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Ralph Aldrich

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021

Stories (116)

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62 Followers

18 Following

116 Stories

2641 karma pts

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The Valentine

Submitted to Contest #208

I hate people. I’ve been made fun of and picked on my whole life. And why? Because I look different, that’s why.            I was born with some defects. None of them were life-threatening, just imperfections in the way I look. But those imperfections were enough to cause me pain for the rest of my life. My skull narrows at the top, and my forehead slopes back. My right ear sticks straight out, and I’m deaf in it. My mouth was too small for all the te...

5 likes

The Great Bardot

Submitted to Contest #207

 The magician, simply known as The Great Bardot, has been in show business for thirty years. He started as a child by learning all the common tricks of magic. Disappearing coins and foam balls squeezed between your fingers suddenly appear as if from nowhere into full-size balls in your hand. And, of course, a plethora of card tricks.           Bardot entered many amateur talent shows and traveled with a troupe across Europe. As his talent improved, people started...

7 likes

The Nightmare

Submitted to Contest #206

Where am I?  Everything is out of kilter.  Is there something wrong with my eyes?  I feel as though I’m looking through a pair of tubes, like looking at a TV, except everything around it is dark and out of focus.This room is strange. Maybe it’s my bedroom, but it can’t be because an office desk and chair are in the corner. Am I in a doctor’s office? Why would I be in a doctor’s office? I’m not sick.“Hello?” I scream into the void, but there is no answer. I look around for a way out and s...

13 likes

The Rite of Passage

Submitted to Contest #205

A tranquil Navajo village is in a forest clearing near a cold mountain stream. Wayra loves fishing and playing with his friends. He lives with his mother and grandfather. Wayra's father died when Wayra was three. Sadly, he was killed by a grizzly bear while on a hunting trip.            His grandfather is wise and teaches Wayra the ways of the warrior. Wayra's name means "gust of wind." His grandfather's name is Hashke'-Dilwo'ii, meaning "running warrior."On...

11 likes

Saddlesore, Arizona

Submitted to Contest #204

Out in the middle of western Arizona sits a lonesome little town called Saddlesore. Founded in 1864 by a couple of prospectors looking for copper and gold, it eventually grew to a population of one hundred and ten. It consists of a general store that sells just about anything a person could need, as well as a small five-pew Baptist church that hardly anyone attends. There is also Chinese laundry and a schoolhouse. At one end of the street is the Sheriff’s office.  At the other is the most prominent building in town- ...

15 likes

For Better or Worse

Submitted to Contest #202

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, but as he has never married, he has enough to keep himself and Master Meow comfortable and well-fed. Master Meow is a white and light brown cat, part Persian and part Angora. He is very fluffy indeed. He spends his day lying on a satin pillow in the window, purring contently. He loves it here because his food dish is always full of fresh red salmon, his water bowl is changed t...

13 likes

Angel Wings

Submitted to Contest #201

“That’s it for tonight’s show! Have yourself a safe trip home!” The announcer made that statement about twenty minutes ago, but I still stand here. My ears are ringing from the loud music. The last stanza of the Angel Wings hit song echoes through my brain repeatedly.  “Shut Up, Shut Up, Just Shut the Hell Up!” I don’t even like the song. But I’m mesmerized by the cute girls who sing it. I know I’m too old to be following a K-pop group. I think their ages are from eighteen to twenty-one and I...

12 likes

The Insomniac - Part 2

Submitted to Contest #199

Every night it’s the same thing. I go to bed exhausted but toss and turn all night long. It feels like my eyes are burning out of my head but have forgotten how to close. My legs are fidgety and jumpy.  Maybe I’ll sleep a little by daybreak, but this is usually filled with nightmares, so I wake up unrefreshed.It all started after the car accident. I hit a small child that had run out into traffic between two parked cars. He was running away from his friends. I slammed on my brakes immediately, but it a...

