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Richard E. Gower

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Feb, 2023

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17 Stories

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Multitudes, Multitudes

Weekly Contest #199

Warning: Controversial subject matter and profanityRadford was in a herd of people-between-planes, threading his way through the labyrinth that was Newark Airport on his way to catch the AirTrain to Terminal B, when he spotted a man coming toward him along the corridor. He felt his heart do a little Puttin' on the Ritz tap dance in his chest.There was maybe fifty feet between them and the guy was in his own herd coming in the opposite direction, so on the face of it there was no reason why he should have stood out visually from the others, b...

10 likes 2 comments 2
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The New Music Teacher

Weekly Contest #198

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. – PLATOThe new music teacher, driving his own car (foreign, don’t you know), arrived in town in August, two weeks ahead of the start of the term. But gossip and speculation, traveling at near the speed of light, had preceded him by several days.Our curious minds had so many questions that cried out for answers. Was he going to be a strict teacher? By sheer coincidence, Ronnie had a cousin in anoth...

11 likes 1 comment 1
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The Gift of Lachesis

Weekly Contest #197

Inspector Matt Armitage and Sergeant Des Gianetti were digging into plates of Carla’s home-made gnocchi swimming in her special pomodoro, funghi e quattro formaggi sauce, and served with fresh-from-the-oven flatbread infused with garlic, basil and oregano, accompanied by a supercharged, kitchen-blended pesto sauce on the side, when Carla made a pronouncement.They had been discussing Armitage’s recent harrowing experience when he was assaulted with a deadly weapon in front of his apartment building. He had actually taken a wound, but modestly...

9 likes 2 comments 2
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Celestial Justice

Weekly Contest #196

Contains sexual and physical violence and gore. Artemis lay back in the cool, crisp starched sheets of the hospital bed with her hands folded across her stomach and thoughtfully considered what the officer had asked her.“Maybe in another life,” she said.Detective Sergeant Roald Garcia frowned at this, and consulted his notes. “Are you certain, Miss Devon, that you did not know this man, Victor Sanvini? Had you ever seen him before?”Artemis, descendant of Zeus and protectress of women, had little experience in conversing with mortals, but she...

12 likes 6 comments 6
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E. A. and Me

Weekly Contest #194

In keeping with the old saw that if two or more people agree about a rumor, it must be true, it is strongly emphasized here that this is a work of fiction, and any and all references and/or resemblance to persons or events of the past are fictional, and therefore are covered by artistic license. REGH.Journal entry20 August,1888Today I was accosted in the sanctuary of the Century Association clubhouse by P., the literary critic for The New-York Times.And I was flabbergasted.He publicly accused me of single-handedly lowering the exalted standa...

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With The Best Of Intentions

Weekly Contest #193

James Inglebrook glanced down at the screen of a smartphone on his desk, and frowned. His voice held just a tinge of annoyance. “You’re late, Steve.”Puffing, and perspiring slightly, Steve Kellog plumped himself down in the stuffed-leather client-chair in front of the big executive desk. “Good to see you again too, old buddy! I know! I apologize, and it’s a long story.”James smiled thinly, making his mien appear less severe, and more tolerant. “As I recall, it always is.”Steve settled into the depths of the chair and gave a great sigh, ...

22 likes 22 comments 22
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Starfire Treasure

Weekly Contest #192

Armitage found himself driving due-east on I-90 fighting the rising sun on the Sunday morning of the third week of July. He was dying for a cup of coffee, and maybe a breakfast sandwich and it irked him that he had left his sunglasses back in his own car, which was parked in his garage seven states away.He was on his way to a Monday morning meeting with the Chief of Police in a town east of Albany that was large enough to have its own police force but not considered important enough to have a commercial airport.He had wanted the whole weeken...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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The Apple Orchard

Weekly Contest #191

 Malcolm Philip Harkness III woke on a warm, early-May morning of his ninety-first year to the sweet, delicate fragrance of millions of apple blossoms. But even before he opened his eyes, besides counting his blessings, he also pondered a dilemma.This time of year, mornings were still dark at 5 a.m., but on this day a rare cosmic peculiarity caused a false dawn to light up the sky to the east. Nevertheless, Malcolm was not quick to leave his bed as he usually did.He had rested deeply and well and, as usual, he had woken before the alarm...

