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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#131: First Impressions

On the 28th of January 1813, Pride and Prejudice was first published. Originally titled First Impressions, Jane Austen’s most famous work has gone on to be a genre-defining classic — and one of my personal favorites.

To celebrate the anniversary of its release, this week’s prompts explore the themes of Pride and Prejudice, and the slipperiness of first impressions.

This week's prompts

Write a story about two characters whose first impressions of one another are wildly inaccurate.

Fluff – 55 stories

Write a story that includes (or subverts) the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Romance – 25 stories

Start your story with the arrival of a new person in a town full of gossips.

Adults – 41 stories

Write a story about a group of sisters, or a group of brothers.

Vampire – 35 stories

Set your story in a drawing room.

Fiction – 29 stories

Stories

“When Stars Collide” by Ellie Phillips

Submitted to Contest #131

When Stars Collide Keep breathing. Deep breaths. In for 5. Hold. Out for 10. Or is it in for 10, out for 5? Dammit. I can hear them in there. Polite platitudes, self assured laughter, casual indifference. But they’re waiting for me. Watching my every move for any sign of weakness. Any little oddity which might give me away. Panic tightens its grip around my windpipe and adrenalin shoots through my body, zapping my veins like tiny bolts of electricity. For a brief moment I contemplate ways to escape. But running away isn’t an option....

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“Roommates” by Lara Lewis

Submitted to Contest #131

Regina slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest as the doorknob rattled and shook.She knew what she’d seen – a figure in a clear raincoat and rubber gloves, smeared with red and holding a bottle of bleach, standing over the bathtub. The figure had lunged for the door, and Regina had slammed it shut almost on impulse. If she moved away from it now, she thought the person would get out and she’d be next. She took a gulp and looked at the ceiling, eyes stinging...

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“Point to Point” by Emily Vacay

Submitted to Contest #131

First, it was Existentialism.He heard her voice ring out, shrill and self-assured, before he’d even taken a proper look at her.“Man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world, and defines himself afterwards. These were the words of John Paul Sartre in his 1946 essay on Existentialism and Humanism, which first laid out the philosophical framework of existentialism. As you will see, it still holds radical potential for us today...”The way she held herself, regal-like, with an air of pomposity as she reeled off French phras...

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“The Tune-Up Case” by Rosalind Sterling

Submitted to Contest #131

TW for mild language, and mentions of drugs, death, and injury. ***** "Picture it. It's the year two thousand. A new century has begun. The crime rate is peaking. And the majority of McDonald's ice cream machines are out of order- making the hardships of the world progress faster than inflation prices. But amongst the chaos, one man decides to lend his help to this deteriorating society.” Richard's voice added a ray of emotion to the once quiet detective office. He was thirty, pale, blond, and could look like a chad if it wasn’t for the ...

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“The Brilliance of Cowards” by Lady Libris

Submitted to Contest #131

If I had been a carpenter or stone mason’s daughter, my earthly life would probably be behind me, snuffed out most inelegantly by the noxious fumes of the monthly witch’s pyre held every Friday night after midnight Mass in the town square. Because my father was a notoriously rich and well connected pervert, I was spared death and disgrace by way of a wedding. When I was caught “fornicating with the devil,” my father gave me an ultimatum: burn in hell (literally and figuratively, as it turned out), or become a wife. When I asked if I ...

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“Strange Mr. Paisley ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #131

When Mr. Amos Paisley came to Stoneybrook Ridge, Missouri, he had no idea what he was in for. Stoneybrook Ridge is located on the west side of the Mississippi river in the Ozark Hills where many still hold grudges from over a hundred years ago during the war. When he arrived, there was a feud boiling over again between the Garris and McDaniel families over a marriage proposal gone sour between Jenny Garris and Tommy Joe McDaniel. Jenny had just turned seventeen, which is old by local marriage standards while Tommy had just returned hom...

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“The Profits of Gossip” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #131

The Profits of Gossip After operating one of the most successful and popular taverns in Annapolis for 30 years Johnny Spertulla was happy to “hang it up” and retire to the quiet Eastern Shore resort town of Snow Hill. Little did he know that a group of his new neighbors would attempt to dash his hopes for a laid-back lifestyle filled with weekend mornings of fishing the Atlantic and whiling away his afternoons in minimal stakes poker games. On his first day in town, Johnny stopped by the local grocery store to pick up a few “ne...

