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Ralph Aldrich

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021

Stories (117)
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62 Followers
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117 Stories

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The Station Manager

Submitted to Contest #168

I finish my breakfast and hurry down the hall to the front desk of my train station. It’s early yet, so not too many commuters have arrived. I’ll operate the ticket booth until Sue comes to take over. The early morning commuters generally have season passes, so they don’t have to purchase tickets. The shoppers who like to go into town for the day do. Or perhaps folks that are going to the theater or museums. It’s my job to see that everything runs smoothly and, if I can, on time. I am the station manager, a...

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The Setting Sun

Submitted to Contest #167

I’m sitting in my rocking chair on the porch of my log cabin.  I’m taking in the view of a magnificent sunset over the forest and mountains of New Hampshire. Good God, it is so beautiful! The clouds are tinged with light orange and red as the rays of gold stream through the branches of the pines, dappling the front of my cabin. The birds are all roosting for the night, calling out to one another with one last song. Not far from my place is a babbling brook. Its soft murmur could easily put someone to sleep....

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Everybody Has a Secret

Submitted to Contest #161

“Come on!” Gale whines. “Everybody’s got a secret that they’ve never told anyone before. What’s yours?” As if he’s disinterested, Brad mumbles, “Ain’t got one.” He then digs deep inside his ear, examines his finger, and flicks something into space. The Noahide couch squeaks loudly as Gale throws herself back, her arms folded across her chest. A few weeks ago, Brad and Gale met in Murphy’s bar. Brad played pool with friends while Gale enjoyed a girls’ night out. That’s when their glassy eyes met. Afte...

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Rain

Submitted to Contest #160

To’Neinilii (also known as “Coyote”) is the spirit god of rain. Because he has this power, it has made him greedy, vain, cunning, and foolish, and he is sometimes quite the trickster. When dealing with the People, he feels his purpose is to test the borders of possibilities and order. Presently, he is high atop the mountain known as Badad Do’ag (known today as Mt. Lemmon), from which he is sending rain to the plains below. The Tohono O’odham live there and grow crops on the high desert plains.   The elders of t...

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Down on the Bayou

Submitted to Contest #159

 Ty Flynn is the latest Hollywood action movie star. He is making money hand over fist by starring in a plethora of action films. He grew up on the streets of LA and has never had this much money in his entire life. Ty has been enjoying his fame by spending vast amounts on homes, cars, and motorcycles. There are also many rumors of the wild parties taking place on his private yacht.Ty is no stranger to the courts, where he is accused of misconduct and sexual harassment by young women, mainly set extras.  Ty...

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Cornelius Clemens

Submitted to Contest #158

 Pearce, Arizona, is a small mining town just southeast of Tucson. The year is 1895, and it’s late August. The sun is blazing hot as a small traveling cabana rolls into town. The driver pulls to a stop at the far end of the main street and climbs down to look around. He’s a little disappointed because he had figured a gold mining town would look more prosperous. His name is Cornelius Clemens, and his trade is to sell snake oil to the unsuspecting. He is a flimflam artist, a con-man, and a swindler. Corneli...

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Once I was a Warrior

Submitted to Contest #154

At one hundred and five, the apache native White Buffalo sits in the reclining chair, looking out the nursing home window. He can’t see much, just the asphalt parking lot and a few blurry trees beyond. His failing eyes see a dot moving about in the sky and assumes it’s an eagle. “Tell me, friend eagle, when will the Great Spirit come and take me to the land of peace and plenty? I have lived too long and serve no purpose. These people here treat me like a living artifact, a credit to the nursing home. Even though I ...

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Edit-Clear-Delete

Submitted to Contest #153

Seventy-eight-year-old Oscar has become more convinced than ever that his wife Deloris is just one big nag. It seems that everything he does is met with criticism or correction. What happened to her? When they were first married, she was so polite. “Whatever you think is right, darling.” Or, “Thank you so much for doing that.” Now, it’s “What did you do that for! Are you stupid or something?” Or, “Why do you always have to leave your slippers by the coffee table. I’ve told you a thousand times it looks messy, an...

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The Precipice

Submitted to Contest #152

“My name is Stanley Menard, and I want to tell you that I can see it now. I can really see it and the wonder of it all. But let me go back to how it all happened.”  I grew up in a typical sleepy little New England town in the Blackstone Valley. There were two forms of religious paths to follow, catholic or one of the protestant teachings. In our small town of Uxbridge, Catholicism was the most followed form. Add to that the fact that my mother was the daughter of Irish immigrants. You can understand th...

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"Can You Hear Me Alright?"

The robocall server is an I-15 Max server with an algorithm set to call as many people an hour as possible by dialing multiple phone numbers simultaneously. The I-15 Max uses an artificial voice to ask questions and can transfer contacts to live operators to complete the deal. This month a life insurance company has hired the I-15 server to entice elderly people to invest in their future. The insurance company has installed a demographic that includes dense populations of senior citizens—places like Green Valley or Sun Lakes, ...

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The Camera of Tomorrow

Submitted to Contest #149

Ryan Perkins is a gentle and quiet thirty-one-year-old office worker who likes collecting antiques. He lives in New York City and is well acquainted with the antique shops there. However, this afternoon while walking to the convenience store, he looks down an alley. He notices an old-fashioned symbol of three gold balls hanging over a door signifying a pawnshop. He hadn’t seen that particular sign in years and, with caution and curiosity, enters the alley to have a look.         &nb...

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The Librarian

Submitted to Contest #142

Billy Anderson has always been a fan of books. His favorites are mostly fictional thrillers or horror and some sci-fi if there are space creatures in them. He has read about every book that the Salem Public Library has to offer in these categories. The librarian, Miss Myers, will always inform him if a new book has been added to the library. Billy can't help but wonder about Miss Myers sometimes. He's been coming to the library ever since his mother started taking him when he was five years old. He's twenty-three now, and Miss Myers ha...

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