Menu

More apps built by Reedsy

Assemble a team of professionals

The writing app for authors

Writing courses, events and memberships

Get your book reviewed

Weekly writing prompts and contests

Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Mary Bendickson

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

Stories
Comments
Library
663 Followers
716 Following

150 Stories

12554 karma pts

?

Too-Cute Mix-Up

Weekly Contest #230

Too-Cute Mix-Up Chrissy tucked Carlson under a multi-colored quilt before he said his prayers. “What story do you want me to read to you? 'Frosty, the Snowman' or 'Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer'.” “'Frosty', please.” Sleepy-eyed Carlson responded. The visiting five-year-old was sound asleep before 'Frosty' melted away to return another year. And it was no wonder. Chrissy reflected on what their day had been like. *** Hard to believe it was only last evening when the two of them had met at the Harbor House Restaurant. Chrissy, having had ...

22 likes 13 comments 13
Read story

Too-Cute Meet

Weekly Contest #229

Too-Cute MeetThe explosive excitement of Chrissy's fifth grade class was peaking as the much anticipated holiday party approached. The final afternoon before the traditional winter two-week break was officially kicked off with festivities pointing to Christmas Day. But, of course, no one could call it Christmas Vacation. It just happened to coincide with the religious reason for the season.The coming of Jesus or the coming of Santa rivaled each other but if she was a betting person the ten-year-olds in her classroom were hyped-up on thoughts...

30 likes 36 comments 36
Read story

Words

Weekly Contest #228

Words Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in a land far away there lived a band of brothers. Well, some of them were actually brothers by birth, the others all brothers by beliefs. The group started out very small but eventually grew to thirteen plus others that were like-minded but didn't necessarily travel with the core company constantly. Mostly they traveled together but sometimes they broke away and ventured out separately or in twos or threes. They were a peace-loving lot, however, out of necessity, some would still keep a weapon...

27 likes 27 comments 27
Read story

Pitfall

Weekly Contest #227

PitfallThe abominable snowman stomped in the front door of the cozy resort cabin, rolled the bundle of firewood off his arms and dusted the flakes from his shoulders before removing his wet layers to hang next to the fireplace. Then he unlaced and toed off his insulated boots to exchange for floppy slippers, grabbed a log and fed it to the blaze before sinking into the deep, button-tufted arm chair next to the hearth.“Here ya go, Bro.” I handed my best friend the steaming cup of hot chocolate with the marshmallows beginning to melt down into...

18 likes 16 comments 16
Read story

Led Into Temptation

Weekly Contest #226

Led Into Temptation Aaron waited. Waited and waited. Still no sign of his younger brother. How much longer should he wait? Aaron worried. Worried and worried. How much longer would he have to worry? It was driving him to distraction. Maybe that's what he needed... a distraction. That crazy kid brother. Well, not so much a kid anymore. But even when he was younger he always had his head in the clouds. Like he was following some divine intuition. Boy, the things that kid had talked him into helping him out with, especially recently. It all c...

22 likes 20 comments 20
Read story

What Says The Mirror

Weekly Contest #225

What Says The Mirror“Don't judge me. Yeah, I am talking to you, Doppelganger. I only can repeat what I see. You come to me every day. Morning and night. Looking. Searching. Asking questions. Always with the questions. What do you expect from me?“You want me to force you to confront your own truths? Well, the truth is--How should I know? Look at you! That's all I can help you with. I am the same. Yesterday, today and probably will be tomorrow.“I hang around here all the time, whether you are around or not, and stare at that stupid wall over t...

27 likes 32 comments 32
Read story

Hang It On The Moon

Weekly Contest #224

Hang It On The Moon There was once a little girl born under a waning crescent moon. Her father, an amateur artist, presented her mother with a custom hand-painted art work of the infant sound asleep cuddled on the arch. The picture hung over her bed all of her childhood years. She carried it to her college dorm room and to her first home when she started adulting on her own with the first job of her career as a space scientist. While others romanticized about the full moon she felt an unwavering attachment to that slender hook of a moon. Per...

