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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#102: To Kill a Mockingbird

This Sunday (July 11th) marks sixty-one years since To Kill A Mockingbird was first published. For over six decades now, Harper Lee’s groundbreaking Great American Novel has been taught in schools, stocked by the dozens in bookstores, and devoured by adults and children alike. And despite its age, many of its themes remain deeply relevant today: the damage done by judgment and discrimination, the loss of innocence as one grows up, and the vital importance of standing up for what’s right — even when everyone else is against you.

To commemorate this classic, this week’s prompts are inspired by its characters, plot devices, and most enduring lessons. Whether To Kill a Mockingbird is a distant English-class memory or your favorite book of all time, these prompts are sure to spark a few story ideas — one of which may even lead to your own literary masterpiece.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a metaphor about human nature.

Fiction – 109 stories

Frame your story as an adult recalling the events of their childhood.

Adults – 244 stories

Write about a character with an unassailable moral compass.

Character – 34 stories

Write a story about someone losing faith in an institution.

Angst – 120 stories

Write about a mysterious figure in one’s neighborhood.

Horror – 205 stories

Stories

“Incontrovertible” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #102

“Is it possible to be so intrenched in your values that you become immune…yes, immune to the ability to understand another’s intrenched views rooted in what they deem morality. Or if you don’t want to go that far or deep, ethics?” “I hear your question, and yet don’t really understand the moral conflict, unless the person is not entirely sure of the beliefs they claim they hold. I see it all the time. Just look at the variety of religions that surround us, and the lack of diversity based on exactly the same premise, “That God ...

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“Mat and Ben” by Eva Leticia Brito

Submitted to Contest #102

The sea can unleash turbulent waters, but deep down his heart lives. It is only necessary to know how to reach it.Mateo was born in California, a man in his late twenties. He worked as a bricklayer, so he was never short of jobs in a city like New York, a metropolis where new skyscrapers are always under constant construction. It was very difficult for him to achieve anything else with the little education he had, but he enjoyed his job. His salary was enough to pay for a daily meal and the rent that he shared with two roommates. He had no f...

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“Dragonfly Call” by Joe S

Submitted to Contest #102

The birth was savage, brutal in its intensity. The womb of that savage rebirth shivered, the scars of predatory savages shivering beside the battered filth of the crystalisk proper. The being within struggled, fought, struggling for life and the actualisation of its potential. At first the womb held. It shivered, the mothering protector for so long it knew no other means of existence. The reality of this act was as intimate and frightening to it as the very implosion of the world. It existed solely a...

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“The Same Fear That Held Me Back Now Helps Me” by Hannah Chelliah

Submitted to Contest #102

As true as it is, I’ve always hated the line, “all good things must come to an end.” It has never made sense to me. What am I supposed to do when it all ends? ‘The End’ has never considered how it would impact me. What about my emotions? All that time I spent investing my thoughts and feelings only to find out that it would come to an end. Seated on the floor, I leaned my back against the wall and started conversing with an old friend. Timor (footnote: Timor is Latin for fear ) sits and listens to what I say, holding my hands in his c...

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“Dad's Gone” by Colin Devonshire

Submitted to Contest #102

“Oh, mum, can’t I watch TikToc a little longer?” asked Patsy. “You’ve got school tomorrow. After this long break, aren’t you excited to see your friends? I want you asleep before I leave for work.” “You’re leaving me alone tonight?” “Darling, you know I must go back to work. You are a teenager now, not a baby,” said Hathai Chantawan, Patsy’s mother. Chantawan was not her legal name. Fifteen years ago she had married a foreigner, taking his name, Peters. It was thought better in her job to use her maiden name. “But mum?” “Don’t but me. I’m ne...

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“the cursed lady” by Aisa M

Submitted to Contest #102

That afternoon she asked him, ‘Do you remember the cursed lady?’ It was the type of question she asked him randomly. An idea or memory that suddenly came in passing, probably triggered by something or someone. Her voice was animated. The one she unconsciously used when she was excited about something.The two were sitting opposite each other at a table in a coffee shop. Apart from the acoustic music in the background and the occasional grind of the coffee machine, the place was pretty quiet. It was a Monday afternoon. Quite a strange day and ...

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“'A journey to cherish'” by Asha Pillay

Submitted to Contest #102

Growing up in a middle class family my life was full of ups and downs, but more ups than downs. Though we were financially comfortable anything else apart from basic requirements was considered as luxury.I remember except for people living on streets ,all the people I knew were middle class people. Maybe those days people were not so class conscious as they are today. All were very friendly and supportive of each other.Fortunate to to be educated in a Convent school thanks to my maternal grandmother an intrepid ,visionary lady who was ...

