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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2021
Please note this story alludes to paedophilia and incest. ‘They say robins are dead souls that come back to visit the earth’ ‘If you’re thinking it’s her, why would she? ‘Smoke?’ ‘Ta.’ ‘Why’d you come?’ ‘She was still our Mam…and I didn’t think they’d be many here.’ ‘You got that right.’ ‘How’d you hear?’ ‘Letter from a solicito...
There were stories about Mole. Allegedly, he had once been seen in the town centre sporting green eye shadow. Another time, sparkly nail polish. If I was leaving my house as he was coming out of his, he would immediately go back inside. The people who shared his drive said that they had once offered to help him cut his hedge, and he had promptly dropped his shears and run indoors shouting. They weren’t sure what he was y...
Thirty-four-year-old Danielle yanked open the kitchen drawer and began rooting around amongst the motley collection of batteries, utensils, creased envelopes, and sandwich bags, until at the bottom, below the crumbs, paper clips, and tweezers she found what she was looking for. Triumphantly, she pulled out the Chinese takeaway menu. Twenty-four minutes earlier, she had tumbled in her front door. Laptop bag in on...
They stood amongst the vehicles parked in the crematorium car park and watched a robin. Its chest a dash of bright colour against the surrounding grey. Dry leaves were lodged around the tyres of an SUV and it hopped around amongst these, periodically pausing, head erect, checking the visitors out, before resuming its jerky activity. Every now and again a gust of chill wind would stir the rusty leaves, and the bird would ...
The kettle turns itself off with a decisive clunk and John pours boiling water onto the teabags in the mugs. ‘Dad!...you wanna cup of tea?’ No answer. John doesn’t think his father can hear him anymore. It’s either that or plain ignorance. Whatever! He takes one of the mugs through to the shadowy living room and places it on the occasional table next to where the old man sits in his riser recliner chair...
Fifteen-year-old Ali slowly sat up and cautiously rubbed the back of her head. Gazing around she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Gradually, like a pack of shuffled cards, her memories began to fall back into place. She could remember meeting Josh in the college car park after lectures. He’d said: ‘Want to go somewhere for a smoke?’ Then she could recall holding hands and walking together to a nea...
*Contains bad language* Here we go again - another Spanish Inquisition. Baz knew it would be followed by accusations, then tears. Why couldn’t she understand that he loved her, there was no one else. Their love had blossomed three and a half years ago at work, amidst the clattering of pots and pans and the tantalising smells of sauté potatoes and steak au poivre. Baz was the head chef at a lo...
‘Saz. What was the name of that medium that you and Bev went to see?’ ‘Antonio Butoni’ ‘I’ve got him here for a health check…I’ve had to come and hide in the kitchen in case he can read my mind.’ ‘What?’ ‘In case, he can see how hot I think he is.’ ‘Looks like a man from an M&S ad to me.’ Eve was referring to Bev...
‘Can you kill someone with a butter knife?’ ‘Take that child home immediately!’ The words had unintentionally escaped seven-year-old Jeremy. Once a month, he accompanied his parents on their duty visit to Grandmother. He endured four hours of boredom, sitting wedged between Mother and Father on her lumpy sofa. He was allowed to take a book to read, but no other form of entertainment. The adults prattled o...
The shrill ringing of his alarm clock woke Frank at 7.00 am. He attempted to roll over, to thump his hand down on the small button on the top of the clock, to shut the annoying noise off. That was what he intended to do, but this morning it seemed an impossible feat. For some inexplicable reason, he was unable to do this simple thing. Instead, all he could manage was an uncoordinated thrashing of his limbs. He could feel himself beginning to panic, his heart rate accelerating and beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. ‘Calm down...
Bob had been planning his escape for several days. He was gagging for a drink, and had to have one. He’d tried all his usual ploys: wheedling with staff, offering other patients’ visitors money if they would bring him a few tins in next time they came, and begging people who were being discharged to pop back and see him with a ‘little bottle of something’. All to no avail. He’d been in here for a fortnight now, and was g...
Twenty-six-year-old Ephraim held his new wife close to him as she lay sobbing beside him. They had been married a few hours earlier in Greyfriars Church, and although he had expected some immaturity in sixteen-year-old Chloris, he was unprepared for this. A few weeks earlier, her wealthy merchant father, James Bailey, surprised him by suddenly retracting his earlier decision to refuse the pair permission to marry. He was...
Sister Marinian had tossed and turned in her single bed all night. She had had an occasional dull ache in her back tooth for several weeks. She had ignored it and carried on about her business. It soon passed. After yesterday evening’s Compline, it started again. From the initial dull throb, it escalated to a feverish stabbing, which extended from her left ear, down her jaw to the front of her mouth. Whichever way she lay, there was no respite. She tried praying, but the pain intruded, interrupting her concentration and reducin...
Good morning, Pam, I hope you’ve had a good weekend. I’ve had several communications from parents concerned that their children’s lunchboxes have been interfered with. They state that you are already aware of this issue, but have failed to address it. Please can we meet as soon as possible to discuss this matter. Kind regards Reverend Peter Day Chair of Govern...
Two chubby Father Christmases sat in the bath together, one at the tap end, one at the plug end. It was a rather big bath. The steam from the bathtub swirled upwards and misted the large mirror on one wall, making the whole atmosphere moist and foggy. The Santas were chest deep in foam, their long beards had soapsuds on the ends. They were contentedly splashing each other with their flannels and toy boats. One popped loudly, sending a volley of bubbles up to the surface. They both laughed, until the smell hit them.‘Phoar’ said one....
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