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Bonnie Clarkson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2020

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65 Followers
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44 Stories

698 karma pts

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Mail Order Marriage

In the airplane, the mother frowned, rolling her head in a circle while being ignored by her daughter who stared out the window. “Marie-Anne.” Mrs. Dickson, the mother and twice her age, grabbed the daughter’s arm to make her pay attention. “You’re twenty-six years old. I can’t believe you agreed to be a mail-order bride. Straight out of the old westerns. What if he is a gunslinger?” “He won’t be like that,” said Marie-Anne. “Let me read this again.” “Not again. It’s just an ad from a newspaper. I wish you’d never printed it off.” “’I’m a wi...

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That Ain't Junk

"Look at this storage container!" said Terry, the man nearing forty years old. "How can two people collect so much stuff? But. I guess they had forty-eight years to do it." He shook crumbs from a toaster. "They didn't even pack the stuff clean." CeCe, his wife, made a face. "I'm not surprised. They didn't believe in cleaning house. Why would they care about a storage container?" Underneath its overhead door, an eclectic mix of furniture, small household appliances, and glassware with plates prevented entrance. The precarious stack of brea...

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The Rustic Gourmet Restaurant

“What kind of restaurant has menu items like Snapping Bisque, Green Long Fries, and Ess-Not Soup?” Jonathan Hogson pointed at his cell phone while looking at Ashley Fontaine, his fiancé. “They don’t give any description.” “My parents picked the Rustic Gourmet restaurant because it’s their favorite. Los Angeles ranked fifth for its unique foods.” Ashley closed her eyes and held her arms at her side while spreading her hands near her face. “The food is so good it is… it is… memorable.” “I won’t eat it until you tell me what it is.” Jonathan cr...

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A Farmer's Last Resort

Fred Asher drummed his fingers on the desk while waiting for voicemail to connect him to Representative Delves. “Hello, I’m Angelica Janzen, assistant to Representative Delves.” Fifty-year-old Fred remembered when the representatives used to answer the phone themselves. “I’m glad you called,” said Angelica in a friendly voice. “We want to know what you think and what we can do for you.” “Good. I want to complain about New Green Deal policies.” Fred controlled his voice, determined to stay calm. “Why is that?” Fred pressed his hand on t...

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Gardening Punishment

Gardening Punishment Riding home from the hospital, the mother, like a refrigerator, faced straight ahead and did not say anything. A deep frown accented the years of being the mother of her teen-age son, Rodney, who rode in the passenger seat. He snuck a peek at his mother before resuming watching businesses and houses go by. She did not turn to look. “Kevin started it,” Rodney said, facing Mom. “He threw the first punch.” Mom kept looking forward. “And what did you say?” Rodney knew he couldn’t lie; Kevin had told her what he said. “I...

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Locked Out

Locked Out Josh Skeldon, Bartmore High School Leopard basketball star—known for his three-pointer field goals—silently stalked behind Melinda Roffe who held hands with Aaron Asdemol. Josh’s friends, not far behind, watched with amusement. “Do you understand how to solve for ‘x’ in all those parentheses in algebra?” asked Melinda. “I got lost after he said, ‘distributive law’.” “Sure, but it makes more sense to work it out on paper,” said Aaron. “Who needs paper if you’ve a browser search engine?” Melinda started at Josh’s voice behind he...

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God's Tape Recorder

The silence of the rustic log cabin made Darnell think of a graveyard. He wondered why. The seclusion meant a night alone with his mistress, Lyssa. Dressed in a business suit with graying hair, he turned to Lyssa to ask, “Do you like it?” The young woman ran her slender fingers up and down his Armani coat without telling him she would rather have been in her city apartment. “I love it,” she purred. Lyssa slid her hand up to his face, which he then leaned into. Holding his hand behind her neck, the pair embraced in a long kiss. “Would you ...

