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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#116: Permission vs Forgiveness

As the old saying goes, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.” It’s not a policy to adopt too often (if you want to keep your friends, that is). But there will probably be times when — whether out of expedience, impulsivity, or sheer laziness — you throw caution to the wind.

Whether your characters are seeking another’s blessing or begging their pardon, this week’s prompts focus on the complex dynamics between permission and forgiveness.

This week's prompts

Write about a character breaking a rule, but for good reason.

Teens – 38 stories

Write about a character seeking forgiveness for something that happened in the past.

Angst – 67 stories

Start your story with someone being forbidden from doing something.

Dark – 44 stories

Write about a character who is being asked for their blessing, but is reluctant to give it.

Angst – 14 stories

Write a story that centers around a parking permit.

Fluff – 11 stories

Stories

“Old Willakers Weathers a Storm at Sutton Hill Farm” by S. Thomson

Submitted to Contest #116

ㅤEven if he could hear the radio over the hammering rain, Old Willakers still would have ignored its warning. ㅤ“REMAIN INDOORS. ENSURE ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE CLOSED AND SECURE. DO NOT TRAVEL OUTSIDE FOR ANY REASON. IF YOU ARE INJURED, REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE AND CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES.” ㅤThe storm had been brewing for days, and all the inhabitants of Sutton Hill farm had felt it. The pigs had been restless, and even as the rain came down they paced up and down their pen, unable to lie still. Even the farm cat had found the darkest co...

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“Eight Days with Anna” by Evelyn Zissou

Submitted to Contest #116

Prologue: The Plan Her name was Anna. Pronunciation: “Ah-nuh.” Any other pronunciation was unacceptable, so you had better not try “An-ah” or any other nonsense like that. Anna worked as a secretary at a paperclip corporation, and she rode her bike to work because she read in The Times that it was good for your health. She had lived in New York City all her life, and lived in the most sensibly priced flat she could find. She was twenty-eight and a half years old and lived with two roommates, Marcie and Ivy, and exactly one dog. The dog was...

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“The Water Is Perfect” by Kate Rich

Submitted to Contest #116

Normally I'm the one who skips the hot tub and helps with the dishes because hot tubs at parties kinda gross me out a little-- you know when you see little flakes of skin or hairs or whatever floating on the surface?--but I have a sprained shoulder and think it might help. The host is my co-worker, Kelly, who works beside me in the warehouse, and has become more or less my supervisor. She invites me to these things all the time, and I almost always say no, because big social gatherings stress me out. The tub is aglow with blue li...

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“Chlorine and Salt” by Kyla Stan

Submitted to Contest #116

Chlorine and Salt By Kyla Stan I don’t consider myself a genius, but I know I'm not dumb either. I just know I learned a lesson, one of the most important lessons that all humans need to learn— and I mean real quick. Wild creatures need to be free. Sure, mankind loves to take things that don’t belong to them and shove them in boxes full of chlorine. But you don’t understand. They need the salt. They need freedom. I'm an old man, so you gon’ be patient, ya hear? I’ll tell you from what I remember. I got so caught up in my selfishne...

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“The Apothecary Shoppe” by Kyla Stan

Submitted to Contest #116

Trigger warning: murder and physical abuse The Apothecary Shoppe by Kyla Stan The warmth and security of William’s Dewell’s bed made Claire Ratherford sigh with ease. Naked and unashamed, she lay next to him and felt a sense of fulfillment, but it was more than that; she felt safe in her lover’s arms, something her husband would never provide. William’s rugged hand moved a dark curl off her face, and she smiled. William’s confined apartment with just one barely furnished room squatted in the poorest district of London. His simple...

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“40 years” by Hebrizs 26

Submitted to Contest #116

My little fingers were resting on his stomach, moving up and down with every breath. His steady snuffle was the best lullaby. The same rhythm. Over and over. No fault in this machine. Those soft lips were slightly open, waiting for my kiss. I loved his manly beard. Stingy and tickler. They say love makes you blind. Silliness. Who wants to be a half-person? A fragile, dingy little piece on the floor, waiting for someone to trample on you. “I feel your eyes on my body,” he whispered. “Are they heavy?” I tried to make fun of everything...

