Tanya Humphreys

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

Stories (91)

91 Stories

1759 karma pts

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“The Path of Blame” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #165

Frankie looked her dog in the eyes, eyes the same deep sienna brown as her own, and said, “Okay Audrey, today we will find complete happiness in the solitude of nature.” She tied back her long sandy blond hair.Audrey whined and stood up as her harness was fastened under her belly, the tail that curled over her back wagged like mad, wiggling her butt along with it. For a moment she forgot her manners and leapt straight up on legs like springs- like Tigger- until her eyes were level with Frankie’s. The dog said, ‘oh boy oh boy oh boy...

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“I am Staussey, Dragon” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #164

Warning: contains a bit of gore. From the height of my mountain aerie the voices of the men reached my ears from far, far below. They sounded angry and full of righteous malice…but it wasn’t a sound I’d not heard before. As a dragon of the Gemutlich Order, I had been blamed and hunted and followed by these types of voices all my life. I peered out over the edge of the cliff that was my front stoop, not worried that they would see me, for this cavern was higher in the sky than even The Zugspitze, the frosted tip of which I could...

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“Insanely Fine Cuisine” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #162

Warning: a bit of gore and violenceDuncan Dupree, head chef of La Vie Le Calamar, drummed his fat fingers on his crossed upper arms and surveyed the chefs in training as they prepared Le Grande Repas Quatro, the feast for that evening. His snooty nose in the air, his little piggy eyes lasered onto Pierre as the young man added a dollop of truffle oil to his risotto.Dupree waddled over to the gently bubbling pot and inhaled the steam, dramatically closing his eyes and wafting the steam towards him with one hand, the other hand at the end...

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“Swings and Roundabouts” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #161

A bird’s eye view of suburban city streets, dotted with pocket parks, the streets mainly gridded, with occasional smaller streets jutting off at odd angles; at the center, a roundabout with four exiting streets from the circle, the small park in its center about a half block in diameter. From above, the bushes are like broccoli crowns that encircle the gnarly limbed old oak in the center. The branches between the leafy canopy appear black. There are old fashioned iron framed park benches facing the western and eastern streets.A small re...

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“The Oasis” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #160

Warning: offensive language, bigotry, violence and gore In a penthouse suite atop The StarShip Towers luxury apartment building overlooking the Las Vegas strip, there is a tense minute of near silence, only a clock ticks softly. The three men in the room are fifty stories up and tense because the boss’s hooded eyes blaze with fury. The clock on the wall over the bar tinks away a full sixty seconds…at a slug’s pace. The two who were summoned wait respectively for Don Carmine Vaselletti to speak. Vassey stands, saunters to the chrome ...

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“Human Currency” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #159

Sam the Sham Smith awoke between two dumpsters, the chill of the night invigorated him into a sitting position. His belly churned with toxic waste, his head swam with razor-finned sharks, his mouth tasted like shit as usual. He didn’t know what shit actually tasted like but had a pretty good idea. Many things he had tasted from the dumpsters of Fat Man Alley he imagined tasted like the brown goo from a dog’s butt. The alley was affectionately named for the row of restaurants on the street it catered to. High-uppity-cla...

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“Just Playing” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #158

Just Playing Simon peddled his bike through the woods, bumping crazily over the deeply rutted dirt path. He sped up as the path elevated to a gently sloping grade. His legs pumped in a blur like insane locomotive wheels. He laughed maniacally. His ape-hangered blue steed galloped over the earth fleet-footedly. The stallion was named Whiteboots of Lightening, Boots for short, named for his white-walled tires. In his mind’s eye Boots was of course not blue, how silly would that be? Childish to believe in a bl...

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“Dancing on the Bones” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #157

Lillian and Herb leaned over their third-floor balcony and admired the iconic sight of Diamond Head on the coast two miles west of their hotel. Herb said, “Well, there it is.” Lillian said,” Looks just that scene in the intro of Hawaii Five-O.” Their hotel was an Outrigger- classy, with modern tiki décor. The front desk greeters and staff were as nice as Canadians. The ocean beyond the beach below was swimming pool blue, sparkling with sun-pricks and sooo inviting. “I’m dying to go for a swim,” said Lilian, turning away ...

