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Laurentz Baker

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Sep, 2019

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549 Followers

652 Following

45 Stories

1624 karma pts

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And Then The Wars Broke Out

Weekly Contest #26

I could hold a note when needed, learning to dance took much more effort. My bread and butter? What kept people believing I was the next big thing? I could tickle the ivories. I could play any Earth Standard, jump straight into Universal pop music, jazz and gospel. And I was acting in a good number of theater productions of the galaxy as well. I helped write some lyrics and music for the shows I participated in. I grew up on music. Nat King Cole, Stax “Saxophone” Jackson, Sam Cooke, Yedda Peal, and my great grandmother, Jinah Carter. My gos...

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Everything Out There

Weekly Contest #24

Silas Saber passed out and fell from the deck of his father’s place. When he woke he was staring in his brother’s face. “What the hell is your problem?” asked Jim lifting him from the ground. “It’s a long story. What time is it?” “A little after twelve.” “It’s dark. I can’t see.” Jim turns on the flashlight on his phone. “Can you see this?” “Yes!” Silas whips his head away. Okay, I can see. I had to make an important phone call at 2 p.m. Please tell me it’s not twelve midnight.” “It’s after midnight. What, or when is the last thing you...

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Hearthstone

Weekly Contest #23

We weren’t expecting the blizzard. “If we don’t leave before 4 a.m. Blake, there’s no point in us going,” Charnika said to me. We had not left for the cabin so at that moment we were more concerned about traffic. A few snowflakes to close out the winter, we expected. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the new year had long passed months ago. We were embarking on the Spring. Embarking. Some trees had started to bloom. As usual, the coyotes were on the prowl. We saw bear cubs in the distance. And the rare black fox. Or maybe just rare to me. And deer, ...

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Tricks of the Trade

Weekly Contest #22

“I saw you with Mischka and Dru last week,” says Calvin. “You just start with the agency?” “Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t. Name’s Gia. Word is you were on your way to Brazil, and yet here you are in Atlanta.” “Nothing like ringing in the new decade with fireworks and finger sandwiches,” states Calvin. “Who are you following? Who’s your assignment?” asks Gia. “Maybe it’s you,” says Calvin tapping her wine glass with his. “Who’s your assignment? Who have you followed here?” “I followed you here,” states Gia tapping his wine glass. “You wer...

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Evanora & Lucian

Weekly Contest #21

I believe in the supernatural. The things that happen that are not easily explained. And against my better judgment, I will tell about the time I met a fifth cousin. I saw the headlights before I heard the knock. Who is this at eight o’clock at night. I thought to myself. It’s not a delivery truck. Fed Ex or the Post Office. They do make deliveries in cars. Christmas or not, I haven’t ordered anything that would be arriving this close to the holiday. Christmas is in two days for crying out loud. They knock again. “Hold on,” I say not loud ...

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Ring and Necklace

Weekly Contest #19

I was expecting to return home in no more than an hour, but what happened next caused me to lose ten years. It was supposed to be a last-minute pickup. It was supposed to be ready the day after Thanksgiving. I had anticipated the Christmas rush and that things would be backed up. I never anticipated that the order would be the wrong necklace and ring. “See. The set I ordered for you was the one you were admiring at the jewelry store,” says Benny. The chocolate set. The one sent was rose gold. It was nice, but another couple from somewhere el...

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Picture Coin

Weekly Contest #18

I expect the unexpected in my line of work for we film mystery thrillers with much action based on true life events. It’s early fall and this mysterious real-life event happened to me some months ago during the summer. I wasn’t looking for another peacoat. I wouldn’t need it. I already have one. A black one. But a deep blue like this one would be a good addition to the wardrobe. It was only the second day of this outdoor market and no one, it seemed, had given buying the peacoat a second thought. Why would they? Who needs a warm coat with t...

