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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

“This world is mine.” by Jacob Obara

Submitted to Contest #102

“We are meant to bond and break sometimes, there is always a reason to keep them but there is no need to stay with them. Just because there is certain time where the lie and the truth feel the same. That is life and you won’t skip it anyway.” Aidan said as he stretched his hand to reach out the groundnuts. Neithan stayed mystified with his mind in deep thoughts about Aidan’s breaking topics. “So, what have you got to say?” Aidan said and sticked his face funny with a sneer. “It is not them Aidan, it is her and…” “Yeah I know it is her.” Aida...

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“On the wings of time” by Chiara P

Submitted to Contest #102

As a butterfly ages, its wings crumple up or wear down, scale by scale, until it can no longer fly and is starved to death or eaten alive by a spider. The colour fades and the beautiful shape is lost, leaving behind a tattered tissue paper that once enabled this creature to fly. As it has its most prominent feature ruined with passing time, it becomes more insignificant to our eyes. We search, (or at least the majority of humans do), for the most awe-inspiring patterns and colourful designs, something to captivate us and make us wild with ae...

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“ No return?” by Anthony David M

Submitted to Contest #102

He continued to argue with the older man. They were in a cafe sipping coffee. The young man broke out, "Is this my point of no return?" Uncle Japheth smiled and was silent for...

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“Jokes on them ” by TomfliXA Ng’ang’a

Submitted to Contest #102

A stream. Clear water. The laughing hills. Not literally but almost there. Mummy’s and daddy’s mansion at the foot of the hills. The small balcony to the west. Facing a small lake that had no fish. Not a single one. What a wasteland of water if there’s anything like that. My huge room. The ugly expensive chandelier hanging solemnly on the gold painted ceiling. The huge lifeless window. I stood there always lonely. The disgusting king size bed. I didn’t like it at all. Not one bit. I hated it like fuck a guy bad. An organdy oriental rug...

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“Ending with Satisfaction ” by Jacob Mathews

Submitted to Contest #102

Jack made sure to let his boss know he was going on a mission through North Africa and the Middle East to preserve peace and provide resources. That was who he was. His boss told him he wasn’t guaranteed a spot when he came back but Jack didn’t care. He’d been saving up for this, so he can make his mark on the world. His wife decided not to come which inevitably ended their relationship. Jack had fought hard for her and their son but this was something he always dreamed of. The moment he arrived in Somalia he placed himself in a homeless she...

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“A_N_0_N” by Randomly Arbitrary

Submitted to Contest #102

WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF LYING TO PEOPLE WE VALUE PROFIT ABOVE ALL WE BUILD OVER THE DEAD AND TIRED I’ll never forget the day I saw those three lines for the first time in my entire pointless existence. Those three evil lines plastered onto the plain whitewashed wall, laughing maniacally at me and at the rest of the goddamned world – ominously looming over the furious swirling clouds, patiently waiting to be uttered unto hapless oblivion… … To destroy life as we all know ...

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“The Hidden” by Nora Sheppard

Submitted to Contest #102

"Why won't you marry me?" "I'm 17, Peter. There are things I want to do before I get married." "Other girls marry at your age, Karin. Don't you love me?" I was an old argument. It seemed to come up every few weeks nowadays. Maybe Warsaw, Poland in 1941 made the young feel they had to hurry with life. Karin's brother, Alex, and his friends already had been declared "ethnic Germans" and drafted to fight with the Nazis. Peter, at 23, was considered a cripple; a childhood injury left him with a limp. He wouldn't be a soldier, but they coul...

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“Full-Service Saviour” by Jamie Smith

Submitted to Contest #102

John Ryan wasn't a religious man. That's not to say he didn't believe; he just hadn't had any favors in that area that would make him be an active practitioner. No, he believed in God; his dear momma had been faithful to the Lord, going to church every day that service was held, and she instilled that belief in his soul. He knew the Lord was there. He just didn't acknowledge it. When he was a small boy, he went with his mother to that church, dressed in his Sunday best and excited to lean about the man his momma loved so much. He spent...

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“Oh Marriage ! I don’t believe you ” by Alkaa Sharma

Submitted to Contest #102

Oh Marriage ! I don’t believe you Part 1 – Surekha’s parents Surekha was a child brought up in a disturbed family. Since childhood she had witnessed her parents fighting like cats and dogs. “Get out of my house you woman!” , I don’t need you. Shouted her father on her mother. “This is my house too and I wont leave” cried her mother sobbing out aloud. “Papa...

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“Accident.” by Nuria Kojic

Submitted to Contest #102

We were just kids. Kids with wild imaginations, neglecting parents, and a handful of Xanax. It was an accident, I can see it now. But, it still happened, and nothing can change that. That day, the one so long ago, changed everything. It shaped the rest of my life; it shaped me into who I am now. And I hate it. I hate that I can be defined by one thing. Reduced to ash by an incident. An incident. It wasn't on purpose. Everything was harder now. Getting a job, partaking in new relationships, even family reunions. It ended up all over the n...

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“Lobby” by Manan Suraiya

Submitted to Contest #102

“Bollocks,” exclaimed Beldo, brushing his hand aside. Everyone in the Grand Hall stared daggers at him. The spectacled officer sitting opposite the glass desk frowned.“Mr. Beldo, you are advised to keep your volume down.”White light bathed the marble walls and floor of the room. The soft wisps of mist floating in the room appeared like halos in the glow. Though the room was bright, there was a notable lack of wind. Beldo pulled his tie loose and sighed.“Why can’t we have air-conditioning, Mr. Mace?”Mace peered at him curiously. “Are you seri...

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“I Knew You Were Coming” by Phil Manders

Submitted to Contest #102

There you are. I've been expecting you, so don't be offended if I seem a little underwhelmed by the fact you've actually, finally turned up. To be honest, would you expect anything less from me after you killed my Father. Was it the fact that he ignored you all those years? Maybe that was a mistake. Maybe that was his mistake. We’ll never know. Since Father died I’ve been waiting. Not in an obsessive way, don’t flatter yourself, but I’ve been waiting. Quietly. Patiently. I knew you would come. You see I know all about you now. After Father...

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“Commander Fletcher” by Jj Gomez

Submitted to Contest #102

“Pete, run the counter while I’m-Pete!”Pete’s father’s voice managed to cut through the music. Pete pulled his headphones out of his ears. He was sitting in the backroom. He looked around the corner and called into the shop proper, “Yeah, Dad?”“Watch the counter while I go get us lunch,” his father, August said, already starting towards the front door. He was tall man, with iron-colored hair. Muscular, but he wasn’t going to be on any swimsuit colanders thanks to that beer belly of his. Even so, most of the Salem’s single moms (and some of t...

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“Circle of Life” by Aman Fatima

Submitted to Contest #102

Who knew I would one day return to the very place Alicia died and Alex was born. After spending 40 years of my life terrorizing others with my name and burying my past under guns, threats and brutal murders I finally came back to where it all began. I now stand staring at a small half decayed house in a small village that no longer exists. I stand outside my house looking at everything that I once used to call mine, everything that made me human. Even though this house may decay into oblivion no one will remember there are still some parts t...

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“Supernova Dream” by Juan Diego Gallego

Submitted to Contest #102

A powerful rain of crystals continued to fall furiously all over the protective dome. Inside the dome, a human slept soundly. His only company was an arachnid-like robot with small robotic legs, and a spherical head that emitted a scarlet red light. The robot was named Rogerick and it was a technological marvel. He had convenient skills such as temperature sensors, location radars, and the autonomous development of human emotions. Its only flaw is that, like any other organism with "life", it needed to recharge its energy regu...

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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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