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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#118: Metamorphosis

Whichever way you look at it, fall is a season of change. The trees are changing color, the waking hours are getting shorter, and the days are growing colder. It also happens to be Halloween, meaning we might need to gear up for some spooktacular supernatural transformations too… if you believe in that sort of thing!

Whether your characters are enjoying the crunch of fallen leaves, or undergoing a creepy metamorphosis of their own, we hope this week’s prompts help you get the best out of fall this year.

This week's prompts

Start your story with “Today’s the day I change.”

Teens – 54 stories

Write about a character, animal or human, who is reborn as something totally different.

High School – 42 stories

Write your story from the perspective of an outsider watching something or someone change.

Middle School – 45 stories

Your character picks up a fallen leaf and can’t believe what they discover underneath it. What happens next?

Fall – 38 stories

Set your story during a sudden change of season.

Fall – 26 stories

Stories

“Metamorphosis” by Mac Paul

Submitted to Contest #118

Metamorphosis by Bettie Macintyre To me, the word ‘Metamorphosis’ is a colorful melodic noun that has awakened the vocality of my studdering impediment.’ Today’s the day I change and give the mighty Monarch its rightful reign as thoughts of yesteryear memories of the Elephant Mountains, a quaint old country town, and the changes a spinster schoolteacher has made in my life. There were many great teachers that I have had within the many halls of education. My early journey...

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“Me and the Deep Blue Sea” by Mary Fitzgerald

Submitted to Contest #118

Content Warning: Sexual Content- Today is the day I started to change. It was very subtle at first, I barely noticed the small changes that were happening in my body and what it needed. Among these changes was a sudden draw to be near the ocean. I always loved the ocean, but couldn’t swim a single stroke. The draw was a small annoying tug at first that I followed because it was more annoying not to and the closer I got to it the calmer the tug became. At first, I was content to just be near&nbs...

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“Kicking the Habit” by James Morris

Submitted to Contest #118

“Today’s the day I change,” I say to myself, waking up from a long rest. The activities from the previous night still lingered in my mind. “I know I can do it this time.” I get out of bed, head to the bathroom, and turn the shower on as hot as I can take it. I move to the sink and mirror and look at myself. “I should shave,” I say. “But I really don’t want to.” I noticed a zit coming in on my forehead and squeezed it until it popped. There is more puss than I expected, making me reach for a tissue to wipe it clean. I press a second time an...

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“Tim's change” by Tab Glomah

Submitted to Contest #118

“Today’s the day I change. I am going to make things happen and not just react to things.” Tim repeated the words to himself as he entered the clearing and took a moment to catch his breath.“This is a crazy situation” The thought began to splinter through Tim’s mind as he prepared to sprint through the forest. He was doing his best to keep pace with the Captain.They were deep in the forests of the country of Emfuenko on the run from a secluded group of tribal villagers who Captain Sassou managed to offend, as he has become accustomed to doin...

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“Change of the Soul” by Daniel Record

Submitted to Contest #118

Change of the Soul By: Record Today’s the day I change. Everyday I work towards something better, yet something always gets in my way. Today though, I am going to find something that will be better because I will make it better. I have too. OK! Here we go. I open my eyes, and there it is, the same four dark gray walls with that stupid crack in it. Wait…..is that crack bigger today? Nah, it must be my imagination. Oh well. At least my door has style, a nice silver outline with a white face and a gold knob. To bad I can’t have a really nice ...

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“It still depends…” by -Z J-

Submitted to Contest #118

Today’s the day I change huh. After months… years… to be precise, a decade of contemplation. I laid there, as motionless as I could be, trying not to be spotted by the crowd that bustled past. Albeit, chances are, that someone had already suspected that something was amiss beneath the oddly stacked pile of fallen leaves in the white box that hosted one of the many trees acting as an intersection between toilets and coffee shops. But, they ran on time. Time that they weren’t willing to waste on minor details that didn’t concern them. ...

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“Becoming Echoan” by Alex Lewig

Submitted to Contest #118

Today’s the day I change. This is it, no turning back now. It’s a miracle of science, really, to alter one’s biology. After today the makeup of my blood will be changed at a cellular level to allow me to live on this new planet, my new home. My body will process the air I breathe differently so that I can subsist in the atmosphere of EchoB32. There are other changes too, smaller ones, the list was long and filled with biology jargon. I know my skin will also adapt to absorb the rays from this foreign sun, and my kidneys to process the change...