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“The Gift” by Cindy Calder

Submitted to Contest #102

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.” – Alexander PopeThe desire for revenge is a built-in facet of human nature, and science leads us to the conclusion that the capacity for forgiveness, like the desire for revenge, may be yet another facet of human nature. Forgiveness and the lack of forgiveness can be akin to a double-edged sword, and each cuts thus. If one does not forgive, it only serves to eat away at the soul, like a stonecutter’s hammer and chisel, slowly chipping away at the large slab of marble. But to forgive also deepl...

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“Full Circle” by Nancy Lou Henderson

Submitted to Contest #102

Grace walked into her bedroom, then sat down on the stool in front of her antique dressing table. She loved the dressing table with an attached mirror which had been her Grandma’s. It was her favorite place to brush her hair. As Grace looked at her image in the mirror, she remembered her Grandmother’s reflection in that same mirror. She had often sat in her Grandmother’s lap while her Grandma had brushed her hair. Memories began to flood her mind, bringing a smile to her face, and then she closed her eyes. “Grace, come i...

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“To Mock a Bird” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #102

Nature has some bizarre creatures in her arsenal, but humans are by far her most baffling invention. They are the only creatures that can contradict themselves; that can lie, and believe their lies. Humans will purposefully act against themselves and convince themselves that they are doing great. It’s insanity. Imagine a tall tree that would refuse to grow upright, because it feared falling. One day it would inevitably fall, as death is the nature of all things, but it usually only comes after a lifetime of living. This tree could have grown...

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“Marmalade Pie” by Alysha Atah

Submitted to Contest #102

Thin pillow underneath my head was soaked. I hadn’t notice that I was sweating heavily from the nightmare. Something sharp poked my ribs, the sharpen wood. Some simple weapon that I made for myself, in case another bad man decided to kill my father’s lineage once again. Not more than one moon passed by, I was more than I am now. In every way possible. More woman than object, I thought. The thought came as often as the rumbling rain that washes over this forsaken city, London. Not more than a year ago, a man was just a man, no more than what ...

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“The Puppeteer” by Jon R. Miller

Submitted to Contest #102

The sight of the puppet’s severed head paralyzed Sayuri Ando. The torso—a mutilated lump—lay on its back with the head teetering on its chest like a grapefruit-sized logan. Loose strands of jet-black hair bobbed in front of its alabaster face, reminiscent of a weeping willow. The dismembered appendages fanned out within a three-meter radius and reminded her of the gristly leavings of a carcass abandoned by a sated beast of prey. A gothic still life, the scene oozed ghoulish tranquility amidst the razzle-dazzle of Neo-Asuka city’s nightlife.S...

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“The School Sports Day, a memoire........” by Julian Race

Submitted to Contest #102

A sad but true account written in memory of lost friends............. The date is imprinted on my mind, 14th July 1972. It was a Friday, it was a warm sunny day, but the worst thing about such a fine sunny day was that it was going to be ruined. Why, because it was the school sports day. I hated school sports day because I am not the type of person who likes to be at the forefront of attention and as I was to take part in the event, for me it was a day of dread! The day began by having to attend school at eight thirty, taking with...

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“STRANGERS ON RUBI ISLE” by Sivaram Govindaraj

Submitted to Contest #102

(This story is set on planet earth’s twin GAIA2 which is 800 years younger and is evolving.)Whizma – the wizard and witch of Rubi Isle said to her client “What you said is true. I didn’t see it but it seems recently one night a star descended on our land and 3 strangers alighted. The star then disappeared. The 3 who landed have peculiar names. The tall man is Fred, the woman who is his wife is named Wilma. The third person is a male named Barney.”In the privacy of their home Fred said “Wilma, the queen appears a nice lady and has allowed us ...

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“Mother Knows Best, Doesn't She?” by Amuelle Aguilar

Submitted to Contest #102

There are two types of mothers in the world: those who love their children and those who neglect them. I do not know which category to put mine. “Talk to me, Silas.” My mother said in her soft silky voice, looking at me like she will give me the world if I ask her to. I scoff. As if. I don’t speak to her. It hurts me even to give her a glimpse. I remain silent and let the noise from the television filled the room. “Last night, CCTV footage of a man killing a woman barehanded was leaked online…” No one is listening to the reporter as ...

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$50

Prize money

712

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 16, 2021 EST

Won by Shane Ransom 🏆

Title: Favorites

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.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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