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Daniel R. Hayes

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2020

Stories (82)
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1055 Followers
1034 Following

82 Stories

7627 karma pts

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Something To Write About

Submitted to Contest #159

(Content Warning: Language, Suicide, Abuse.) The world is too small for every dream to come true. A pretty odd thing to say when you think about it, but that’s what Kevin’s dad, Earl, told his son growing up. It’s not hard to ruin a child’s youth, all it takes is a little nudge in the wrong direction, and Earl knew all the right places to push. A light slap to the face, a belt snap to the back, or maybe some thick bruises above the shirt line just to make sure no one noticed. The worst kind of abuse is invisible. Back then, th...

61 likes 70 comments 70
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Chasing Dreams!

Submitted to Contest #157

(Content Warning: Violence, Blood, Murder, Language.) The night came crawling in like a lost predator searching for its prey. The beast howled at the moon with blood-lust in its eyes, and for a moment, a quiet hush fell upon the lonely town of Oak Flats, West Virginia. The citizens were tame, but the animal was savagely wild and took what it wanted. In a back alleyway behind Devil’s Bar, the scruffy homeless man didn’t see the evil claws reaching out from the darkness until it was too late. The feral beast ripped limb from limb a...

26 likes 22 comments 22
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Off-Centered

(Content Warning: Violence, Murder, blood, Gore, language.) Anna adjusted her pink mini skirt and smoothed the wrinkles from her matching jacket. Her sun-streaked brown hair was combed just right, and her make-up assistant had just finished applying the last layer of brand-named cosmetics. She reached down, grabbed her bosom, and lifted them just right to show off enough cleavage to make anyone drool. Anna looked perfect and was ready for her live broadcast at the Brentwood construction site. The stage was set behind Anna with fla...

22 likes 18 comments 18
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There's Something Under Our Bed!

Submitted to Contest #155

(Content Warning: Violence, blood, Gore, Murder, Language, and Crude humor.) In Chesterfield, Oklahoma, Big Jimbo had just finished his shift at the puppy mill and was eager to get home. He put his yellow raincoat on and tucked his curly tail into the convenient waterproof pouch, which he greatly appreciated. Having a wet tail always puts a damper on your evening. Before leaving work, Big Jimbo pranced into the doggie room, cocked his leg on the urinal, and took a whiz. The sweet feeling of an empty bladder filled his senses with...

42 likes 20 comments 20
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The Right Chord

(Content Warning: Blood, Murder, Violence, and Language.)Alex slammed the enter button on his laptop and yelled, “Finished!”He had spent the past few months working on his client’s business portfolios at Investors-R-Us and was feeling the weight of the project. The pay was good, and the benefits were better, but the stress was painfully ignorant. The long hours were a necessity that every employee acknowledged even if they disagreed with them.You might think that working sixty days straight with no time off would drive a person insane, but A...

39 likes 42 comments 42
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Stuey

Submitted to Contest #143

On the outskirts of Diamond City, above Evergreen Campground, a bright light exploded in the glittery sky and fell to the surrounding wilderness. The white streak was unobserved, however, because most of the younger children were glued to various board games, and the older kids were huddled together sharing spooky after-dark fairy tales. Having completed a full day of outdoor activities, a little bit of fun was a welcomed reprieve for everyone at the camp. Over the years, Evergreen had experienced a rapid decline in visitors, and a final ...

43 likes 24 comments 24
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Where the Shepherd Dogs Lie

Submitted to Contest #134

(Content Warning: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language.) Lee Oswald awoke to the sound of a shrieking moan not more than ten yards from his bedroom window. Without contemplation, his feet hit the cold floor running, knowing that his cattle were in danger. Rushing through his cabin, Lee eyed his double-barrel shotgun hanging above his fireplace and grabbed it. The weapon was always loaded for occasions just like this, and for a brief moment, Lee was glad he had it. Wearing nothing but white long johns, he exploded outside, ready for combat....

40 likes 36 comments 36
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Thrive

Submitted to Contest #132

(Content Warning: Fantasy Violence, Brief Language.)“Are you there, God? It’s me…” Jake said, falling to his knees.The gargoyles attacked Sapphire City without warning and left nothing but utter destruction in their wake. No one knew where the stone creatures came from or why they attacked, but one thing was certain, they didn’t come from Heaven. How could they? Heaven is supposed to be a place of peaceful tranquility and harmony, right?At least that’s what Jake thought, staring at the wreckage around him. He saw broken pictures of happy mem...

