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Daniel R. Hayes

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2020

Stories (79)
Comments
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1043 Followers
1020 Following

79 Stories

7488 karma pts

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The Travelers

Submitted to Contest #110

(Content Warning: Blood, gore, mild language, some crude humor.) Wallowing through the darkness at sixty-five miles an hour on rural I-79, Bethany’s eyes grew heavy. She had been driving for the past three hours, and fatigue was starting to set in. In a desperate attempt to stay awake, she cranked the radio volume to the max, hoping the noise would keep her senses alert. It helped for a few miles, but Bethany needed something more. She rolled down the window and let the cool air coast over her body. Goosebumps appeared on her arm...

24 likes 7 comments 7
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Hope Rising

Submitted to Contest #109

(Content Warning: Some mild violence.)She falls like a ghost lost in the endless void. Light-as-a-feather, yet heavy as a concrete brick, she falls. Her eyes point to the sky as the wind whips through her golden locks, so vast, so beautiful. The blue floral dress that she spent so much time contemplating whether or not to wear that morning flapped in the updraft of gravity.There were no tears to cry. What would be the point of sobbing anyway? Her life would soon be over with a bloody splat on the pavement below. People would glance at her li...

36 likes 30 comments 30
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Pixie's Great Adventure

Submitted to Contest #108

An eerie wind blew through Spring Valley, delivering the smell of salt and dangerous trespassers. Pixie was gathering up a bundle of carrots when the putrid odor caught her attention. She wiggled her nostrils and flared her whiskers. Gone was the sweet aroma from the honeysuckle flowers that normally filled the air with lovely fragrances.Senses alert, Pixie carefully traced the vegetative terrain. She noticed the birds had ceased their chirping, and the bees were no longer buzzing. Strange voices echoed in the distance. There was no denying ...

43 likes 26 comments 26
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Crimson Butterfly

Submitted to Contest #106

(Content Warning: Blood, Gore, Murder, some crude language.)The monstrous heat is unrelenting, a good sign for things to come. I desperately stare out from the apartment window and notice my reflection smiling back. I never realized that I had such a wonderful smile. It suits me. I’m not used to smiling, but I think I can get used to it after what I just did. I glance up at the sparkling moon and bask in its afterglow - a radiant light that fills me with emotion.This is a night of rebirth—a new beginning. Frank will never be able to hurt me ...

51 likes 26 comments 26
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The Golden Beauty

Submitted to Contest #103

(Content Warning: Blood, Gore, some mild language.)Let’s get one thing straight here people, I am not an American Picker. If you don’t know what a Picker is, why don’t you google it because I don’t have time to explain it to you. If you were to call me something, I guess you could call me a sign collector. All my life I have been searching for a highly collectable 1950’s Chevrolet Bel Air Dealer sign.There are two versions of this sign. One is an indoor poster that dealerships would display in their stores. The only problem with this poster ...

34 likes 8 comments 8
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Perfection is Ignorance

Submitted to Contest #101

TW: gore, murder   In Carson City, the savory smell of Italian spices permeates the air as hungry customers scarf down their favorite meals in Georginio’s Italian Restaurant. Never one to be late, Alex arrives thirty minutes early, and is seated at his private balcony sixty feet high overlooking the beautiful city. He sits with his head held high and brushes his jet-black hair with his fingers; making sure that every strand is in place. Feeling satisfied, he reaches down, and triple checks his brand-new silk tie to make sure it’s p...

56 likes 31 comments 31
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Afterglow

Submitted to Contest #99

Slivers of sunlight radiated through Mary’s window casting a warm glow throughout her entire bedroom. The sultry smell of freshly cut grass blew in and tickled her nose. She woke up with a thundering sneeze and subconsciously cursed the neighbors for mowing their lawns so early in the morning. Letting her eyes adjust to the light, Mary yawned like a ferocious lion ready to devour the day. Stretching her arms high above her head, she was ready to get up.   Off and running, Mary took a quick shower with warm vanilla sugar body wa...