14 likes

Once Upon a Time on a School Bus

Submitted to Contest #198

My name is Ralph Ferguson, and I’m a tenth-grader at Union High. It’s almost the end of the year, and time to plan our annual class trip. Every tenth-grade class before us has gone to Spencer’s Beach, so we all voted to do the same. It’s a large lake with a small amusement park attached. The food hall serves chili dogs and clam cakes with corn on the cob. For five dollars a student, it’s an all-you-can-eat affair.I’m excited about the trip because the girl I like is also going. She’s a cute little redhead named ...

15 likes

Two Philosophers Walk into a Bar

Submitted to Contest #197

It’s the final days of March in Boston which can feel like the end of the world. You can either have a bright and sunny day, melting away the last of winter’s snow from the alleyways of Boston’s brownstone apartments, or a vicious Nor’Easter making life miserable. This particular day, however, the sky is cloudy as Professor Aldrich rushes to catch the bus that will take him to his appointment. He is a professor of philosophy at the University of Boston and has been detained by a student, which has caused him to run a little late.&...

10 likes

Who are You

Submitted to Contest #196

 Melbourne O’Day doesn’t like people. He goes out of his way to avoid them. It angers him to deal with them, but he must work to pay his bills. Melbourne is the manager of a hamburger joint, and employee turnover is tremendous. Because of his nasty disposition, everyone he hires quits a few weeks later. However, because the hamburgers taste delicious, the constant flow of new employees doesn’t affect business. As a result, the spot on the wall for employee of the month is always vacant.The only woman in his...

9 likes

Teddy the Wonder Boy

Submitted to Contest #195

It’s an age-old story. Mr. Freedom stands atop the getaway car, grinning wildly while holding each of the bank robbers by the scruff of their necks. News cameras and citizens’ iPhones are all taping the event for prosperity. Laurels and praises are being heaped upon Mr. Freedom for doing only what he seems capable of fighting crime. Meanwhile, I stand off to the side unnoticed, Teddy the Wonder Boy. At the end of the Iraq War, Dirk Stroman, aka Mr. Freedom, found an infant boy in the rubble of a collapsed building. ...

6 likes

"Would You Like Ketchup With That?"

Submitted to Contest #194

“I’ll eat my hat!” This is the catchphrase of a rather disagreeable gentleman who lives in Dripping Springs, Texas. His name is Derk Riley. Regardless of the conversation, you can be assured that Riley will argue that your point is wrong. And no matter how hard you try to prove it is true, the argument will always end in Riley saying, “I’ll eat my hat!” You can quote professionals, present news articles, or even have the person you’re referring to standing right there, and Riley will fold his arms, huff, and say, “If...

14 likes

Recallingng the Spring of My Youth

Submitted to Contest #191

Spring is far different in Tucson than it was back home in Massachusetts. Here spring arrives slightly before the twenty-first. It is heralded in by sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes.  The reason for this is that almost everything that blooms is a weed. I discovered that I’m allergic to two types of allergens. One is, of all things, cockroaches. The other is something called rabbit brush, an innocent-looking small yellow flower that grows by the roadside. Everyone in my family now has allergies, including...

9 likes

As Time Goes By

Submitted to Contest #190

I must admit I’m so nervous that my stomach is all tied up in knots. So why did I answer her request on Facebook to meet her? It’s been, what, fifty-six years since we last saw each other. Oh man, we were just kids! We lived near each other in the lower Bronx, by the zoo. We grew up best friends, perhaps on my part a little more. I was seventeen, and she was sixteen, a five-foot-one beauty with brown eyes and blond hair. I was your typical Irishman with black hair, blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion. Ye...

13 likes

Author bio

I am a 74-year-old retired barber from Massachusetts now living in Arizona. I have two sons, 42 and 39. I've married the same girl for 44 years and still love her very much. My oldest son is a college professor at Pima Community College and teaches writing. My younger son is in security. I myself have never taken a writing lesson but enjoy the experience of writing out ideas. I use a tool called Grammarly to help me in my efforts. I really appreciate Reedsy for all the opportunities it offers new writers and beginners alike. So please forgive my bad spelling and punctuation I'm sure as time goes on, I get the hang of it. Thanks for your comments I really take them all to heart. Ralph

1 shortlisted story ⭐️

Contest #258

The Camera of Tomorrow – read story