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“To Be Loved By Storms” by Alex Fish

Submitted to Contest #118

[CW: implicit child abuse, brief body horror (monster description), implicit autism spectrum discussion, blizzards] Today's the day I change; today I will become what I have always been expected to be. I nurse the bruise under my eye, wandering aimlessly into the field outside of town. The grass crunches beneath my feet, dead and frosted. Cows bellow in the distance. The birds overhead make a terrible, shrill racket as their wings beat against the sky; they swoop down into the trees, joining others in a familiar, desperate song. Com...

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“Lepidoptera” by Anna Mahoney

Submitted to Contest #118

Today’s the day I change. On how many mornings have I promised myself that, only to begin the following day with the same tired pledge? I’m like that movie character, doomed to my hamster-wheel life, longing to be freed by an act of courage I have no hope of pulling off. I’m just waiting for the right moment, I tell myself. The one when the pain of inaction tips the scales in favour of the agony of metamorphosis. The day begins, as it too often does, with a shrill call from my friend Marcia, or Marcy when I like her, which isn’...

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“Sticks and Stones” by Omar Alvarez

Submitted to Contest #118

“Today’s the day I change. Today’s the day I present to the world a new me. I am amazing. I am unique. I am a beautiful, bright-winged butterfly, spawning from the cocoon of change.” Eli stopped the podcast and looked in the mirror as he repeated the words. The podcast was the final episode in a series titled: You 2.0 - A Motivational Guide. It took him three days to finis...

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“Fat girl rebirth” by Simranjeet Kaur 894

Submitted to Contest #118

A girl named Sammy moved from a small village to big city for her studies . She pretends to be introvert but actually she was fun loving . she did not want to make friends because of her looks . She was fat , small and facing acne problems and whenever she met anyone, they just make fun of her . So, she decided to hide herself because of criticism . she was good in studies and started focusing on studies in college . Sammy always want to be Cinderella and she dreamt of princess who will come one day and take her f...

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“The Reincarnation of an Endangered Species” by Denis Joseph

Submitted to Contest #118

The Reincarnation of an Endangered Species A series of strident ‘Shut-Ups’ echoed through the valley, and the gaggle of conversation amidst the attending delegates slumped into a murmuring buzz, before petering out into silence. It was the final day and the final hour before the summer break in the Parliament of Fouls. Yes, it was time for the Queen’s centennial Speech of the Year 1621. This was a special occasion that commemorated the anniversary of the first ‘landing’ of the indigenous Mauritian Pigeon Foul; an event that has been cel...

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“Unsinkable Molly” by Jeff Duke

Submitted to Contest #118

In the highest level of heaven, sat a throne made of light which emanated light reaching all corners of creation. The one who sat on this throne bore the name of “Ancient One.” Through this light, the Ancient One could see all of creation to work with it. On this day, the Ancient One sat there looking down on the earth with a concerned facial expression. An angel who stood next to Him asked, “Something wrong Lord?” Speaking to the angel, He said, “Tonight I feel an angst coming from the planet that is screaming loud compared ...

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“Overshadowed” by Maycey Roberts

Submitted to Contest #118

An unwelcome hand scrapes down my back, waking me from my nap. I feel fur stand up rigid along my spine. My already glowering eyes open a little, and I roll on to my side and give my legs a little stretch. My smoky black paws creep out in front of me like the casting of a shadow; I lick them proudly.My human coos stupidly, and reaches down to rub my belly. I don't want to be touched there. My claws instinctively shoot out, swatting her arm away.“Owowow,” she whines, pulling back. She shoves me off of the chair angrily.I glare and run into th...

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“The Point of No Return” by Sharmila Shankarkumar

Submitted to Contest #118

Turn the page. Don’t ask me what happens next. I can only tell you what happened the last time. The last time I died. My Life as Fish, as recalled by a silverfish, 2 April 2000 Last time, I stepped off the curb, and a delivery guy, Orhan, Turkish, 23, recent immigrant through green card lottery, racing on his bike, speeding the wrong way on Morton street, to deliver an order of shish kebabs and zucchini fritters to Number 52, Apartment 3B, slammed into me. The first me, the me that was reading while walking and not looking, little b...

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$250

Prize money

205

Contest entries

140

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 05, 2021 EST

Won by Myia Melendy 🏆

Title: beneath the quaking aspen

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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