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Ralph Aldrich

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021

Stories (101)
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55 Followers
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101 Stories

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The Noble Oak

Submitted to Contest #300

The back porch of the family farmhouse is catching a nice autumn breeze blowing in off the meadow. Raymond breathes in the sweet smell of wildflowers wafting in as the day slowly passes. A majestic old oak stands in the middle of the meadow, waving its branches at Raymond like an old friend. He smiles as he puffs his pipe a few times to keep it lit.The noon sun heats up Raymond’s shoes, causing him to pull them back under the metal porch chair. When Raymond was young, the meadow was a cornfield. The oak was there then, making it older th...

12 likes 4 comments 4
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12.01 a.m.

Submitted to Contest #297

A sandy-haired twelve-year-old boy named Crispin Taylor stares in dismay at the dilapidated house. His parents divorced five years ago, and Crispin and his mother now live in a small flat in Guildford, England. His mother, Susan, recently inherited the house from her aunt on the outskirts of town. Her aunt’s father made his fortune manufacturing men’s haberdashery. Susan told Crispin that his great aunt’s name was Beatrice Baines. She never had children, so she would invite Susan, several other cousins, and a few of the neighbor’s child...

20 likes 3 comments 3
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Norton Macalister

Submitted to Contest #295

Norton Macalister, a tall, distinguished British gentleman of sixty years of age, has stopped to blow his nose. After inspecting his handkerchief, as we all seem to do, he returns it to his coat’s breast pocket with all the points in their proper places. As he gives it a satisfying pat, he looks up to see that the funeral parlor across the street is holding a service for one Norton Macalister. Thinking it quit the coincidence , he decides to go and investigate.Stepping inside, he notices that the place is nearly empty save for a coffin and t...

14 likes 3 comments 3
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Marvin Merkin

Submitted to Contest #293

Mild-mannered Marvin Merkin of Milford, Massachusetts is driving his 1962 Nash Metropolitan to Minnesota, where he will start working for the Maple and Maple Accounting firm. The rain is coming down in torrents. Due to the driver side’s badly worn windshield wiper blade, Marvin must drive's hunched over the wheel to see through the streaking rain. He smiles as he thinks of a little word game. “Marvin Merkin from Milford drives through a monsoon to get to Minnesota!” Marvin chuckles to himself. “Mother always did...

11 likes 10 comments 10
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To Paint is to Dream

Submitted to Contest #292

Preston slowly exits Ferguson Art Gallery with his portfolio tucked under his arm. The passing crowd pays no attention to the man in the shabby brown suit with his head hanging low. Preston’s breathing grows heavier with each passing second until he finally explodes with rage. Everyone scatters as he flings his artwork onto the pavement and begins to stomp on it. Spittle flies from his lips as he curses the gallery for their short-sightedness. As his anger subsides, he looks around, embarrassed by his public display of em...

12 likes 5 comments 5
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The Grimoire

Submitted to Contest #291

“Slap!”  Back pressed against the wall, Lucky Louie grabs the wrist of the man who has him by the throat. “This is your final warning! If the Boss don’t get his money by the end of the week, let’s just say you won’t have to worry about it no more! Capito?” Louie nods vigorously. “He’ll get it! Tell him I’ll do my best to raise what I owe him. I promise.” “Never mind the friggin’ promise shit! Just get it!”  The henchman raises his meaty fist but turns Louie loose with a shove instead. “...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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Bell

Submitted to Contest #290

The spring rain falls unnoticed. Eli remains motionless by his wife’s grave, feeling empty. Since they first met fifty years ago, it has just been the two of them. At the time they wed, both of their parents had already passed away.   They never had children. However, they never had any regrets because they had each other and were very much in love.They worked in education, Eli, a college professor, Margaret, a high school teacher. Both taught history, leading to traveling to many places they taug...