38 likes 22 comments 22
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Satan's Big Thrill

(Content Warning: Crude humor, Some Violence, and Mild Language.)The smooth slopes of the Appalachian Mountains made for a glossy ride as Satan slid down like a raging ball of fire. The Devil’s cherry-blossom skin glistened in the beaming sun blinding everyone who watched his descent except for Morty, Satan’s faithful, loyal assistant. Morty took the plunge first to make sure the path was clear for his master, but it didn’t matter much because the darkness plummeting down the cliff wasn’t a storm cloud; it was evil incarnate destroying every...

25 likes 18 comments 18
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Devil's Brew

Submitted to Contest #128

(Content Warning: Crude Humor, Mild Language.) Thick steam filled the great chamber in the Unholy Kingdom as Satan stirred his cauldron. The shadow of his silhouette danced along the blood-soaked walls like a Cirque du Soleil performer. His red skin glistened in the twinkling light of the fiery flames revealing a masculine boulder-like body that was chiseled from stone. Satan’s thick black curvy horns looked like trumpets from a grand orchestra, and his dark fingernails tapped his trident with great fervor as he mixed the ingredients t...

38 likes 22 comments 22
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A Christmas Fire

Submitted to Contest #125

(This story was inspired by "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.) Hearts weigh heavy worldwide as Christmas Eve springs to life. Overdue bills and too much spending tend to make most people weary with doubt, and they often forget what the holidays are all about. Wealthy people hold on to their riches and care not for the agony of others. The poor gather what they have and make the best of things despite their peril. True happiness can’t be achieved without someone else’s suffering, an undeniable fact that is often denied. Fo...

28 likes 19 comments 19
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Killer Delight

Submitted to Contest #124

(Content Warning: Violence, Blood and Gore.) Legend has it that a monster emerges from the Mystic Forest once a generation to prey upon children. It does not feed on flesh but the innocence of youth. The creature has never been seen by a living soul, but the proof lies within the destruction it leaves behind and the agony of despair from grieving parents. Time is but a passage of lost memories that are quickly forgotten, and life goes on. To the east of the Mystic Forest lies a small village called Thornbrush and is home to many ...

25 likes 5 comments 5
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The Season of Grace

Submitted to Contest #123

(Content Warning: Violence, Gore, Language, Crude humor.)Amongst the perils of evil, Grace Johnson stood defiantly with clenched fists ready to strike. The three-headed beast bellowed a deafening roar as it charged toward the twelve-year-old girl. A monstrosity of terror, the monster had the body of a lion, with the heads of a bear, dragon, wolf, and a serpent’s tail whipping back and forth like an animal tamer’s whip. Riding on top of this foul creature was Mrs. Claus, dressed in a black stitched battle-worn dress. Her white hair was n...

28 likes 24 comments 24
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The Season of Evil

Submitted to Contest #122

(Content Warning: Violence, Language, and Holiday Frights.)Honk! Honk! ’Tis that time of year when the whole world is heart to heart, or in this case, bumper to bumper on Christmas Eve. The Johnson’s have been stuck in a traffic jam on I-89 for the past three hours, inching their way to Boulder Springs, Ohio. Spending Christmas with Uncle Drew for the past ten years had become a family tradition.Uncle Drew is not one for being polite, and over the years, he developed a Grinch-like attitude towards Christmas. So, every year his brother, Gary ...

26 likes 21 comments 21
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✨ 👹 Mirrored Souls 😇 ✨

Submitted to Contest #120

(Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Violence, Mild Language, and an overabundance of Emojis.)Authors note: The legendary Deidra Lovegren challenged me to write a tale with emojis, and this is what I came up with, so a huge shout out to her!! I also wanted to give special thanks to my dear friend Kelly, who enlightened me on the “Twin Flames” concept from which this story was born. Thanks for reading!!For the emoji free version, see (Bonus content) in the comments section below. In the depths of 🌋 Hell 🌋, the great slanderer, Diabolos 👹, was ...

32 likes 26 comments 26
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