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Daniel R. Hayes

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Dec, 2020

Stories (82)
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1055 Followers
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82 Stories

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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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The Lost Smile

Submitted to Contest #89

At Mel’s Diner, Adam Mason sat alone contemplating a once in a lifetime tragedy. Going out into the world was his way of taking a leap of faith. In the crystal shards of sunlight shining through the window, he caught a glimpse of himself and quickly turned away. It was the first time in years that he had seen his reflection. Sure, he would look in the mirror to comb his brown hair and to make himself look presentable, but he didn’t really look at himself.   Reaching down, he took another sip of his black coffee and listened to al...

53 likes 23 comments 23
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Hippity, Hippity, Hop

Submitted to Contest #88

With the rising sun, the morning dew sparkled like fairy dust in the small town of Hinton, Virginia. Floyd Webster’s shoes were damp and muddy as he ran through an open field like a wild man who had just lost his mind. It didn’t bother him one bit that he scared the cattle into a running stampede. He loved to cause a ruckus everywhere he went. After all, what else was there to do in a small county town? Floyd’s father - Joe Webster - might have a different opinion.    The Webster family farm has over a hundred acres of land....

40 likes 24 comments 24
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The Grind

Submitted to Contest #87

Every morning I wake up exactly one minute before the alarm goes off. I can’t really explain why this happens, I guess it’s just routine. I stumble out of bed, wishing I could sleep for just a couple more hours. I brush my teeth, take a shower, and get dressed in my red Novak Home Improvement uniform. I don’t have time for breakfast because I’m a working girl, and I’ve got bills to pay. That’s the typical grind, and it never changes. This particular morning, something feels different. I’m not sure what it is, but something feels off. I ...

38 likes 13 comments 13
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The Rabbit, the Fox, and the White Squirrel

Submitted to Contest #86

The Blueridge National Forest in eastern West Virginia is a great place to go camping. At least that’s what the Taylor family thought while driving on an isolated back road. Brad Taylor’s Ford F-150 pickup truck could handle most roads, but he had to engage the four-wheel drive to make it through this one. The downpour from last night made the road muddy and slippery. Brad turned the wheel left to right to keep the truck centered in the road. He could hear the tires roar like a mighty lion as they spun. His daughter Sara was sliding bac...

40 likes 29 comments 29
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Call Me Lizzy

Submitted to Contest #85

I love this city because this is where I found her. This was David Leary’s only thought as he stood overlooking Mason city on Old Hill Bridge. He felt a cool rush of midnight air blow through his black hair, which would normally bother him, but not today. David was full of confidence and desire for a special young lady, by the name of Elizabeth O’Conner. Tonight was a special night for David and Elizabeth because this was going to be their first date. The both agreed to meet on Old Hill Bridge and have a spontaneous night of fun. Most n...

28 likes 23 comments 23
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Amy's Crusade

Submitted to Contest #85

Factory City is full of dirty lumber mills, coal mines, and recycling centers. In the winter we don’t have white snow, we have black peppered snow. I sometimes wonder if the Pepper Gods look down on us, and think the snow is mash potatoes. We don’t dare play outside because a person could easily get cancer. The city is a living breathing cesspool of pollution. My name is Amy Lee, and my grandparents died last summer from lung cancer. They never smoked a day in their lives. Just recently I heard my mom coughing up a lung in the kitchen. ...

41 likes 11 comments 11
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The Reluctant Vampiress

Submitted to Contest #84

I open my eyes slowly as the distant horizon swallows the sun. I give myself a moment to shake the grogginess from my brain. I don’t need an alarm clock to wake me up. I have an obnoxious neighbor who binge watches Law & Order every evening at six like clockwork. Oh well, another sleepless day and I couldn’t feel happier. I mean who doesn’t like the task of staying out all night searching for their next meal, right? I know I do, and I kinda have to or I’ll die. It’s like a sacred code or something.  Like a zombie digging its way ou...

37 likes 21 comments 21
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The Walking Plague

Submitted to Contest #84

A deadly virus known as Neuro-001 has claimed the lives of millions of people across the world. It came like an ocean of darkness flooding our very souls. The virus works by fooling our immune systems into thinking our healthy cells and tissues are foreign objects that must be eliminated. The brain becomes inflamed which causes impaired functioning and severe psychological and neurological symptoms. Neuro-001 quickly transmitted from person to person and the catastrophic results of having this virus was death.   We became our ...

32 likes 21 comments 21
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Alpha-101

Submitted to Contest #82

My name is Ellie Vancover, and I remember when my world changed in the summer of 1987. I graduated from Harvard with high honors in computer programming, and was recruited by Alex Whitney, the CEO of Cyber-Chip Industries. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I mean what college student would say no to a six figure salary, right? Alex wanted me to lead a special top secret division that specialized in artificial intelligence. It was a bold initiative that was going to change the world.I became the shining star in my family eclipsing my old...

39 likes 11 comments 11
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Love Remains

Submitted to Contest #81

The stars were shining bright in the night sky as Henry and Edith Wilson shared a cup of tea on their back porch. Their hearts were filled with joy as they watched their ten year old Granddaughter run around the yard trying to catch lighting bugs with an old mason jar. Their old farmhouse home on Rosemary Lane was the envy of the neighborhood with perfectly trimmed grass, flower beds that looked like a blessing from Heaven, and a big beautiful oak tree that stood in the middle of their backyard. Jenny was visiting for the weekend while her ...

45 likes 26 comments 26
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Stolen Rage

Submitted to Contest #79

Blam! The bullet hit Alex straight in the back as he was running towards the canal. It was dark, and raining as the enemy soldiers were closing in on him. The canal was wet and muddy. Alex managed to crawl up to one side taking a defensive position. He checked his pistol and realized that he had no more bullets. He was all alone after being separated from his squad.  He looked up and saw the barrels of their machine guns creeping ever so slowly across the top of the canal. There was no time to think. He reached down and grabbed his la...

41 likes 27 comments 27
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Skate On

Submitted to Contest #77

It was a cold and dark wintery night. The snow started light at first, and then quickly started to get heavy. By morning the small town of Gemstone, West Virginia had accumulated 4 feet of snow. Just waking up, Mike looked out the window and said, “Nope, not today. I’m not going outside in this weather.”  Mike used to love going outside in this kind of weather. He used to be a champion ice skater along with his wife Anna. He gave it all up when she died five years ago from breast cancer. Her loss had devastated him. Anna was the light ...

35 likes 14 comments 14
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