30 likes 34 comments 34
Read story

The Battle Rages On

The Battle Rages On Up until Sept of this year in the US there have been 389 school shootings since Columbine in 1999 according to the Washington Post data. I have been on a kick over the last few weeks of writing about my home town. This historical account is in Wikipedia: “On May 16, 2018, a 19-year-old student, entered Dixon High School and fired shots during graduation practice.[13] He was pursued by School Resource Officer Mark Dallas, of the Dixon Police Department. After firing shots at the officer, the shooter was wounded by Dall...

14 likes 15 comments 15
Read story

Hometown Boy

Weekly Contest #222

Hometown Boy The year was 1920. Nine-year-old, Dutch, moaned to his four-year-older brother, Moon, “This is all there is?” “Yeah, ain't it grand? Everything they promised. Well, nothing like the run-down row houses of Chicago. Maybe you don't remember them but they were crammed in pretty tight with no room to play ball at all. Had to walk down two or three streets and cross busy traffic lanes just to get to green open space at a park. Never knew what kind of riff-raft might jump out at ya. Ma wouldn't let us go alone and Dad, well, he was ...

24 likes 28 comments 28
Read story

Run, Forest, Run

Weekly Contest #221

Run, Forest, RunI blink. Once, twice, three times. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, hold for a moment or two before opening and rubbing them with clenched fists. But to no use. It is still before me. Have I been asleep? Am I dreaming? No, I am sure I have not been. Had to fight the urge to sleep but I have stayed awake.I turn on my flashlight to dispel the pitch blackness. Nothing there. I flick the light off again because the last thing I want is to lose all the battery charge. There it, or he or she, is again. Large as life. Clear as--- wel...

31 likes 42 comments 42
Read story

Cinnamon Cookie Cure All

Weekly Contest #220

Cinnamon Cookie Cure All I remember Granny, my mom's mom, being about as round as she was tall. She was a fireball of energy carrying a big stick. Usually a yard stick she wasn't afraid to use on your backside if you didn't stick to the straight and narrow. She mostly aimed it at my younger brother, 'the Little Scheister'. He especially would get in trouble for hiding her yard stick. Granny lived with us on and off throughout my childhood. Most of the time she lived in our house where ever that was, in Texas when I was very young, or later...

44 likes 37 comments 37
Read story

When Falls The Night

Weekly Contest #219

When Falls the the Night It was a dark and foggy night. Well, the night had started normal enough. The early fall day had pleasant temperatures but as the day turned into night the temperatures fell rapidly so as the earth cooled mist started rising and fog rolled in. The thick, soupy kind of fog. When it falls it makes the world silent and so white it is dark. Starting in the low areas and gradually filling in everywhere cutting visibility to almost nil. The nine pm drive to the energy plant turned sketchy with all the twists, turns and h...

22 likes 17 comments 17
Read story

The Gift

Weekly Contest #218

The Gift I wish to impart to you, my friend, a gift. Hopefully, you will be able to put it to use now and throughout your lifetime. It should be renewable and sustainable. You may even pass it on to another if you choose. I only ask you use it wisely and cautiously. It can be very powerful. I do not intend to be so mysterious. I will tell you what the gift is and what it isn't. It isn't a panacea for all life's woes. But it can be a tool to help cope with whatever struggles and strife life lays at your doorstep and to reach self-improvement...

33 likes 33 comments 33
Read story

Where the Wild Things Aren't

Weekly Contest #217

Where the Wild Things Aren'tI approached the door with trepidation. I had been here numerous times before. I had every right to be here. I held the key in my hand. Thankfully, the lock slid open flawlessly. But when I tried the door it stuck—again. As it had every other time whenever I arrived. Even with a glove on for a more secure grip, the door wouldn't budge to give up the treasures within.From previous visits I knew what awaited inside was like a museum. A tangible testimony to the lifetime talents and holdings of the formidable Dragon ...

44 likes 42 comments 42
Read story

Walking to California

Weekly Contest #216

Kendra finished her search in her deceased grandfather's quarters. She went to relieve 'Lena leading the oxen pulling the wagon. “I'll want to look a little deeper through some of Pappy's things but I found enough for tonight with the wagon master. I'm gonna let you start on the bread and anything else you plan for supper. Hope it's okay I leave that up to you.” “Dat be no trouble 't all. Yu uns havin' such a day. Whys ya so worry 'bouts wha' dis man says?” 'Lena wanted to know. “Our future depends on if he'll let us stay with this train. Gu...

35 likes 30 comments 30
Read story