Rudy Uribe

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Aug, 2019

Stories (19)

19 Stories

314 karma pts

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“Three Miles to Go” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #187

Three Miles to Go “I know you hate being in that damn cage, but I can’t let you out. I really wish you would stop crying; this is hard enough without you making all that racket.” Usually, I’m an aggressive and impatient driver, but today I’m driving slower than usual. I figure if I can stretch out the drive, it will prolong Cheeto’s life by a few more minutes. I wipe away some tears. “This is your last day on this planet, and you’re spending it in a cage. I am so sorry. You should be in my daughter’s arms, purring and rubbing your head...

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“Damaged Goods” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #51

“Dastardly. I think that’s how I’d describe him.” Amelia leaned back in her chair.“Dastardly,” he repeated, “That’s not a very common word. What exactly is your definition of it?”“You mean the dictionary definition?”“No.” He allowed a micro-smile to light on his lips. He looked away, hoping she hadn’t noticed. It would be most unprofessional to laugh at a client. “No, I want to know what that word means to you.”Amelia rubbed her chin before answering. “If he had had a handlebar mustache,” she said, “I could picture him twirling the ends as h...

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“Conversation With an Angel” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #48

Jennifer and I circled the park on our daily walk. Under the shade of a tree sat a table with a built-in bench. It sat on a pad of concrete. An elderly gentleman sat dead center. Off to his left was a sign that read “Free Tarot Card Readings.” “We walk this park every day,” Jennifer said, “I’ve never noticed that guy before. He’s probably some homeless guy looking to make a few bucks for a bottle of wine. I’m going to call the cops. He could be dangerous.” “You always assume the worse,” I said. “What if he legitimately wants to help peop...

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“Death Has an Appointment” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #47

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You, more than most, understand these words. You’ve heard them often enough. I’m surprised you didn’t keep your mouth shut. It came back to haunt you, didn’t it? You’re looking downward. You’re not going to talk to me, are you? You are going to the gas chamber for what you did. A pellet will drop into a solution, and gas will slowly fill the room, although you’ll wish it was quicker. You'll hold your breath, but that will only delay...

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“Easy on The Eyes” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #44

She was easy on the eyes but hard on the heart. The Santa Ana winds had blown into town, and my throat was as dry as desert sand. She stood behind the bar, wiping it down in a robotic fashion. She had dark, shoulder-length hair and piercing blue eyes. Her ample bosom left an ache in my loins. Angie knew I was waiting for her to attend me, but she pretended I wasn’t there. I couldn’t blame her—Angie and I had a history.  A month earlier, I mustered the courage to ask her out. Her gentle lips widened at the proposition, and her porce...

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“Wyndam and The Final Problem” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #37

The morning sun filtered through the live oaks casting shadows on Wyndham’s morning paper. The counters were clean, the appliances polished, and the cabinets smelled of old oak. There was serenity in the air. Mr. Windham Holmes sat at the kitchen table enjoying his morning coffee. “Watson!” he shouted. His voice, while thin, managed to cut through the tranquility. “Coming, Mr. Holmes.” I am Wyndham’s caregiver. My name is Richard Chang, but he prefers to call me Watson. I hurried to his side, “Yes, Holmes.” “Watson,” he pointed to ...

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“Three Miles to Go” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #30

“I know you hate being in that damn cage, but I can’t let you out. I really wish you would stop crying; this is hard enough without you making all that racket.” Normally, I’m an aggressive and impatient driver, but today I’m driving slower than usual. I figure if I can stretch out the drive, it will prolong Tiger’s life by a few more minutes.I wipe away some tears. “This is your last day on this planet, and you’re spending it in a cage. I am so sorry. You should be in my daughter’s arms, purring and rubbing your head against her face.” The l...

