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Scott Dutkus

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2022

Stories (16)

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19 Followers

12 Following

16 Stories

320 karma pts

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Mercy

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #180

“Mercy!” “Please, oh Holy Highspirit, grant your humble servant mercy.” His voice croaked as he cried out and his eyes would not open. “Where am I?” He tried to wipe the gunk off his face with his left hand. The right hand wrapped around the Book, and even if he tried to move it, it would not have moved. He blinked and the left eye opened and light streamed through, but his right eyelid stuck shut. This time, using his thumbnail, he rubbed the right eye and felt the dried gunk break free. He blinked again and both ey...

10 likes

Jeff goes home

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #171

“Attention Passengers aboard Delta Flight 5727, Reagan National to Boston Logan, our flight is unfortunately overbooked tonight and we are looking for several volunteers to be rebooked on an early morning flight. Delta is offering $350 and 5,000 bonus miles and we will rebook you on our 9 am flight tomorrow morning. If you are interested, please come to the gate and I will assist you in the rebooking process. Thank you.” Jeff looked at his ticket and saw an arrival time of 10:45. After a taxi ride, he could be home at t...

8 likes

Velo's cough

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #166

Violence and language: I. Velo held his breath, not because of nerves (no, this is an act he executed with precision dozens of times in the last several years), but because of the nagging, persistent dry cough building in his lungs. And a cough, no matter how quiet right now, might lead to mission failure, and possibly even his death, something he desperately tried to avoid. His mark stood mere feet away, and his customer requested a spectacular sight, one that would harden the hearts of others and prevent similar situations. ...

7 likes

Inspecting the End of the World

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #163

I.22 Apr 1996, the Day I saw Death for the First Time: The bouncing never stopped as the bus hurled along the dirt road, dotted with rain-soaked potholes. At least that’s what I thought since the bus windows had curtains pulled across them so we couldn’t see outside. But since the floor of the bus had holes, I saw very wet mud splatter up every few seconds, in symphony with a jolt. I looked around at my colleagues and saw some of the same nausea I felt. Although I could handle bouncy rides, and even liked roller coasters ...

9 likes

Asher's unnormal, normal day

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #163

Asher tugged on the reins of his donkey, giving his animal the needed encouragement to continue the descent through the loose stones, broken twigs, and other debris on the floor of the Mount as he headed to the southern gates of the city. He understood his donkey’s reluctance; normally they traveled this during daylight hours, but the urgency of his errand and the necessity of his cargo drove him to travel through the night. A messenger arrived after dinner from the city’s shops he supplied, their stock of pigeons was dangerously l...

10 likes

Dinner for Miles

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #162

Miles turned the menu over and rubbed the edges twice with his gnarled hands, trying to see if he could find more options or if additional pages were stuck together. Then he looked around the table to see if he missed a part, or if a family member took a page, and finally around the room for a Specials Board. Unfortunately, the menu consisted of a front page with appetizers, soups, and main entrees followed by a back page with desserts and drinks and no Specials Board appeared, no matter how much he willed it. Nothing on the m...

9 likes

Turpi's Water

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #160

Trying not to spill his buckets, Turpi climbed the staircase for the fifth time that afternoon and the eleventh time for the day. The rough skin on his feet left no visible marks on the steps, but he knew, after trekking these stairs over a dozen times a day for the last 17 years, his feet caused the worn and smooth parts on the otherwise rough stone. 17 years fetching water; 17 years climbing up and down, from the lowest points along the marsh and then 9 stories up and hundreds of feet out along the cliff to the isolation tower ov...

8 likes

Boone the Blacksmith

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #159

Boone stood looking across the street at the Quartermaster with his Officers and supply Sergeants, all impeccably dressed, boots shined and hats tall and proud. No matter how much Boone tried over the last 4 months to encourage the Quartermaster to buy his swords and bayonets, the Quartermaster went with Boone’s competition. After hearing the rumbles of a possible military conflict, Boone spent almost all his coin to purchase steel, coal, and other supplies for his forge. He left barely enough to buy meager food and drink to s...

7 likes

A Nod

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #157

Tara stood, breathing heavily over her ‘friend’, trying to understand why she got so angry and lashed out, channeling so much power in her magic to strike the woman crumbled on the ground. Paige was, Tara guessed, a friend, sort of, but absolutely a colleague and someone Tara thought she could trust. But over the last two months, Tara’s attitude towards Paige changed drastically, and the gnarled fingers emanating green crackling light, crunched eyebrows and a tight scowl were a direct result of that change, and a drastic manifestat...

13 likes

Praxip's Second Escape from the Shadow Overlords

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #155

Praxip stood stone faced, staring forward and not moving while the Shadow Overlords and their aristocratic friends towered over him and reveled in the Shadow Overlords’ victory (and Praxip’s defeat.) Three nights ago, Praxip tried to escape from his dictatorial, power-hungry rulers, only to be thwarted by the fact that he was apparently a ‘Garden Gnome’ and the Overlords magically fused his legs together. Praxip didn’t agree with the stone statue overlooking the cross-roads that he was doomed to serve the Shadow Overlords by stayin...

6 likes

Micah's Copper Scroll

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #154

Micah rushed up the hills following the two sheep that escaped this morning, almost losing his left sandal several times. He tried avoiding loose light-orange sand while he jumped over larger rocks, baked beige by the sweltering sun and ragged enough to take chunks of skin and muscles should he fall on them. Almost no green shrubbery grew among these cliffs and, even while chasing the sheep, he wondered how the people living in the failed outpost of Qumran ever survived before the Roman Army swarmed the region, eventually leading t...

8 likes

The Door

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #153

A flashing, blinding white light, with red sparks drowned out his sight. Something grabbed him and he felt the wind rush past him like he was moving quickly. Then it stopped, as suddenly as it started. He didn’t know where he was. It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust as he stood there, almost feeling himself floating forward every now and then. When they did adjust, he was even more confused. Standing before him, elevated behind a carved wooden podium, stood the tallest, most haggard looki...

7 likes

Praxip's Escape from the Shadow Overlords

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #151

Praxip, kneeling behind a row of tall, sky-blue cornflowers, looked down the semi-shrouded lane, trying to make sure no evil Shadow Forces would see him. This lane must lead to the freedom Praxip longed for and spent his nights planning to find. When he could, but always cautiously, he listened to the Shadow Overlords plot their lands with dangerous creatures and traps to keep people out, and unfortunately for him, keep people in. He understood what lay ahead of him, and although the road forward was a mystery, he was not scar...

9 likes

Project 86-DEEVIS Terraforming

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don’t do it. Please don’t shut down my life support system, I can fix it, I know I can, I just need more time and you not to think you know the right answer since your computer brain said so. Percentages and statistics can lie and if you would just listen to me, I can show you.” Rex typed furiously at the keyboard trying to bypass the computer’s artificial inference and circumvent its predictive modeling. His life and the success of the GLG-22 Terraforming Experiment on planet 86-DEEVIS depended on it. The ...

14 likes

McKenna Boarding House, Established 1895

Scott Dutkus

Submitted to Contest #148

John McKenna stood looking towards Prospect Park, straight down 12th Street. His mind exploded with memories starting with his grandfather Patrick teaching him to ride his first bike, to coming home from school proudly showing his mother his grades, to watching his father marching away as he left for Britain, only to die during the Battle of the Bulge, and finally 4 months ago when his mother passed in her sleep, leaving him as the current owner of the small apartment building. Now, the red brick structure stood empty. Well, ...

6 likes