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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#106: Periergia

Ever found yourself experiencing a newfound appreciation for something you see or do every day? Maybe you think fondly of how many people have stood on the same street corner as you, or appreciate the centuries of craftsmanship that it took to develop the humble coffee mug you hold in your hand.

When you feel like waxing lyrical about the everyday, you might call it periergia — using flowery language to describe something trivial. While this is usually a writing no-no (purple prose, anyone?), there's something irresistible about romanticizing the mundane once in a while. So this week, we’re looking for beauty in unexpected places, whether that’s a character, something they see, or anything in-between.

This week's prompts

Start or end your story with a character noticing the beauty in something they've seen hundreds of times.

Fluff – 74 stories

Write about a character who’s known to be a cynic, but secretly romanticizes everything.

Valentine's Day – 16 stories

A mundane ability suddenly becomes a superpower. Write about someone or something affected by this.

Middle School – 26 stories

Write a story about a character who takes nothing for granted.

Teens – 21 stories

Write a story about a character who’s secretly nobility.

Thriller and Suspense – 16 stories

Stories

“Front Seat” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #106

This began on a Tuesday; must have been a Tuesday. The only reason why I know this is because of the sick kid. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would have ignored the signs. Five years on this route and not once did I ever pay attention to a passenger until some mother took her son out of a stroller and let her little brat get sick all over another passenger who was just trying to get to work. You may wonder why I noticed this one passenger. Mr. D., I called him. He looked a little like David-something-or-other (that actor in those m...

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“Paying the Check” by Ray Weeks

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #106

"Reality's a helluva a drug," he says, and I hate to admit it, but he's right. I don't think he means it in the same way I do, but to be honest, I don't know how he means it, and it doesn't matter. The world looks better than it ever has, despite the awkward view. The click of the pistol's hammer latching into place is more akin to the hands of intricate clock tower innards than of a pawn shop piece that's only good for causing trouble. The too-early-for-me sun is coating the world in a brilliance that I've never seen. The diner tables, ...

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“Double Trouble” by Sharon Williams

Submitted to Contest #106

I met him at the singles club, when I went up to the bar to get my friend, Leyla and I a drink. As I slid into a gap between two gentlemen, one of them smiled. ‘Evening, haven’t seen you here before.’ ‘No, it’s the first time I’ve been.’ ‘I’ve been coming about four months. My wife died six years ago, and I thought to myself time to get out and meet people.’ ‘My husband died six years ago too.’ With that he shook my hand. ‘Jim.’ In that moment my perception did a seismic shift. When he’d first started chatting to me, I’d thought him fan...

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“A Year of Rain” by Madison Gott

Submitted to Contest #106

Raincoat fashion is all the rage this year. Since it has rained for the past ten months, you can probably see why. Personally my favorite raincoat of mine is red and glossy that barely makes crinkle noises when I move.Okay, really it is because it was on sale for 30 bucks at Walmart so it wasn’t very great. Prices have skyrocketed as businesses take advantage of the general consumer. Raincoats range from 20 dollars to thousands. And if you are the Kardashians, even more than that.At least it’s better than the plastic poncho I was wearing the...

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“It's the Little Things in Life that Make us Happy” by Eve Y

Submitted to Contest #106

Pamela awoke to the bright light-hearted chirping of the charcoal black robins that perched by her window every morning. She sucked in a deep breath of clean spring air, and quietly - before stepping out of bed - she thanked mother nature for bringing life and color to the world, for bringing air, water, and food to the people who lived. She even thanked the animals and plants who sacrificed themselves to support the needs of the people; She apologized for taking their lives to support her own, but - she thought - there was no othe...

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“The Lover's Flower” by Barbara Mealer

Submitted to Contest #106

The Lover’s Flower Rosalind plodded along the path, picking flowers to add to the two plain yellow roses she held. The hem of her best black gown was dirty now, but she didn’t care. In three days she would stop wearing black. Her life wouldn’t change, but she would no longer be in mourning. Everyone but her had forgotten what today was. If they hadn’t forgotten, they didn’t seem to care. She didn’t forget. She would never forget. She left her mother and sisters to cook and feed the gathering of family and friends, and one ...

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“Burnt Toast and Life's Other Pleasures” by Darby McGuire

Submitted to Contest #106

The coffee pot gurgled to life as I snatched the burnt lumps of bread from the toaster. I forgot to take it out on time again because I had been too preoccupied scribbling on my lipstick in the hallway mirror to notice it was burning."Pour a bowl of cereal for yourself and your sister, and eat up, quick!" I said as I held up the blackened toast for Sean to see."Aw, mom, c'mon. We only have the nasty cereal." He rolled his eyes on his way, begrudgingly, to the kitchen cabinet.I ruffled his dirty blonde hair with my free hand as he p...

