Peter Merz

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021

Stories (4)

4 Stories

85 karma pts

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“WARNING FLAGS” by Peter Merz

Submitted to Contest #190

“Speak.”There was a faint buzzing sound, followed by absolute silence. A youngish man, perhaps not much more than twenty-six or twenty-seven, stared with abject consternation at his creation—though perhaps a work in progress would be more à propos. He threw his hands up in sudden frustration.“What the blazes do I have to do to make you show me you have even the faintest spark of life?”Laurie Keir was a younger man who all-in-all came across as average in most respects. Average height, average weight, average to better-than-average looks. He ...

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“SINS OF THE FATHER” by Peter Merz

Submitted to Contest #161

Todd manipulated the fidget spinner in his hand. He needed to focus on the problem at hand. His sister, Sally, had reminded him about the funeral and his need to be there. So, Dad really was dead. Those words should have been like a heavy weight being lifted off his shoulders. But that wasn't what he felt at all. If anything, he felt like someone just dropped an even more horrendous weight on his shoulders.He didn't want to go to the funeral, but he realized the aftermath of not showing up at his own father's funeral would only cause unneede...

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“GREENING OF BELFAST” by Peter Merz

Submitted to Contest #160

2030. That was the year my life took a really nasty turn. But I might be getting a wee bit ahead of myself here. Everywhere you looked you saw plain ugly bad afoot. What do I mean? Well, for starters, a serious drought was spreading like wildfire. It was rife in places you might not imagine folks would find it.About roughly six months ago, an eco-terror group founded by six former card-carrying IRA carried out a bio-weapons attack on the city of Belfast. Whatever green remained had turned to unpleasant shades of brown. Some parts of the city...

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“BLOOD PAYMENTS” by Peter Merz

Submitted to Contest #159

Flaxius rubbed the thin wisps of graying red hair that barely passed for a beard in long and thoughtful strokes. It was Tax Day, and it was his sworn duty to collect from the townsfolk of New Delirya–no exceptions and no extensions. Rules are rules, after all, and it’s the rules that keep everything running smoothly. Sure, tax collectors were a hated lot amongst the townsfolk, but that didn’t bother Flaxius even one smidge—why should it? They can hate him all they like, but it’s what kept his belly from starving and being able to live somewh...

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Author bio

Peter Merz has been a scribe of fiction from the time he first learned to write with a pen and paper, spanning across four decades. In the 1990s, he began writing poetry and songs, collaborating with songwriters and lyricists on a prolific body of songs. Peter grew up in Southern and Northern California, was a history major at Campbellsville University, and in 2004 made a major coast to coast move from the hustle and bustle of California to the New England coast of Maine. His stories have appeared in Campbellsville University’s student newspaper, The Campus Times, the Society of Scribblers Connections journal, Yahoo! Associated Content, and in several online fan-fiction publications. In 2005, he founded his own music publishing company, Scribe and Sage Music. Peter graduated from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) with a B.A. degree in Creative Writing and English, cum laude. He is a member of Sigma Tau Delta-Alpha Phi Beta, International English Honor Society, and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Peter resides in Maine with his two children, Michael and Aaliyah.