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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#100: Breaking Bread

One of the most intimate things you can do with someone is sit down to eat together. The idea of friends and foes, families and strangers breaking bread has been a recurring theme in art and literature for a very long time. It’s something that can bring us together against the steepest of odds; to quote Oscar Wilde, “after a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations”. But things don’t always end quite so harmoniously — food fights, anyone?

This week, we’re reflecting on the joys (or pains) of eating together or making a meal. Whether the dinner table is a place for communion or conflict for your characters, I look forward to sitting down to a hearty portion of food-themed stories with you. Bon appétit!

🥇 Winner

“mie goreng” by Rayhan Hidayat

🏆 Winner of Contest #100

I’d rather be asleep.I’d rather have ignored your request at my door, small and pleading and moist with youth. I’d rather the song of your furtive feet retreating as quickly as they’d come had been a stray breeze in the night, or the cackling melody of mating geckos. I’d rather have curled deeper into the naked mattress that carves brutal shapes into my spine, because sleep is something I don’t get enough of.Yet here I am, groping for a light switch in a kitchen that I spend more time inside than my own head. Slumber clings to my face like a...

332 comments 332

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Baby, it’s cold outside” by James Pendleton

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #100

The “Cohabitation Act 2027”, was clearly devised by an over inflated beurocrat hoping to expand his political career. On paper it was a simple idea. Pass an act to force anyone who owns or rents a property to “adopt” a homeless person. Make it the people’s problem, and not the politicians’.Like any act it was full of loopholes. The people with all the money hired the people with all the brains to sift through the act with a fine tooth comb. It didn’t take long before first the rich - then everybody else - realised that there were really only...

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“Sea under my feet, love on my tongue” by Wilke Kewitsch

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #100

I was ten the first time I stayed over at my grandmother’s house. Since I was a fearful child, everything new caused me to hide behind my mama’s back, and I did the same when I first saw her. Maybe I was petrified by her round glasses that made her eyes five times bigger and gave me the impression that she could look down right into my heart. Or maybe her bony fingers reminded me of the witch from Hansel and Gretel, an old German fairy tale. Of course, I soon learned that I had nothing to fear from her. In fact, she was one of the kindest pe...

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“Pie & Mash” by Colleen Christi Willett

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #100

Beauty is like the eels our old cook, Mathilde, would purchase at the market: slippery, sinuous, but delicious, when contained. As a girl, before life and my own ugliness had pressed me into the resentful shadow I am now, I would sneak down to the kitchen in late morning, when she’d return with a basketful of them. “Miss Ana, you’re not supposed to be down here, yeh know,” she’d gently chastise at me. “Yeh’re missing yer lessons, letters, numbers, pianoforte.” “They’ve finished,” I’d respond, pressing my thumb into the still glisten...

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This week's prompts

Start or end your story with two characters sitting down for a meal.

Middle School – 264 stories

Write a story where a meal or dinner goes horribly wrong.

Thanksgiving – 201 stories

Write about a group of strangers — or people who know each other, but may as well be strangers — eating together.

Fluff – 152 stories

Write about a character preparing a meal for somebody else.

Fluff – 157 stories

Write a story that involves a secret or magic ingredient.

Halloween – 116 stories

Stories

“mie goreng” by Rayhan Hidayat

🏆 Winner of Contest #100

I’d rather be asleep.I’d rather have ignored your request at my door, small and pleading and moist with youth. I’d rather the song of your furtive feet retreating as quickly as they’d come had been a stray breeze in the night, or the cackling melody of mating geckos. I’d rather have curled deeper into the naked mattress that carves brutal shapes into my spine, because sleep is something I don’t get enough of.Yet here I am, groping for a light switch in a kitchen that I spend more time inside than my own head. Slumber clings to my face like a...

332 comments 332

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“You Know You’re Screwed When a Clown Needs World-Saving Help” by Aerin Rebecca ✨🌈

Submitted to Contest #100

Nothing screams awkward silence like a cynical hacker and a clown discussing the fate of the world on a date.Or, the supposed fate of the world, as the meet-up form insisted.I’m pretty sure it was just a ruse.And apparently this wasn’t a date.“Hi, I’m Cy.”I tried to be friendly first, of course. As a 14-year-old emo hacker stuck with the fantasy name Cynan Moonpine, I felt lucky to have anybody pay me for my hobby. But pay they did, and the variety of people coming to me was constantly astounding; today it was a brightly-dressed clown who re...

208 comments 208

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“Atropa Belladonna” by Kanika G

Submitted to Contest #100

Seventy-two-year-old Mrs. Sharma, or Sharma Aunty as the neighbourhood kids called her, smeared a dollop of chickpea paste over the Colocasia leaves—Elephants Ears or Arbi leaves in common parlance—that she had plucked this morning from her vegetable garden. She then placed five leaves of similar size one on top of the other, each generously smeared with spiced chickpea paste, and began to tightly roll them lengthwise. Once fully rolled, she secured them with toothpicks and cut the roll into thin slices, which she began frying in mustard oil...

111 comments 111

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“TBD (or, As Time Goes By)” by Stevie B

Submitted to Contest #100

Part I: Seated for the mealIt was the third time they’d been out for dinner together during the past month. Spring was in the air—and perhaps—so was something else. While Hobohemia had nowhere near New York City’s abundance of gourmet eateries, the neighboring city across the Hudson River that they could see from the restaurant table they had just been seated to dine that evening, it still had some great spots to offer. The location he had chosen for them, with her consent of course was no exception.After one dry Grey Goose vodka martini eac...

