Sharon Hancock

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2022

Stories (24)

24 Stories

1247 karma pts

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“Redneck Without a Plan” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #170

CONTENT WARNING: violence, gore, naughty words, substance abuse “Not me, Chuck, no way. I ain’t never gon need a plan. Nope. I’m a ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of guy.” I flick ice chunks off my beer and close the cooler. Me and my buddy, Chuck, spent the day muddin’. Now we’s pontificatin’— otherwise known as, “shootin-the-shit”, whilst guzzlin cold ones and chill-axing in a lawn chair perched on the bed of my ’85 Ford Pickup. Chuck’s eyes glaze over as he draggs long and hard from a bong, big...

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“Rhoda’s Hot Buns” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #162

“You are not a pretty girl, Rhoda. Best you know the truth now.” Her mother made sure she understood her limitations, which Rhoda appreciated. “Learn to cook. Food’ll take a man’s mind off your face.” She took her mother’s advice, throwing herself into the art of baking. Turned out, she had a knack for it. While other young people her age partied and dated, Rhoda honed her skills and fed her passion for creating the perfect croissant. When she opened “R...

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“Pants on Fire” by Sharon Hancock

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #156

The first time she made me do it was the day after Mama died. That shiny black car stirred up a cloud of dust when it skidded across our dirt driveway. Daddy was nowhere to be found and hadn’t been around for weeks. Anyway, even if he had been there he wouldn’t have done much good. He never did. Before the red dust cloud settled and even before that wheezing woman with the hairy mole got out of the car, my sister, Julie, had me cornered and fully educated on the art of fibbing. She ...

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“The Family Jewels” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #153

“I can’t believe we’re arguing over this. You know the law gave me the right to make this decision.” “But, Mom. I can make my own decisions. It’s my life.” That’s how the conversation went between us for years. The day finally came when we could put the argument behind us. Just like every morning since my wedding day, I checked the safe for my family’s most prized possessions. After updating the camera and coordinating the app on my phone, I breathed a ...

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“Spheres of Fortune” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #152

“The winds have changed, Valdor.” The girl reentered the wagon, squinting until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. “We must go.” His rumbling growl, barely audible, prickled the hairs on the back of Dove’s neck. A gnarled, tree-like finger popped and cracked out from the shadow. It uncurled, jittered and gestured toward the crystal ball. Dove sucked air through pursed lips, trying to conceal the dread. She did not want to touch that ball again. &nbs...

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“Just Call me Al” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #150

“Well, Son, your mother was on a lot of drugs and your head was so big.” At least Dad was somewhat apologetic. Mom….not so much. “Thirty-six hours of pushing that enormous head of yours out my love hole and you wanna complain about your name?” Yes. I want to submit a formal complaint about my name. My parents didn’t think things through when they named me. You see the problem with calling a kid, Algor, when his last name is, Rithm , right? (Stop laughing, Joe! Go drink a...

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“Extraordinary ” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #149

(Warning: Some profanity ) The ability to function in day-to-day life as a neurotypical human is an admirable quality, but it comes at an often overlooked expense; for it is in the anomalies, unique and rare, that exists the extraordinary. “Autism. She will never speak or function normally.” The doctor delivered the diagnosis like the Unabomber, quickly tossing it at the intended target and fleeing the area. Tally’s parents, consumed by shock, denial, and grief, carried the diagnosis within their h...

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“Releasing the Spirits of The Webster” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #148

WARNING: this one was inspired by a true crime/serial killer story you may recognize. Although the events of the story are fictional, they are graphic and might be disturbing. Before this happened, if someone had asked me to quit my job as a wrecking ball operator, I would have told them to jump in a lake. I loved my job, who wouldn’t? Watching that giant ball smash into the sturdiest walls like they were made of straw was a rush like none other, let me tell you. The sound of crumpling destructiveness, the debris explosi...

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“Wine is Fine but Liquor is Quicker” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #147

WARNING: alcohol abuse James was barely out of diapers when he tried a sip of his mother’s wine. He spat it out and wiped his tongue with a napkin. The bitterness lingered in his mouth, keeping James alcohol-free for years. As a teenager, when his friends partied with drugs and booze, James declined to participate. While most kids his age spent their weekends getting wasted, James studied and worked. As a result of his efforts, he graduated Valedictorian of his high school and college classes. After...

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“Happily Ever After” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #146

Warning: domestic abuse, alcoholism, violence, gore A rogue wind, cold and angry, howled the door shut behind the couple; startling a whimper from the woman. The drunken husband, Winston, scoffed and mocked his wife, Cornelia, before dumping more whisky down his gullet. He launched the empty bottle at her head, but missed and staggered into a wall. “You are pathetic.” He blew cigar smoke in her face, then doused the raging red tip on her exposed shoulder. She flinched, but old wounds reminded her no...

