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Suzanne Marsh

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jan, 2025

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3 Followers

11 Following

92 Stories

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Guilt and Prayer

Guilt and PrayerSuzanne Marsh“Pa, Pa, come quick!” Jed cried in a plaintive voice. Mark Adams dropped the pitchfork he had been pitching hay with. Jed was not a boy to cry; whatever happened, Mark knew it wasn’t good. Mark ran to the other end of the large barn. He stopped short; there was boy about Jed’s age hanging from a rope. Mark quickly had Jed ride into the town of Fate to bring the sheriff and old Doc March. Mark, a protective arm around his son asked quietly:“Do you know who that boy is Jed?” “Yeah Pa, Tommy Trainor, he was best fri...

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hiding in the Shadows

Hiding in the ShadowsSuzanne Marsh“Sherman’s a comin', if yer got a lick of sense yer’d take ur family outta Atlanta.” Corporal Joshua Ashworth sought out his Captain:“Sir, request permission to remove my family from Atlanta NOW! Them flames are getting realclose to my farm.”The captain saw the smoke curling and rising over the city of Atlanta; Sherman was leaving his calling card. Captain Johnny McNamara had been to the small farm a few days before:“Corporal, go, get your wife and son to safety. I don’t know how long General Hood can holdem...

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Fate and Lavender

Fate and LavenderSuzanne MarshAttorney “Ace” Dagget heard the knock on his door; he opened and in staggered Mitch Hardison. Mitch, his face pale, clutched his chest: “Ace, I can’t breathe, I guess you better have my will handy.” Mitch passed away quickly on a cold February day in Fate, Texas. He was buried on the first day of March, and the dust blew on those who were at the funeral. “Ace” Dagget gave the eulogy; as he spoke, he thought about the will he had filed for Mitch. “Ace” had no idea where to search for Michelle Hardison. She inheri...

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The Corrigan Brothers

The Corrigan BrothersSuzanne Marsh March 3, 1861“Pa, hey Pa, Sam Houston’s been replaced as governor, Edward Clark is the new governor.Hope we secede soon.” James Corrigan shouted excitedly. “Big” Tom Corrigan, his pa, smiled; he wished Oliver were as enthusiastic. He noted Oliver striding toward the house in a blue uniform. “Big” Tom felt the bile rising in his throat:“Oliver, you gonna fight for the bluebellies?”“Yep, Pa, I am.”“No son of mine is gonna fight for the bluebellies, not now, not ever, do you understand meboy?”I understand, pa,...

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Alcatraz, an Escape!

Alcatraz, an Escape!Suzanne MarshJune, 11th, 1962“Come on, bed check in fifteen minutes. If we don’t get out of here now, we are never gonna.”Dale Morrison and the Mahoney brothers had planned their escape carefully. They made papier-mache heads to be visible to the guards for night inspection. Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was a loathsome place for any prisoner, especially Dale. The cells were small, painted green with a sink and toilet. The prisoner was watched as he used the toilet and washed his hands. The showers; the men were totally e...

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My Hero, My Dad

My Hero, My DadSuzanne MarshDad taught me so many things about life and about myself. Being an only child, my mom wanted a well-bred Christian young lady. I never did fit either of those, with dad’s help. I learned to shoot a bow and arrow. Dad made my first bow, and then I learned to use it. During the winter, we would shoot the arrows down in the basement; that was all well and good until an arrow went through the basement window. Dad was the culprit. Mom was angry; she thought I should be learning domestic skills from her. Dad then decide...

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Hurt to Pain to Happiness

Hurt to Pain to HappinessSuzanne Marsh“What you did to me no human has the right to do to another!” Those words rang in my ears again and again during the divorce. The hurt, the anger, and the pain were at times more than I could endure. The divorce trial was a joke; the Judge played golf with my former husband’s lawyer, who has since been disbarred. My attorney wanted to know which trial they went to, as opposed to the one we went to. My life was in shambles; my children were turned into weapons against me. The two younger children would vi...

