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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#129: Ski Season

For some of us in the Northern hemisphere, the cold wintery months of January and February come with the promise of the ski season — a light at the end of the tunnel of short, dark days. Whether you’re gallivanting around the Alps, or just taking a sledge to your local snowy hillside, there’s definitely adventure to be found at this time of year.

Whether you find the chill bracing, biting, or something else entirely, let’s thaw any ice that formed over your creative spirit this winter with the help of this week’s prompts!

🥇 Winner

“At the Whitemare” by Erica Vogel

🏆 Winner of Contest #129

It was unclear whether I was supposed to continue my work. The guests sometimes left used dishes out on tables, and sometimes did the chore themselves, chatting with one another. Few things more grounding than housework, one said.The first night of the blizzard, the storm of the decade the radio broadcasts and cable news networks called it, some staff sneaked to the least used balcony to smoke a joint. We huddled in a shaft some of the others had dug out, up to our necks in smoke and steam.In the evenings, a few of the guests watched films i...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Iron Door” by Hannah Barrett

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #129

December 12th, 1692 To Father Eusebio Francisco Kino: The Cañada del Oro is rightly named, glory be to God. The placer has pointed our direction and we begin our journey up and into the belly of the mountain. The burros complain terribly, but not so loudly as the novitiates. The Papago peoples, of whom our apostolate counts some small number, are silent and strong in their ascent. They are possessed of a God-given sure-footedness that is the envy of burro and novitiate alike. Perhaps they are part bighorn sheep. We have made camp along...

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“An Echoing Bark” by Lydi B

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #129

When the frigid stranger entered my inn, the thump of snow-dusted paws swallowed our greetings. The patchy tan and white coat barreling toward me could belong to only one canine: my precious Dublin.“Burns, come’ere,” the man shouted from the door, but I was transfixed. I dropped to my knees, accepting enthusiastic tongue slaps on my face.Those familiar snorts took me out of the hearth-warmed great room and hurtled me back two years ago. The last time I saw Dublin, he was running for his life…“Sorry, ma’am,” the man said, pulling “his” dog an...

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This week's prompts

Begin your story with a character crashing into something (or someone) while skiing.

Adventure – 30 stories

Write about a skier who accidentally strays off-piste.

Adventure – 30 stories

Set your story in a snowed-in chalet.

Winter – 56 stories

Write your story from the point of view of someone learning or teaching an extreme hobby.

Narrative – 19 stories

Your character runs an inn for resting mountaineers. It’s a calm life, until they encounter a twist of fate.

Winter – 47 stories

Stories

“At the Whitemare” by Erica Vogel

🏆 Winner of Contest #129

It was unclear whether I was supposed to continue my work. The guests sometimes left used dishes out on tables, and sometimes did the chore themselves, chatting with one another. Few things more grounding than housework, one said.The first night of the blizzard, the storm of the decade the radio broadcasts and cable news networks called it, some staff sneaked to the least used balcony to smoke a joint. We huddled in a shaft some of the others had dug out, up to our necks in smoke and steam.In the evenings, a few of the guests watched films i...

Read story

“Perilous Times Shall Come” by Deidra Whitt Lovegren

Submitted to Contest #129

When the end came, it was the people in the cities who suffered the most.Barbeau lay low on the snowy roof of the abandoned ski chalet, focusing his 10x50 binoculars on the great plumes of black and gray smoke spiraling from the general direction of Washington, D.C. It appeared Interstate 66 was still blocked heading west. Exactly who had commandeered the roadway—Barbeau couldn’t hazard a guess. But the ice and freezing snow were making passage all the more difficult for them. He stoically watched a steady stream of heavy military trans...

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“Seagulls” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #129

Alex O’Hara doesn’t ski. Growing up in St. Lawrence with an overabundance of snow every year, one would think she would. But skiing is a privilege Alex didn’t grow up with. The closest thing to skiing Alex did was duct taping two pieces of trash can lids to her feet and walking around West Parishville State Forest when she was ten years old. She ended up almost getting frost bite on her toes and got a whooping from her dad for being out past dark. Alex shakes the thought of St. Lawrence from her head as she takes a sip of her coffee ...

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“The Iron Door” by Hannah Barrett

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #129

December 12th, 1692 To Father Eusebio Francisco Kino: The Cañada del Oro is rightly named, glory be to God. The placer has pointed our direction and we begin our journey up and into the belly of the mountain. The burros complain terribly, but not so loudly as the novitiates. The Papago peoples, of whom our apostolate counts some small number, are silent and strong in their ascent. They are possessed of a God-given sure-footedness that is the envy of burro and novitiate alike. Perhaps they are part bighorn sheep. We have made camp along...

Read story

“Wed or Dead” by PJ Aitken

Submitted to Contest #129

The bullet ricocheted off Kaz’s ski sending it skimming off her foot and causing her other ski to dig into the icy slope, flipping her body into the air. A million thoughts flew through her brain, as she attempted a triple axle with broken ski routine, trying to understand exactly how she missed the fact someone was trying to kill her. Something had been off for the whole weekend but she’d hoped it was just nerves rather than her usual intuition kicking in. In the space of a few milliseconds, or the time it took for her body to hi...

