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David Nutt

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2021

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97 Stories

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The day when my world shed a different light

Weekly Contest #375

A Day When My World Shed a Different Light I am a middle-aged bachelor. I live alone. Some years ago I was stood up at the altar by a young woman whom I loved and believed was my soulmate. It was definitely the most embarrassing and painful moment of my life. I had invited all my family. That period, I hope, is now deeply buried in the past. Today I am a doctor with my own practice in a town on the southern English coast. As I am single, my patients, bless their hearts, seem to believe I have all the time in the world to devote to their pro...

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Many conservations... finally our first meeting

Weekly Contest #374

Many conversations… finally our first meeting I was free. My own master. Responsible for my own destiny. Memories of school and university were slowly being lost in the mists of the past. But probably what I found most emotionally satisfying was that I was no longer under the influence and umbrella of my parents. This protection took on many subtle and interesting forms. As a baby, I relied on their love to feed and protect me. As a young adult, their teachings and life experience, always present, were a welcome influence. In my teenage yea...

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A Machiavellian plot to kill my wife.

Weekly Contest #373

A Machiavellian plot to kill my wife Poker: a sacred meeting every Tuesday night at my club. But tonight, my concentration on the game was troubled. I planned to kill my wife. I had tried four weeks ago, but the pieces on the chessboard were not aligned for a swift move to checkmate. I should explain this desire to eliminate my wife. I was considerably older than her—the gap was some twenty-eight years, and I was in my late fifties. I was now tired of having a younger wife who spent most of her time at social functions being complimented on...

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Haunting buildings with a past.

Weekly Contest #371

Haunting buildings with a past It stood there, still proud but slowly deteriorating, outlined against the evening sunlit sky. From what I could feel from inside my car, it generated a haunting sense of beauty, like a vase of flowers in the process of withering. I stopped the car and got out to take a closer look. It was an old hospital abandoned to the weather, scattering its memories and glory to the winds. I stood there, fascinated. This huge building must contain many human stories of pain, suffering, and death—also stories about medicin...

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A race against time

Weekly Contest #370

A Race Against Time I live in a mountainous area. It may seem bizarre, but one of my weekly pleasures was to go and spend a couple of hours in a subterranean cave I had found at the foot of one of the mountains. I enjoyed the silence, away from the noise of human endeavors, and the dark, damp atmosphere with only my torch giving me some light. I sensed an enormous feeling of peace and safety. I often wondered why this cave with tunnels had been constructed. Eventually, I asked the village mayor. He was surprised I had found them, as most peo...

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Gnomes or Wizards: You Decide

Weekly Contest #368

Gnomes or Wizards: You Decide “Hello, Joseph. How is the world treating you?” I was standing at the bar in my favorite watering hole in central London, holding a large whisky and soda. I felt I needed it; I was on the verge of another painful bout of lumbago. “Paul, good to see you. In answer to your question, things could be better. In this economic climate, that’s probably true for most people.” “Let’s sit over there in the corner and catch up. What’s your poison?” I ordered two double whiskies. As we settled into our seats, I couldn’t hel...

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Drama....a village marriage

Weekly Contest #367

Drama… A Village Marriage I was sitting at my desk on the 38th floor, overlooking Manhattan, deeply engrossed in legal documents for an ongoing case, when my assistant put a call through from Trevor Backwell. I didn’t immediately register the name, but as I picked up the receiver, memories of my school and university years hit me like an express train. “Trevor? It can’t be!” “Harold, it is! How are you, old sport?” “Great! But why the call? We always email.” “I’m getting married.” “What wonderful news! Do I know her?” “No, she’s a Catholic b...

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A Desire for a Life Change

Weekly Contest #366

A Desire for a Life Change I looked into the shaving mirror, staring at the initial reflection of my face. I turned sideways to examine my profile. Yes, I thought, I do have a slightly effeminate look. I had an older sister, and I always imagined she lived in a world considerably more appealing than mine. She could continually change her appearance. At her disposal were different makeups, false eyelashes, a whole battery of wigs with textures and colors that brightened the day, and—I must not forget—the beautification of her fingernails and...

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Bonded.......by the love of Music

Weekly Contest #365

Bonded… by the Love of Music The orchestra’s woodwind section took center stage, creating a sound so perfectly pitched that the audience sat on the edge of their seats in admiration. The music floated up to the concert hall's dome and then fell over the listeners like soft, gentle summer rain. As the woodwinds ceased, the first violinist stood to play his part, enhancing the evening with resounding success. His playing was technically brilliant, producing a tone that could only come from an instrument of exceptional quality. If any slight c...

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Betrayed

Weekly Contest #364

Betrayal The evening light was slowly fading. I switched on the desk lamp, deeply engrossed in a file concerning a violent crime recently committed in the neighborhood. It must have been two hours later when I looked out the window to see large, white flakes of snow falling in abundance from the heavens. I was thankful I lived only a few streets away; equipped with my snow boots, I could easily walk home. Home, at this point in my life, was a rather depressing place. The warmth and gaiety of the past had faded with time. My two children had...

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A devoted lost soul

Weekly Contest #363

A Devoted Lost Soul Have you ever been subjected to a pesky, devoted fly? There you are, relaxing and quietly reading. Our friend the fly comes buzzing around you. You gently raise your hand to shoo it away. It disappears, only to reappear minutes later. You go to the kitchen; within seconds, the fly has followed you. Your next port of call is the garden. You still hear the buzzing right before it lands on your arm. You flick it off, and it merrily flies off. If only you could discern its features, I am sure the fly’s face would show conten...

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Bon appetite

Weekly Contest #362

Bon Appétit I have heard those words, bon appétit, many, many times in my life. But what do they really mean in English? Oddly, I never asked myself. As the title of this story is “Bon Appétit,” I feel it is my duty to explore the actual meaning of this familiar phrase, employed throughout the Western world when we are in the act of eating. Translated into English, it literally means "good appetite." However, over time, it has come to convey a wish: enjoy your meal, enjoy, dig in, tuck in, have a wonderful meal. In a formal environment, and ...

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The summer I will never forget

Weekly Contest #361

The Summer I Will Never Forget It was Saturday. I sat in my office, looking at the rain slapping against the large windowpanes. The view was like being underwater and looking up at several tall glass buildings. In some way, it was a pleasant change from the miles of brick and concrete that generally caught my eye. I had devoted my life and leisure hours to the highly successful company I had created. Frankly, whether it was sunny, rainy, or snowing, I hardly noticed. But today, for the first time, I had a feeling of uneasiness—maybe because...

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Stamps...My passion

Weekly Contest #360

Stamps… My Passion When I entered the attic, it smelled slightly damp and dusty. I could not see anything at first; it was as dark as a cellar, the only difference being the thin shafts of light piercing through where the roof tiles did not quite overlap. My hand reached for the light switch. Before me lay what my mother called Granddad’s…”things.” Within a few seconds, I was gazing over a multitude of objects. The scene reflected the life of a man who loved collecting: stuffed animals, piles of books, a stack of pictures, several hats, bin...

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The consequences of a fathers and son's disagreement

Weekly Contest #359

The Consequences of a Father and Son's Disagreement The year was 1938. The setting was a luxury hotel in the south of France during a family holiday. For as long as I could remember, our father had insisted that the five members of our family take a two-week summer holiday together every year. To him, it meant everything; this annual gathering was comparable to a devout religious believer making a yearly pilgrimage. It was on the fourth day of our holiday, at breakfast, that an incident occurred which shattered the very fabric of what had, u...

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