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#113: Dreams and Nightmares

Different cultures and civilizations have been pondering the meaning of dreams for centuries. Whether you believe dreams reflect real life, or real life reflects our dreams, it’s difficult not to be intrigued by the personalized movies our brain creates while we’re asleep. This week’s prompts encourage you to explore what happens when we enter this liminal space between fantasy and reality — and how dreams can be beautiful, terrible, and everything in between.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who believes their dreams predict the future.

Thriller and Suspense – 39 stories

Start or end your story with the line ‘This is my worst nightmare.’

Dialogue – 74 stories

Write about two people whose dreams are somehow connected.

Thriller and Suspense – 43 stories

Write a story about a character who interprets people’s dreams.

Adults – 18 stories

Write about a character whose dreams are portals to other worlds.

Science Fiction – 54 stories

Stories

“Gods, Fame and Murderous Tendencies” by Ria Walsh

Submitted to Contest #113

This is my worst nightmare, Amara thought as she strutted down the runway, slightly swinging her hips, a glacial look on her face.Bright lights flashed around her, capturing her essence for the entire world to see. Cameras were her favourite thingamabob invented by mortals. They could bask in the beauty of a goddess for eternity. “Amara, honey. You did so well up there!” cried the designer, stripping her off and into a new gown before Amara could blink.She suppressed a growl as he brushed past her chest. It was by no means an accident but wa...

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“Through the Lens” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #113

CW: Domestic abuse Once they reached the massive ornate doors of the temple, Keshav turned to the tourist couple and said with a downward nod of his head, “Sir, this is the end of the guided tour. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to serve you. Hope you enjoyed your visit. Have a nice day madam.” As he moved towards the next batch that he was supposed to take on the tour, the young woman called out “Wait, Mr. Keshav. You said you could interpret the dreams. May I ask you something?” It was too late for her boyfriend to stop her. Moreove...

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“Heather of the Moors” by Cindy Calder

Submitted to Contest #113

Her name was Heather, like the heather that was scattered endlessly across the beautiful moors. The moors of Dartmoor called to Heather, both in her waking hours and her dreams. Each night they beckoned as she slept in the comfortable bed that had once belonged to her parents. And each morning as she awoke, the smell of heather and a fine mist seemed to permeate throughout the room, although she knew well enough that it was merely the remnants of her dreams that lingered so. Born in the year of 1908, Heather had been named for the lovely...

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“Big Dreams” by Chris Luna

Submitted to Contest #113

Rain pattered against glass while I rummaged through old books whose names had become unfamiliar to me. The day seemed to be lasting forever and I wanted nothing more than to be done with it as I continued to scavenge for what I was looking for. I had misplaced it early that morning and I needed it if I wanted to keep my business afloat, improvising could only get me so far. You see, I am, or was, a fortune teller. But lately in the town that I worked in, the big business was in dreams. Little dreams like those we have when we imagine ours...

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“Dream Girl” by L.A. Slaton

Submitted to Contest #113

“C’mon Ryan, I know you want to be with me,” Carissa whispered in Ryan’s ear. “No, I don’t! Please leave me alone!” Ryan pulled away, but she grabbed his shoulders. "Come with me now, Ryan. Ryan!” Ryan gasped and opened his eyes; his father was standing over him with his hands on his shoulders. “Ryan! You alright, buddy?” Ryan rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. Just a dream.” “Want to talk about it?” “No. I really don’t even remember it.” &...

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“Three White Crows” by LISA BENGE

Submitted to Contest #113

The weather was warm and breezy on a Saturday morning in Piedmont. Fall had just begun to brighten the scene with her orange and red foliage.Genny awoke abruptly to the sound of her Dad making loud banging in the kitchen downstairs. She had just come out of a nightmare about her deceased mother who died 5 years ago.Leaving her bed unmade, Genny slid on her favorite jeans and T-shirt and made her way downstairs to the enticing smell of Pancakes and maple syrup. "Hi dad, said Genny, what's up today?"Her father was grumpily moving about the kit...

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“INANIS ” by A Dead Poet .

Submitted to Contest #113

INANISHer worst nightmare began as soon as she stepped in. A black rotary dial hang on the wall, missing some bits and with a hole that exposed a few wires but not much. It had a scratch or two to the left, and there was nothing else in there. She pulled herself from corner to corner in the living room and paused now and then to peek through each other room wishing for something different. She stopped when her feet hurt and then continued again, hoping to have missed anything. Little difference that it would make to the obvious. She leaned s...