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“When you lose your favorite sock” by Scout Tahoe

Submitted to Contest #129

CW: cancer My dog follows me into the hallway as I’m crunching on a stick of ants-on-a-log. If only she knew raisins were terrible for her and that I wasn’t going to give her a bite anyways. I see my mom losing steam on folding a pile of laundry, so I sit cross-legged next to her and start matching socks. She’s scrolling through social media and leaning against the wall, rubbing the spot under her eyes where the rim of her glasses made a red imprint. She doesn’t notice me at first but then watches me as I sort the mismatched socks away. Some...

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“Last Wish” by Keya J.

Submitted to Contest #129

There are many places to go, many things to do when winter draws by. The cold enveloped our little house and the world had already begun to sink from sight. Hunching over the kitchen sink, my son held the tip of a paperclip over the flame, watching it blacken clean. The light burnt across his winter cheeks, but his eyes seemed nothing, but marbles of sole darkness. I knew he was upset about the morning’s conversation, but this lady had made up her mind. I could see the blueberry cake rise up in the oven.“What are you thinking about, Jan...

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“An Echoing Bark” by Lydi B

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #129

When the frigid stranger entered my inn, the thump of snow-dusted paws swallowed our greetings. The patchy tan and white coat barreling toward me could belong to only one canine: my precious Dublin.“Burns, come’ere,” the man shouted from the door, but I was transfixed. I dropped to my knees, accepting enthusiastic tongue slaps on my face.Those familiar snorts took me out of the hearth-warmed great room and hurtled me back two years ago. The last time I saw Dublin, he was running for his life…“Sorry, ma’am,” the man said, pulling “his” dog an...

Read story

“Beautiful, What's Your Hurry?” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #129

If you open the door, the snow is six feet high.Seven. Twelve.It’s high enough.Go back in and make some popcorn.Ask the man on the bright red sofa what he’d like.Would he like a drink?Could you make him a drink?He hasn’t spoken in an hour.You were having a perfectly fine conversation and then he just--Stopped.Stopped talking.If you engage him in conversation, he’ll ask you about the scar on your cheek. The scar on your cheek is shaped like the letter ‘S.’ Like a serpent. It’s head poised. It’s body lean. It’s hunger undeniable. It wraps itse...

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“The Quiet Wooden Lady” by Phil Manders

Submitted to Contest #129

Hibernating beneath thick snow, almost invisible, she’s held captive. She waits. Patiently. When the first warmth of spring tentatively touches her after the long, dark winter freeze, she stretches. Her body creaks and groans in a way only an old lady’s can. She awakes. She welcomes the warmth and allows it to enter her. To soothe her. Every beam relaxing, respectfully yearning for the long hot summer. This is her place in the universe. This is home. This is where she belongs. This quiet wooden lady who sits by the lake. Perfectly wrapped ...

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“The Hunt” by Jennifer Marchman

Submitted to Contest #129

The Hunt Ringerike, Norway. 806 CE As Freydís watched from the doorway, her older brother knocked his spear against the bottom of his boot, dislodging snow, and her mother stood unconcerned at the loom near the hearth, placidly beating down the weft. The soft, familiar staccato passed through Freydís’ ears unheard. She imagined throwing her hands around Björn’s ankle and letting him drag her along the packed snow as he had done when she was smaller, and she hated herself for it. “Take me with you today.” His eyes rose t...

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“Bittersweet” by Grace Gerrish

Submitted to Contest #129

A white sea with ever-falling pearls from a darkening sky. A sun setting over the peaks, casting a painting like fire that even the greats could not hope to replicate. A quiet so serene- so utterly void- one could on hear the deepest of thoughts echoing through memory. Joel collapsed in the snow as he watched the scene. It was the most beautiful thing he had witness in his long, simple life. A world unbothe...

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“Lost and Found” by Mary Catherine Kingfisher

Submitted to Contest #129

We reached year forty as a gang, with each of us hitting the milestone painfully yet sporadically throughout the year. First Alison in January, then the rest of us in February, April and July. None of us were despondent about meeting this bump in the road, though the cracks in our lives were starting to show. We planned to celebrate our collective aging with a ski vacation to Utah in February. So, it was a pleasant surprise when someone suggested a mini-reunion that fall. It was a quick trip to our hometown and, as the one still l...

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“Conversations With Trees. ” by Livana Teagan

Submitted to Contest #129

First of all, I didn’t want to be there. Not that anyone bothered to ask me a question like that. It was fine. As the middle child I was used to getting shoved to the side. I was used to going with the flow of everyone else in our wild family. What family was that? I’ll explain. I have an older sister too smart for her own good and a mouth loud enough to tell everyone about it. I was sandwiched in between her and a younger brother who couldn’t manage to make a mistake in front of our doe eyed parents.I didn’t mean it to sound so bad, honest....

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“Missing Mountain” by Benny Regalbuto

Submitted to Contest #129

Kenton,Hey, man. I know this is a little strange since I still have your number, but… I wanted to send you a handwritten letter. I don’t expect us to become pen pals or anything, but I promise there’s a point to this, so just bear with me for a bit here. Or, y’know, don’t. You’re a big boy now; you make your own decisions.Anyway. Rewind to high school ski club. I joined for two reasons: because you were doing it, and because Jamie Tipton was doing it. What better justification could there’ve been?No matter my reasons, waking up at 2am to cat...

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$250

Prize money

182

Contest entries

92

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 21, 2022 EST

Won by Erica Vogel 🏆

Title: At the Whitemare

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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