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Graham Kinross

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Mar, 2021

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1351 Followers
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150 Stories

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Orphan Jack

Weekly Contest #222

TW: Swearing and mention of death.Jack strolled down the dusty streets of the port towards the space shuttle for his interview. Pale men and women, ignorant after months or years in vacuum, were shifting cargo. The suns of Hellebore cooked the flesh of offworlders to a glowing boiled lobster tan that was in vogue amongst incomers.Jack pulled down the brim of his cap. He lifted the collar of his boiler suit with one hand to save his neck from the crispy barbeque fate of the crowds. In his other hand he carried his beloved toolbox. He’d scratc...

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Trouble Brewing

“Brewing poisons isn’t just about crushing the plants and distilling them.” Catherine Harper said in the laboratory that doubled as her bedroom. “You need the right ingredients for the job, cut the right way, and boiled for the correct amount of time. And yes you need them distilled enough for potency but that can actually render them useless depending on the ingredients.” With chemical stained fingers the assassin pointed to glass vials boiling at different distances from the hot coals. Each was meticulously labeled. Sir Danielle Longbow w...

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Funeral for a Friend

Every footstep seemed a lifetime after the last as Sir Danielle Longbow carried the linen wrapped body of her friend along with his bodyguards. Mournful music played on bagpipes, accompanied by the slow beat of drums. She’d never liked bagpipes but their unholy screeching seemed appropriate to mark the death of her friend. Tears rolled down her cheeks until her eyes were red around the brown. Despite the emaciated form of Carl’s body she wore full armour and walking in step with the other bearers was difficult. Despite the northerner’s wis...

18 likes 25 comments 25
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Comprehensive Superhero Insurance

Weekly Contest #205

TW: A pinch of swearing.“I’m sorry ma’am, your fight with Cad Bury cost fifty thousand dollars worth of damage and your insurance only covers forty-nine.” She smiles at me as if that’s good news, sociopath.Why can’t I fly or run super fast like the A-list guys? At least then I could work in deliveries for a side hustle. “Can’t you pay the forty-nine and I can get a loan for the rest?” I ask, leaning over the counter in my ripped uniform. She eyes the torn fabric covered with patches and sponsors with disdain.“If only Cat Fight, but the polic...

48 likes 73 comments 73
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Martian Navy Project Darwin

Weekly Contest #204

TW: Surgery and swearing. “Your legend precedes you, Thao.” Admiral Randal Jacques smiled the smile of a transparent sociopath. He waved his hand to the sturdy metal chair in front of his desk. “I’ve heard plenty about you as well,” she said with a similar show of teeth. “Good, then we don’t have to waste any more time with niceties. I want you to join me.” All hints of pleasantry were gone. He gave her the stare a butcher gives a slab of meat as they raise the knife. “For?” Her invitation had been vague. Be part of Mars’ future. A file la...

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Glad Tidings on a Grave Day

Creases around the blue eyes of King Consort Carl deepened as he nodded to Deandra Fletcher as she was introduced to him by Sir Danielle Longbow. “Wonderful to meet you,” he said with a once roguish smile which had become fatherly. His blue eyes glinted with the same mischievous energy they always had. “And to meet you, My King,” Deandra bowed low, black hair scraping on the granite flagstones of the royal library. Her plain brown dress kissed her ankles as she bowed. “King Consort. I prefer when people call me Carl, even if I’m told it’s im...

19 likes 37 comments 37
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Jackie Lope and Mattie Real Robber

Weekly Contest #202

 TW: Unsolicited relationship advice and swearing. “Living within your means isn’t really living at all is it? By that I mean, you’re about to be boarded, raise your hands and play nice.” That transmission gave Captain John Brown and First Mate Jane Door just long enough to exchange raised eyebrows before their freighter’s lights went out. “I love you, gorgeous,” said Jackie Lope Robber of the goodish ship Codependent-Codefendent. “I love you more, sexy. Let’s fill our pockets.” Mattie Real Robber hit the reset button, restarting al...

