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Murray Burns

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2022

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317 Followers
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150 Stories

5211 karma pts

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Rejection to Redemption

Weekly Contest #226

Rejection to RedemptionCal was thankful for nothing on Thanksgiving Day. He had less to be thankful for the next day, Black Friday.----------“I’m done, Cal.”“What are you talking about, Marcie? I told you I was sorry.”“I’ve had it. You’re the most inconsiderate, uncaring, selfish person I’ve ever known. Goodbye, Cal.”----------“No, Cal, my mind is made up. You’re fired.”“I don’t understand…”“Your business ethics suck. You are the most dishonest person I’ve ever met. I got three more complaints about you this morning. And you’ve offended eve...

13 likes 1 comment 1
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The Lost Looking Glass of Peter Pan

Weekly Contest #225

The Lost Looking Glass of Peter PanStrange forces were at work. The loadstone of the human mind is more mysterious, and just as powerful, as the irresistible attraction the little needle on your compass has for the land far to the North. Henry had walked this way a thousand times, but today he was swept through the front door of Trudy’s Treasures as if he were on autopilot. No thought, just feet slowly shuffling their way along the worn wooden floor through a menagerie of peculiar objects perceived by someone to have outlived their usefulnes...

20 likes 3 comments 3
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Once Upon a Time in a Prison Cell Somewhere

Weekly Contest #219

Once Upon a Time in a Prison Cell SomewhereHard time is not swinging away with a hammer at a pile of rocks under a hot sun. No, with fresh air, the sun, clouds, blue sky, movement, and even a pointless purpose, that would have been a blessing for Henry. He might see a flock of geese fly overhead, or hear the song of a cardinal or an oriol in the distance. With luck, he might even catch a light rain and turn his head upward to feel the hand of the real world on his face. Hard time is being stashed away in a God-forsaken concrete block pr...

21 likes 4 comments 4
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Falling Star

Weekly Contest #217

Falling Star     “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket."                                                         -  PerryComo               &n...

28 likes 16 comments 16
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Advice- 5 cents/$5.00

Weekly Contest #217

Advice- 5₵  $5.00If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Lucy Van Pelt of “Peanuts” fame, you’ve come to the right place. If the topic never concerned you, well, maybe you’ll stumble across the subject in a late-night, free-wheeling Trivia game, and you can impress your friends.Young Lucy’s business model mirrored Lincoln’s reflection on the legal profession- her time and advice were her stock in trade. Children from all over the neighborhood sought her counsel on a wide variety of topics, from matters of the heart to fashion, and from...

26 likes 8 comments 8
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The Beavis and Butt-Head Self-Help Program for the Socially Awkward

Weekly Contest #216

The Beavis and Butt-Head Self-Help Program for the Socially AwkwardPre-school.“Ernie, have you met the new girl, Melissa?”“No, Miss Finn.”“Would you like to meet her?”“Not really.”“Well, you should want to know everyone in our group. Ernie, this is Melissa. Melissa, this is Ernie.”“Oh, I know her! She’s the one who farted in church last week.”“Earnest!”“What? She did fart, Miss Finn. Didn’t you…Melissa? Tell her how you farted right in the middle of Father John’s Homily. It was a loud one, Miss Finn! It was the funniest thing! You should hav...

31 likes 7 comments 7
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Cool

Weekly Contest #215

CoolHigh school. The land of the haves and the have-nots. The cool kids and the outcasts who gather at the nerd table in the lunchroom. The quarterback and the 3rd trombone in the school band. The Petrie dish for the natural evolution of separations within a species long before sociologists wrote about tribes and caste systems. Calvin knew where he was, and he knew he didn’t belong there.He fit in, but he hated where he fit in. His “friends” were companions. He concealed his disdain for them but never felt comfortable in their midst. It is a...

