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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#115: Connection Lost

It’s hard to imagine our lives without the constant presence of social media: it's a place to mingle, a source of news (however unreliable), and a form of entertainment. The jury’s still out on whether this omnipresence is good or bad, but what’s undeniable is that when a social media giant like Facebook goes down, as it did earlier this week, many of us feel as if we’re cut off from something. Taking inspiration from the recent blackout, the prompts for this week’s contest are all about connections, and what happens when they’re broken.

This week's prompts

One moment your character is talking on the phone with a friend, and the next, the connection is lost. Write a story about what follows.

Thriller and Suspense – 42 stories

Set your story in a town disconnected from the rest of the world.

Dystopian – 36 stories

Write about a character who feels like they're cut off from something.

Angst – 54 stories

Start or end your story with a character scrolling (or doomscrolling) through social media.

Adults – 14 stories

Write a story where a device goes haywire.

Science Fiction – 29 stories

Stories

“Bathel Alta” by J. W.

Submitted to Contest #115

There he sat, the true person of ages, at his great typewriter, writing his stories for the masses to read. He has no name, and nor should you think to give him one. You should refer to him by a title of no importance: The Writer. He sits still, his mind wavering on the words that should but be placed on the portrait of his world. His inspiration limited only to his imagination, he strives for the world in a new light. "Bathel Alta," he says, his eyes flittering across the paper propped in his typing machine. "My name, should it ever arise...

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“What Lies Beyond” by Prithviraj Suryawanshi

Submitted to Contest #115

“Aren’t you curious?” Liona whispered, straining her bare toes trying to look over the wall. Her face barely made it to the top. It was too cold for them to be in their nightgowns, and too dark for them to be out of their beds. But there would never again be an opportunity so perfect. Alina was summoned back to the palace, and Maya was fast asleep having drunk a bit too much at the feast. Something a server had called a lager. Liona had thought she had misheard. The word oddly reminded her of wood. And why would anyone ever name a drink afte...

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“Cut Off” by Noelle C. Lee

Submitted to Contest #115

We wanted this day to be so memorable that the experience would last a lifetime. A legend to tell our children and grandchildren. The pressure to come up with an idea was great and our parameters made it almost impossible to achieve.Our last year in high school on senior cut day (unofficial of course), my friends and I decided to plan something adventurous. Living near the Atlantic Ocean had its benefits. Freedom to walk on the clean, soft, warm sand in the summers. Digging toes into each step feeling the gentle coarse rub of the golden gran...

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“Alone” by Dara Willmarth

Submitted to Contest #115

I was just following my routine, walking up the stairs, and out of the subway station on my phone as always. I’m not really sure how people used to pass the time without a smartphone and a solid pair of earbuds. There’s a reason NYC is the city that never sleeps, and even in the frigid mornings, the sheer decibels that everyday traffic reaches truly is a feat. Us office dwellers need the ways we can tune out the various tourists, honking, and yelling in the streets. What I didn’t know, is that my method worked so well. Because on this day as...

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“Bread” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #115

//Trigger Warnings for: War, Death, Mental Illness// “You’re scared of that, aren’t you?” Thomas can hear his fiance's voice over a blurred world around him. The most audible sound is his heart beating out of his chest. His breathing hastens as he can feel the air slowly draining from his surroundings. In his mind, there is a clash of falling glass and what sounds like gunshots. Everything further disappears as he feels his esophagus almost close like a hole in the earth. It is the fading voice of his fiance and the repeated banging of bul...

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“Hope on the Horizon” by Hannah B

Submitted to Contest #115

TW: Alcoholism; references to sexual assault Anastasia’s eyes glazed over, her head throbbed, and her stomach was in knots. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had managed to get roughly ten hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours, or perhaps it was the fact that, in those last forty-eight hours, all she had consumed was about a handful of pistachios and roughly a gallon of whisky. Despite those factors, Anastasia blamed her current state on the litany of social media posts that she had stayed up all night reading. Peopl...

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“Reservation for Three” by Jessie Hartness

Submitted to Contest #115

It was my idea to go out. Things haven’t been quite the same since my husband got his new job. Always on his phone, the few moments I get with him are spaced out “uh-huhs,” and “I’m sorry," as he leaves the room to take a call. He is required to be on call at all times... or so he tells me. So, I requested a date, somewhere you have to make reservations; where there is a table and potential for conversation. After several pleas he agreed, and I made the reservations. On the way there, the only breaks ...