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“The Brotherhood of the Traveling Jockstrap” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #145

Friends since childhood, four young men gathered in camaraderie before every competitive sporting event. Wes, the wrestler of the bunch, sat on a bench in the musky locker room with panic in his eyes; tossing items out of his gym bag and mumbling. “Wes, ten minutes till weigh in. Why aren’t you dressed?” Bo, the group’s Tae Kwon Do competitor, checked the time on his phone and frowned a concerned look at his unprepared comrade. Jeb, a skydiver, recognized the distress on Wes’s face for what it was: panic over a po...

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“Double Exposure” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #144

Cursing under my breath as a thorn ripped a gash in my shin, I ventured through an abandoned lot across from the target’s house. Shorts and flip flops proved to be a terrible choice of attire, and I should’ve known better. These high-paying, incognito gigs always entailed off-road explorations of some sort, and this was no exception. After sneezing and swatting gnats, I hid behind a tree stump amid various brambles and weeds. Hoping I wasn’t inadvertently standing on a rattlesnake, I prepared my camera and telephoto lens. ...

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“The Search for the Garden of Eden” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #143

Warning: violence, gore, sexual innuendos, also some religious satire. Forced to spend every summer at Bible Camp Leviticus, four teenage boys formed a secret group on account of a common curiosity: the female anatomy. Knowing the camp’s doctrine focused entirely on obliterating sexual desire from the loins of the attendees, the boys planned ahead and came prepared with their own countermeasures. Each member of the group, Malachi, Lazarus, Ezekiel, and Solomon, raided his father’s “secret” nudie magazine collection and smugg...

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“The Dartist” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #142

Warning: Some reference to mental health, and of course, Violence and gore.***** She adjusted her eye patch and focused her one, good eye on the infinite potential of the blank canvas. Tongue between lips, she paced on silent socked feet …turning, visualizing, imagining. She felt the hum of inspiration that sprouted in the back of her mind; growing and blossoming as it crept forward in her consciousness. Tapping the end of the paintbrush on her lips, she cocked her head and narrowed her eye. On her next inhale, she saw it; t...

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“Samurai Karen” by Sharon Hancock

Submitted to Contest #141

Go Time. Adrenaline slammed through my veins when I saw the text. I stuffed rope into a military-grade rucksack, grabbed the cooler and loaded everything into the back of my minivan. My nerves jumped higher than a Mississippi cricket on the sizzling summer asphalt; but only because it was my first time purposely kidnapping someone. I did not have second thoughts—this had to be done. We had to stop, The Critical Karen, from ruining more lives with her ugly, hurtful, lies. &nbsp...

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Author bio

Hello and welcome to my bio. I’m a writer, runner, artist with a sunny disposition that conceals my dark side (Insert maniacal laughter here). I write what the voices tell me to write.(shut up, Clark. I’m writing my bio. No one cares about your severed hand.) I enjoy mixing weird, horror/macabre with a tinge of twisted humor. 😻 -I enjoy participating in short story contests including Reedsy, Globe Soup, NY24, Scribophyle, and WOW. I’ve gotten a few honorable mentions and made shortlists here and there. -I wrote a MG novel that I’m constantly revising and hope to find an agent and publish one day. -Ran my first half-marathon in August and my second in Oct. Running my third in November. -I teach acrylic paint art classes at a local art studio. -I live in middle GA, USA, with my husband of 22 years, 2 daughters, 3 cats and a Shih Tzu. 📖 I love reading your stories on Reedsy. I try to read and comment on several stories a week. I do my best to like and comment and follow back, too. Pronouns: she/her 🌈💜💓= I’m an ally * check out my short story, “Granny’s Pies” in the summer edition of The Last Girl’s Club magazine! READING: Late last year, I decided to read all of Stephen King’s works in order (sort of). 📚Currently reading: Insomnia by Stephen King) (I had to pause on King to read Christopher Moore’s new book, Razzmatazz, which is so much fun!) Some other favorite authors/books in no particular order: 1. Christopher Moore (especially Secondhand Souls series.) 2. James Todd Lewis (Fantasy/Furry series) 3. Welcome to Nightvale 4. John Dies at the End 5. Chuck Paluhuink 6. Chuck Wendig **there are no women on this list! We need more female horror writers! I’d love some recommendations. 😻happy reading and writing!

Shortlisted 1 story ⭐️

Contest #156

Pants on Fire – read story