20 likes 7 comments 7
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The Mentor

Weekly Contest #214

The MentorOff-key crooning…“The green leaves of summer are starting to fall, and those…’’“Enough with all the melancholy end-of-summer stuff, Sawyer!”“How about something a little more upbeat like a little ‘Summer Nights’ from Grease, Jesse?”“Oh my God, no. If I hear about Sandy and Danny one more time I’m going to toss my cookies. You need to move on. Summer’s over. We had a good run, but school starts tomorrow.”“Yeah, I know, but I sure am going to miss those lazy, laid-back days of summer, sleepin’ in, sittin’ on the porch sipping my lemo...

18 likes 4 comments 4
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Attaboy, Joey!

Weekly Contest #213

Attaboy, Joey!“Attaboy, Joey! Nice swing. You can do it!”Truth be told, Joey couldn’t do it.Strike three.Joey slowly walked off the field with his head down. His Dad understood the hurt and put his arms around him.“It’s okay, Joey, you’ll get ‘em next time.”Tom didn’t really believe that, but that’s what dads say.You may have heard a coach say something like, “What a kid lacks in talent can be made up for with hard work and desire.” Don’t believe it. Joey had the heart of a lion, and he made the Little Engine That Could look like a slacker, ...

17 likes 7 comments 7
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"Pen Pals"

Weekly Contest #212

“Pen” Pals “The guy is a genius, Matt.” “How’s that?” “You’ll see. Watch and learn.” ---------- Dear Martha, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my arms the day I leave this terrible place. Love, Old School P.S. Could you please put some money on my Commissary Account? ---------- Dear Sally, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my ...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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No Returns

Weekly Contest #212

No ReturnsMr. Arnie Irk Customer Relations                                                                                   &n...

24 likes 12 comments 12
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Overdue

Weekly Contest #211

OverdueThe small, snuggly town was named Life Magazine’s #1 Place to Live in America a stunning seven years in a row. Maple Grove defined quaint, rural, and rustic. Its streets weren’t tree-lined; its trees were street-lined. Happy smiley faces everywhere, children and adults, a Ward, June, Wally, and Beaver behind every door.Everyone knew everyone. The barber was the butcher’s uncle, the fireman was the baker’s brother, and the teacher was the student’s aunt. The children all played together in cheery harmony, the men tossed horseshoes behi...

14 likes 6 comments 6
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Heavenly Do-Over Duel

Weekly Contest #211

Heavenly Do-Over Duel Circumstance, coincidence, and fate always play a role. If King George hadn’t been quite so greedy, if the first shot had not been fired at Lexington Green, and if Alexander Hamilton had not married the daughter of Philip Schuyler, there might not have been a story. But these three stepping stones did fall into place to lead to the fateful events of July 11, 1804 in Weehawken, New Jersey, and the additional extraordinary events that followed.Hamilton and Aaron Burr had been political rivals, but the competition turned t...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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One Night Out on the Lake

Weekly Contest #210

One Night Out on the LakeThe best time to fish for walleyes is the last half-hour of sunlight. Every fisherman worth his weight in nightcrawlers knows that. It is also the best time to be out on the lake for any reason, or even better, for no reason- the wind dies down, the temperature drops, the sky presents a tapestry of extraordinary colors, all is quiet and still, and it is enough to just be there. Marty knew this better than any man alive, and he took full advantage. He was there so often even the fish recognized his boat. The occasiona...

26 likes 6 comments 6
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Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Weekly Contest #209

Get Your Kicks on Route 66“You sure about this, Zak?”“A little late for second-guessing, Cal.”The ’55 Chevy was packed to the gills, and the wheels were already rolling out of the driveway of Zak’s parents’ home within a stone's throw of Lake Micigan in Evanston, Illinois.“It’s just such a big step.”“No kidding, Cal, but you’ve had like 50,000 hours to think about it. There’s no turning back, partner. California here here we come!”And so the sky blue Bel Air convertible, tagged with a sign on the back reading “California or Bust!”, headed fo...

15 likes 3 comments 3
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