15 likes 11 comments 11
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Introverts Therapy

Weekly Contest #190

“Speak now.”Well, why not? I thought. The truth can now be told.The statute of limitations has long since expired (I’ve checked), and anyway, society tends to go easy on youthful offenders these days.I was thinking about how to start when, Cyrus – he’s the resident counselor here – gave me the verbal nudge – “Speak now” – and asked me to lead off the session. Actually he didn’t ask, he instructed. There’s a difference, but he’s a good fellow with his heart in the right place, and he said it with an encouraging smile and a gentle nod of his h...

27 likes 26 comments 26
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Aftermath: A Senseless Tragedy

Weekly Contest #189

Sensitive content: This story may offend some people. It contains scenes of murder, gore, gun-violence and death.For poetry purists, I have incorporated some of the technical elements of Dante’s epic poem into the structure of this pale imitation, but have deliberately left others out. I have forgone a rhyming scheme and tight numerical patterns to focus on the story, which is set down in a (very) loose form of free verse (the first word of each line is capitalized). Inspired by the Master’s original example however, I have divided the stor...

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The Politician, the Voter, and the Media: A Modern Tragedy

Weekly Contest #189

Sensitive content: This story may offend some people. It fractures a fairy tale, kills a sacred cow or two and stacks a shelf with rampant cynicism, on display for all to see. However, it is a work of fiction. Any resemblance or similarities to persons living or dead, as well as to events, incidents or other circumstances, are pure coincidence. --Don't follow leadersWatch the parkin' meters Bob DylanOnce upon a time in the very recent past, an aspiring politician was contemplating running for high public office. But he was frustrated b...

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Gestalt Therapy, Interrupted

Weekly Contest #188

Sensitive content: Profanity, violence, gore, capital punishment.So, what’s the catch?Colson reflected now, that it was a question he should have asked, when Ziggy promised that snatching the courier’s bag with the cocaine would be easy pickings. A walk in the park, he said. Maybe, just maybe, he should have thought it through, and told Ziggy to go fuck himself.Back in the Varner supermax, time had always dragged, and Colson had a lot of it on his hands. There were mainly two things that you could do there by yourself besides pulling your pu...

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Please Come Back, Pumpkin - All is Forgiven

Weekly Contest #187

LOST CATMissing: Pumpkin, the Cat$250.00 Reward Missing from 267 Braeburn Street on early evening of September 27th, Pumpkin, large (21 pounds) five-year-old neutered male ginger cat. Orange in color, with white striping. Left foot and forepaw white, up to the knee knuckle. Four small black dots on nose. Tail has white rings and a slightly (30 degree) angled crink approximately one-inch from tip. Developing a fat-flap.Pumpkin has had all his vaccinations, rabies, distemper, etc. Last seen wearing his new red-leather collar with metal ID...

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Catching the Red-eye at Midnight

Weekly Contest #186

“Welcome to the Avalon, sir! Say now, I haven’t seen you in a good while. Must be at least six months, or maybe longer. So I’ll say, welcome back to the Avalon, sir!”“Where the Hell is everyone?”“Well, you’ve almost got the whole place to yourself tonight, sir. Plenty of seats at the bar over here. And, if I remember, you’re beer and a shot, Scotch, right?”“You remember right, but hold on. Waddaya mean, almost? I just bumped into a guy who was on his way out, when I was comin in. Now I’m the only one in the place.”“Not quite, sir.”“Wadd...

13 likes 9 comments 9
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A Clutter of Cadillacs

Weekly Contest #185

Arnold Webster’s love affair was impossible to have kept clandestine. Some people might lust after, or even surreptitiously maintain, a single sleek and sporty model under cover in a hideaway somewhere – most reasonable individuals being content to toy with just one, or, at least, one at a time – but Arnold’s obsession ran to variety. And the parade of illicit love-objects that sullied his otherwise sterling character were alluring and seductive. His inamoratas were also flamboyant and beguiling temptresses that had once epitomized the Ameri...

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