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“Baby, it’s cold outside” by James Pendleton

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #100

The “Cohabitation Act 2027”, was clearly devised by an over inflated beurocrat hoping to expand his political career. On paper it was a simple idea. Pass an act to force anyone who owns or rents a property to “adopt” a homeless person. Make it the people’s problem, and not the politicians’.Like any act it was full of loopholes. The people with all the money hired the people with all the brains to sift through the act with a fine tooth comb. It didn’t take long before first the rich - then everybody else - realised that there were really only...

Read story

“Days” by Lynn Penny

Submitted to Contest #100

The food ran out three days ago.Matt paced back and forth, rock and sand digging into the crevises on his feet, the sharp pain a constant reminder that there is no end to suffering. Wallowing in darkness, the slightest hint of light shining through the crack in the ceiling of the cave, a taunting mouth just out of reach.“They must be looking for us!” Anabelle cried, gripping her knees as she curled up against the wall of cold rock. “It’s been weeks, they have to be looking for us. A whole army of people could be looking for us!”“They aren’t ...

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“Smile For Me Part 2: A Tale of Two Smiles” by Allie Mae Sakry

Submitted to Contest #100

Princess Aoi awoke from her deep sleep and stretched. She rose and walked toward the balcony where, only two weeks prior, she encountered the glowing orb that aided her in appreciation of life and the people she loved. Taking a deep breath of the dewy morning air, she headed to her wardrobe and got dressed for the day. She left her room and walked down the large corridors to her office, where she found Giles, Alyn, Leo, and Louis waiting for her. They bowed as she entered. The princess grew cautious at the unusual sight. “Is something wrong...

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“The Extraterrestrial Canine Infiltration Program” by Link Arneson

Submitted to Contest #100

A string of drool splatted on the kitchen tiles. Despite my disgust for the food, the hungry dog inside me (or rather, outside me) recognized the growl of the can opener, the scraping metal and gears as the alien cranked the device in a circle, popped off the lid, and plopped the wet mush into the dish. It was literally Pavlovian. I knew of the Earth scientist: as preparation for my mission I had taken care to study human scientists who studied animals, especially dogs. I learned from it too; I’d been using the same principles to train the h...

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“Seggs Head” by PJ Aitken

Submitted to Contest #100

“Dad, where are you?” asked Natalie hoping she had everyone’s undivided attention immediately. “Hey Sweetie, I’m in the study. I’m on a call, I’ll come through for dinner soon.” said Keith knowing this won’t be well received by his daughter or long suffering wife. “No worries, I have sooo much to tell you. So where was I, Mum?” “You were telling me about the greatest lesson you’ve ever had.” said Becky hoping her daughter stops talking at some point. “Oh yeah! It was amazing! So you know we’ve started learning about y’know boy and girl rude ...

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“A light at the end of the tunnel” by S. P. Franco

Submitted to Contest #100

TW: suicide, child sexual abuse, depression The darkness took over me when I was eleven. That’s when my mother got depressed and killed herself. After her death, my life became a nightmare. Her depression started five years after I was born when my dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He was the rock of our house and has always been a great father and husband until that time. He always did everything for us, and I haven’t been able to be next to him when he most needed me. I was only five when he started getting more and more tired, wi...

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“Be Still My Beating Heart” by Moon Lion

Submitted to Contest #100

It's an art to find the right ingredient for poison. Many people are lazy about it, relying on dodgy little apothecaries or settling for just any lethal concoction.No. This is something carefully done, and I steadied my hand, delicately arranging the blade at the Rania flower stem.I held my breath, willing my heartbeat to slow as I sliced. Perfect, it was a clean cut through the stem, and as I examined the handkerchief I was pleased to learn that not much juice had leaked out.Sighing, I dragged a hand across my heated forehead, nimbly jumpin...

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“Zoey’s feuding Family ” by J D Hernandez

Submitted to Contest #100

Summer break is normally a happy occasion. No school, unlimited free time, and fun. None of which was in store for sixteen-year-old Zoey Taylor daughter of CEO giant Ross Taylor and renowned painter Maria Anatoli. Her parents were in a terribly tense relationship that was about to crack. Zoey had just got home from the local mall and was going to grab a snack before the big dinner with grandma and grandpa who were flying into town. Zoey was shocked as she saw her mother and father angrily glaring at each other. ...

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“The Hunger” by Victoria Lucas

Submitted to Contest #100

I do not know how long it takes for a person to perish under the conditions that we found ourselves in that winter, but I would guess that we were not far from meeting our maker. It was a mistake to try and cross those lands so late in the year. I know that now. I should have known it then. Only fools would have done what we did. Can you imagine being so sure of something that you would bet your life on it? We weren’t any more than eighty miles from our destination before the snow began to fall. Winter had found us and with it came de...

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“It'll be Alright” by TJ Squared

Submitted to Contest #100

I huffed a quick and raspy breath before I was instantly pinned down to the ground again. “C’mon Princess, just tell us where he is. All your troubles will be over with. Just one sentence could potentially save your life,” came the rough mocking voice of my current captor.“I already told you, I don’t know where he is,” I said between gasping breaths. “Oh, but you do, Rayla, you know you do,” he said as he crushed my ribs with his foot.I heard an unnerving crack, and a burning pain ran down my side.“If our torture isn’t enough to ge...

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“The Life Soup” by Angelina Tran

Submitted to Contest #100

RING, RING, RING.It is the dinner bell, signaling that I go downstairs and cook. Today is an important day. Quickly, I rush to the kitchen from my small bedroom, the creaky floorboards announcing my entrance. The kitchen is empty though, and my flourish is wasted on an invisible audience. Nonetheless, my good mood can’t be lessened.I look around, admiring the kitchen that has been mine ever since I moved out of my parent’s five years ago. Having a tense relationship with them, I moved out as soon as I deemed myself financially and emotionall...

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$50

Prize money

891

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 02, 2021 EST

Won by Rayhan Hidayat 🏆

Title: mie goreng

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

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