58 likes 44 comments 44
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Eleven Q

Submitted to Contest #97

For Emma… (This story is dedicated to all 11Q children and everyone who has a disability.)     I’m strong, smart, and beautiful, so why am I sitting here in my wheelchair staring out from a broken window? Well, the answer to that question is a bit complex. You see when I get angry I can’t communicate that frustration, so I tend to throw and hit things. I can’t talk, at least not like you. I try to say things, believe me, but the only thing that comes out of my mouth are grunts and yells. Today, I noticed...

31 likes 30 comments 30
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One Last Dance

Submitted to Contest #96

(Content Warning: Suicide contemplation.) In the mornings I like to jog through the bustling city not knowing if it will be my last time. It’s kind of exciting if you think about it. I’m in my mid-thirties, and the possibilities for catastrophes are endless. I could get hit by a speeding car, get run over by a bike messenger, or I could fall down into the sewers and get eaten by the overgrown rats. Those are just environmental accidents, don’t get me started on the endless hazards my vivid imagination can come up with.  When ...

55 likes 39 comments 39
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Aboulomania

Submitted to Contest #95

(Content Warning: violence, and a lot of insanity)I can’t believe I’m finally ready to tell Doctor Regal my deepest darkest secret. I tap my toes impatiently inside my brown Kingston shoes and twiddle my fingers. Maybe I should have gone with the black ones instead. I think they would have matched my brown skirt a lot better. My belt is black, so black shoes would have been the better choice. Why did I choose the brown shoes? Damn this indecisiveness! I’ll just have to accept the fact that I look tacky today. At least my shirt is p...

49 likes 42 comments 42
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Infinity

Submitted to Contest #95

Approximately 4.25 light years from Earth, in the southern constellation of Centaurus, a small habitable planet called Proxima was discovered. This Earth-like planet rotates perfectly in the habitable zone away from the sun at 1.3 astronomical units. Scans have revealed that the planet has liquid water on the surface, and a clean atmosphere that will support life. With just the right amount of greenhouse gases, Proxima can support the same temperatures as our own planet.  The discovery was made in the European Southern Observatory ...

51 likes 34 comments 34
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Not Broken

Submitted to Contest #92

(This story is a follow up to "Broken")My name is Peter Anderson, and I’m... broken. I’ve always wondered about my father because I never met him before. The only time I hear my mom talk about him is when he misses a child support payment. She cusses him up and down completely forgetting that I’m only eight years old. Kids shouldn’t hear those kinds of words. I know what you're thinking, what does an eight-year-old boy know about child support. Well, I know that if my mom doesn’t get it, she takes her anger out on me. It’s not my fault....

44 likes 27 comments 27
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White Light

Submitted to Contest #90

I board the commuter train with heartfelt tears in my eyes. The taste of my husband’s salty lips still in my mouth, and the whiff of cherry blossom still in my nose from my daughter’s favorite lotion. It breaks my heart to say goodbye to them. I’m shaken to my very core as my heart aches with sadness. I must leave Boston for a very important business meeting in Cape Cod.   Come back soon mommy - echoes through my mind as I find my seat. I smile as I sit down in a maroon colored seat. I had no idea that train seats would be so com...

52 likes 44 comments 44
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The Sacrifice

Submitted to Contest #90

On a faraway planet in the land of Zellnoid, a peaceful civilization built a fully functional city around the tree of life - the Ishka tree. This tree has the power to bring back the dead, and for centuries the Zellnots have thrived and worshiped the tree. A great stone palace was built around the Ishka tree centuries ago to showcase and protect its incredible power.The Ishka tree stands proud and tall with its white bark and golden leaves spread across its thick twisting branches. A soft resplendent light pulsates in the center of the tree ...

54 likes 26 comments 26
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Broken

Submitted to Contest #89

My name is Ben Anderson and I’ve always wanted to be a father. My wife’s name is Lisa, and after a few years of trying we finally got lucky. Our soon-to-be-born baby is due this month. Lisa wants the gender to be a secret and that’s fine by me. Just the thought of being a father makes me the happiest sap on God’s green earth.   I work at Wilson’s Lumber Mill, but it’s not my final resting place. Oh no sir...I have big plans to open my own pet shop down the road. I want to give my wife and child a life that they can be proud of. It ...

45 likes 19 comments 19
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