating emerald eyes, platinum hair that cascaded down her back, perfectly sculpted legs, and a generous figure packed into a 5’ 4” frame. And then there was her sultry southern accent, which seemed...

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Author bio

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