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“Paradise Lost” by Gianluca Angelucci

Submitted to Contest #116

The sound of muffled steps slithered along the floor, accompanied by nothing more than the blind stare of the stars, pinned against the night sky. The darkest blue, where the lone figure was walking, was one with the fabric of the firmament, perfectly still and unchanging. Time itself had never touched that space, a room without ceiling or walls, a boundless expanse made of the same velvet of the pitiless sky. In that endless blue an infinity of pedestals stood scattered in all directions, reaching way beyond what the eye could see. Above ea...

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“La notte è un grande mare” by Daryna Tovkach

Submitted to Contest #116

«We are not good for each other.»«No.» We have been saying this same thing for years, since before our first break-up. We are just that, just not good. Not really friends, not lovers anymore. Whatever it is that bound us is long lost and forgotten, but the spell holds. I only wish I knew how to dare break it. By the time we get to the beach, it’s already dark. November is setting in. This year, the coming of winter is getting to me as never before. I fear your leaving, though I have to think it a deliverance. I envy it too. Wh...

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“Saving Time” by Rob H

Submitted to Contest #116

Saving Time They sat and watched the timeline imploding right before their eyes. No one knew what to do, or how to stop it. Hours imploded into days and days disappeared into months, then years. Where was it leading? None of them knew. What was causing it? They had no idea. They just knew it was happening. The heavenly computers were working so fast, if it were an old-time cartoon...

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“A (True) Friend for June” by Rachel Kenley Fry

Submitted to Contest #116

In the grand scheme of things, it was a minor trespass. I didn’t kill anyone, or reveal a precious trade secret. And, I keep reminding myself, I was a child. June and Bill Hecker were like affectionate grandparents to me. A bonus, since I also had two other complete sets of grandparents close at hand, both loving, attentive, and physically and mentally whole. However, the Heckers took an interest in me without obligation or inherent love borne from genetics. Which, to me, meant I was special. June, especially, made me feel precious. Perhaps ...

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“Snowpark” by Maria Avisal

Submitted to Contest #116

Slightly after the agreed-upon meeting time of 6:15am, their three snowboards were secured in the roof rack Shawna’s Jeep Cherokee. Shawna, the only one with a four-wheel drive car, lived in north Portland close to the highway entrance and developed intractable nausea if she was in the car but not driving, making her the de-facto mountain driver. Unfortunately for her friends Miya and Jamie, who had brought their coffee in thermoses, this also meant they were at the mercy of Shawna d...

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“Coffee” by Emily Lavender

Submitted to Contest #116

She walked down the gloomy street, wondering where it all went wrong. The car, the woods, the yelling. How did she get here? Just a month ago, she was laughing with her ardent lover, feeling the wind blow in her hair, unworried. Maybe it all started at the gas station when she dropped her cup of coffee, or maybe it started when they missed the turn. It is impossible to trace back to the source because everything is interconnected. She needs to learn this. She’s overthinking. Overwhelmed, trying to place the blame on someone. She’s so lost i...

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“Keep On Keeping On” by A.J Blackman

Submitted to Contest #116

Standing in front of my buddy’s childhood home I breath deeply, willing my mind to accept what I am about to do. I raise my shaking hand to the door for a third time, fearing this will be the moment I am strong enough to announce myself to the broken people inside. Hearing a sob from just behind the door makes me wonder if it is in fact possible to die of a broken heart. Dropping my hand in failure I squeeze my eyes shut refusing to break my father’s most sacred rule; men don’t cry. I force the tears back that have been threatening to ...

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“The Things I Wrote” by Jennifer Kiefer

Submitted to Contest #116

The Things I Wrote By Jennifer Leigh Kiefer In sixth grade, you stopped me in the hall by our lockers. You had noticed I was reading a book you liked. I was new to the school; you were my first friend. By seventh grade we had a friend group that was inseparable. Bonded by books, bonded by the written word. We spent our time writing stories and acting out the ones we read in the woods by your house. Out there we could do and be anything....

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“Heaven Scent” by Mariah Heller

Submitted to Contest #116

Heaven Scent Marcus pored over the books one more time, not registering the evidence before him. The numbers were all a blur at this point. He didn’t want to believe his restaurant was hemorrhaging money. Slamming the books shut, he swore. After four years of living his dream and running his bistro, Marcus may need to hang up his apron. “Are you sure there’s nothing we can do?” He looked at Steven, his accountant, who looked just as deflated as Marcus ...

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$250

Prize money

174

Contest entries

112

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 22, 2021 EST

Won by Story Time 🏆

Title: Straw, Sticks, and Brick

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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