Scott Taylor

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2023

Stories (54)

54 Stories

1292 karma pts

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“Unlikely Bed Fellows” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #202

Unlikely Bed Fellows “My, it’s rather warm today. I know you don’t know this, but I am sitting in the shade, so don’t worry about sunscreen.” The breeze made the tops of the trees close to where my parents were buried sway.. After everything that had happened, it seemed like a good idea to talk things out. Mom and Dad had turned into excellent listeners. I was a freshman in college. My parents were coming to visit. Topping the hill on a two-lane road, a black Cadillac was facing them at full speed. He told the first responder the story. Bef...

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“K-POP-Brunch” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #201

Contains strong language. I never expected to feel used after a fling with my assistant Valerie. Still, as our professional relationship grew and distance separated us, our friendship morphed in ways I never imagined. The last thing we spoke of was a call from a client in California. “Sylvia, I don’t understand your connection to a Korean band,” I said. Sylvia was to promote a K-POP band in the US. But her efforts were undermined by another K-POP band allegedly stealing the group’s intellectual property. I watched the tape. A sinking...

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“Rumor Has It” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #200

Rumor Has It “It surprised me that you left your phone number. Are you ok?” Gloria was a lady I met at a bar. We had been mugged on the beach after we met. I stopped the criminal with choreographed precision, not thinking about how my actions would affect my date. While I was at the police station going over the night’s events a dozen times, she left for work. “I thought about it for days. You did what you had to do. I had never seen violence before, not to mention ever being robbed at gunpoint,” she said. The nickel-plated gun he pu...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith 'Targets'” by Scott Taylor

Bullets ricocheted off the stone wall protecting us. Kill or be killed was the only important fact to remember.It wasn't all that many years ago that my neighbor taught me how to shoot. He and I entered shooting competitions before teaching me to hunt. The neighbor was not only a pilot and ex-Air Force, but he enjoyed outdoor things like hunting. He was a man's man. Three things he taught me before he died. Self-defense, flying, and marksmanship. He was also the father of the one I would marry.The enemy wasn't a life. It was a target. That p...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith, The Headless Pilot Pirate, Part III” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #198

Monday didn’t start as I was used to. Instead of a taxi, Gloria drove me to the airport after dropping Tammy off at school.“How do you like this family man stuff?” She asked.I smiled as I watched the red lights ahead. A storm, typical for this time of year, had passed through the area the night before. Litter on the freeway had traffic slowed to a crawl as people dodged around debris from an overturned truck.Emergency services had several lanes blocked. I wondered if I would make my flight.“I am glad that you are there for Tammy. I overheard...

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“Living The Lie” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #197

Screams from the living room sent Sarah away from the dishes to break up the disturbance from her children.“Elizabeth, don’t hit your little brother.”Billy wanted the Doll Elizabeth laid down while playing on a smartphone.“But Mommy!”Elizabeth protested as Sarah removed the Doll from her daughter’s hand and returned it to Billy.“Why can’t he play with your doll?”“He’s a boy!”Billy was one. Who knows why he was interested in the Doll? Perhaps it was the blond hair or how the arms and legs moved. Maybe it reminded him of his mother.Squealing f...

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“If at first, you don’t succeed… ” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #196

Big Ben had just struck noon. I had been asked to come out of retirement for a special mission. The Queen had asked me to investigate a person of interest who left for the States on the 11:15 flight from Heathrow. They had bought into the idea that this person knew something about a mysterious flying object seen over a military base. It had been years since I had been in the States. Opting to arrive hours before they did, the Concord was my best bet. If all went to plan, I could greet them at the gate. The goal was to interrogate them a...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith ‘Who Am I?' Part II” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #195

The image of Tammy and Gloria’s sister walking away at the airport left me empty inside. Gloria would take the red eye back to Dallas, and I would do what I do, fight bad guys. The love I had willingly ignored after Connie passed haunted me night after night. During the day, when I was actively searching for digital villains or the payload they left behind, my emotions were locked away. In the wee hours, when sleep was elusive, they came alive. Most nights, I tossed and turned until the alarm finally saved me from myself. The images of tha...

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“The Saga of Dan Smith ‘The Good’ ” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #194

An excited voice on the other end of the line was one I had heard many times before. No matter the vagueness of the threat, the process begins the same way. Someone did something that allowed a cyber threat to penetrate their system. My job is to neutralize the threat, repair or replace the data, and harden their network against future attacks. Monday morning started as so many others that came before it. After the panicked call from a large company in Hackensack, New Jersey, I called my assistant to make the travel arrangements. With...

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Author bio

As a passionate wordsmith and imaginative storyteller, I have been captivated by the power of the written word since childhood. From crafting fantastical worlds to breathing life into compelling characters, my creative journey has evolved through various artistic endeavors, each offering a unique outlet for expressing my ideas and emotions. Seeking inspiration from the serene tranquility of the countryside, I find solace in the simple pleasures of nature – leisurely strolls through the forest, the gentle touch of moss beneath my feet, and the invigorating scent of pine. These moments of quiet contemplation ignite my creativity and serve as the foundation for my writing. Driven by an insatiable passion for storytelling, I have honed my craft over the years, embracing the challenges of self-publishing and immersing myself in the intricacies of the literary landscape. As a thriving community of writers, I take great pride in fostering a supportive environment where fellow authors can connect, share their work, and receive valuable feedback. With several novels published and many more in the works, I am excited to continue my creative journey and share my stories with readers like you. I hope my words will inspire and captivate you, just as they have captivated me. For further inquiries, please feel free to reach out to me at staylor823@gmail.com.