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Douglas Render

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Apr, 2024

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11 Followers
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12 Stories

190 karma pts

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The Boogie Man

Weekly Contest #377

Six-year-old boys tend to be obstinate, always challenging parental authority. I most definitely fit the mold. Most evenings after dinner, my brothers and I took our baths and put on our cool pajamas. Mine were long-sleeved and covered with pictures of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Sylvester the Cat, and Yosemite Sam. I wore those pajamas until the knees wore through. Even then, my parents had a hard time convincing me to throw them away. After our baths, it was bedtime: 8:00 p.m. Dad tucked us in...

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Edge of Creation: The God Particle Expedition

Weekly Contest #334

May 13th, 2050 I will attempt to recreate yesterday’s events, though I am uncertain I can truly convey what we experienced. The day began at 0700. A quiet and somber atmosphere enveloped the galley as the team gathered for breakfast. Each member sat lost in thought, contemplating their role in the upcoming experiment. Anticipation and worry were etched on their faces. Some had been part of the Hadro project before, witnessing failures and the loss of colleagues in the pursuit of understanding the universe. Others harbored doubts about the ex...

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The Boy, the River, and the Tornado

Weekly Contest #332

The first raindrops came quietly, fat, cold plops that rippled across the glass-smooth surface of the Huron River. Twelve-year-old Doug hardly noticed. He was too busy watching his bobber dance in the current, imagining the old catfish that locals swore lived in the deep bend. He and his friend had been competing all summer, wanting to be the KING of fishing by catching “Bubba,” the monster catfish. Batting his fishing pole, Doug looked toward the willow tree and called out, “Today is the day you catch, Bubba. I spiced up the bread balls to ...

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REDEMPTION

Weekly Contest #329

CW: Substance abuse, physical violence, grief REDEMPTION Doug had always been told he looked just like his father—same almond eyes, same uneven grin, same stubborn jawline that seemed carved more from stone than flesh. As a boy, he wore that resemblance like a badge of honor. He followed his dad everywhere: into the shed where old tools hung like relics; on the golf course where James discussed the game and how to be a good man; sleeping in a tent when camping with the Boy Scouts; cannoning down the river, laughing and splashing one anothe...

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A CONVERSATION WITH GOD

The night was still. Silence wrapped around me like a heavy blanket, broken only by the faint hum of the refrigerator and the ticking of the old clock on the wall. I sat alone in my chair, the weight of too many years and too many questions pressing on my chest. Again, a deep dark loneliness consumed me. I whispered, though no one else was in the room. “God… are You there?” The air shifted. Not with thunder or lightning, not with visions of flaming angels, but with something quieter, deeper; the kind of presence that makes you realize you ar...

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A DIALOGUE AT THE EDGE OF DAWN

Weekly Contest #312

The room is quiet. Pale morning light drips through the blinds, casting faint stripes across the old man’s quilt. The clock on the wall ticks softly, counting down the final hours of another life. The old man lies still, floating between the thin veil of dreams and waking—a space he has come to know well. His chest rises and falls with the weight of years. A whisper, as if from within the walls of the universe, brushes against his ear. ENTITY: Good morning. I have guided and protected you from the shadows all your days, but I still do not un...

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The boy who froze time

Weekly Contest #311

Everyone thought Luca was just another quiet kid sitting near the chemistry class window, doodling strange symbols in his notebook. But the truth was far stranger—Luca could pause time. Not rewind. Not fast-forward. Just stop it cold. The moment it first happened, he was ten. A car skidded off the road toward his dog, and in a panic, Luca screamed "Chronostasis!" and everything froze. Leaves hung in the air. The car hovered above the ground mid-spin. And his dog just stood there, unaware, tail wagging, safe. He never told anyone. Luca did no...

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Into the Heliosphere - The God Particle Expedition

Weekly Contest #306

May 13th, 2050 I will attempt to recreate yesterday’s events, though uncertain I can truly convey what we experienced. The day began at 0700. A quiet, somber atmosphere enveloped the galley as the team gathered for breakfast. Each member sat lost in thought, contemplating their role in the upcoming experiment. Anticipation and worry were etched on their faces. Some had been part of the Hadro project before, witnessing failures and the loss of colleagues in the pursuit to understand the universe. Others harbored doubts about the existence of ...

1 like 0 comments 0
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I remember our first summer vacation

Weekly Contest #285

There can be no better place for a family of eight children to grow up than a small Midwest country town. Summers were filled with running in the hills, playing baseball with the neighborhood kids, or inventing games to play in Grandpa's five-acre field. Never alone, having a brother to keep one company enhanced life. One of the biggest challenges for our large family was economics. Dad worked two jobs to make ends meet, while Mom's hands were constantly full, keeping up with eight children—seven boys and one girl. Even the most patient moth...

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A Bargain for Redemption

Weekly Contest #255

Lyle lived in a quiet fishing village surrounded by beautiful waterways. He had the largest, most opulent home in the village. The grounds were perfectly manicured by migrants hustling from the border to work for pennies. Known for his shrewdness in business and his silver tongue, he had built a prosperous life for himself but also made many enemies and committed countless sins in his relentless pursuit of wealth and power. As Lyle aged, fearing for his soul, Europa, his guardian angel, began to infuse images of eternal damnation into his dr...

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Cupt galeatum - the man who could pause time

Weekly Contest #253

Flora Flores and her family welcomed her newborn son, Louis Antonio Flores, on August 6, 1948. Maria Santos, the local Curandero (medicine woman) with great spiritual healing powers, was present during Louis’ birth. As the doctor took the child from the mother, he turned and gave him to Maria for a blessing. Holding the child, she looked down at Louis and saw a Caput galeatum (veil) encompassing his face. She screeched with excitement, chanting incantations and jumping in celebration. She began to shake as she felt his spiritual powers emana...

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Sophia's Wish

Weekly Contest #252

SOPHIA’S WISH On a chilly autumn evening, the small town of Crooked Creek buzzed with excitement. The annual Winter Harvest Fair was in full swing, and people of all ages in this small farming community filled the town square. Each reveling in the festive atmosphere. The children’s voices could be heard screeching with joy as they rode the roller coaster, Ferris wheel, and other exciting rides. Stalls brimmed with homemade goods, apple, and cherry pies, and corn on the cob. The smell of barbecue filled the fair-goers nostrils. The scent of ...

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