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Ace

Weekly Contest #15

Was I a little off or weird? Well, yeah. Who wasn’t in their own way? But I didn’t deserve the death penalty. And neither did Ace, in the beginning. My name is Frank Baker. And being a bus driver is a good cover. The truth of the matter, I’ve had various jobs. I was prior military. Air Force right out of high school. I graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in English and a minor in psychology. If you would have known me during my younger years you would realize it was a long way from my grades in high school. Hey, I decided...

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The Transition

Weekly Contest #13

I found out in the most interesting way that I died. My plan was to stay in all weekend. The first time for a while. I was simply going to watch the college football triple-header, but then I realize I have nothing to drink, no pizza, no chips nothing for breakfast or lunch next week. No point starving in the process. It’s an early October weekend, but not too cold. I throw on some shorts and head out. And who do I run into? Literally, run into. Lake Montgomery. I hadn’t seen her in years. I was looking into the freezer section at the groce...

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The New Girl

Weekly Contest #12

Jade and Caron could see the heat rising off the concrete in front of them. They were heading nowhere in particular just racing. Simply something to do on a blistering summer day. It hadn’t rained for a minute. Grandpa and grandma were worried at the fact. Drought is the worst. Besides killing the crops and making the prices rise on fruit and vegetables, the trees fall over when the storms come. They heard them chatting in the kitchen. “I don’t want to spend another one thousand dollars to take down that tree, but we gotta do it,” grandpa sp...

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Saint Eldridge Islands

It has been a while. Almost twenty years. It’s not that I don’t like coming here. I do. It’s just I haven’t had the time. It’s not on par with Panama City or Daytona beaches, but a pretty nice beach none-the-less. It’s not warm most of the year like those places. That’s because Saint Eldridge Islands is much further north. The fog makes it mysterious. The water smashing against the rocks, the rays of sun filtering through the haze bring back memories of when I became lost. It was my first visit there. I simply wanted to look over the edge ...

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Of Peace & Quiet

Weekly Contest #10

How much does it cost to give us peace and quiet? Do we act the fool when you’re working? No. Do we scream and holler at the television at 2:00 A.M.? No. So what is the problem? We’ve asked on several occasions. But you don’t seem to get it. Other people have a life to live as well. I get it. You need to kick back and enjoy your downtime. I enjoy mine while you’re painting. Why can’t you enjoy your downtime while I’m writing without utterly disturbing me and the whole building? Use headphones you say. You simply want to watch television and ...

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Iris

Weekly Contest #9

Iris Arriving at the townhome of Frank and Alaina Macey in his Sunday best, a blue three-piece Alfani suit, with black Alfani shoes, dark blue shirt and a white tie, Orion would miss half of Sunday service for the third week in September. Orion states. “So, once again, a blue iris is left at the scene. Have you found the white iris yet.” “And who are you?” asks police Captain, Sierra Shaffer. “Orion Sunn. I ride along with various police departments around the metro area. I’m a writer.” “You mean a journalist.” “I freelance, ghostwrite. I’...

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Stone Mountain

Weekly Contest #8

The rising sun at their back, the silhouette of the mountain stands like a sentinel over the town. The trail on which Willow and James are running this Saturday morning in Stone Mountain Park, James notices, is still, and without birdsong, is still, without the jaunting of squirrels, mosquitoes, and moths, even, lie low. James and Willow pass the enormous oak tree--the two-mile mark on their run. The oak has grown to the point that its limbs stretch across the trail, beyond the sidewalk and hang above the middle of the road. “That tree alwa...

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Saturn by Elliott Laurence

Weekly Contest #7

An early evening orange-red haze fills the sky. The sun begins to set and I look past the crescent silhouette of the moon looking as usual, for Saturn. On days like this, there’s no need for my telescope. The evening sky is clear. On other evenings, no matter how hard I look, I fear Saturn is forever lost to me. I took for granted that I visit Saturn regularly. But no more. I haven’t been able to visit or barely talk to my father and my sister Sharmayne for almost a year. When Earth jams transmission signals making it difficult for us to ...

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