Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (21)

21 Stories

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“Gobbler” by Murray Burns

Gobbler                                                                         &...

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“The Furtive Adventures of Don Q. Hoty” by Murray Burns

The Furtive Adventures of Don Q. Hoty                                         “The danger of the past was that menbecame slaves. The danger of the futureis that men may become robots."         ...

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“The Shark and the Remora” by Murray Burns

The Shark and the RemoraThere are certain entities in life that would not do well alone. Apples need trees, rivers need riverbanks, Montana needed Rice, and Stockton needed Malone. Joey needed Frank. Or was it that Frank needed Joey? I guess we’ll find out.“We’ve got new neighbors, Frank. It’s a young woman and her ten year old son. She’s very nice. I didn’t meet the boy. He’s in school. Her name is Susan Clark, and her boy’s name is Joey.”

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“The Good Book” by Murray Burns

The Good Book(Perhaps a tad crude in places.)“Love your neighbor as yourself.”                                   &nb...

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“As You Wish” by Murray Burns

As You WishYou might call Harvey “Walter Mitty Lite”. He didn’t concoct fantastic journeys in his mind, or imagine himself committing an impressive array of heroic deeds. Rather, Harvey’s peculiar inclination rested with his ability to wrap himself in the identities of others more interesting or impressive than himself. More often than not, he found these characters in the movies.

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“Time Capsule Best Left Burried” by Murray Burns

 Time Capsule Best Left BurriedLike many children, I was saddled early in life with the burden of “great potential”. The label was first affixed by my presumably well-intentioned father, and later driven deep into my brain by a battery of optimistic educators. Due to the recent chance discovery of an old 10th Grade English assignment, I am now well positioned to evaluate how my actual performance in life stacks up against youthful aspiratio...

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“Sins of the Father (and Mother)” by Murray Burns

Sins of the Father (and Mother)It is a well established fact of life that parents will occasionally, usually unintentionally, embarrass their children. This is often accomplished, in most cases by the dad, simply by choice of attire. Kids do not want to be seen in close proximity to a parent who likely secured their latest colorful outfit at the clearance sale rack at the “Nerd Department” of Kohl’s.Such momentary ...

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“Torn” by Murray Burns

TornThere are things in life better left unseen, unheard, unknown. Truth is not always the best path.“Mommy, why do I have red hair?”“That’s just the way it is, Cal.”“Ricky and Jenny have brown hair. You have brown hair. Daddy has brown hair. Why do I have red hair?”“God picks the color, honey. You’re lucky. You have beautiful red hair.”Such explanations suffice for the very you...

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“The Dog Shrink” by Murray Burns

The Dog ShrinkI am so ashamed. I am only writing this because the beagle next store said it would be good for me to bare my soul, something about the “cathartic” effect of sharing my feelings. I don’t even know what “cathartic” means, but he’s a really smart dog (He once opened his family’s refrigerator to get at some hot dogs.), so I thought I’d try it. I’ve been burdened with recurring feelings of guilt over an ugly episode in my life, so I hope this works.

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“The Sleeping Beauty Sleep Solution” by Murray Burns

The Sleeping Beauty Sleep SolutionIt’s that fuzzy, foggy time of the day that falls somewhere between awareness and sleep. Not awake, not asleep, somewhere in between. If you catch it just right, words and sounds enter your ears while awake, and are received in the recesses of the mind when asleep. This often results in muddled messaging, a wandering, creative maze of interpretations. It...

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“One Of Those Things That Unravels When You Blow On It” by Murray Burns

One Of Those Things That Unravels When You Blow On ITIt had been twenty-two years since Herb attended a New Year’s Eve celebration. He had not even heard the words “Happy New Year” for ten. We will never know the motivation with any degree of certainty, but this year Herb decided he would celebrate the arrival of the new year. And he would do it up big.Divorced and living alone, Herb would occasionally partake in the pointless exercise of trying to ...

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“"They're Gonna' Stick a Needle in Me"” by Murray Burns

“They’re Gonna’ Stick a Needle in Me” It was the ceiling. However much he wished it were otherwise, it was improbable that Carl would find a room without a ceiling. They all look pretty much alike, so it was not surprising that his bedroom ceiling would often snap him back to another place at another time.“Why are we going to Terra Haute, George?”

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“Herb's 5-Day Crash Weight Loss/Conditioning Program” by Murray Burns

Herb’s 5 Day Weight Loss/Conditioning ProgramPlanning:            Set goals (realistic): Lose 5 lbs; jog 1 mile (without stopping); develop healthy eating habits and structured, disciplined lifestyle; cut down on drinking (within reason).             Preparation- Buy rugged, activewear jogging suit, a pair of Nike running shoes (on sale...

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“Henry's Picnic Blanket” by Murray Burns

 Henry's Picnic BlanketWe’ve all seen that sad, pathetic figure dining alone at a small table in a darkened corner of a restaurant, a flickering candle giving off just enough light so that all can learn the identity of the lonesome soul. What might strike you as even more sad, more pathetic, would be the image of Henry walking alone, in broad daylight, unabashed, across a grassy field carrying a colorful blanket and a large woven wood picnic basket. He may have even we...

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“Backtrack” by Murray Burns

BacktrackFrank didn’t like himself. He really didn’t. The feelings first visited him at his wife’s funeral five years ago. He realized he wasn’t feeling the way he should be feeling. It was sad and all, but he wasn’t devastated, as if he had just lost his soul mate, the true love of his life. That was because he hadn’t.He sat in the front pew, just feet from the bronze casket, and the sad reality sunk in. Frank had “settled”. Darlene was a good woma...

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