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Steve Mowles

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Oct, 2023

Stories (8)

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20 Followers

17 Following

8 Stories

194 karma pts

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Hurdy-Gurdy Guardian

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #318

I placed an ad online that read, “For trade, vintage air hurdy-gurdy, excellent condition. Once played by a baked curd vendor in the marketplace at Marrakesh. Will trade for other collectible air instruments such as the air bass guitar played by Joe Cocker at Woodstock, or an air London Philharmonic.”I chuckled to myself as I placed the ad and wondered if I would receive any responses. I didn’t have to wait long until I received a reply, “Would you be interested in an air zythoniium? The instrument is from a smoke free environment and in exc...

11 likes

Super Leaper

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #311

He was naked, he was alone, it was dark. The chill of hopelessness filled him so he curled into a fetal position and sat in silence until he heard a voice from the outside. “Hey, are you in there?” He ignored it and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. “I know you can hear me, don’t you want to be free?” Free? He knew he would never be free and he would die inside of the walls surrounding him. “C’mon Fani, you have to help if you want out of that prison.” He lifted his head up and looked towards the wall. “How do you know my name?” “I...

3 likes

Prison Break

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #296

Jailhouse Johnson was feeling overwhelmed. No one told him life outside of prison was so difficult. In San Quentin he was told when to get up, what to wear, what to eat and when to leave his cell. He didn’t have to pretend he was happy and smile. Now, people expected him to make eye contact when they were talking to him but that was way too risky. He wanted to hide out from the world. He had to push himself to go out for groceries or even walk up the hall to the bathroom. His friends, Big Jackson and Jimmy Breeze had come to his room a coupl...

7 likes

Speaking In Minor Keys

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #290

The small diamond in Diana’s nose reflected the lights from oncoming traffic as her pickup moved slowly north on Highway 160. Hot air rushed through the truck past her damp brown arms. It was past 9 pm and still hot enough to make a rattlesnake sweat. Her long brown ponytail fluttered towards the open window as she shifted into third gear. Her leg clung to the seat as she let out the clutch.Up the road a lonesome hitchhiker heard her shifting gears. An overture of crickets took his mind off his problems. No job, no girlfriend and nowhere to ...

16 likes

Touching The Hem Of Hope

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #288

The tepid rain soaked my filthy clothes but didn’t wash me clean. Nothing would ever wash away the stain on my life. So I hid as best I could as the searing sun dried off my clothes but left the damp stain between my legs.I thought about better days with clean robes and acceptance in the community as hopeless tears flowed down my cheeks. How could God abandon me like this? I wanted to scream at him so he could feel the wrath of all my anger and bitterness but drawing attention to myself would have meant immediate expulsion from the vill...

21 likes

Breaking the Dam

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #287

Little Jimmy Breeze was one of the smallest guys in the tenderloin district but he was notorious for pouring his angry wrath on anyone who had the misfortune of encountering him. His volcanic nature had made many enemies but his quick wit and devious ways kept him one step ahead of any serious consequences. He had evaded the wrath from the West Side Gang and the cops couldn’t catch him. He was great at dodging trouble but this morning he couldn’t escape the aching thirst that was gnawing at his hard, protective shell.The pain inside his...

10 likes

Gundle's Joy

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #286

My friend, Gundle, was real/not real but still more fun than anyone else I knew. We met when Dad and I moved to Westside. On our first day in the new house dad saw me crying in my bedroom and sat down next to me.“What’s the matter, Jamie?”“I miss mom, I wish she was here with us.”Dad stared at the picture of the three of us that was next to my bed.“I miss her too, keep praying she will get better and join us. She is doing the right thing getting help. When she comes back we can have some more adventures. Meanwhile, it’s me and you, and ...

5 likes

Sunrise

Steve Mowles

Submitted to Contest #286

SunriseIt was a grey chilly summer day in San Francisco and Frank was daydreaming about warm afternoons in southern California. He remembered the sultry embrace of the sun on his face and endless days that seemed to crawl towards sunset like a summer creek meandering across a meadow.Without thinking Frank shoved all of his meager possessions into a duffle bag and headed for the door. He shivered in the chilly damp air as he trudged up Army Street towards the freeway with his thumb pointed out.He was lost in thought about balmy summer ev...

6 likes