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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#135: I Wanna See You Be Brave

Looking at the children’s books I used to read, there’s a lot of emphasis on being courageous. It makes sense — growing up means facing one tough new thing after another. But in adulthood, we stop thinking about bravery so much, as if the concept is confined to the chivalrous men and misfit animals of fairy tales and picture books.

This week, let’s think about what bravery (or its opposite) really means, in an everyday context, a fantasy world, or a children’s story.

This week's prompts

Write about a hero or a villain deathly afraid of doing their job.

Adventure – 37 stories

Start your story with someone stepping outside their comfort zone.

Middle School – 60 stories

Set your story in a town full of cowards.

Fiction – 31 stories

Write a story where fortune doesn’t favor the brave.

Thriller and Suspense – 38 stories

Write about a casual act of bravery.

Narrative – 46 stories

Stories

“The Letters Of A Kamikaze Pilot” by Ashley Melton

Submitted to Contest #135

TW:References to deathJanuary 3rd, 1945Dear Mama,How are you doing lately? I was informed not too long ago about Katō-san's sickness, I and my friends are keeping prayers for her. Sadly I forgot what they said it was, but I hope she recovers swiftly. But again, how are you? Did you make that special soup for Papa's birthday? Were you able to get the ingredients? I know how much I fantasize about your cooking while laying in my barracks. I always go on to my comrades about how great all of your food tastes. One of my friends in specific, Kot...

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“Blossom the Bee” by Cindy Suda-Martinez

Submitted to Contest #135

Blossom the Bee The hive was a-buzz with honey bees galore. There was lots of honey, but they could always use more. Assignments were made, by the Boss, Mr. Big To assure that each worker was aware of her gig. “Look here, Beatrice, Bianca and Bo You’re getting your new assignments, you know? And you, Bella, Brooklyn, Betty and Blake You’ll be promoted if you make no mistakes ‘At tending to the larvae, our babies, our brood. Clean them and love them and bring them their food. Teach them to exercise their wings and their leg...

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“Dancing Queen” by Sean Sorce

Submitted to Contest #135

'I can't believe Im doing this...' I said this to myself as I'm walking towards Tracy after she has been signaling me for quite some time. I dont blame her after all I'm her date as of tonight for our high school Sadie's dance, which is something completely out of my comfort zone mind ya. I probably should explain how it all came to this.SEVERAL MOMENTS EARLIER:'Gosh darn it, my mother was right: Tracy is the prettiest out there,' I said to myself as I watch my Sadie date dancing there with her friends to "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Tracy was w...

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“3am - 6am” by Belinda Marie Cree

Submitted to Contest #135

Sam bolted upright in his bunk, his head missing the deckhead by millimetres as he swept his legs over to thump down on the floor and find his phone to turn off the alarm before it woke up his bunk mates. Snooze? No, off completely. Sam put his silenced phone under his pillow as the curtain closest to him twitched... The body inside groaning, rolling from one side to the other before settling back in. Sam let out a breath, that hadn’t really worked had it. He was sure everyone was awake now, so carefully picked up his gear before shuffling...

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“Winging It - Outside The Comfort Zone Of Kiwi Omerta” by Anna Rogers

Submitted to Contest #135

Facing Gwen my therapist I heave a sigh.‘Fussy ould mother hen wanting to gather this chick under her wing.’Or if she was being honest that of my family’s nemesis Detective Inspector Somers of Auckland Police. Like Victor Hugo’s arch villain Inspector Javert he’s dogged our footsteps since foreva.”The offer of Witness Protection’s still open.”, says Gwen in her no nonsense manner.“Wit-less Protection. Thanks but no thanks.”She means well, but that comes with strings. Like being in Somers’ clutches for an unspecified length of time. Otherwise...

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“Never Say Never” by Beverli Barnes

Submitted to Contest #135

Never Say Never I’m about to do the thing I said I would never do. Run an ultra. I said the same about running a marathon but have completed six. I think most people prefer to hear how much you’ve suffered rather than how smoothly and effortless your race went. Unless you’re a runner however, you could probably care less either way. Although I have trained rigorously the past five months, nothing could have prepared me for what I am about to encounter. The weather has changed drastica...

