Ray Murphy

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2023

Stories (4)

4 Stories

81 karma pts

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“The Joke's on George” by Ray Murphy

Submitted to Contest #229

Providence, Rhode Island, 1994“Sincerity is hard to come by. Everything is such a setup,” George complained without reason while his wife, Wanda, concentrated on her eyeliner. ‘You’re in our thoughts and prayers.” He snorted. “If you count the thoughts, yeah. Once. Because you said it. I was in your thoughts. But how many of those hypocrites actually pray for anybody?”“George, will you calm down. People are just trying to be nice when they say that,” Wanda said. "You shouldn’t be insulted. You sound like my father! Besides, nobody has died! ...

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“Je Me Souviens” by Ray Murphy

Submitted to Contest #228

Georgia summers can be brutal. Not for the heat so much as the humidity. As Sylvia Waters stepped out of her car, the street breathed like a dragon under her feet, but the air blew cool on her face because any air on a hot day soothes. Her auburn hair brushed the moisture on her face as leaves fluttered like a sail, clinging to the branches of a nearby oak tree. The drive from Montreal to Atlanta takes three days but seeing the busy food market in the quaint Georgia town, she stopped to marvel at the wonderous local faire, and welcomed the c...

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“Light at the End of a Dark Night” by Ray Murphy

Submitted to Contest #227

Jan 3RD, 2023The birds chirping outside woke Lars Bregman around 6am. The first thing he noticed was the steel mesh covering the windows, a ray of bright morning sun reflected a dusty white trapezoid on the yellowing tile floor. He could remember the Christmas party he had attended with the employees of Buddy’s Grocery in Jersey City. Two Beers, he thought. All it takes now is two beers and I’m in trouble.He looked at the bedside table and saw his black snowboarding helmet. The uneventful room did seem familiar, and after gett...

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“Hells Bells” by Ray Murphy

Submitted to Contest #223

Todd lifted his head from the crease of a textbook. A blue mullet. I can’t believe I dreamed I had a blue mullet. He shuddered off the idea and thought about the day ahead. That night would be another best night of his life. Fiesta Grande,he thought as he got up and accidentally kicked one of the many Red Bull cans strewn about the floor. The night before had been devoted to studying for his physics exam, after which the greatest party of the year would be held. Fiesta Grande was the best way for everyone to say goodbye until ...

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Author bio

"If it’s bad, I’ll hate it because I hate bad writing. If its good I’ll be envious and hate it all the more. You don’t want the opinion of another writer." -Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris.