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#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.)

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 – 58 stories

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

Christmas – 25 stories

Stories

Misery comes in a box

Submitted to Contest #122

A chicken?...Yes, a dead chicken. Maria couldn't believe her eyes.Red ribbons, popcorn, and in the center of the box, there it was a headless bird.She looked once and stormed to the bathroom to vomit. Chills ran through her body, and for some minutes, she felt captured by an immeasurable terror.She would ordinarily blame morning sickness and her sensitivity to smells. But her eyes saw something that would make anyone's stomach turn that way.After washing her face and cleaning the messy bathroom, she had a burst of courage and went back to he...

22 likes 5 comments 5
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The Package

Submitted to Contest #122

There’s a package outside with my name on it. What would you like me to do? I don’t know what number this is. I just dialed. I dialed until somebody picked up. You picked me. What would you like me to do? Can you help me? I’m sorry, but I’m not used to the phone. I don’t trust it. I don’t trust phones. Communication can be very tricky. I wouldn’t even be calling, but this is an unusual circumstance. The package is just sitting there. Somebody should pick it up. I can’t pick it up. I have been told--taught--told not to pick up str...

21 likes 8 comments 8
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A Quiet Kind of Magic

Submitted to Contest #122

I startled at the whistle of my tea kettle. I was usually the only one making noise this late at night.  It was my fourth Christmas alone since my grandmother had died. She was my mother and my father, and, for the most part, was one of the only people I ever really knew growing up. I missed her dearly. Every Christmas Eve since I could remember, she and I would sit in the living room sipping on piping hot mugs of spiced black tea with orange slices. It’s my favorite smell and my favorite memory. I walked into the kitchen and removed...

20 likes 2 comments 2
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Forever 31

Submitted to Contest #122

James grunted with pain as he sat up and carefully felt the back of his head. To his relief, there was no blood, not even a bump. The gentle touch of his fingertips though was enough to make him grit his teeth and wince. He turned around as he recognized the subtle hum behind him. Lucky break, he thought as he watched the sharp teeth of the escalator slowly descending toward him. Had he fallen higher up those protruding edges may have been less forgiving on his body. As it was, he considered it fortunate to fall without so much as a scrape. ...

18 likes 12 comments 12
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Unexpected Gift

Submitted to Contest #122

A mild lavender aroma permeated the air. It mixed with the sweet smell of peppermint white chocolate mocha, leaving a delightful scent where Caroline sat on the sofa. She read her book while she waited for the mocha to cool. She had just finished the weekend chores around the house and wanted to spend the afternoon immersed in her books. The doorbell rang to pause relaxation for Caroline as she looked over the sofa towards the front door with irritation. Had they come a few minutes earlier, they would have caught her before she sat down. ...

18 likes 9 comments 9
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Package Delivered

Submitted to Contest #122

Fifteen years of marriage proved to be tepid rather than loving as the Wrights drifted further apart. The unvarying abuse, the myriad affairs, the wavering health conditions, and let’s not forget, all the children brought situations to a halt upon Alyse’s hospital release. While attempting this chance at restoration and renewal, Alyse finally recognized her breaking point. She was no longer walking around the great state of Mississippi as the abused wife, nor Matthew’s fool. Mind you, Alyse was no one’s fool. She knew of his infidelities, as...

18 likes 8 comments 8
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Threads

Submitted to Contest #122

Mary walked from one gloomy room to another, feeling she had awakened from a deep sleep. ‘Is this how Sleeping Beauty felt after years of slumber?’ Still groggy, she struggled to understand. It felt like ages since she felt at peace with herself. Days and weeks passed without definition. ‘What season is this?’ What kept her imprisoned? Certainly not Edward. Despite his faults, he proved himself a caring and loyal husband. He wanted the best for her. He encouraged outings. ‘What, then?’ An unnamed fear haunted her. Sunshine seeped from behind...

17 likes 0 comments 0
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Shoot Past the Moon

Submitted to Contest #122

I rearranged the padfolio, stack of papers, and water bottle on the podium for the umpteenth time as more people continued to meander in and take a seat in front of me. Whew, ok, take some deep breaths. You’ve got this. I tried to distract myself and calm my nerves by gazing out of the bookshop’s windows which lined the city street. It was a chilly, early spring evening and there was a drizzle outside being illuminated by the streetlights. I was snapped out of my trance by the bookshop owner approaching the podium to greet the crowd. ...

