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Ralph Aldrich

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021

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79 Followers
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122 Stories

2799 karma pts

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All things must End

Weekly Contest #356

I remember when I first met Sylas. It was in 1898. He was a dirty little waif about eight years old, wandering the streets of Soho. Back then, he reminded me of a mouse—darting from place to place, searching for safety in a room full of cats. He was nervous and afraid, yet beneath it all, there was a fierce determination. After all, a person must eat and, to eat, one must survive.I approached the child with as nonthreatening a manner as I could manage. “Tell me, lad, what is your name?” Distrust radiated from every pore of his small body, ye...

9 likes 3 comments 3
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Who are You?

Weekly Contest #348

Melbourne O’Day has the look of an eighteenth-century schoolmaster who misplaced his patience sometime around 1793 and never bothered to look for it. He doesn’t so much avoid people as sidestep them with quiet determination, like puddles he refuses to step in. Unfortunately, life insists on putting people directly in his path—especially since he manages the local hamburger joint. It’s not a role he embraces warmly. In fact, his employees tend to vanish at a remarkable rate, usually within a week or two. Still, the burgers are undeniably deli...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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Futures Told-One Dollar

Weekly Contest #343

Mary clutches John’s hand tightly as they stroll down the Coney Island Boardwalk.She lays her head on his shoulder as a cool breeze tousles her curly brown hair. It’s a mid-September evening, and the boardwalk is a beehive of activity. Children run beneath the festive lights from one activity to another, their parents chasing after them. All the owners of games of chance are barking at the crowd, trying to attract them to play their games. The air is permeated with the smells of hot buttered popcorn, roasted chestnuts, and hot dogs. M...

9 likes 0 comments 0
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The Teddy Bears Picnic

Weekly Contest #334

Dorset Mitchell had once been a happy child until, at eight years old, he learned a terrible truth- his parents had lied to him.One afternoon, Dorset came home from school very upset. When his father asked what was wrong, Dorset blurted out that the school bully had told him there was no Easter Bunny.“What did you say to that?” his father asked.“I told him there is so!” Dorset replied.His father paused, studying him. “How old are you now, Dorset?”“Eight.”His father hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose that’s old enough.” He sighed, then continued...

12 likes 1 comment 1
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Suzy Q's

Weekly Contest #333

In 1834, Warren Price founded a woolen mill in Deary, Massachusetts, alongside the Blackstone River. The mill first produced woolen fabric for Union soldiers’ uniforms during the Civil War and later continued supplying material through both World War I and World War II. Over time, Price Woolen Mill generated considerable wealth for both the Price family and the town itself.In the 1930s, one of Price’s great-grandsons, Steven Seagrate, modernized the factory and expanded its role within the community by constructing housing for workers. His i...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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The Witch's Unfamiliar Familiar

Weekly Contest #327

Darnell sleeps curled atop a worn stool before the crackling fire, his body a small circle of warmth and contentment. His deep, rumbling purr fills the room, whiskers twitching as he dreams. His fur is midnight black, except for the small white cross emblazoned on his head, a mark that has always unsettled his mistress. Aisling Elmina is a witch, from a long line of witches, and such symbols seldom appear by accident. For fifteen years, Aisling and Darnell have made a suitable pair. From the time he was a kitten, Darnell has been more th...

11 likes 0 comments 0
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A Day Like Any Other

Weekly Contest #326

I’m feeling a little tense today, or maybe “anxious” is the better word. It’s odd, really, because there’s nothing unusual about today. It should be like any other day, get up, brush my teeth and hair, get dressed. Then a quick cup of coffee and a slice of toast while I scroll through the reels on Facebook. After that, it’s a dash to the bus stop for the ride into the city.I work for a large real estate firm in Boston. We specialize in buying old buildings, or sometimes whole blocks, to renovate or tear down and rebuild. My job is to decide ...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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Mirror Mirror

Weekly Contest #325

Peter Larkin stumbles out of the “Blue Bird Bar and Grill. He’s got a belly full of beans and hot dogs, and his head is buzzing from one too many beers. The sidewalk tilts as he tries to light a cigarette. Peter frowns as he braces himself and tries again. A smile of satisfaction spreads across his lips as his second attempt is successful. Suddenly, a harsh October wind lashes across his face as the quarter moon ducks behind a thick bank of clouds. Turning up his collar, he chuckles dryly, “Better get home before the rain catches me.” Then, ...