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“Paradise...Not” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #28

From twenty-seven-thousand-feet, the shadows from the mountains looked like they were stretching and yawning. Lakes dotted the landscape. The sun was settling in under a blanket of clouds rewarding me with the respite of night. I closed my eyes and hoped for a few minutes of sleep. My nap was interrupted by a nightmare, which, as it turned out, would be nothing compared to what lay ahead of me in Portland.My wife’s best girlfriend and her husband moved to Oregon twenty-two years ago. My wife, Cathy, and I have often talked about moving up th...

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“Angie's Last Shot” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #25

Angie’s temperature rose to a blistering one hundred and five degrees. Nurses applied ice packs but they were ineffective against the raging battle taking place inside her body. She lay, comatose, a breathing tube rising and falling with each breath. Mark lifted her hospital gown. Her boney legs looked thick when compared to the ribs that outlined her sunken abdomen. She was a petite woman, but her hospital stay had taken its toll. Angie was down to eighty-eight pounds. She had lost nineteen since being admitted. For Mark, it had been twenty...

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“The Gunfighter Theory” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #24

I thought when I died, I would instantly know the answers to all the mysteries of the universe. Was Darwin, right? Does life exist on other planets? How did they build the pyramids? The reality is I didn’t learn a darn thing. The mysteries of life did not present themselves as I had expected. Once my soul left the body, and I passed through those pearly gates, I didn’t care if I knew those answers or not.Even though I’m poo-pooing solving the world’s greatest mysteries, the one mystery that kept gnawing at me was how the universe began....

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“Bobo's Cabin” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #23

My neck and shoulders tensed as I navigated the icy road. The snow pelted my windshield. The wipers were ineffective, and my view was limited to the twenty feet illuminated by my headlights. “Slow down,” my wife urged, “If the car skids, we could go over the cliff.”“That’s just what I need,” I said, “more pressure. I’m going fifteen miles an hour. Any slower and we could walk there.”“I’d rather walk than die.”I sped up to thirty-five to show her who was in control. The car fishtailed, and my wife screamed. I applied the brakes, which made it...

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“Better Safe Than Sorry” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #18

The one thing Daddy’s little girl will never be accused of is being weak. I can’t stand being around victims or martyrs. They are feeble, pathetic people looking for sympathy. Not me. If you try to do me harm you will become the victim.Strength is something I learned from my father. He stood up for himself and showed me what it was like to be self-reliant. He was an attorney who fought for his own rights and the rights of others. My mother, on the other hand, was a martyr. She enjoyed suffering so that we could supposedly be happy. It was pi...

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“The Shattered Door” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #13

I need to take a good hard look and revisit my definition of fun. My girlfriend, Allison sobbed almost to the point of incoherence as she spoke to the police. Kevin grimaced with pain as his arm dangled from his elbow. His girlfriend, Missy was catatonic, unable to answer any questions. And me – I stood in the foyer with my arms handcuffed, and a police officer reading me my rights. They were charging me with manslaughter.***It had started innocently enough. I sat at my breakfast nook and sipped my cup of coffee. I looked up at Allison. “Why...

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“Sheryl's Garden” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #9

Joe started when the screensaver blinked on. He had been staring at the Quick books program for more than ten minutes without having touched a key or moved the mouse. He rose from his home office chair and made the fifty-foot walk to the kitchen. He wanted a cup of coffee, but he was out of coffee pods. He boiled some water and opted for a cup of instant coffee. The refrigerator was low on food but for a block of cheddar that was showing splotches of green mold. The container with the half-and-half was more than two weeks past the expiration...

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“A Three Whiskey Night” by Rudy Uribe

Submitted to Contest #7

Cody pulled into the driveway. The front porch light was off, but that didn’t mean Anne was asleep. She usually waited for him in the living room so she could tell him about her day. It was after eleven, and he wanted to go straight to bed and avoid her incessant chatter.He stood at the front door but chose instead to go around back and enter through the kitchen. If Ann was in the living room, he might be able to sneak in through the kitchen. He slowly opened the door, wishing he had oiled the hinges. Anne stood at the kitchen counter, prep...

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Author bio

I spent several years working at Los Angeles radio stations. I am a freelance copywriter and pen short stories for fun and hopefully publication.