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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!

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 – 202 stories

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

Fluff – 153 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

“Satisfaction” by Melody Frost

Submitted to Contest #100

No matter how many wishes I have granted to humans, none of them were satisfied, as they become even greedier. The moon is an orris-silver disc hanging in the lonely sky, just like me. It glows beautifully on the outside but hides its painful tears on the inside, as it feels empty. I have been watching the humans on this Earth for a long time, believing that there might be at least one human who can change my fate. But in return, I only lost count of my age. ** "Jacqueline, we will have a client visiting us this afternoon," informed Madiso...

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“The silent dinner” by Watsapp Status

Submitted to Contest #100

I sat in my seat quietly as i was only 12 and didn't know much about what had happened. The grownups always kept us kids in the dark, thinking we are too young to know the truth, but the thing was i already knew everything about Tinna. Tinna is my older sister she was the friendly, caring one she knew how to make someone's day, but she was gone now and as much as i wanted her to come back she wasn't going to. This Christmas dinner was quite, we all sat in our seats waiting for the chefs to bring the food to our table. I remember when Christm...

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“Your Last Meal (Fifth And Sixth Courses)” by Trinity Womack

Submitted to Contest #100

“It looks like there are ten of you remaining. For your next course, I have prepared something healthy, though it won’t be so healthy for those who choose the wrong dish.” He laughed at his own joke, but seemed displeased when no one laughed with him. “Anyways, the next course will be a salad. This time, individual plates will not be poisoned. Rather, I have two salads. A caesar salad and a greek salad. One salad is poisoned and one is not. Choose wisely. And those who survive will get to indulge themselves with a wonderful dessert that I ha...

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“Food for Thought.” by Lisa Massimilla

Submitted to Contest #100

I knew it was a bad idea the moment the words left my mouth.In my head it seemed like a good idea, it wasn’t until after I mentioned to Luka that we should celebrate Thanksgiving together that I realized the mistake. What mistake is that you’re probably wondering. After all, it’s completely normal for people who have been in a two year relationship to spend Thanksgiving together. You're right, it is. What I failed to realize was Luka wanting to do everything from scratch. “Why do we have to cook though?’ I clung to the mattress as Luka ...

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“For you” by Jay DMer

Submitted to Contest #100

You mean a lot to me. We were young but I still felt like we were gonna be something. That we were gonna grow together and be together. That was me before. Me when I didn’t go through what I had been through. When you cheated; which people could’ve said was minor, but yet again a first time kiss that was stolen from me isn’t minor because you were suppose to be mine; I cried and was sad. When I heard Drivers License I sorta wish It was made at the time of the break up. I sorta felt her pain too. Maybe that’s when I started playing with ...

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“Death’s Final Meal” by Silver Pen: Temporarily Inactive

Submitted to Contest #100

TW: Suicide. The day was bright, and slivers of the rising sun peeked through the dirty glass window. The clouds parted, filling the room with gorgeous dawn. Shadows slowly crept back, easing over her meager breakfast. She stared at the food remorsefully, not hungry enough to eat. Ironically, the light stopped at the edge of the table, just before reaching Brie. If it hadn’t hurt so much, she might have laughed at the irony. She was truly a cursed woman, a woman of shadows. The cancer had spread quickly, ensnaring her in its deadly trap befo...

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“What's In A Neighbour” by Serena Johnston

Submitted to Contest #100

As I slave over my hot stove in the suppressible heat, I feel happy. Yes, it's stinking hot outside, and my husband never cooks, but I like helping my elderly neighbour. Which is why I'm sweating while cooking in the house instead of swimming at the beach. You see, my neighbour, Kate Milford, is very old and can't do much anymore. She doesn't have anyone to help her in the house because she can't afford it, so I make her meals and clean her little bungalow when needed. She insists on paying me, but I do it out of the kindness of my heart. ...

