Sharon Hancock

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2022

Stories (19)

19 Stories

919 karma pts

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“Just Call me Al” by Sharon Hancock

“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,...

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“Extraordinary ” by Sharon Hancock

(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 ...

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“Releasing the Spirits of The Webster” by Sharon Hancock

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 ...

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

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...

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“Happily Ever After” by Sharon Hancock

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...

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“The Brotherhood of the Traveling Jockstrap” by Sharon Hancock

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...

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“Double Exposure” by Sharon Hancock

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 br...

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

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...

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“The Dartist” by Sharon Hancock

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 inha...

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“Samurai Karen” by Sharon Hancock

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, ...

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“The Thing that Happened to Norman” by Sharon Hancock

Warning: this piece contains sexual innuendos and gore, violence, and questionable choices. “I remember him! He was taller than an oak tree and fiercer than a lion!” “Honestly, Bobby, why are you talking like that? We’re in Atlanta in, 2022.” “Because, my dear, Susie, Norman is a legend. His story must be told with a certain flair.” “Just stick to the facts, Bobby. Peop...

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“Spring Cleaning” by Sharon Hancock

I should’ve known better. There is a fundamental, unspoken rule of household maintenance that every mother knows. I knew The Rule, but I broke it. My intentions were good, but since I ignored The Rule, I deserved and accepted the consequences. See, my family had a problem. Somehow over the years, our home had mysteriously accumulated an alarming amount of stuff that qualified us as prime candidates for a hoa...

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“Head Plant Supervisor ” by Sharon Hancock

He knew what they called him and he didn’t like it: Unemployed Lloyd. True, he’d been out of work for a while; but that’s no reason for insults. Besides, he’d sent out his resume. Even went on a few interviews. He knew his luck would change and they’d be sorry. Lloyd scratched his butt and looked at the clock. He heard the stop-and-go hum of the mail truck and trudged to the door; not bothering to put on ...

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“Endless Day Beach and Spa” by Sharon Hancock

The invitation arrived on Tuesday; stuck between two busted samples of sunscreen that oozed and dripped in the mailbox. Sabrina frowned at the sickening sweet smell of coconut and mango as she squished the letters together and pulled them out of the box. A sticky blob of the lotion plopped onto her shirt and sat there; jiggling and glistening in the sunlight. She swiped it off; leaving a greasy smear next to the ketch...

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“Oh, the Places I’d Go! (If I could Find my Keys)” by Sharon Hancock

I took my meds this morning. (She says, confidently). Wait…I mean…Did I take my meds this morning? I think I took my meds. Didn’t I? Yes. Was that this morning or yesterday morning? (She stares off into space and forgets what she was saying.) My brain says it wants to look at Disney World vacations instead of writing this. It’s cold in here. I’m hungry. I wish those meds would kick in so I can focus. This i...

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Author bio

I’m teaching art camp to kids this summer, so I may skip a week or so here and there. * check out my short story, “Granny’s Pies” in the summer edition of The Last Girl’s Club magazine! *also check out my short story, “The Abomination”, that got honorable mention in the Father’s Day Horror contest on Scribophile😻 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 love reading your stories on Reedsy and I’ve learned so much already! I try to read and comment on several stories a day. I do my best to like and comment and follow back, too. Pronouns: she/her 🌈💜💓= I’m an ally 🍔BONUS points if you can guess who I’m dressed up as in my pic. (Disclaimer: points have no meaning whatsoever, but they will be yours and no one can take that from you.) READING: Late last year, I decided to read all of Stephen King’s works in order (sort of). 📚Currently reading: Delores Claiborne (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!