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CJ Shutt

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2019

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16 Followers
17 Following

8 Stories

161 karma pts

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The Grave That Was Always Empty

Weekly Contest #372

The sound was not loud, but it possessed the precise, unmistakable density of metal striking granite. Clink. It came from beneath the cedar floorboards of the south parlor, or from within the double-thick stone of the foundation walls, or from the narrow lime-washed corridor that led down toward the scullery bins. In the daytime, when the rain lashed the tall, leaded casements of Mallow Hall and the servants moved with their heavy buckets of ash, it was possible to confuse it with the settling of the joists or the drip of water into the le...

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The Convergence Factor

Weekly Contest #295

The dials lit up as the keystrokes sounded like raindrops landing softly on the roof. The digital display was covered in dials, gauges and other monitors, taking into account many different data samples. He stood at the desk furiously typing looking for that one breakthrough that could propel him into the answer he so desperately sought. The levels and displays whirled and changed as he entered different factors and computations. “It is all right here, the data makes sense, but I can’t get the convergence to occur.” he sighed as he stared b...

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The Devil in the Details

Weekly Contest #188

“So what’s the catch?” “Who said anything about a catch darling?” He smiled at me, a meek measure of reassurance on his face. His smile gave me the creeps. It had a sharpness to it that could pierce through you. He seemed to recognize the effect it had on me, and the grin would only widen. “When deals have a catch they aren’t always apparent.” He chuckled as he stared at his feet for a moment, before looking up and straight at me. “It’s been said that the greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing people that he never existed.”...

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The Chronicler

The stack of papers seemed to reach the sky, the meticulously labeled shelves all categorized and deluged the examiner with all of the information needed to find what they were searching for. The entries covered decades and contained all the documentation of a life minute by minute. The dimly lit mausoleum to a life lived, always kept its dank and dark visage, and seemingly took on a persona of its own. The shelves seemed to watch you as you walked by and the darkness enveloped all who ventured near it. Somewhere near the middle of this laby...

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The Missing Piece

Weekly Contest #181

Staring out the window, she scanned the landscape. The night always played tricks on her mind and tonight was no different. She knew who her pursuers were but she hoped she lost them in the darkness. It would be Dawn soon, and she would lose all of her advantage. Alabaster skin seemed to glisten in the night, silky red hair fell in curls around her shoulders, piercing blue eyes met anyone that looked her way. She momentarily lost herself in the moment she couldn't help to think about the events that led her here. She had been on the run fo...

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The Locked Door

Weekly Contest #130

The door stood there, a silent Sentinel, the one barrier that couldn't be broken. It has always been that way, the one door we were forbidden to open. Like most things in life this would just push me to want to know exactly what was so important, the secret that was held behind that closed portal. My entire childhood was a never-ending plot to pry the door from its hinges and bask in the revealing of the age-old question. This wasn't just your regular interior door, this was a special door. The open door was several inches thick. I would so...

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Children of a new age

Weekly Contest #48

The rain poured down hard, the kind of rain that makes you expect Noah was going to show any minute. The pounding sound of rain slamming on asphalt permeated the air. In the parking lot of St. Joseph hospital it was no less quiet than the onslaught of rain further down the road. The staff slipped into the building, dodging raindrops, or shielding their heads with whatever was available to them. A shadowy figure also lurked in the shadows this night, watching the staff and waiting for an opportune moment. After the shift change the parking lo...

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Reuben's Trip to the Store

Weekly Contest #31

Reuben cracked his front door open and cautiously looked up and down the street. When he was satisfied he slowly crept down the sidewalk, while he fumbled in his pocket for his car keys. He finally grasped them when he got to his car door, which he quickly unlocked, then he leapt inside the vehicle. He let out a sigh of relief, “Made it so far.” He said under his breath. Inserting his key, he started the car, after checking all of the mirrors and making sure no one was watching him, he slowly reversed into the street. Traveling down the roa...

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