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“Tonight, you belong to me. ” by Jayde Bennett

Submitted to Contest #115

*TRIGGER WARNING* swearing, violent themes, mentions death, mentions decapitation, foreshadowed torture*-present-"Don't be an idiot, Sara. Of course I didn't sleep with him! It was just a.. date, that's all." I huff out an incredulous laugh as a reply, my phone pressed to my ear by my left hand, my right holding out my car keys. The heels of my boots clacking against the damp gravel of the road, the night air smelling of rain, the obvious sign of the previous rainfall from earlier. "Oh come on, Kara! He was hot, had an arse that filled out h...

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“Fallen Angel” by Greg Kendall

Submitted to Contest #115

"Hello?" John answered his cell phone. "John, listen to me, this is David,"... "David, what's going on little brother?" John asked. "John, I don't have time to explain. Listen to me, something is about to happen. You have to get Katie and June out of there, now". John tried to speak, but David talked over him with a stern, seriousness. "You need to get in the car and head, north, to Willow Springs, Colorado. It's a two hour drive from your house. There is not much to the town, but there is a military installation on the west side of town. ...

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“Eggs For Breakfast” by Avocado Universe

Submitted to Contest #115

“Mmmhhuhhh,” I moaned. My face was deep in a sea of pillows. I was sprawled out on my unmade bed, light leaking through the closed curtains making gold and pink sunrise patterns on my wall. My arms were far in front of me, my feet were dangling over the edge. I had my phone in my palm. I could smell eggs and toast through my tightly closed door. I love eggs for lunch, but I hate them for breakfast. It's just the way things work, my mom should get that by now. Being a professional cook and all, for her sake, I hope she learns it soon. “...

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“Life Happens” by Shiloh Ord

Submitted to Contest #115

Communication is key, I remember my caseworker telling me. The scene plays out in my head vividly. She sat in the driver's seat of her little black sedan clutching the steering wheel as though I may try to take it from her at any second. It was almost amusing watching her eyes dart here and there as she navigated the interstate. I pretended to ignore her as I played on my phone in the passenger seat. "You know that, right Lilly," she asked turning a quisitive look towards me. "Communication can be the difference between finding a home and...

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“Hit The Bull's Eye” by Elizabeth Chin

Submitted to Contest #115

Write about a character who feels like they're cut off from something. Well, another usual day. Just had my PCR-test done in the morning because of someone else in the office but nothing to worry though because I was not the close contact. Anyway it was good, because PCR screening day, meant it was another day off for everyone. Hurray! Finger crossed. Nothing to fret. Nothing to bother. Just headed home, did chores, chit-chatted with kids and parents. Confidence level was 100%. *** Since it was a rest day, I thought I would just mak...

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“The Daughter Who Disappeared ” by June Brown

Submitted to Contest #115

Driving late at night—empty streets, neon lights, and crisp air—is the only way I can calm my mind. Ever since I got a ticket for speeding my parents only let me drive to work and school, but my friends are having a party and I can't miss it. It's my childhood best friend, Dylan, seventeenth birthday and I promised I would be there. It started at 10:30 but these kinds of parties run late anyway, so I quietly open my window, place my foot on the nearby tree, and before I start to climb down it, I close my window so there’s only a sliver...

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“Help Me (Trigger Warning; Loss of a Loved one)” by Donavan Barrier

Submitted to Contest #115

“Honey, you have to talk to me.” The words could’ve come from miles away. The lady who spoke them to her might’ve just been a figment of her imagination. The world around her seemed so distant, like she was in the heavens looking down. However, she was not. Instead, she was surrounded by four walls, all covered in mementos from other kids her age. To her left were drawings crude, innocent. To her right, photographs of the lady in front of her with the others. The plastic chair under her butt was cold and stiff. It didn’t bother her, though. ...

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“Something Familiar” by Chris Geiger

Submitted to Contest #115

The dark and stormy nature of the night was accentuated, by the Witch Tower’s great height. It was so tall that at night, in the rain, you could not see the rest of the school, or it’s grounds. One had the sense of being trapped in a bottle of lightning. As such, Kiwi kept her blinds shut, better to not see the effect at all than to get drawn into the enchanting illusion, especially when there was homework to be done. Alchemy was a demanding mistress and wouldn’t be put on hold even for a storm like this.“Kiwi!” Into the cluttered room came ...

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$250

Prize money

175

Contest entries

118

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 15, 2021 EST

Won by Alex Sultan 🏆

Title: 28 Letters

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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