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Eric Manske

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2025

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20 Followers
17 Following

7 Stories

177 karma pts

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Step Nine

Weekly Contest #341

(Sensitive content: substance abuse and sexual promiscuity is mentioned; verbal abuse occurs) Cindy pulled the car over to the side of the road. Shelbyville, declared the sign, population 1,430. Cindy kept the car running and prayed for the peace that passes all understanding. Her heart beat like war drums. Her hair, visible in the rearview mirror, was her normal honey blonde, not the bleached blonde of her seedy days. She phoned her sponsor for encouragement and, to be completely honest, for accountability. She called in all resources ...

14 likes 12 comments 12
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It's a Messy Life

Weekly Contest #340

(Sensitive content: nothing happens on-scene but allusions to suicide and sexual violence are made) Larry wished he had never been born. All his life he made one dumb decision after another, and now here he was, a high school dropout, kicked out by his parents to make his own way, with no money, no prospects, and no friends. He had nowhere to go, and in one final act of dumb desperation, he made his way to the bridge on the edge of town that crossed the river and cried out to someone he rarely acknowledged. “God, I don’t know if you...

8 likes 6 comments 6
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Barista Bubba

Weekly Contest #339

Barista Bubba finished swirling the whipped cream on top of the drink, placed it on the bar, and called out, “Half-caf triple grande hazelnut nonfat with whip mocha.” As the woman grabbed the drink from the bar, Bubba mentioned, “You ticked all the boxes. I’m impressed.” Unfortunately, she was oblivious since it was the morning rush, and she nearly collided into another customer in her hurry out of the Starbucks. Bubba sighed and wiped his hands on the green apron that adorned his ample girth. He grabbed the next cup in the queue. “J...

18 likes 8 comments 8
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Descenders of the Chariot

Weekly Contest #338

Section 1 You open the ancient-looking, leather-bound tome that your uncle laid before you. “Uncle Martel, what is this?” Uncle Martel’s eyes gleam. He glances around the library to make sure no one is close enough to overhear your discussion. “I don’t know how much you know of the writings used in Kabbalah. One of those is the Shimmush Tehillim, or Magical Uses of the Psalms, a compilation of writing collected around the Middle Ages.” He puts a hand on your shoulder before you can respond. His smile broadens. “This is the Shimmush T...

5 likes 4 comments 4
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In a Mirror Dimly

Weekly Contest #337

“Honey, your life is in danger. Don’t you understand?”Renee listened respectfully to her boyfriend’s concerns over her phone. She just had a different opinion. ”Travis, I do understand, and I’m telling you, God has got this. He is watching over this whole situation.”“Rumors from our home office are spreading here. I heard your name mentioned. I don’t think they know we are dating.” Travis spoke more quickly and dramatically than usual. “They want that location, and they want that shelter gone. No one here wants to work next to a homeless she...

4 likes 0 comments 0
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2100: The Lord is Good

Weekly Contest #336

CW: Racially offensive languageTobby Kamati was excited to arrive at Meadowcreek Township. Today, he and his team leader, Deng Wei, were trekking into the interior of Cherokee-Ozark territory in North America to locate at least one of the rumored villages. Their goal was to learn what had survived and emerged since the war and how much of the Gospel was still retained. Tobby had prepared in multiple locations in Africa for over two years to join this mission and today would be his first step into the great unknown.Wei was already at the miss...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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No Fury

Weekly Contest #335

Vanessa inspected the number on the front of the envelope again. 743. The last digit was clearly a 3, not an 8. Definitely not her room. She read the message once more: “I dumped the package in the Hudson. Made some fish a good lunch. I’ll be up to see you at five. Have the money or you’ll be making the fish a good dinner.” Her lips widened into the grin her mother used to call her hyena face. She tucked the note back into the envelope, which she secured in a tight grip. Time to get ready for dinner. The doors to one of the elevators ope...

7 likes 0 comments 0
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