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Andrew Darrah

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2024

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22 Followers

1 Following

24 Stories

378 karma pts

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Ray

I learned an unfortunate truth about myself on July 19, 1995 - I’m a coward. Even today, years later. I’ve carried that guilt with me for my entire adult life. It’s defined who I am.Today I’m meeting my old friend Ray for a quick lunch. We see each other every now and then. He’s struggling, as usual. He’s still not right.“How’ve you been, Ray?”“Doin’ good,” replies the eternal optimist, slurring his words just the slightest. “Doin’ good. How about you?”I just nod, as if that explains anything. I look down at his hands, which are shaking a li...

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Orange River

Weekly Contest #292

We’ll never forget the day the river turned orange.We called it Pig’s Foot River. Can’t really say why, to be honest. The name had been in place for centuries by the time any of us were born. Ole’ grand Pig’s Foot, with its mighty waves and currents. A fierce beauty, such a steady, integral part to our little burg.Little Charley Plimton was the first to notice the change. A boy of eleven, notorious for skipping class to go fishing. It was a Tuesday morning, and sure enough, Charley should have been in school but was not. Miss Atkins had step...

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Houdini

Weekly Contest #290

The man emerged from the mist, a little magic trick under moonlight. One moment, nothing. Then, the man. Like a shadow monster, a silhouette standing tall amongst the light seeping into the alleyway.  Ahh, here he was. The man Emma had been searching for for months now. Houdini, as her coworkers referred to him - for obvious reasons of course. The slickest, most uncatchable criminal in the whole city. He’d become almost mythological. Emma hated that. And here he was! Just standing there. Waiting in the alleyway. Hands in his pockets, co...

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3,808 Miles

Weekly Contest #287

After the day’s game concluded, Henry promptly returned to his dingy little motel room, kicked off his shoes, untucked his shirt, and sat on the bed. He was not a large man, but the mattress eagerly submitted to his weight. Finding himself now several inches closer to the floor, Henry sighed, debating whether to just go to sleep at 7:30. He preferred night games, as they left him exhausted upon return, ready to let the night consume him. But today’s earlier start - and finish - left him with too much time to kill.  He was depressed enou...

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Everpresent Radiance

Weekly Contest #281

“Who’s that fella over there?” asked one of the rabbits.“Not sure. I’ve never seen him before,” replied a deer.“Well, he kind of looks like you… except for, well, you know,” a squirrel chimed in.“Yeah… what’s the deal with that?” asked another deer.“And what’s he doing here? Was he invited?” inquired a chipmunk.“Hey, it’s Molly’s party,” said the first deer. “She may know him.”The woodland animals had no idea what to make of this mysterious guest. He just wandered into the clearing, where they were holding a birthday party for their friend M...

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The Narrator

Weekly Contest #280

Umm… is that a dead body? Whoa. Yeah, I think it is. Shit. Shit. Holy shit. Yeah… Is that….? Mm hmm. The narrator. Oh my god. The narrator’s dead? But how? Shit. Shit. Well, what should we do? I suppose we should call the cops… Thats what people do, right? Probably. There’s a lot of blood. I think I might… oh god. You alright?... Hey? Did you just…  Ugh. Sorry. I just… wow, it never gets easier no matter how many times you see it. Sorry. No worries… so, the cops? Yeah. Do you mind? Sure… hi, 9-1-1? Yeah, we’re at the park on Walden St. ...

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The Audit

Weekly Contest #274

Part One Jason leaned over conspiratorially, motioning for me to do the same. I obliged. “Mark, do yourself a favor. Buy stock of Wagner Electric. Right now. As much as you can afford.” I pondered this, wondering what my buddy knew. He did tend to have good contacts in various industries.  “Wagner Electric? What do they even do?” “I’ll save you the elevator pitch,” we waved off. “Just know that they’re about to score a HUGE government defense contract. Huge. And the best part? No one knows about this yet. Top secret stuff.” I considered...

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The Following

Weekly Contest #273

My name is Adam. And I am a “Follower”. Who am I following? Well, they call him Brother Ignatius. Some call him a prophet. Sent by God Himself to save us all. He may even be the chosen one. Depends on who you talk to I suppose. But in reality, no, he’s just a cult leader. Before we get too far into this, I’m not exactly bought in. Yes, I joined The Following of my own free will. No coercion, no brainwashing. Very little convincing even. I am a willing Follower. But there’s a catch. I want to write a book. Just out of college, not sure what t...

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Chester’s Recipe for Quick Cash

Weekly Contest #270

Ingredients: Five Star National Bank1 bank robber5 witnesses1 flashback1 twist1 coffee shop (with very strict bathroom rules)2 police officers Instructions: Preheat to Sunday at 10:37 PM Okay, this is it. For all the marbles. I get this… well, my plans can change. I won’t need to do… it. But if I lose? Yeah… I’ll need to do it then. He clicks. Holds his breath. Closes his eyes just for a millisecond. Says a prayer to any deity that will listen. And he waits.  It’s only a second, and the results come in. And the results are disastrous. W...

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