Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

Stories (122)

122 Stories

3799 karma pts

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“As You Wish” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #147

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.His parents first noticed the unusual behavior the morning after the Saturday night TV presentation of “Superman”. Their son did not pretend to be Superman; he...

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“Time Capsule Best Left Burried” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #146

 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 aspirations.Miss Pischke was an innovator. Her assignment: Write a letter to yourself to be opened in the&n...

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

Submitted to Contest #145

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 discomforts suffered by a child are to be expected and over time can be forgiven. My tale of woe is not the result of unintention...

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“Torn” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #144

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 young. Not so much in the later years.“Hey, give me some of your popcorn, Cal.”“Get your own popcorn, Ricky.”“Gosh, you’re such a jerk. Jenny’s right. You must be a...

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“The Dog Shrink” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #143

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.You need some background. I live out in the country. It’s a beautiful place, four ac...

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“The Sleeping Beauty Sleep Solution” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #142

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 is the stuff dreams are made of.Eight year old Sarah and her mom had been abandoned by Sarah’s father years ago. He left them with nothing. Sarah’s mom, Mar...

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

Submitted to Contest #141

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 recall whether he left the world or had the world left him. Either way, Herb was what most wou...

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

Submitted to Contest #140

“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?”“It’s a BOP holdover. They sort us out there and then ship us to our long-term placement. It will just be a couple of days.”Carl really didn’t care where he was going. He just wanted to get off that...

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

Submitted to Contest #139

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 if possible) and an exercise mat; shop for healthy, low-calorie foods (ask someone ...

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“Henry's Picnic Blanket” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #138

 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 welcomed recognition so that the whole world could bear witness to his ...

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“Backtrack” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #137

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 woman, and a good mother, but it wasn’t the true love he had once dreamed of. At his age, Frank kn...

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“Cornbluth's Ghost” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #137

Cornbluth's GhostGrandma was always the first to notice things. In fact, she was often the only one to notice things. She would notice things that weren’t even there to notice in the first place. They all thought she was nuts. Truth be known, Grandma was nuts. She was always hearing things, seeing things, dreaming things. She once thought a cow was getting a quick cool down in the bathtub. She had been abducted by aliens, not once, but twenty-seven times, and usually taken to a place where the trees could talk, and penguins could fly. She wo...

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“The Free Throw” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #136

The Free Throw You may have heard a coach say something like, “What the kid lacks in talent can be made up for with hard work and desire.” Don’t believe it. Timmy was small for his age, clumsy, slow on his feet, lacking in any semblance of hand-eye coordination, and saddled with vision only corrected to a functional level with Coke bottle thick lenses. Other than that, he had all the makings of a great basketball player. Timmy’s desire and work ethic were unmatched in the history of grade school sports, but he still stunk at ...

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“Oh, Christmas Tree” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #135

Oh, Christmas Tree It’s all relative. What might constitute remarkable bravery for some could be routine, common, mundane for others. For example, many people would consider it an act of courage to retrieve their kid’s Frisbee from the roof of their house while seasoned construction workers casually lay shingles on steep inclines eight hours a day without a thought of danger. They might even toss a Frisbee around up there if given the chance. For Henry, the contrast was demonstrated in stark simplicity on the family’s first trip to Gre...

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“Doomed” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #134

Doomed It was a night that quickly became an integral part of the college’s rich oral history, tales of past glorious deeds passed down from class to class over the years. Many of today’s incoming freshman dismiss it out hand, quickly discarding it into the abyss of the laughingly exaggerated, or even the impossible. But those who believe in the importance of tradition in our institutions will listen intently to their campus elders as they recount the stunning events of that crisp fall night in 1968 and will later revel in retelling t...

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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