Menu

More apps built by Reedsy

Assemble a team of professionals

The writing app for authors

Writing courses, events and memberships

Get your book reviewed

Weekly writing prompts and contests

Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Charles Corkery

Author on Reedsy Prompts since May, 2023

Stories
Comments
Library
46 Followers
0 Following

91 Stories

1805 karma pts

?

HOMECOMING

Weekly Contest #211

HOMECOMING But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow ’Tis I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow Oh, Danny boy, oh Danny Boy, I love you so The flickering flames of the fireplace, the only light illuminating the room, combined with the sweet scent of the turf, welcoming me home. The firelight, in the dimness of the cottage, casts its glow upon the outline of the old woman, wreathed in her black shawl, as she rocks back and forth, humming quietly to herself. She senses my presence. “Is ...

9 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

Weekly Contest #210

IGNORANCE IS BLISS“And these rockets, Intelligence reports claim, are capable of flying from Peenemunde to London before exploding”“Amazing. Go on”.Admiral George Holtz, from the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency, making his report on his weekly visit to the White House, continued as instructed by the 32nd President of the United States.“Well, sir, you can only begin to imagine the destruction that would be caused should these reports prove to be accurate”.“Yes, yes, yes, but who is responsible for inventing these marv...

12 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

THE GREAT RESET

Weekly Contest #210

THE GREAT RESET The room, in the bowels of the Pentagon, was gigantic in size; a huge circular, conference table that hosted forty, being the central focus. Sat around in a semi-circle on one side were twenty of the most powerful men on Planet Earth. Facing them, and completing the circle, were the extra terrestrial beings from Gliese 667Cc, the exoplanet, 22 light years from Earth. The sole distinguishable characteristic between the two parties: the light, green tinge to the skin of the Gliesians who, in all other appearances, resembled t...

5 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE?

Weekly Contest #210

DEADLIER THAN THE MALE? “Let us take, for example, the species, Scorpiones (scorpioun in the Greek, scorpionem (nominative scorpio) in the Latin. In many types of this species, often mistaken for insects, the female, once impregnated, will kill and eat the male. Scorpiones are closely related to spiders under the banner of Arachnida, having eight legs compared to the six legs of an insect and, indeed, many species of spiders follow this same Sexual Cannibalism of the male; the black widow being, possibly, the most infamous. However...

5 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

PILLOW TALK

Weekly Contest #209

PILLOW TALK  “Can you please check again?” “Sir, I’m sorry but I have the bookings right here on the screen in front of me. Your booking is for next Sunday, the 15th. Not, today, the 8th”. “But there must be something you can do. You surely have other cars available”. ‘I’m sorry, sir, but it’s Easter Sunday, one of our busiest days of the year. All of our cars are in use”. The man held his head in his hands in frustration. This could not be happening. How on earth he had entered the wrong pick up ...

11 likes 4 comments 4
Read story

SUPPER FOR TWO

Shortlisted for Contest #209 ⭐️

SUPPER FOR TWOThe young man, hot and sweaty, walked back into the gas station; his denim shirt, jeans and cowboy boots speckled with the desert dust.“Hell, how long’s this fella gonna be?”Gerry, the elderly gas station attendant, sat on a stool behind the shop counter, thumbing through an auto trader magazine and looked up witheringly at the young upstart who’d asked him the same question several times already in the less than one hour since he’d pulled in to the forecourt.“Jed’ll be here when he gets here”, the old timer replied, with all t...

20 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

THE DETECTIVE

Weekly Contest #208

THE DETECTIVE Millicent Billy worked her way through the files, gradually piecing together an accurate picture of the fraud, the subject of this enquiry. Not part of the main fraud squad office, she sat alone, surrounded by boxes and, automatically, her hand would reach out to the large bag of M+Ms on her desk. Though she was well regarded for her forensic ability, she longed to do real police work instead of the glorified clerical work that she was constantly pigeon-holed with. As the lunch hour arrived, she opened the door th...

