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Daniel R. Hayes

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2020

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1091 Followers
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85 Stories

7754 karma pts

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The Devil's Bounty

Weekly Contest #346

(CW: Graphic Violence, Murder, Language, Blood.) “Haven’t seen you round’ these parts before, stranger. What business have ye here?” The smell of salted pork and starchy potatoes tickled the burly man’s nose as he sat at the bar. He scratched his scruffy black beard that hung down to his broad chest and lifted his cold, dark eyes to the barkeep. “Me business is mine and mine alone.” His voice was deep and raspy. The barkeep instantly felt a shiver race down his spine. “Ah…no doubt it tis, sir,” the barkeep said, taking a few steps backw...

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False Faces

(Content Warning: Language, Murder, Gore, Blood, Crude Humor.) “I’m glad you could meet me here tonight,” Ben said with a warm smile. He placed his empty wine glass at the edge of the dining table and motioned for the waiter. Tess returned his gesture and licked her ruby lips. “It was my pleasure. I’m just sorry I was a bit late.” She brushed her brown hair back and adjusted her glasses to see Ben’s comforting hazel eyes. Even though this was their first date, she knew there was something special between them. “It’s really no problem. ...

9 likes 8 comments 8
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The Umbrella Man

(CW: Violence, Murder, Gore, Mild Language.) “I don’t need an umbrella,” Jane Foster said with a strained smile. “It hasn’t rained here in a long time.” The old man standing on Jane’s front porch grabbed his black vest and patted his chest like a salesman gearing up for a second pitch. He lifted his dark-brimmed hat just enough to maneuver his cold, starless eyes away from Jane’s steely gaze and took a step backward. He turned his attention to the green shrubbery that engulfed Jane’s front lawn and flashed his pearly whites. “To be sure, my...

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Getting Away with Murder

“Good evening, and welcome to another episode of Talk to me—Read to me. My name is Leah Rivers, and my special guest tonight is Michael R. Swift. His new book, Getting Away with Murder, has just made the New York Times Bestselling charts with a number one bullet! His meteoric rise in the writing world is astonishing to say the least. So, sit back, relax, and grab your notepads because I’m sure Michael will share some great tips about writing and his career thus far. Michael, thank you so much for allowing me and all of my listeners into your...

22 likes 13 comments 13
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No Good at Loving You

Weekly Contest #335

(CW: Graphic violence, Murder, Language, Crude humor, sexual content.) Dear Jess, I’ll never forget the text message you sent me a few days ago, saying simply, I have feelings for someone else. We’re done! When I read those words, I had no idea how much it would profoundly change my life. The warmth of knowing your love meant everything to me. It was like a thousand suns. Now, there is nothing but cold darkness. I gave you all I had and still fell short. All this emotional wreckage might be the end of me yet. How can I find the words that l...

23 likes 18 comments 18
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Killing Christmas

Weekly Contest #334

I could hardly believe my ears when Steve Miller said he wanted to kill Christmas. Other than Ebenezer Scrooge, who would say such a thing? Most kids in Saint Francis Orphanage were fast asleep, and thank goodness for that because I don’t think Mother Kriss could handle a small-scale riot on her own. Collecting all those donations and hoping that there was enough to go around would drive anyone crazy. There’s about three hundred children of varying ages here at Saint Francis, and out of all those lonely souls, I’m Steve’s only friend. What h...

10 likes 9 comments 9
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Grains of Sand

Weekly Contest #332

In the twilight of the setting sun, Fucanglong clawed his way through the Earth’s thick crust like a rabid prairie dog escaping its dusty prison. A massive volcano marked his birth five hundred miles southwest from a small water town called Zhouzhuang, located in the Jiangsu province, China. The three-hundred foot long dragon slithered through jade waters and lush maidenhair trees like a monster born from nightmares. Its destructive path cut deep fissures in the land where magma rivers formed and boiled like a thousand supernovas. Fucanglo...

