Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (128)

128 Stories

3973 karma pts

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“The Mentor” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #214

The MentorOff-key crooning…“The green leaves of summer are starting to fall, and those…’’“Enough with all the melancholy end-of-summer stuff, Sawyer!”“How about something a little more upbeat like a little ‘Summer Nights’ from Grease, Jesse?”“Oh my God, no. If I hear about Sandy and Danny one more time I’m going to toss my cookies. You need to move on. Summer’s over. We had a good run, but school starts tomorrow.”“Yeah, I know, but I sure am going to miss those lazy, laid-back days of summer, sleepin’ in, sittin’ on the porch sipping my lemo...

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“Attaboy, Joey!” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #213

Attaboy, Joey!“Attaboy, Joey! Nice swing. You can do it!”Truth be told, Joey couldn’t do it.Strike three.Joey slowly walked off the field with his head down. His Dad understood the hurt and put his arms around him.“It’s okay, Joey, you’ll get ‘em next time.”Tom didn’t really believe that, but that’s what dads say.You may have heard a coach say something like, “What a kid lacks in talent can be made up for with hard work and desire.” Don’t believe it. Joey had the heart of a lion, and he made the Little Engine That Could look like a slacker, ...

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“"Pen Pals"” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #212

“Pen” Pals “The guy is a genius, Matt.” “How’s that?” “You’ll see. Watch and learn.” ---------- Dear Martha, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my arms the day I leave this terrible place. Love, Old School P.S. Could you please put some money on my Commissary Account? ---------- Dear Sally, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my ...

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“No Returns” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #212

No ReturnsMr. Arnie Irk Customer Relations                                                                                   &n...

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“Overdue” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #211

OverdueThe small, snuggly town was named Life Magazine’s #1 Place to Live in America a stunning seven years in a row. Maple Grove defined quaint, rural, and rustic. Its streets weren’t tree-lined; its trees were street-lined. Happy smiley faces everywhere, children and adults, a Ward, June, Wally, and Beaver behind every door.Everyone knew everyone. The barber was the butcher’s uncle, the fireman was the baker’s brother, and the teacher was the student’s aunt. The children all played together in cheery harmony, the men tossed horseshoes behi...

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“Heavenly Do-Over Duel” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #211

Heavenly Do-Over Duel Circumstance, coincidence, and fate always play a role. If King George hadn’t been quite so greedy, if the first shot had not been fired at Lexington Green, and if Alexander Hamilton had not married the daughter of Philip Schuyler, there might not have been a story. But these three stepping stones did fall into place to lead to the fateful events of July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey, and the additional extraordinary events that followed.Hamilton and Aaron Burr had been political rivals, but the competition turned t...

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“One Night Out on the Lake” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #210

One Night Out on the LakeThe best time to fish for walleyes is the last half-hour of sunlight. Every fisherman worth his weight in nightcrawlers knows that. It is also the best time to be out on the lake for any reason, or even better, for no reason- the wind dies down, the temperature drops, the sky presents a tapestry of extraordinary colors, all is quiet and still, and it is enough to just be there. Marty knew this better than any man alive, and he took full advantage. He was there so often even the fish recognized his boat. The occasiona...

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“Get Your Kicks on Route 66” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #209

Get Your Kicks on Route 66“You sure about this, Zak?”“A little late for second-guessing, Cal.”The ’55 Chevy was packed to the gills, and the wheels were already rolling out of the driveway of Zak’s parents’ home within a stone's throw of Lake Micigan in Evanston, Illinois.“It’s just such a big step.”“No kidding, Cal, but you’ve had like 50,000 hours to think about it. There’s no turning back, partner. California here here we come!”And so the sky blue Bel Air convertible, tagged with a sign on the back reading “California or Bust!”, headed fo...

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“Dreams of the Father” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #208

Dreams of the Father“It is a wise man who knows his own son.”                                 - William Shakespeare, Merchant of VeniceIt was one of the first things imprinted in Charlie’s mind as a child, an integral part of the foundation of his memory and a guidepost for the path to be followed…followed, not blazed. The picture that hung above the desk in his father’s stu...

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“Hollywood Hack” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #207

Hollywood HackThe cameras were rolling, the actors were ready, the director was sweating, and the producer was a nervous wreck. The studio’s planned summer blockbuster, “Brash Bags the Bad Boys…Again”, was behind schedule, over budget, and the company was fending off a looming writers’ strike.EXT. L.A. CITY STREET - NIGHTEmergency vehicle lights are flashing. The beautiful Honey Muffin, in full police garb, leans over a man lying on the sidewalk. Brash Bradford approaches.HONEY MUFFINBrash! I’m sorry. He’s gone. The drug dealers killed ...

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“Defenestraphobia Moves in Next Door” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #206

Defenestraphobia Moves in Next Door(Satirical references to certain phobias; indelicate treatment of the subject of "plus- size" people.) The day after the “For Sale” sign came down, a crew was at the two-story colonial boarding up all the windows. Kenny, the keen-eyed neighbor next door, couldn’t help but notice.“Margie, take a look-see on what’s going on next door. The new owner is having all the windows boarded up.”“What? Oh, my God, that is strange. Maybe they just want their privacy, or they worry about peeping toms hiding in the bushes...

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“The Dehumanization of Adam Longtree” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #205

The Dehumanization of Adam Longtree(Language.) 1. White-collar criminals out on bond get to wear white-collar attire to court. Adam Longtree’s attorney, a salaried Public Defender with a questionable commitment to the task, had him dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and a bright red tie. Add clean-shaven, with every hair in place, and an endearing smile, Adam looked more like a figurine on top of a wedding cake than a hardened criminal. Unfortunately for Adam, the jury based its conclusions more on the facts of the case than...

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“Bad News Comes to Buzzard Gulch” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #204

Bad News Comes to Buzzard GulchExcept for the fun-starved, thirsty, horny (on steroids) cowhands from the surrounding ranches, no one ever comes to Buzzard Gulch. There’s no point to it. One dilapidated hotel, two run-down saloons where the booze flows faster than water over Niagra Falls and the “women of the night” work day and night upstairs (and sometimes in the woodsheds out back during the rush hour), a blacksmith shop, a general store, a feed mill, a school with a fifth grade average age of 27, and a church where the good Reverend Barn...

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“Run Through the Tape” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #203

Run Through the Tape“You should laugh every day.”   - Jim ValvanoIt’s hard to make a hospital room look homey. Too much white- walls, ceilings, sheets, even the attire of the doctors and nurses. And a little heavy on metal- the frames of the bed and chairs, cabinets, dinner tray, door, the TV bracket, the light fixture above, and the steel pole holding the bags that occasionally pumped life-sustaining and pain-killing fluids into Carl. Nothing soft and colorful, a scarcity of anything that would remind one of wood. A square bo...

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“Hung Out to Dry at Central High” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #202

Hung Out to Dry at Central High“You dirty, double-crossing rat.”  - James CagneyAscending the ladder of ignominious incidents of betrayal, from least egregious to the most consequential- Benedict Arnold, Brutus, Ephialtes, …Vince! Temper your ears, prepare your mind, fortify your soul for the recounting of the most dastardly, horrific, deplorable, cowardly, despicable, and wretched act to ever cast its ugly shadow across the bow of mankind’s journey through the universe. For that one calamitous moment in time, the antiquated, under...

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Author bio

Dartmouth, then Law School followed by years in mind-numbing law practice; now have more time to write. "Brevity is the soul of wit."

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #195
A Simple Act of Kindness – read story
Contest #170
The Rosary – read story