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“Like Mother, Like Daughter” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #100

Nora is already planning to make a special meal for when her mother comes to visit. Her mother hasn’t been to her daughter’s new house in Maine and they seem to have trouble visiting each other lately. Nora feels guilty, because she thinks about her mother a lot and knows they should spend more time together. She’s just so busy with her job. Her new job, working in an art gallery with a view of Casco Bay.Maybe she hasn't been busy, she's been selfish. She knew she wanted to make her mother proud of her. That hadn't always been easy.She ...

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“The Fosse or the Fly?” by Julian Race

Submitted to Contest #100

I remember that very first evening feeling feverish, sweat running down my back leaving the telltale damp patch down the centre of my clean shirt. I was unfortunately seated close to a crackling oak log fire which didn’t help matters, but I was too polite, too English to ask to move to another seat. My hand trembled as I reached out to select a few potato crisps and soft cheese apericubes from the array of nibbles Madame Dubois had prepared as an aperitif. It was our first invitation to dinner since we had moved permanently to France...

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“Eye the Beholder” by Kira Krieger

Submitted to Contest #100

The sun barely hung above the neighboring house. The light shafts lite the side of your face, glinting off the knife in your hand. You repeatedly slashed it clearly through the scallions. The chittering chopping was the only sound in the whole house. A toot of a horn makes you jump, zagging your cut. Outside the window you're standing in front of, Kelly, your normal mail person, was waving from the sidewalk. Even yards away, you can see sweet potato stains on her blue uniform shorts from her newly walking 10-month-old. Between he...

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“Dinner for Two?” by Colin Devonshire

Submitted to Contest #100

“Morning dear, you are up early. Your coffee is cold, let me make you a fresh one.” She flitted across the kitchen and clicked on the kettle. One mug, two spoons of instant coffee, grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge, slopping a dash plus a splash into his favourite mug, the way he likes it. The kettle popped. A quick stir, and served in front of him the earlier cold mug hit the bubbly water in the sink. “Toast?” she asked. “Peanut butter or Marmite, or would you like both? I’ll do that, you enjoyed it last time.” She placed a knife an...

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“The Katapies Experiment; Part 12” by Penny Tang

Submitted to Contest #100

Avia I woke up to bustling and hurried orders yelled at me. Apparently in the night Leuko had come across an old servant of his and everyone got excited to go to Necron. Once everyone had packed up and gotten ready to leave, Augur pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it, then ripped it into tons of tiny pieces, wrote symbols on each of them, and gave them out to everyone. “Don’t lose these. They’re protection charms.&...

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“A Dinner Disaster!” by Retee Satish

Submitted to Contest #100

I screamed, "OH MY GOD! EVERYONE OUT! HURRY!" Just then I look up and see a wooden pillar which was now burning coming down... On me!The whole house was on fire and if I didn't do something quickly I may as well die!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~8 Hours earlier~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Amy hollers to me from the kitchen, "Jessica! Get the pie! It's going to burn!"I sprint across the room, and into the kitchen to find Amy tending to the chicken on the stove. I grab a pair of oven mitts, and open the the oven door, and cautiously stick my hands into the...

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“Table for Two” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #100

Our eldest lad wasn’t there for our first anniversary, although he made his presence felt. I struggled with the extra weight in the summer’s heat and boy could he kick. Walter carried the picnic basket, blanket, pillows and anything he could think of to make me feel more comfortable. The contractions started before we finished our adventure and we had to dash to the General. That was thirty years ago; our pearl anniversary is proving to be an entirely different celebration.#“Morning, Mrs Williams,” says Mr Bennett. “How’s your old man doing?...

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“It Get's Better” by Zoe Bullard

Submitted to Contest #100

The stars had begun to fade in the wee hours of the desert morning. The deep blues of the sky and faded oranges of the sand sat juxtaposing each other in breathtaking ways while the wind still blew cool and dry.A grizzled man rocked himself to the comforting sway of his horse and the rhythmic thud of hoof beats. This was his normal early morning ride. He enjoyed the quiet peace just before the dawn, before the unforgiving sun tore at his weathered, wrinkled skin.In the distance stood a sun-bleached, solitary cottonwood tree. The silver-haire...

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$50

Prize money

893

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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