26 likes 13 comments 13
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Sishuo

Weekly Contest #331

“Open your eyes and look upon me!” The hollow voice carried the weight of a thousand blue moons. Dan reluctantly opened his eyelids and felt a cold shiver race up his spine. Standing before him was a tall slender phantom wearing a black hooded robe. His face was an empty shell—nothing more than a skull with hollow eye sockets. There was no doubt in Dan’s mind who the evil spirit was. Death. Dan quickly took in his surroundings. He was in a large oval chamber constructed from frozen bricks that shimmered a blue hue. In the middle of the room ...

31 likes 18 comments 18
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Thanks...Giving

(CW: Language, Blood, Gore, Violence, Dark Crude Humor) I hate Thanksgiving. I mean I really hate it, like when you get a rock stuck in your shoe while you’re running a marathon and don’t want to stop because you might lose. Yeah it’s like that. Anyway, I don't know how my sister managed to talk me into coming to her home this year. I’d be perfectly happy sitting in my three room apartment with a pizza, diet cola, and the football game blasting on the tv. Yep…good times there. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I’m dealing with a broken hear...

11 likes 18 comments 18
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Killer Arcade

(CW: Violence, Crude Humor, Blood, Gore, Mild Language.) Max Sheppard looked at the honeycombed ceiling and smiled a devilish grin as the plaster fell in front of his feet. The enemies in black suits before him ran for their lives. Hearts racing, the money to kill the lone hero wasn’t worth their mortal souls because none of them had ever seen a catastrophic storm like that before. Unfortunately for them, their lights went out when a series of gunshots rang out like Zeus throwing thunderbolts from Olympus. One by one the villains fell t...

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Heart Half Emptied

A thick blanket of snow covered the Henderson’s two-story cottage in Bristlewood, New England in what was the first of many cold days and even colder nights that would plague the winter of 1999. The mighty pine trees of the Green Mountain National Forest engulfed the marshmallow fields like an army of poleman in the Middle Ages gearing up for one last battle. Frank Henderson sat at the kitchen table plucking the white hairs above his wrinkled lips like there were no razors left in the world. His steely eyes were fixed on the window above th...

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A Ghoulish Treat

(CW: Mild Language, Violence, Blood, and Gore.) “How does it fit?” asked Mary, peering over her thick rimmed glasses to get a good look at her daughter’s Halloween costume. Ana ran her small hands down the silky, pink princess dress and padded the peplum with eager blue eyes. “It feels good, Mommy!” “Fantastic!” Mary said, lifting her brow. “It was the last one in your size and I know how badly you wanted it.” Ana twerked her lips to the left and replied, “Everyone is dressing in superhero costumes this year, but I’m not into that kind of s...

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The Monster Beneath the Sheets

(Content Warning: Violence, Gore.) In the still of the night on All Hallows Eve, an eerie wind blew through the little suburban town of Elmhurst and rocked the empty oak trees. Tiny limbs rattled many windows like lost banshees begging for a warm embrace. A piercing howl reminded every creature, dead and alive, that the season of evil was in full swing. Bobby’s eyes snapped open like a rolling blind, and saw a wicked branch waving hello. As he took a deep breath to steady his booming heart, he noticed his closet door cracked open. The t...

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Couldn't Put It Down

(Content Warning: Violence, Blood and Gore, Language.)What is it about a good book? It’s a question that has plagued my mind for thirty years. Maybe it’s the way the authors weave their tales together with vivid imagery like: “Cotton candy as fluffy as the clouds.” Or perhaps it’s the way they infuse their personalities into each story. Who knows, and who cares, really?Ahem…well…I do care, thank you! I just love a good book. Don’t you? My love for reading began when I was a toddler. While other kids grabbed their crayons to plaster smil...

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Heavy is the Night

(Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Murder, and Abusive Situations.)Alicia’s whimpers brought life to the darkness in the cold, musty cellar where the spiders crawled, and the slugs oozed toward the black molded cement blocks. The damp soil she sat on was a warm cocoon of filth that delivered no comfort. It was a harsh reality of her failed marriage. The heavy chains around her wrists and ankles were chafing her pale skin. Thick cobwebs were layered throughout her long black hair, and the carpenter ants explored her dry-rotted clothes.The only...

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