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Faced with God's Words

“The god of Judah,” said King Belshazzar, slurring his words, “is nothing compared to Marduk, our city’s god, who defeated that god and gave us the treasures of its temple. Their prophet was wrong. Today is seventy years from the prophecy saying the Jews would return their homeland.” He laughed and added, “Their god has given up on his people. Our gods are more powerful than theirs.” The lords cheered while the king drank heavily of the aged wine. “Bring in the gold and spoils from their temple and their conquests,” he said. Two men carried ...

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Relief from Grief

Weekly Contest #105

***This is a sequel to Making a Connection*** Leigh entered Father’s house and gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. While holding Tony’s hand, she said, “I’ve brought Tony for you to begin to watch this afternoon like you asked.” Half squatting, the grandfather tried to give Tony a hug, who turned his body away from him. Father stood straight. “I thought he knew me. Most kids like hugs. It was such a thrill to see him say Bird’s name and know it was a bird.” “I know. Bird is a silly name for that tufted titmouse I gave you for Chr...

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The Sign of Jonah

Weekly Contest #103

SETTING: Inside the temple in a spacious area, vendors sell sacrificial animals. The arguments with customers are barely heard over the cooing of doves, bleating of lambs, and mooing of cows. The smell greets anyone entering. JESUS walks in, looks around and watches, then develops a scowl on his face. He walks out, then returns with a scourge made of thick leather strips. The ends of the of the foot long strips had been tied into hard knots. He grimaces as he walks to the nearest vendor who exchanges currencies. He raises his arm to beat th...

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Jesus' Legacy

Jesus confidently strode to the raised platform in the sanctuary of the synagogue while the congregation watched his every step. This Sabbath, he had told his friends and neighbors, would begin his ministry. No one turned their head from him. His appearance was nothing special. He stood five foot ten inches with black, neatly manicured beard and hair but with a prominent Roman nose. The gathering of people sensed his evaluation of them as his gaze fell on each of them. Jesus stood, ready to speak, when a holy scroll was handed to him. After...

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God's Nudge

Kaylee, the auburn hair, freckle-faced, sixteen-year-old, drove herself to work for her first job ever, in a nursing home. The dark brown tiled floor of the dining room forced squeaks from her shoes. The blond wood wainscoting gave it class while the wallpaper emitted a home-like atmosphere by using large, window-like patterns filled with wild birds at a bird feeder. Her job would be working in the kitchen as a dietary aide. She passed between tables into the kitchen. Countertop, dishwasher equipment, and utensils gleamed of stainless steel...

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Light on a Path

Weekly Contest #92

Brian and Keith, sixteen-year-old friends, camped without adults for the first time. In the mid-afternoon, Keith drove his car to arrive at a clearing for their campsite. Camping for the last six years, the boys felt confident in their ability to find firewood and prepare a campfire. Keith and Brian each wore an old tee-shirt and blue jean shorts. To cool off, Keith pulled his shoulder-length brown hair into a short ponytail. He busied himself shifting his load of firewood, practicing showing off muscles with his tattoo. Brian prepared for...

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The Library Book

Weekly Contest #91

Jacob, a sophomore in college, used his hand to lead his eyes to a good horror book in that section of the library. Surely, he could locate one he had not read. His hand came to an empty spot. A little closer examination showed a book squeezed nearly to the back of the shelf. With a little effort, the black book came loose. Amazed to see the title of Holy Bible in gold letters, his curiosity made him wonder why it is in the horror section. The banned book should not be in the library at all. Being an author, Jacob took the book with the excu...

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The Decision

“I’m having a baby!” said the mother offering her hands to Kaylin who walked in after school. When she heard her mother, the fourteen-year-old bent slightly forward and grabbed her mother’s hands. “We are?!” said Kaylin. “I’ll have a baby brother or sister like I always wanted!” The two danced around together on the living room floor, their long hair swaying side to side. “Your father is in his home office. Let’s tell him,” said Kaylin’s mother. In the small home office, the pair did not have room to dance, but they could sing their exci...

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