17 likes 6 comments 6
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One Little Secret

Submitted to Contest #122

Startled, Alex sat straight up in bed and wondered if she was dreaming or if those were really footsteps in the hall. Shivering, she pulled the covers snugly around her half-dressed body and sat peering into the complete darkness. Her heart skipped a beat, and her blood went cold when she heard the raspy voice whispering through the baby monitor. "So you’re the big deal!" Forgetting she was half dressed, Alex threw back the covers and leapt off the bed sprinting across the hallway to check on the baby. By now Cody, her eighteen mon...

17 likes 1 comment 1
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Death and a Holiday

Submitted to Contest #122

(Content Warning: death, mentions of death, strong language, and dark humor)It went against every fiber of his being (if you could call him a being that is), but GR really liked malls. He liked how wastefully bright the lights were, illuminating even the corners that no one could possibly get to. He liked the edge in people’s voices as they shopped for their holiday gifts, barely holding back the scorn as they addressed their families. He liked the loud, unnecessarily noises from random, inanimate, children’s toys that blared inane instructi...

17 likes 6 comments 6
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Unholy Night

Submitted to Contest #122

Warning: This story contains violence and gore. I had prepared for the apocalypse. I hadn’t prepared for the apocalypse to arrive on Christmas Eve. Everything seems to accelerate around the holidays, you know? Including, apparently, the destruction of the world as we know it.We all knew it was coming. We had seen it coming for months. Years, really. All those dystopian novels, all those monster comic books, and movies and TV shows, and—really? We knew. But the knowledge of something is different than the seeing of something. The ab...

17 likes 12 comments 12
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Was I Ever Really Here?

Submitted to Contest #122

*TW Mental Health/ Substance Abuse.I held that plush in my hands for what seemed like a century. The line was so long it nearly wrapped around the store. My dirty fingers had begun to sweat, leaving ashy fingerprints across the white underbelly of the purple stuffed bear. The voices in my head had begun to swirl, whispering ice cold words into my ear."What's the point? She doesn't even know you exist, and even if she did, it's not like she could love you. Look at yourself, you're an embarrassment!" the first voice hissed."Shut Up!" I growled...

17 likes 6 comments 6
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Brains - Fifty Percent Off!

Submitted to Contest #122

SALEEEEESSSSSS A garbled message chokes out of the PA system. “The go-go-government … collapse … save yours-” With its dying screech it paints a clear picture. No one is coming to save us. I hold back a gasp as they shuffle past me. Their heels scraping on the vinyl floor tiles, hands outstretched, and I pray to a god that seems to have left us. They’re on the hunt for the next victim, the next bargain. All around are the rotting replies of the consumers. SALEEEEESSSSSS We tried to keep them out. The team barricaded the door with mannequ...

16 likes 6 comments 6
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Things Left and Found

Submitted to Contest #122

ACT I - A Familiar Gesture. Mel calls out to Bo, her overweight and underwhelming cat of a decade. She follows the faint meowing to the living room. It's typical of Bo to only acknowledge the "ps ps ps" of his desperate owner from afar and leave it at that, but this time something else held his attention. The front door. Who...no, what...is that out there? In a normal scenario, curiosity would seduce Bo to be a daredevil and investigate but this isn't a normal scenario and Bo isn't a normal cat. It also helps that Mel is already making ...

16 likes 3 comments 3
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Unexpected Gifts

Submitted to Contest #122

It was the middle of a Saturday afternoon. I sat in my favorite place on the couch, stretching my legs out on the chaise. Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV, mounted above my fireplace. Netflix always seemed to have something I’d enjoy watching. Something caught my eye as I sifted through selections.  Ooh, that looks good.  Just as the trailer ended, my Ring doorbell sensed movement, spamming my phone with its crappy motion detection. I ignored it.  Probably one of the neighborhood kids walking past.  And pre...

16 likes 8 comments 8
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