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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#122: Spree Season

What comes after Thanksgiving? Black Friday, of course! Though this massive shopping occasion originated in America, it’s since become normal practice in many parts of the world. And did you know the reason why this jolly season has such a bleak name? (Hint: it’s got nothing to do with sales and discounts!) Apparently, the police once used “Black Friday” to refer to the bumper-to-bumper traffic and crowds congesting streets as people rushed through their holiday shopping.

With this origin story in mind, here’s our gift to you this week: five prompts inspired by this strange and exciting intermission in the end-of-year holiday season. (And if you’re looking for actual gifts with a writerly flair, we’ve got 60 gift suggestions for you.)

🥇 Winner

“No Forwarding Address” by Laura Jarosz

🏆 Winner of Contest #122

The traffic ticket was the last straw. For the most part, Casey loved her little bungalow. It was the perfect size for her, and walking distance from the train, a small locally owned supermarket, and a great Mom & Pop breakfast diner. The only problem was that a string of previous tenants had left their mark in the DIY projects of dubious quality, and the buckets of mail they still received at Casey's address. Monica Volkov was the worst one. For all the other ghosts of tenants past, Casey only received ad mailers and the occasional ...

153 comments 153

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Parcels” by Ivan Cardoso

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

There was no knock on the door, no ring of the bell, only a message popping up on his phone screen: your package has been delivered. He hadn´t ordered anything. And yet, as he opened the front door of his apartment out of pure caution there it was — a tall and lean cardboard box with that easily recognizable smile printed on its sides. The corridor outside the apartment was quiet. There was no sound coming from the other sixteen units on his floor, and the automatic lights were only turned on from the elevator to the vicinity of his do...

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“Black Friday” by Chesley Richards

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Peter Smith. That's my name. I live in a suburb, in a split-level 1960s ranch sandwiched between two McMansion infills. Both of the infills are new and have twice the square footage of my humble abode. And today, the day after Thanksgiving is my one day to sleep late. To relax when I am supposed to be working. But this year, the doorbell rings. Not a frantic ring, like something important. And there is no second or third ring from someone who is insistent, like Evelyn across the street bringing us half of an uneaten pecan pie from yeste...

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“Holiday Magic” by Cathryn V

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Deep-set eyes in bony sockets, a long-ish sharp nose, skin draped over broad cheekbones reflected in Vernon Warder's rear-view mirror. He nudged the frame to accommodate his morning height. During the day, his spine would collapse somewhat, but each morning, after a night’s rest, he sat a half inch taller. He checked his watch again, a little after ten, a late start for his morning mall walk.Vernon inserted the key and held it for a moment before turning on the ignition. There was something he was supposed to do, some obligation he’d forgott...

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“Mushroom Jam” by Forrest Folen

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Note - Substance abuse, mental health trigger warnings ———————— If I was still in High School, this would be forgivable. If I was in College one might say I was experimenting with new states of mind...like taking on an internship with Terence McKenna or hanging out in a Grateful Dead parking lot before Jerry Garcia died. Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Clemente at dusk, the horizon bursts with orange and purple, and you feel connected. With the weekend in front of you, anything you're doing feels like it has...

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This week's prompts

Write about a character who’s stuck in a shopping mall.

Christmas – 27 stories

Start your story in the middle of a traffic jam.

Thriller and Suspense – 27 stories

Write a story about a limited edition item going on sale.

Thriller and Suspense – 11 stories

A package arrives at your character’s house, but they didn’t order anything. Write about what happens next.

Thriller and Suspense – 59 stories

Write about a character who won’t (or can’t) shop for the holidays.

Christmas – 25 stories

Stories

“No Forwarding Address” by Laura Jarosz

🏆 Winner of Contest #122

The traffic ticket was the last straw. For the most part, Casey loved her little bungalow. It was the perfect size for her, and walking distance from the train, a small locally owned supermarket, and a great Mom & Pop breakfast diner. The only problem was that a string of previous tenants had left their mark in the DIY projects of dubious quality, and the buckets of mail they still received at Casey's address. Monica Volkov was the worst one. For all the other ghosts of tenants past, Casey only received ad mailers and the occasional ...

153 comments 153

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“Perception ” by Liz W

Submitted to Contest #122

My vision became vividly colored of the white blue skies outside. The whole of the world passing by through the window of the school bus on my way home somehow managed to fit inside my small pupils. The hill top the bus cruised on showed a view of the wonderous, wide, and wonderful blue restless oceans of the East side. “You see the waves were waving at me”, the driver stuttered. He repeated himself over, and over again like a broken record. The bus came to a screeching halt, hurling us forward from our seats, and the bus doors swung open. A...

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“Parcels” by Ivan Cardoso

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

There was no knock on the door, no ring of the bell, only a message popping up on his phone screen: your package has been delivered. He hadn´t ordered anything. And yet, as he opened the front door of his apartment out of pure caution there it was — a tall and lean cardboard box with that easily recognizable smile printed on its sides. The corridor outside the apartment was quiet. There was no sound coming from the other sixteen units on his floor, and the automatic lights were only turned on from the elevator to the vicinity of his do...

Read story

“Red Blood, Cold Winds and Green Knights” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #122

There were hundreds of refugees. Lines of shivering survivors stretched off into the swirling white snow. At the south gate of Leonor, they were crammed together while soldiers of Crann Kingdom tried to make sense of the influx.“They’ve burnt it to the ground,” said a desperate woman’s voice. Danielle Longbow did her best to avoid being crushed by the caravan of men, women and children pushing to be closer to the gate.“The empire killed everyone. We’re all that’s left. Yo...