15 likes 5 comments 5
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Devil's Pit, Arizona

Submitted to Contest #289

The desert wind blows dry and hot. The sky is pale blue due to the lack of moisture. Beneath the cloudless sky rides a solitary rider slumped in his saddle, his head bobbing with the pace of his pony’s steps. His hat is pulled low. A bandanna covers his face to fight the blowing sand.            On the rise of a dune, the dappled mare stops and snorts sand from its nose. Its master lifts his head and rubs the dust from his eyes. He squinted at the town ...

20 likes 7 comments 7
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The Incident of Mars Hill

Submitted to Contest #288

In 1954, Chester Candler built a log cabin in a quiet little meadow at the foot of Mars Hill Mountain, Maine. His daughter and granddaughter live there today, although it has undergone many modern-day improvements. The homestead lies about six miles from the center of town.Madelyn Collins, a trim 39-year-old, is busy looking through the junk drawer for the keys to the truck. She stops when she hears the weather report come on the radio.“Well, folks, it looks like we’re in for a big one! The snowstorm that was beginning to...

13 likes 2 comments 2
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Grubs

Submitted to Contest #285

A small gathering of people quietlysit, staring into a cracking fire they built inside the remains of a convenience store. Having only recently come together, they are all strangers each person has losty all of their memories. They are timid and leery of each other but feels safer in a group than alone. The world is a strange and scary place, especially at night.A man sits hunched over on the check-out counter, his long, lanky hair covering his face. Like everyone else, his clothes are filthy and raggedy. He calls hi...

17 likes 1 comment 1
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Wonderful Time of the Year

Submitted to Contest #283

Lawrence Shafer wakes to the sound of Tony Bennet’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” on the radio. He winces and covers his ears. His head feels as though it is full of thorns. Lawrence tries to pry open his eyes, but they’re glued shut. Still, Bennet sings. “Oh, God! What has happened to me? I don’t remember coming home, let alone getting into bed. I last remember being at our office Christmas party and talking to Xiao, the receptionist.”   Lawrence turns to look at the alarm clock and notices how the numbers seem to be ...

7 likes 4 comments 4
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Christmas Lights

Submitted to Contest #282

Bill struggles down the attic stairs carring an oblong box with a picture of a pine tree on its side. Holding the box on his shoulder, he shouts, “Which corner do you want me to put the tree in, Mom?” His mother, Dolores, is following behind, hauling a plastic tub with an ill-fitting green lid.  Written on its side in black magic marker are the words “Xmas lights.”Dolores smiles wickedly as she declares, “Let’s put it in the corner behind your father’s chair.” Oscar jumps up, sputtering and snarling. H...

18 likes 3 comments 3
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For Better or Worse

Submitted to Contest #281

Master Meow lives in a lovely, comfortable apartment in Toyko with his human companion, Mr. Sato. Mr. Sato is retired and lives on a small pension. He has enough to keep himself and Master Meow comfortable and well-fed. Master Meow is a beautiful white and light brown cat, part Persian and part Angora. He is very fluffy. He spends his day grooming and purring on a satin pillow in the window. He also has a very high opinion of himself. He loves it here because his food dish is always full of fresh red salmon, his water b...

14 likes 3 comments 3
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The Conversation

Submitted to Contest #280

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Cillian and Finn relax as they sip beers in their favorite pub, The Red Rooster. Cillian gazes out the window to watch the clouds float gently past. The silence is broken when he poses a question.“Answer me this, Finn. Why is it that if a man donates a kidney, everyone loves him and thinks what a wonderful soul he has?  But, if that same man donated five kidneys, he would be considered the prime suspect in a crime investercation?”Finn blinks at Cillian and sits a little straighter in his c...

8 likes 3 comments 3
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The Post-Apocalyptic Life of Harry Milk

Submitted to Contest #279

How do you describe someone like Harry Milk? He stands five feet seven inches and weighs one hundred and eighty-three pounds. Harry is forty-nine years old and is balding, though he combs the few strands he has neatly across his head. If asked to describe his facial features, all anyone can recall are his thick horn-rimmed glasses. Unfortunately, for the most part, nothing is outstanding about him. Another thing is that Harry is a creature of habit and lives his life by the clock. He rises at five-fifteen sharp every...

13 likes 1 comment 1
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