Wally Schmidt

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2022

Stories (9)

9 Stories

1047 karma pts

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“Beyond the Brushstrokes” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #239

Leonard swirls the bristles around in the cerulean mixing it on the palette with the moss green. The hues could be peacock feathers, but today he’s using them to paint the lake. Thin veins of silver add pockets of depth. The water awakens beneath his brush, sending ripples to the shoreline. Nearby a little girl, holding pink cotton candy twisted around a paper cone, walks down the path and out of the painting.“Oh my,” says Leonard only half-surprised at the child with sticky hands now standing in the middle of his studio, the smell of burnt ...

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“A Labyrinth of Silence” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #200

Marie groped her way along the tunnel walls longing for just a sliver of light to help her find her way to the exit. A labyrinth of passageways criss-crossed the old town of Lyon, France providing silk workers with a way to transport their bolts of fabric without getting them wet. The silk trade had long ago flamed out, but the locals continued to use the passageways to get from one part of town to another.It was in one of these tunnels that Marie found herself now. She understood the necessity for lights out and curfews, but most of the pas...

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“If The Shoe Fits” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #197

“Of course the damn shoe didn’t fit. Whaddya think? I’d been bustin’ my keister off. Scrubbin’, cleanin’, cookin’ and all the rest. By the time I got to his crib my feet were so swollen, I traded my new Louboutins for flats. I figured with the long dress ‘n all no one was gonna know I did a switch-er-oo.”“How did that work out?” “Not great. After I ditched the party and called my Uber, I realized I only had one of the shoes in my bag and I must’ve left the other one behind. Somewhere. I turned that bag inside out and upside down, but th...

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“The Backdoor Diner” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #193

At the Backdoor Diner, there was never any good reason to order something other than the banana pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast according to Earl. But then, people didn’t always do what you expected them to, and almost never did what Earl expected them to.“Hey Earl, more coffee,” shouted Mr. Denkins above the din. Earl plunked down the heavy plastic bin full of dirties, and went over to the sideboard to retrieve the coffeepot.“Earl, next time, finish what you’re doing before you go for the coffee,” Smithers coached. “Ol’ Denkins ...

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“Dale Was Adamant” by Wally Schmidt

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #186

CW: mentions of miscarriage and suicide Dale was adamant. Adamant that chocolate chips belonged in banana bread, that health care should be universal, and that rap music is an acquired taste. He thought people who grew up with grandparents close-by had a deeper sense of security than those who didn’t, and that saying hello to people you passed, whether you knew them or not, was the foundation of civilization. Dale was adamant. Adamant that I was the most beautiful girl he had ever been with and that he wanted to share his future with me. H...

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“Chester & Luna's New Year's Resolutions” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #179

“Do you know what day it is?” asks Luna.“Uh-hmm,” Chester dismisses the intrusion.“Betcha don’t.”“I do. Now leave me alone. You’re almost as pesky as the neighbor’s cat,” says Chester.“Okay then what day is it?” says Luna needling him.“God, you’re annoying. But to humor you, it’s New Year’s Eve.”“Yeah.”“Did you think I didn’t notice that he was wearing a tux when they left the house?”“He wouldn’t even let you sniff his crotch,” says Luna.“He just didn’t want any of my hair to rub off on his black pants.”“And what about her?”“A real knock-out...

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“The Storyteller” by Wally Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #175

It is impossible to form a perfect circle, so the children position themselves in a lopsided one around Mrs. Beasley, the soon-to-be retired librarian. She loves her job and all the library patrons, the children who come for story hour, the high school misfits who take refuge in the library during lunch hour, the unhoused who drift in for warmth and a cushioned seat. But she is getting on in years and it is time to enlist someone who is younger and has more energy. That someone is Diana, who has just completed her degree in Information and L...

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“Kateryna and the Piano Man” by Wally Schmidt

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #173

TW: This story contains references to the impact of the war in Ukraine on childrenSome stories are both true and imagined, and this is one of them.Em,Our Ukrainian family finally arrived in Warsaw! A mother and her two little girls. It took them four days to get here. There were dozens of checkpoints along the way which really slowed things down. My heart breaks just hearing about it.Olena, the older girl, said “I thought I’d freeze to death sleeping in the car. We didn’t have any blankets so I put on all the clothes I had and it still wasn’...

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“The King's View” by Wally Schmidt

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #171

                              The King’s View “I’m done with that view. Show me something else,” the King ordered. Dutifully the King’s courtiers unfurled a scroll which appeared in back of the large wooden window frame that stood in the middle of the room. “Not that one. Another!” The courtiers unraveled two more before the King settled on a scene depicting a grove of giant sequoia tree...

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Author bio

"Is it a story if you don't share it?"

Shortlisted 3 stories ⭐️

Contest #186
Dale Was Adamant – read story
Contest #173
Kateryna and the Piano Man – read story
Contest #171
The King's View – read story