N.M. Stech

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2020

Stories (7)

7 Stories

194 karma pts

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“The Ferrymen” by N.M. Stech

      A cold moon shone over the streets of St. Louis. The light reflected in the dark glass of the quiet office buildings. It shone on the surface of the Mississippi River, travelling quietly down its course on the winter night.  And it glistened in the pool of blood spreading under the dying man lying on a quiet street. His trembling hand tried in vain to quench the flow seeping from the gunshot wound in his stomach, b...

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“The Weight” by N.M. Stech

        I wake up with the sun and am disappointed. It is not a sharp disappointment. It has no particular shape or object. It doesn’t cut or bite. It is the dull ache of being pulled from the warm void of dreamless sleep back into the harsh light of existence. It’s a familiar feeling. I close my eyes and roll over. The Weight is back. “The Weight” is what I’ve called my Major Depressive Disorder since before I knew it had another name. After all, it cert...

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“Luck be a Lady” by N.M. Stech

TW: contains strong language, depictions of misogyny and transphobia.       Elliot Brown took a long drag on her Marlboro Gold, exhaled, and watched the heavy blue smoke dance its way to the ceiling, catching the purple, gold, and green lights of the slot machines as it rose. One more odor in the pungent bouquet of the River Princess Casino. Elly liked that about these cheap casinos. It was one of the few places you could still smoke inside. No huddling apologeticall...

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“Dark Magic” by N.M. Stech

TW: Violence, themes of mental health, suicide. I…I think I’m confused.                But no. They had my Annabel, and I had to get her back. The forces of the Dark Lord had driven us from our estate, necessitating our stay at the Northwoods Inn. I was in the midst of plotting our counter-attack when they struck at my very heart: my dearest Annabel. As we sat to our evening mea...

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“Toure de Waffle” by N.M. Stech

The horror of the thing overwhelmed me. It was a monstrosity; an unholy union if ever there was one. What kind of psychopath was responsible for this abomination? I looked across the table at my friends, and I could see my feelings echoed in their faces. Neal looked down at his plate with the furrowed brow of man looking at a mortally wounded ally on the battlefield. Jordan, on the other hand, wore a look of pure di...

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“Power in the Blood” by N.M. Stech

        In the glow of the lamplight, I looked at the face my dying wife, and was afraid. No, I thought, she’s not dying. She’s healed. We’ve asked God to heal her, and all we have to do now is believe that God’s done it. She’s not dying. She’s healed. She IS healed!  Even as I forced these affirmations to play on repeat in my mind, the doubt continued to creep in. She certainly didn’t look healed. The ...

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“Past Due” by N.M. Stech

“Closed: NO TRESPASSING!“ I stood facing the faded red letters on the front door of the corpse of the Sparta Library, and considered what to do next. On the off chance there happened to be someone, anyone, still working in the building, I gave a few hard knocks. No response. No surprise. I knew it was a long shot from the condition of the building. The blue roof was starting to chip and peel, the pathwa...

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Author bio

I am a corporate lawyer and aspiring writer residing in the Midwest. I am utilizing this forum to explore and experiment with different voices and genres while I learn from and enjoy this fantastic community!

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #178
Toure de Waffle – read story