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“Born of Water” by Megan DeRouin

Submitted to Contest #106

Born of Water I remembered the day the merfolk surfaced. I remembered what I was doing, what I was wearing and what I had been eating in that stuffy little diner absently watching the local college football game on TV. I wasn’t a local, I was just passing through, eighteen years old, fresh out of high school and driving across the country thinking that maybe along the way I could find myself. I was watching the game for lack of anything better to stare at, absently picking at my onion rings and I remember thinking that they were a bit too ...

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“Onion Love.” by Phil Manders

Submitted to Contest #106

"Ssssshhhh. Ok, ok, class, settle down please. Could you all please settle down and be quiet."Miss Taylor glanced around the room, waiting for the class to listen. “Thomas! Can you get your feet off the desk please. Thank you.”Gradually, the noise dulled to a murmur. She flashed a white smile and waited for the last of the whispers to stop. “Now then, if you remember, last time I saw you, I asked you to write about something that's beautiful in your life. Like, I don't know, your Mum or Dad or, say, I don’t know, your cat?”The class began to...

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“Can't Miss It” by Michael Martin

Submitted to Contest #106

“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”The voice that came through his phone's speakers sounded so different than Emily’s did just minutes ago when she'd asked to watch Minecraft videos. How had she changed so much in just a few short years? Emily was only 3 then, her hair was shoulder length. Sharon had put it up in pigtails that morning. They bounced along with Emily as she implored him to wake up.He was glued to the small screen, replaying the video from four Father’s Days ago. How had he forgotten about that yellow flower dress? ...

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“Dandelions in the Bathtub” by Abby Stone

Submitted to Contest #106

Dandelions in the Bathtub Dandelions are unappreciated. They are loathed by gardeners, villainized by homeowners with pristine lawns, and ridiculed by chefs as not being good enough to be a contributor to the salad bowl. Dandelions are loved by children. They are picked by the fistful and stuffed into bowls of water in the kitchen so the ants can pour out onto the table. When picked past their vibrant yellow stage, dandelions are used to make the most important of wishes to a child. And many summer days have been spent weaving dandelions...

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“Courage in a Coffee Cup ” by Holly Kambach

Submitted to Contest #106

Recently, while on a business trip Linus Nettle noticed something peculiar in his personal history. It is of note, that Linus had suffered with this peculiarity his entire life. You see, Linus Nettle had never had the courage to kiss a girl or ask her out on a date. “May I take your order Sir?” the girl behind the counter asked. Linus searched the menu list over the girl’s head. Never trusting the absurd names coffee shops came up with for drinks, he kept searching for something he recognized. “Sir, may I please take your order, there ar...

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“Heaven's Banquet” by Ian Mitchell

Submitted to Contest #106

Warning: This one is rather graphic, and more than a bit gruesome. I’d never realized just how beautiful a soft summer rain can be, despite having seen it hundreds of times in my life. That was the thought that went through my head on a Thursday afternoon, as I lay dying upon the sidewalk after being struck by a car that had skidded out of control. Time seemed to be moving so slowly, and everything hurt so much. The people around me were frantic. Who could blame them? After all, it’s not every day that you see someon...

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“Thoughts of Leaving” by Michelle Aislinn

Submitted to Contest #106

“I’m not happy.” Alissa sits down across the table from me. “Not happy about what?” I ask. She takes a breath, her eyes closed. Her eyelashes flutter up as she releases her breath. “I’m not happy here. In this.” She points back and forth between us. My neck starts to tickle. All I can do is watch her graceful hands as she sweeps strands of blonde hair away from her forehead. “Oh,” I say. “Oh?” I scratch at my neck. “Why not?” Alissa pauses. I can see she’s holding back tears. “I don’t think I’ve been hap...

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“Insignificant Moments of Bliss and Loneliness - A Love Letter” by Clementine Daisy

Submitted to Contest #106

About DescriptionsThe first time I tried to write, it occurred to me that despite my strong conviction that I am a writer, I could not describe an object; anything at all. All I could do was replace simple words for fancier words; but let’s not fool ourselves. That's a trick, not writing. Say, for example, that I have imagined an object. The object lives nowhere but in my imagination and I am thus, the only being having knowledge of the existence of the said object; of its properties, its looks, its functions. A description would t...

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$250

Prize money

153

Contest entries

206

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 13, 2021 EST

Won by A.Dot Ram 🏆

Title: I Was Always Good at Taboo

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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