13 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

ALL AMERICAN

Weekly Contest #207

ALL AMERICANChase Malone was the quintessential American hero: tall, strong, blonde and handsome. He was fun around the guys and chivalrous around women. He drove an enviable Porsche Boxster to work and a Jeep Wrangler to the beach in summer. He rose at 5am each morning to go work out at the Y and had the kind of buff body that would not be out of place in a pro-sport locker room. Additionally, he played racquet ball competitively, swam lengths twice per week and, on weekends, was the best player in his team’s softball le...

12 likes 4 comments 4
Read story

STAR

Weekly Contest #207

STAR “Okay, you guys, listen up. This is it-the real thing. The first night for our new restaurant: STAR. No more rehearsals, no more fuck ups that we can get away with. Tonight, everybody needs to be on their A-game, okay? If you have a problem, let me know immediately. Do you all understand?” In unison, the kitchen crew acquiesced. “Yes, Chef!” “I can’t fucking hear you. Do you all understand?” “YES, CHEF!” “Okay, fifty minutes to service. Let’s do this!” Aldo turned away from his BOH staff ...

12 likes 4 comments 4
Read story

STAGECRAFT

Weekly Contest #207

STAGECRAFT“Cut! That’s a wrap, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much”.Applause broke out in the studio at this announcement. Even those actors, major and minor players in this movie, and not even on the final day’s call sheet had all turned up to be witness to this last day of filming. For the majority, this would be the pinnacle of their artistic careers; to appear in a movie that starred the great Dirk Hogart. It was a tale that they could recount to their grandchildren long after they had left the glitzy glamo...

9 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

FEAR-NO FEAR

Weekly Contest #206

FEAR-NO FEAR “The life that I have Is all that I have And the life that I have is yours The love that I have Of the life that I have Is yours and yours and yours…” The above formed part of a an encrypted call signal, known as a fist. It was used to identify the wireless operator, calling England from Occupied France during World War Two. Previously, phrases from well known poems had been utilised but the Germans were easily able to copy them so new phrases were created instead. This particular phrase was provided to a woma...

19 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

THE PRIVILEGE OF RANK

Weekly Contest #206

THE PRIVILEGE OF RANK The four sat around the fireplace in the impressive old library enjoying talking about old times; the closest of friends. Outside, the wintry rain was lashing down furiously, trees swaying noisily back and forth in the fierce North Yorkshire gale and it felt good to be a part of this quartet, inside, warm and cosy. The house had been in Freddie’s family for generations and, now, it was Frederick DuBarry Winthrop the 3rd who had inherited the old place and the baronetcy that came with it. His companions had b...

14 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

MAYCEE'S HOME

MAYCEE'S HOME Maycee had to do something ‘bout that smell. It had been okay for several days but, lately, a sharp , sour odour would catch her unawares when she came upstairs to use the bathroom. That afternoon, she’d walked to the 7-11 and returned with a whole bunch o’ room fresheners; the ones you peeled the front off and laid them wherever. The smell from Momma’s room was the worst. At least, it was so far. Them deodorisers sure helped but she still had to lay a wet towel at the base o’ the bathroom door and ...

2 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

ON A CLEAR MOONLIT NIGHT

Weekly Contest #205

ON A CLEAR MOONLIT NIGHT The brightness of the full moon illuminated the field below as Matt stared down from the top of the ridge. The brilliance was incredible; as if a cordon of floodlights had been switched on so clearly could he see everything. The four cows tethered by their feet, lowing crazily in an effort to escape their imprisonment and, high in the trees, the net threshing back and forth as the captive attempted to dislodge the trap from where it had catapulted once sprung. Matt, accompanied by the two Brazilian s...

15 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

BREAKING POINT

Shortlisted for Contest #205 ⭐️

BREAKING POINT 6.30am -slop out. 7.30am -breakfast. 8am -lock up. 10am -roll call. 10.30am -yard recreation. 12 noon -lunch. 1pm -yard recreation. 3pm -internal association. 5pm -supper. 6pm -lock up. 8pm -lights out. Get used to it. This is it. Your daily routine for the rest of your life. Yes, it’s monotonous. Yes, it could destroy your will to live. But you’re stronger than this; you’re unbreakable. Unbreakable. Keep saying it. Un-fucking-breakab...

33 likes 10 comments 10
Read story