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“Small Town Rats” by Allison Lau

Submitted to Contest #131

Whisper. It felt like they had arrived in a ghost town. There was no one around, except for the wind, but Adeline could still hear their whispers. Like rats scuttering around her brain. Evelie dragged her suitcase down the gravel street. She had always loved what she called ‘small town charm.’ A gust of wind below the map from her hand, and Evelie jumped to catch it. She dropped her suitcase handle, and Adeline grabbed it before it hit the floor, continuing to pull it without Evelie even noticing she had dropped it in the first place. ...

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“Sisters” by Rick Mullholand

Submitted to Contest #131

Long ago, there were three sisters, Virginia, Doris, and Alice. They lived in the small town of Piqua, Ohio north of Dayton, Ohio. Alice was the youngest of the three girls. Virginia was the oldest of the three with Doris being the middle sister. When Alice was about six months old, her mother, Carol, contracted the pandemic Spanish Flu and died. This meant that Alice’s father, Sam, was left to raise her. He very quickly discovered that he was incapable of raising a baby girl. Primarily a result of his alco...

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“A Reconnection Session” by Megan Negus

Submitted to Contest #131

“Dr. Richards, Ms. Sanchez is here to see you.” The woman looks up from the printer towards the secretary. “Did she bring anyone with her?” The young woman nodded, “yes, her sisters, I believe.” “Excellent!” the woman exclaims, “go ahead and sit them in my office, and I’ll be there shortly.” The secretary turns with the click of heels around a corner. With a light beep, Dr. Richards quickly collects the pages from the printer tray and makes her way back to her office. Today was an important session for her current client. Her sess...

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“Nine Rosy Noses and a Dragon” by Violet Steele

Submitted to Contest #131

Nine brothers—a full baseball team. From ages seven to eighteen, their presence turned a group into a crowd. Each personality differed from the rest, making it impossible for anyone to mix them up. Even the twins, Reece and Rivers, made sure no one dared mistake one for the other. Each day was a new, undiscovered game to be discovered. Though they all favored their own sports in their own seasons, spring was the time when all schedules aligned—baseball season. Arlo, nine and a half years old, stood over home plate. It was after school, just...

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“Queen” by Jaden Manrique

Submitted to Contest #131

An embrace from my siblings was rare so that’s why when Roger hugged me I couldn’t help but let my tears flow. He was always the one to console us after my brothers and I would get beaten by our father. He didn’t endure nearly as much of the abuse Brian, John, and I got. Roger was the favorite. Never said aloud, but we all knew the unspoken truth. He was the protector of us all. So it surprised me when years later after escaping our father’s grip he would say things such as, You guys did it to yourselves, You were asking for it, or my person...

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“The T-Shirt and the Haircut” by Max Millick

Submitted to Contest #131

“There’s no way he’s going to believe it,” said Andy. He held up the T-shirt. In bold letters were the words “LET’S GO BRANDON” with two American flags perched to either side. “Dude, I’m telling you: he’s not on Twitter, he doesn’t watch the news. He has no idea it’s even a thing. It’s up to you man. Fifty bucks, take it or leave it,” Ned waved the greenback in front of Andy’s face, the portrait of Ulysses S....

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“Wrong Impressions” by Lea Isamolea

Submitted to Contest #131

The street was crowded with people going home from work, and everything was relatively calm, until a man interrupted the crowd. He was tall, middle-aged, and wearing an old, worn and red jacket. He was running down the street and pushing people aside, until he noticed a police officer. He removed his hat and turned around, but he changed his mind. He ran toward the policeman, waving: "It's great that I've noticed you.", he shouted. "You have to help me. I think someone is trying to rob my warehouse." The policeman looked at him. “I didn’t wa...

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“Party People” by Ian Crombie

Submitted to Contest #131

The party was in full swing when Sandra arrived with two other friends. The two-story house was crammed full of college students, nearly all of them with a red solo cup in their hands, talking loudly over the rave music. The place smelled of spilled alcohol, weed, and body odor. This wasn't Sandra’s typical scene, but she’d just broken up with her three-year boyfriend and her friends insisted on her joining them to “let loose and have fun.” This place didn’t look fun, but she had nothing else to do tonight. She followed her friends th...

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$250

Prize money

185

Contest entries

128

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 04, 2022 EST

Won by Zack Powell 🏆

Title: Love Ain't Blind, Grief Is

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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