15 likes 3 comments 3
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"Oh, Woe is Me!"

Weekly Contest #323

“It’s study period at Milford High School, but Willard isn’t studying. Instead, he is staring wistfully at the back of Barbie Conner’s head, admiring her golden blonde hair shimmering in the afternoon sun as it streams through the window.Barbie feels a shiver up her spine and turns to her BFF Carol Knottingham.“Is that creep staring at me again? God! I can’t stand it!” After taking a quick peek at Willard, Carol rolls her eyes and nods. Barbie’s hand shoots into the air as she calls out,“Mrs. Perkins! Can I move? Willard’s giving me the cree...

8 likes 3 comments 3
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Jack of Spades

Weekly Contest #322

Jack Walsh enters the casino like walking into his living room. His every movement is smooth and unhurried. He stops in the foyer to take in the action, the casino reflecting in his mirror sunglasses. Listening to the wheel of fortune click, the cards shuffle, and the dice roll is like music to his ears. Jack smiles, revealing perfectly white teeth. He is dressed in his usual attire; a pleated white shirt with black buttons and French cuffs. His black suede buttoned vest complement hid desired effect. He’s tapping the toe of his cowboy boot ...

14 likes 2 comments 2
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Happy Anniversary!

Weekly Contest #321

Bill pushes open the kitchen door and is greeted by the heavenly aroma of fresh-baked cookies. He steps beside his mother and kisses her on the cheek. He inhales deeply before greeting her. “Hi, Ma! It sure smells good in here!” When he grabs a cookie, he receives a sharp whack with the spatula and drops it again.“ Hands off! Those are for the church bake sale!” barks his mother, suppressing a smile.“Oh, come on. They won’t miss one!” Dolores spins around with one hand on her hip, the other waving the spatula at her son.“I promised the churc...

11 likes 2 comments 2
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Jack of Spades

Jack Walsh enters the casino like walking into his living room. His every movement is smooth and unhurried. He stops in the foyer to take in the action, the casino reflecting in his mirror sunglasses. Listening to the wheel of fortune click, the cards shuffle, and the dice roll is like music to his ears. Jack smiles, revealing perfectly white teeth. He is dressed in his usual attire; a pleated white shirt with black buttons and French cuffs. His black suede buttoned vest complement hid desired effect. He’s tapping the toe of his cowboy boot...

3 likes 0 comments 0
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Meet the New Me

Weekly Contest #319

CW: References to sexual abuse Janey Price, a shy thirty-year-old seamstress, lays aside an article she has just read. She ponders,“I’ve never heard of such a thing.Can it be true?” She rereads the quote from renowned psychologists C.Zweig and S.Wolf. “Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side, an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore. The shadow can be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life.”Still pe...

8 likes 1 comment 1
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Uncle Zara

Weekly Contest #316

Camilia is busy mixing batter for a cake when she hears her husband mutter, “What the devil is he telling that kid now?”“Did you say something?” his wife asks, her wooden spoon clacking against the porcelain bowl.“It’s your, Uncle Zara. He’s always telling Carlo crazy shit.”Camilia shakes her head, “Oh, Elio! Uncle Zara likes to make up fantastic stories for Carlo. Carlo is twelve! He knows the difference between fantasy and the truth."Elio continues to peer into the other room. He frowns, “I still don’t like it. It’s strange.”Uncle Zara, wh...

10 likes 5 comments 5
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Hi, My Name is Ray

Weekly Contest #315

The fog slowly lifts from Ray’s brain and, in doing so, Ray discovers he is standing in the middle of the Joseph Muller Bridge. The Connecticut River sluggishly flows beneath, lights reflecting on its surface. Ray thinks the water looks like the night sky, dark and unfathomable. He slowly blinks. The sound of traffic grabs his attention, and he turns to look. There’s a fair amount of traffic, and he’s not in a walkway.Suddenly, Ray is gripped by an attack of nausea. He swirls around and begins vomiting over the railing. Over and over....

10 likes 8 comments 8
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