41 likes 42 comments 42
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Arthas Needs a Hand

Weekly Contest #201

TW: Fu**ing swe@ring.“We have to remove the leg, probably the arm as well.” The droid doctor said it to newly reinstated Detective Arthas Jacques in a calm New Delhi accent.The detective fought back sobs, body trembling as his blue eyes scanned from his functional black metal right hand to the mangled leg in a cast, held tightly in place above the bed. His prosthetic left leg was right as rain, unlike his crushed left hand.“Save my hand, please.” Tears rolled down the stubble on his papyrus coloured cheeks. His accent was the Arab-French ble...

31 likes 42 comments 42
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Secret Sisters

Sir Danielle Longbow’s supernatural steed tore up the road as it galloped through the Kingdom of Crann with the War Witch Lupita Smith by her side.“Slow down, Dan,” yelled the witch. “We can’t keep up.”The irony of a steed called Djeithir, meaning haste, not keeping up with her ripped a smile through the stern set of the knight’s face. She dared to glance back at the mix of dragon, tree and undead horse that raced along the road behind her.Djeither as the first of its kind had named itself a curaogine. Danielle’s curaogine snorted air hot en...

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Long Lost Longbow

“Long lost sister? That’s a big one.” Lupita Smith passed the reins of her horse from her right hand to her left, reaching to hold Sir Danielle Longbow’s. The knight reached out her hand, taking her lover’s hand as their horses rode side by side. Caparisons that draped both steeds brushed long grass growing on the summer baked track. Hours after bidding her half sister farewell, Danielle’s head was spinning. Her life had been thrown into disarray by many historical events, battles, investigations and adventures. For a simple conversation to ...

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Simon Said; Show Me Red

Weekly Contest #198

“I’m Simon, you have to do what I say,” said the blonde boy who could barely make eye contact over the principal's desk.“Simon Simple, I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately but you have to stop this. What happened to Erik. What he did. He said you told him to.”“He had to do what I say.” Simon smiled. Little teeth that didn't fill his mouth were white squares with gaps between. Two blue eyes were anything but remorseful as his face creased around the grin.“Simon-” the principal in his faded suit jacket and trousers started but was cut of...

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Nekomancer

Weekly Contest #198

TW: Swearing Angela ‘Sneezy the Cat Lady’ Rhymes met the eyes of a billboard advert model through the classroom window. Three teenagers slouched in chairs with their arms folded, facing her whiteboard. One was on her phone. Angela sighed. “None of us want to be here at magic summer school so let’s get done what needs done and go home, deal?” Anna-May ‘the Animator’ Ghibli nodded enthusiastically, as the only one who wasn’t there through misdemeanors. Jesus Hernandez raised his hand. “Miss, how many classes do we have to go to before we can g...

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A Slice of Life and Death

Former Detective Arthas Jacques lamented that his only option was to save the lives of criminals normally considered the worst of the worst. Only by virtue of their common enemy having Sauron level ambitions to rule were the gangsters Arthas fought beside in any sense the lesser of two evils. “Good to see you again, dad,” he said to Admiral Randal Jacques, who was stained with blood from head to toe. His Arab-French accent dripped sarcasm. “You’re alive,” Randal said, without looking back, the admiral’s assault rifle was filling a deformed m...

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Cornering the Killer

Heads up: swearing and violence. Enjoy. The Morrigan matched the pace of a droid twirling in the black void of deep space, beyond the Sol system. Arthas Jacques struggled into his spacesuit, helped by his onyx painted Spectrum droid. The flickering purple eyes of the battered bot distracted the double amputee as he slipped his prosthetic Right hand easily into the sleeve of a suit that had fitted him like a glove. His shattered left hand in the spray on cast made the suit distort like a condom stretched over a letterbox by kids for a prank...

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Destiny’s Dice

Weekly Contest #197

We are all children of Destiny. People act as if life is complicated. No. Life is decisions. Luckily those decisions have already been made. We only have to follow the course laid out for us. My dice makes the will of Destiny clear. Ding ding ding. My hand thanks the alarm clock with a hearty smack. First choice of the day, sleep in or wake up? I pick the dice from the bedside table. 1-3: Sleep in. 4-6: Get up. 5. I get up, naked, dice in my hand. Next choice, shower or not? 3, time to shower then. Hot water runs over my body for 6 minutes...

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