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“Gabriel” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #151

The cat with the ebony coat and pale green eyes sat on the fence post next to an elm tree where a family of squirrels lived. The cat’s name was Gabby, and the squirrels were his closest friends. Jeremy, a fluffy-tailed grey squirrel, climbed down the elm to the branch closest to the fence. He said, “hey Gab, have you seen Juniper?” Juniper was Jeremy’s sister. He had two younger sisters and an older brother. There had been six siblings at one time. Gabby said, “Nope. She’s probably up in the oaks with Jersey co...

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“Zoomba” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #150

Ralphina sat up in her bed with the light summer blanket clutched to her thin chest. TP, her grey striped kitty sat in the light of the moon in front of her closet. TP (short for Tiger Paws) stared at the closed door like a statue, the only thing giving away the fact he had heartbeat, was his whiskers, they twitched like dragonfly wings. After an hour, Ralphina’s eyes drooped involuntarily. TP leapt up onto her bed and curled in his spot behind her knees. “Bzzzzzzzzzzz. Bowp. Beeep.” TP freaked out. “Mroooowr!” He bounced...

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“The Young Bone Grubber” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #145

Hugo Bonaparte peeked around the upright granite slab and spied two men intent on unearthing the coffin in the fresh grave. The men’s nefarious deed was lit by a single, brightly lit lantern. One brandished a spade, the other a shovel. They were so mottled in the dirt-colored shades of their profession, they looked to him like haystack shaped monsters. But they were just men, under all the grave dirt, mud, and stench of rot. And he was jealous. He wanted that body. A faint voice breezed through the gnarled oaks...

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“Archie the Tree Monster” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #144

Lee-Roy White snickered as he took off the stolen rain jacket. He’d been warm and dry all the way home, even his hair, thanks to the jacket’s hood. It looked like a golf jacket, and it was big enough to fit him. On Wussy Wyatt, it’d come down to his bony knees. ‘Must be his dad’s.’ He hung it up in the entryway that his father called ‘the mudroom’ only cuz it had tiled flooring. ‘Mine now.’ He snickered again at the thought of that skinny little goomba soaking wet and shivering on his walk home from school. He a...

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“The Mind-Boggling Anti-Logic of a Tyrant” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #143

Warning: This story contains death, mental illness, and the senselessness of war.The small brown rabbit hopped from shadow to shadow through the underbrush, his sister followed close behind. Razin stopped suddenly and Fizza hopped right into his backside. “Oof!” Giggle.Razin whispered, “Stop. What have I been teaching you?”Fizza rolled her eyes, “Be careful when venturing out into open spaces.”“Okay then. Let me look.” Razin cautiously parted the ferns and peeked through the opening, the fronds tickled his nose like feath...

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“Light Feet” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #135

Jimmy Galapino looked out into the gallery as the verdict was passed to the judge.“On the count of murder in the first degree," Judge Smithfield hesitated for dramatic effect, “we find the defendant…not guilty.” His wild, wiry white eyebrows crept up his massive forehead like curious caterpillars. He strongly resembled Fred Gwynne, the actor who played Herman Munster. The victim’s family in the front rows howled and screamed. Reporters in the hallway swarmed like bees, their many voices buzzing in agitated impatience, ‘w...

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“Cat in a Candy Store” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #133

Pepper peeked out from under the counter and groaned as he spied the woman setting up the Hallmark display with heart adorned cards. ‘Valentine’s Day, ugh. Humans are so tiresome.’ The woman was Candace and she owned Candy’s Sweet Shoppe. Pepper the rat’s ash grey fur puffed and his white whiskers bristled uncontrollably. They did that when he was annoyed. Pepper scurried across the pink linoleum beneath the counter, across the floor to under the shelves. From there he was able to see the calendar on the wall. ‘Gads...

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Author bio

I never graduated high school. My education is one of street smarts and a love of literature and creating art. I started out illustrating children's books while working as a rural county mail carrier. My first children's book comes out May 21st, illustrated and written by me under a pseudonym. I write Reedsy stories as often as I can because Stephen King says to be a writer you must write every day. Every one of my stories is structured traditionally: protagonist faces a dilemma or quest, the plot is the main body, and the ending often twists away with the reader's imagination, with or without an element of horror, my favorite genre.

Shortlisted 2 stories ⭐️

Contest #240

The Raven at the Window – read story

Contest #120

Grampa Owl and Grandfather Mouse – read story