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“Memory & A Man Walking On His Hands” by J. M

Submitted to Contest #113

This is my worst nightmare. I’m alone, in the middle of an alleyway, way after the sun has clocked out. There’s one street lamp, but it taunts me. “I can just choose not to flicker back on. I can just go out for good, and you won’t even be able to see a foot in front of you.” There’s patches of grass and dirt hugging the brick walls that are at my sides. Thought: Ahead, or backwards. Your only two options. Make the right choice. I reach up to adjust the glasses on my face, but of course they aren’t there. They’re never ...

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“The Kitchen’s Brew. ” by Lufuno Mavhungu

Submitted to Contest #113

The brew had been cooking for 2 months. Every night I meticulously added one more ingredient into the blackened, cast-iron pot. The stone-wall kitchen became the place I spent most of my nights. A sage coloured coal stove sat awkwardly against the wall, with a chimney that extended outside the kitchen. Whenever I came here I added more ingredients into the brew. A brew whose recipe was given to me by a spiritualist. One thing I noticed about being in the kitchen is that I weighed much less than I actually do and I was always wearin...

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“Dream A Little Dream....” by Chuck Sears

Submitted to Contest #113

Dream A Little Dream…. By Chuck Sears Allen had had recurring dreams before. He had read about them and decided to keep a dream diary after the second one. In all the dreams, they had become more vivid and intense until suddenly the dream seemed to become reality and he took action on it. His first dream occurred when he was 16. He started dreaming about his aunt Rose being killed in a car wreck...

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“The Author who has never been seen” by Jessica Robbins

Submitted to Contest #113

Meet Mary Mollie , the author who has never been seen. No one knows why. It's a mystery, so it seems. She writes beautiful books about very up beat beautiful things.In her books you might find knights and kings sometimes even talking trees. But her favorite of all are the books written about little towns that live by the sea . Oh how she loves to dream about living by the sea. Everyone agrees, the books about the sea are the ones everyone loves to read . That is what she is famous for writing books about living by the sea. You see, her home ...

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“Just Breathe...” by Snehal Aher

Submitted to Contest #113

“THIS IS MY WORST NIGHTMARE!!!”, Rumi screamed at the top of her lungs. Her face felt hot, her eyes were welling up and all she wanted to do was to scream; scream till she could no more; she wanted to die screaming. She wanted to throw things, break things, dissolve and never wake up again. How could someone be so insensitive? Only two hours ago her manager told her she was let go due to a merger and her boyfriend of almost a year wanted to break up now? Could he not have waited a few days? At least as a decent human being? Just a few ...

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“Its in the family” by Jennifer Prater

Submitted to Contest #113

It was a truth in my family about our gift though we didn’t always admit to it. Sometimes we were thought to be crazy until our dreams came to pass. At times we were avoided by the people around us and other times they came for aid. My grandma told me a story about how her mother had awoken one night covered in sweat. She didn’t take the time to put on her boots or a coat, she just bolted out the front door to the neighbors. She watched through her window as her mother ran across the field looking like th...

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“Monsters” by Bea Taylor

Submitted to Contest #113

This is my worst nightmare. Awakened by a loud crash from downstairs, I look at my clock. 3:24 A.M. I get on my robe and quietly creep down the stairs. The house is usually quiet at this time of night, but I hear some shuffling in the direction of my parents' room. As I walk past the dining room table, I feel a sudden pain in the bottom of my foot. Looking down to see shattered glass on the floor by the window, I'm in pure shock. A brick is lying past the remains of the broken window. It looks like someone threw it in, which can only mean on...

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“Dream Sequence ” by Salahuddin Ayyubi

Submitted to Contest #113

John Paul was ogling at his computer screen while typing something on it. He was shaking his head in a few seconds interval and rubbing his eyes with the backside of his hand. Dark circles were visible underneath his eyes. He stopped typing and looked all around. All other people were busy with their respective desktops in their seats. John closed his eyes and rested his head over his hand on the desk. Soon he was snoring faintly. A bright moon was perceptible in the sky. There was no cloud. Stars were twinkling and along with the moon tryi...

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$250

Prize money

228

Contest entries

139

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 01, 2021 EST

Won by Megan Lange 🏆

Title: Dream Weaver

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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