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“Reverend Bartlett” by Ruth Porritt

Submitted to Contest #122

Important content note: Hello everyone, this story contains my particular mix of horror, humor, and religious elements. Also, there are some sexual elements in this story, and the devil shows up.If any of the aforementioned things are triggering for you, you have my sincerest apologies, and I ask that you find a different story on Reedsy. (I know that there are many good stories on this platform, especially during the holiday season.)Sincerely yours,Ruth*****It was cold and snowy. The wind howled through the parking lot, and the Reverend Bar...

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“Black Friday” by Chesley Richards

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Peter Smith. That's my name. I live in a suburb, in a split-level 1960s ranch sandwiched between two McMansion infills. Both of the infills are new and have twice the square footage of my humble abode. And today, the day after Thanksgiving is my one day to sleep late. To relax when I am supposed to be working. But this year, the doorbell rings. Not a frantic ring, like something important. And there is no second or third ring from someone who is insistent, like Evelyn across the street bringing us half of an uneaten pecan pie from yeste...

Read story

“Featherless Bipeds” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Submitted to Contest #122

The morning traffic jam at the high school peaked at 7:47 a.m., short tempered fathers slowing down to jettison their surly sons, mothers asking their daughters if they wanted to take an umbrella just in case, seniors cutting off all other cars to drive diagonally through the parking lot.Mister Carlton angrily tapped the steering wheel of his 2000 Toyota Tercel. It had been his mother’s, a car he inherited when he graduated from college with a teaching degree in social studies and more student loan debt than his entire first year salary. He ...

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“Holiday Magic” by Cathryn V

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Deep-set eyes in bony sockets, a long-ish sharp nose, skin draped over broad cheekbones reflected in Vernon Warder's rear-view mirror. He nudged the frame to accommodate his morning height. During the day, his spine would collapse somewhat, but each morning, after a night’s rest, he sat a half inch taller. He checked his watch again, a little after ten, a late start for his morning mall walk.Vernon inserted the key and held it for a moment before turning on the ignition. There was something he was supposed to do, some obligation he’d forgott...

Read story

“Late to My Own Wedding Day” by Rose McCeldry

Submitted to Contest #122

My head falls into my hands and I groan as the car in front of me slams on their brakes once again for the millionth time. Of course on the most important day of my life not only did my driver cancel on me, but now the traffic is insane and I'm probably going to show up to my own wedding an hour late with my hair and makeup looking like it was done by a caveman. I could almost cry, but I don't. I can't let my mascara run. I can't give the universe the power to say I boohooed on my wedding day - and not a good boohoo.My phone rings and I jolt...

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“Dressage” by Yves. ♙

Submitted to Contest #122

I was at the mall late, as bag-laden parents escorted their children towards the exits, when I entered the store where I found the dress. I had come to send some things off, mostly my childhood; I was growing up finally and wanted to make my last walk past these stores mindful, before I had to say goodbye to it all. This store was my last stop: a pink paradise layering tulle curtains over the plush rabbits and heart-shaped purses in the windows. I couldn't tell if the girl at the register was watching me because she thought I was a very ugly...

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“The Season of Evil” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #122

(Content Warning: Violence, Language, and Holiday Frights.)Honk! Honk! ’Tis that time of year when the whole world is heart to heart, or in this case, bumper to bumper on Christmas Eve. The Johnson’s have been stuck in a traffic jam on I-89 for the past three hours, inching their way to Boulder Springs, Ohio. Spending Christmas with Uncle Drew for the past ten years had become a family tradition.Uncle Drew is not one for being polite, and over the years, he developed a Grinch-like attitude towards Christmas. So, every year his brother, Gary ...

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“I'm Late” by Mariah Heller

Submitted to Contest #122

Twins. She and Van were going to have twins. Jenna’s head was still reeling from the news she’d just received from her doctor. They’d been trying all of five minutes for baby number two. Having their daughter, now two years old, it seemed like a good time to aim for a brother or sister for little Amy. They’d just decided to start trying after she ended her last cycle. She was late by the time she was due for her next period. She remembered that conversation. “Van, I’m one day late.”“Yeah, you’re pregna...

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“After the Storm” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #122

There were, no doubt, better places to hide out, but this one was available. The storm was coming. Already, the heavy rains pounded against the large glass wall of the main mall entry. Deciding that the glass was likely to turn into shrapnel when the storm fully hit, Angel moved deeper into the pitch-black mall, the crowbar she’d used to break in hanging from one hand. Her phone provided a little light, at least for now. She didn’t dare check how much battery it had left. The drumming of the rain echoed in the empty promenade, louder now. ...

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“Mushroom Jam” by Forrest Folen

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #122

Note - Substance abuse, mental health trigger warnings ———————— If I was still in High School, this would be forgivable. If I was in College one might say I was experimenting with new states of mind...like taking on an internship with Terence McKenna or hanging out in a Grateful Dead parking lot before Jerry Garcia died. Driving down the Pacific Coast Highway from San Clemente at dusk, the horizon bursts with orange and purple, and you feel connected. With the weekend in front of you, anything you're doing feels like it has...

Read story

“Please Come” by Rebecca Loften

Submitted to Contest #122

“Come on, come on, come on,” Angie muttered as her fingers drummed the steering wheel. Leaning as far as she could within the confines of the driver’s seat, she craned her head, trying once again to catch a glimpse of whatever was causing this nightmare of a traffic jam. Thirty-four minutes, she’d been stuck in this exact spot. Thirty-five now, and the cars around her had barely moved an inch. She’d put her Volvo in park twenty minutes ago and might have turned off the engine as well, if it weren’t just on the wrong side of freezing outsid...

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$250

Prize money

149

Contest entries

104

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 03, 2021 EST

Won by Laura Jarosz 🏆

Title: No Forwarding Address

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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