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Pete Gautchier

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2024

Stories (60)

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60 Stories

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A Hero for a Hero

Submitted to Contest #261

Prompt: Write a story about some unsung hero. A Hero for a Hero “This is 911. What is your emergency?” And the litany of questions begins to pour though the earphone. “Tell me exactly what is happening now?  What is the address of the emergency? Are you safe? Is this the number you are calling from? The voice over the phone extends a calming, soothing tone. After a deep breath, the caller responds with the important information. The operator says “Help is soon on the way.” Most of us are old ...

7 likes

Mums the Word

Submitted to Contest #259

Prompt: Dystopian- Set your story in a world where conversation about one particular topic is banned-but there are ways to get around the rule. Mums the WordImagine a state or society where there is a totalitarian government with suffering and injustice. Yet that society is situated in picturesque rolling hills, verdant forests, and agrarian farmlands. Parades frequently occur showcasing the nation’s greatness with thousands of spectators showing their devotion. Are these words merely descriptive, theoretical, or deceptiv...

4 likes

Tucked Away and Almost Forgotten

Submitted to Contest #258

Reedsy Prompt: A forgotten photograph tucked away somewhere is the catalyst for an unexpected journey. Tucked Away and Almost ForgottenThe year was 1965. It was no longer possible to delay the inevitable. It was spring cleaning day at our house, and my wife insisted I tackle the daunting task of organizing and downsizing the mess in our attic. No one had ventured up into that space since the day we moved in back in the early 50’s. I cautiously opened the door but to my surprise there were only a few boxes and a small...

5 likes

It's All About the Game

Submitted to Contest #256

Prompt: Write a story about a moment of defeat. (with two rivals coming together) It’s All About the GameThe summer of 1969 came alive for many of us.   The popular song “Summer of 69” by Bryan Adams became our mantra although we never understood what it really meant.  Events like the moon landing by the Apollo astronauts and the throngs of thousands gathering at the Woodstock Music Festival riveted our attention. Some people soared at supersonic speeds on the Concorde jet. Despite these positive thing...

7 likes

It's Just A Piece of Paper

Submitted to Contest #255

Prompt: Center your story around a character bargaining for something that is important to them.IT IS JUST A PIECE OF PAPERIt was a blustery cold day when a group of us passed through the entrance gate with the words “Arbeit macht frie”. I was a young lad of 12 years so I was ready to do what the sign said. I will work hard to secure my freedom. My head was still hurting from the impact of a soldier’s gun during Kristallnacht. Others were not so lucky as they bled from their wounds caused by the shattering of windows that were Jewi...

5 likes

Tidal Waves in a Puddle: Despair into Hope

Submitted to Contest #255

Prompt: Start your story with a character in despair Tidal Waves in a Puddle: Waves of Despair into Hope The time is right to tell my story. It is not an endearing story. My desire is for you to know the Truth. No adoring relatives ogling over my cute infant form. I learned that I was birthed on the street from a crack-head, deranged mother.  My cradle was a cardboard box. It was the first of my cardboard homes. Social services eventually caught up with her. The first of my many foster families decided to call me Dam...

6 likes

Adversary-"To Be or not to Be"

Submitted to Contest #254

Prompt: Write a story about two characters who start as mortal enemies but learn to embrace their differences.Adversary : To Be or not to BeThe cry “Help Me” was whispered by a terrified voice fearing it would be heard by his nemesis. With supersonic hearing, our hero Superman appears on the scene. He uses his super powers to battle his nemesis known as Rex Luther. The hostage is released, but Luther escapes to continue his rampage of terror on other unsuspecting humans. Superman’s adversary has not been brought to j...

9 likes

Watch Your Step or Step Out to be Heard

Submitted to Contest #252

Topic: 1) Write a story with a character being followed. 2) who struggles to do the right thing. Watch Your Step or Step Out to be Heard Was my imagination running away from me? Everywhere I went I would see a sinister shadow lurking in the dark corners. At times a hot, sulphury wisp of air would trace across the back of my neck. When I would turn around there was nothing. There were no visible signs that anyone or anything had been following me. I felt convinced, however, that I was being stalked. I now av...

13 likes

Look for the Evidence

Submitted to Contest #251

Topic:  Your protagonist is a writer who discovers a new favorite author. How does their writing, or even their own personality change as the protagonist falls under the writer’s influence?Look For the EvidenceGrowing up I was a wizard in math and science. I excelled far beyond my classmates in high school, but I was not considered to be Mensa material. My IQ was only about 125. Needless to say, that did not deter my endeavor to follow a rigorous program in college studying astronomy and physics. I felt my ...

10 likes

Ms. Privy

Submitted to Contest #250

Topic: Your teacher tasks you with writing a story based on an eavesdropped conversation. When the story is published your subject isn’t happy. Ms. Privy It is my senior year in high school! Yes!  Oh, this has been a great year! I have had a blast with my friends in school. On top of that, assignments in my classes have been few and far between. Even my least liked class, English Composition, had been enjoyable. But that enjoyment was all about to change.  My English Comp teacher, Ms. Pr...

6 likes

Daddy, I Do Not Understand

Submitted to Contest #250

Topic: Write a story about a child overhearing something they do not understand.Daddy, I Do Not UnderstandYoung children are mini sponges on what they see and hear from others around them. They have an amazing sense of awareness on how others perceive them.  With my child I try my best to exhibit my best behavior especially at controlling my speech and actions regardless of the situation. Unfortunately, when the child enters school, that all goes out the window and my control is totally lost. Often, I have to do dama...

6 likes

So Sure

Submitted to Contest #249

Topic: Write a story about a character driving and getting lost.So SureFriends and family that claim they really know me say that I exhibit obsessive behaviors. Usually, they use words such as persnickety, finicky, or picky to describe me. How can these words be character enhancing? After all they contain an “ick” derivative. I rebut them by saying that I need to be this way because I travel the highways and byways of the country for a living with the certainty of knowing where I was going.  Yes, I am a travelin...

12 likes

Dream Job

Submitted to Contest #249

1. Topic statement: Write a story about a character running late for a job interview.Dream JobThere was ringing in my ears. It was persistent. I just needed a few more minutes to rest my weary soul. I clumsily reached for my annoying phone to silence the menace. No sooner had I turned it off, I felt a tugging at my ear followed by loud incessant purring. My bleary eyes revealed my catatonic state to my annoyed observer. Sunny, my lifelong feline friend, was not amused and continued bellowing his dissatisfaction at no...

17 likes

Aliens on the Mend

Submitted to Contest #243

Aliens on the MendI did not grow up in Roswell, NM. I was not enticed by the alien aura that permeates the atmosphere of this fine town. I am a guy who needs visual evidence to support any theories or special scientific mumbo-jumbo. Many years ago, I bought a few remote, parcels of land throughout Chaves County. My hook was farming. Farming peppers (hot, and I mean hot like ghost peppers). Sounds strange, but I had this sixth sense that peppers would become popular in the coming age with all this “culinary finessed” eating. So, I moved my hu...

11 likes

Looking for Cover...looking for a way out

Submitted to Contest #239

Looking for Cover…Looking for a Way OutThe battle raged all around me. The noise of artillery bursting nearby deafened me. The air smelled of oily smoke. Swirling dust filled my lungs and I gasped for air. I clung tightly to my chest as each breath was labored. My eyes were misted, not by tears but by my profuse sweat pouring from my forehead. A foreboding aura of dread coursed through my body. In the haze, my mind conjured up fragmented thoughts, snapshots of my past. Where am I?  Drifting a...

8 likes