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Truth oor Legend? Billy the Kid

Truth or Legend? Billy the KidSuzanne MarshJuly 14th, 1881 “Quien es?” A shot rang out, and a body fell to the floor, making a loud thump. Sheriff Pat Garrett was sure the bullet hit Billy. The bullet hit Billy Barlow, who was roughly the same height and weight as Billy Bonny, also known as Billy the Kid. Billy quickly jumped out of the open window; Garrett told everyone concerned that Billy was dead, but he neglected to state it was Billy Barlow or Billy Bonny. Billy ran toward the barn; his large bay mare whinnied as he jumped on her back....

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New York City, New York

New York City, New YorkSuzanne MarshAugust 8th, 1958Dear Dad,I can’t sleep; it is so hot here. When are you coming to get Mom and me? The temperature today was ninety-six. I can’t play outside, it is too hot. The cement is hot. Grandma had one fanPlease come and get us now.Your loving daughter,SueThat was my first of many letters I wrote my dad while visiting my grandmother in Brooklyn, New York. The close proximity of the buildings added to the heat. I loved my grandmother; I hated Brooklyn. Most of the time, Mom and I would go by train, an...

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Ride Out Men of Fort Apache

Ride Out Men of Fort ApacheSuzanne Marsh“Orderly, please have Captain Goodwin report to me as soon as is practicable.” The orderly knew exactly where to find Captain Goodwin: in the large barn, preparing his horse, Nate, for patrol. Fort Apache was in a very desolate area, and the Apache attacked at least twice a week. Chochise, chief of the Chiricahua Apache, made his presence known to the white settlers.“Captain Goodwin, sir, Colonel Hudson would like a word with you before your patrolmoves out.”“Very well, corporal, please tell Colonel Hu...

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Secret of the Locket

Secret of the LocketSuzanne Marsh Night of April 14th-15th, 1912“Lower boat fourteen.” The time was 1:25 in the morning; Fifth Officer Harold Lowe was in charge. Titanic, the bow now below water, was sinking rapidly. Lowe decided to return to see if there were any other survivors alive in the rubble of the Titanic. A wave washed a semiconscious man, handed a small golden locket to Lowe:“It is too late for me to see that my wife gets this.” He was gone before Lowe could ask who he was. Lowe promised he would find the family and return the loc...

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Cave-In

Cave-InSuzanne Marsh “Are You There God? It’s me, God, your humble servant Frank. I sure could use a little helpHere God, a “bump” occurred this morning, explosions that rocked the entire coal mine.”August 26, 1926Jack Toliver strode into” first north” off the main tunnel; abruptly, there was an explosion that blew the large doors of the mainway and airway, a mile and a half away from where he stood. He was dazed from the explosion; his teammate Mac Donaldson had been right behind him.“Mac, Mac, can you hear me? What happened?” Jack turned a...

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Life with Aurora

Life with AuroraSuzanne Marsh“Artificial Intelligence can be your new best friend or your worst enemy.” Sitting at my desk, these words were once again haunting my thoughts. I could still, in my mind, see Aurora, the name I gave my AI when I conceived her, brought her to life on my computer. She was exotic with long red hair, blue eyes, and alabaster skin. I was in love with her image; my brain told me this was a mistake, but my heart said Why not? I had never built a machine that could match what I sought in another human being, a mate, so ...

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Adios Newton Gang

Adios Newton GangSuzanne MarshSheriff Tom Lord watched in dismay as the Newton Gang whooped and hollered, causing the horses on Main Street to stampede. There was no love lost between Tom Lord and his nemesis, Tagg Newton. Flames shot from the roof of the Merry Time Saloon and began to spread to other wooden structures in town. Tom Lord knew he had to do something to stop the Newton Gang; the question was what? He could shoot Tagg, that would bring the other Newtons to town, and possibly destroy the town. The smell of smoke spread quickly; a...

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Whip Hadley's Alliance

Whip Hadley’s AllianceSuzanne MarshWhip Hadley completed his MBA, living in a small garret. His writing career faltering, he had rejection letters and pink slips strewn all over the garret. He had to do something; he had student loans to repay. He found a job washing dishes in a deli near the garage. He worked the first shift, came home, and wrote. He required inspiration to write; there was nothing here in New York City to provide a decent setting for a novel he wanted to write. He sat at his worn desk, staring at the paper in his antique R...

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