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“The Goliath” by Abigail O

Submitted to Contest #135

“It’s so tall!” I whisper-shouted to Grace as we waited in line with Ethan, Tiffany, and Jack to ride the Goliath roller coaster. “I know, right! I bet you can see the whole park up there!” Grace said in awe as we stared up at the coaster that was currently at its highest point on the track. “Sharlene?” I heard Tiffany call my name and turned to face her. “Are you sure you want to ride this one? I know you insisted we ride it, but I just want to make sure you’re still up for it.” I nodded, “Absolutely! I’ve never been more sure in my entire ...

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“On the Line” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #135

[🌈St Mary’s Middle School]29 July 2020[Geeta chamchi Co-ord Dear teachers, Sister will conduct a meeting at 4.00 p.m. on Zoom today. Please download the app and be prepared 😊 💖][Aneesa quick gun HindiMadam, why?][Rita anti-tech Games P.E. teachers also? And where is this Zoom?][Daniel suave ScienceIt’s on Play Store][Rita anti-tech GamesPlay Where!?][Niru know- it- all Math🤣 Play Store! that colourful arrow kind of thing on your mobile][Me- fence sitter- English Madam, how to join the meeting? 😊][Geeta chamch...

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“Campbell's Cowards” by Andrea Mariana

Submitted to Contest #135

Content Warning: references to domestic violence Rhonda Pruitt was stupefied as she sat down on her kitchen barstool and slammed her elbow onto the laminate countertop. The letter trembled like a dried leaf in her hand, but her watery eyes fixated on the return address label: Thomas L. Campbell Partner, Campbell and Custis Associates The law firm’s New York City address followed. Rhonda tried in vain to imagine Tommy, now a grown man, wearing a crisp suit behind a fine desk on the hundredth floor of a building far more impressive...

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“Brotherhood” by Ricky Poole

Submitted to Contest #135

Sparks and flashes in every corner of my vision, missile impacts so great they shake the very core of the earth, a sea of bullets whizzing by, just barely missing the heads of our helpless regiment. “ Sarge! They’ve broken through our left flank and are pouring in right on top of us!”Sarge cursed angrily, after a brief pause he spit into dirt and stood up over the bunker cover, firing many rounds into the enemy’s direction. Hot brass and fiery rage spewed from this man, the only person I knew to have such courage to scream in the face of the...

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“SUNRISE” by Turquoise Tatters

Submitted to Contest #135

SUNRISEOnce upon a time, there was a Writer. He sat atop a plinth made of gold, dusted with diamonds and finished with the caresses of each one of His angels. He thought no wrong, He wrote no wrong. Each one of his stories were distinct from the other, walled off with immense care and reviewed to the last letter. There were no mistakes. No fallacies, or coincidences. It was a seamless and completely faultless procedure. And yet, there was one solitary thread that ran through each one of these tales, meshing them together, binding and interla...

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“Change of Heart” by Rebecca Stack

Submitted to Contest #135

Roxanne had always meant to follow in her father’s footsteps, up until this point she had loved her job. Ever since that dreaded night something had changed in her; no longer the same person, an empty shell of the woman she used to be. Thinking back, the shift had begun quietly enough but it wasn’t long before all Hell broke loose. On her break in the early hours of the morning she’d gone into a 24hr convenience store. Unfortunately for her, she had chosen the wrong time to do so, as two thugs in black ski masks barged t...

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“The Circle of Life with Scarlet and Rhett v. Bonnie and Clyde” by Felice Noelle

Submitted to Contest #135

(Violence trigger if Mother Nature can be accused of such in the animal kingdom)With an ominous thwack and a sloshy swish, the Florida 'gator crushes the unwitting flamingo in its strong hinged jaws, dragging it deep under the murky water. In the age-old dance, the flamingo struggles, thrashing wildly about, aiming its sharp talons at an impervious hide, shrieking into the deafening air. The silvery ladyfish drops from it beak to fall back into the muck and swims off, leaving a bloody trail. The exhausted flamingo breathes its last and succu...

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“Poetry is Bravery” by Jasz Garrett

Submitted to Contest #135

Dawson sat in the library anxiously, his leg tapping. His shaggy blonde hair hung in front of his silty blue eyes, and he wore his best flannel. It was orange and azure and clung tightly to his broad shoulders. He didn’t expect this many people to be here today.He wasn’t sure he wanted to do this anymore. More and more people filed through the glass door, masks of all colors on their faces. Next to him, Chloe breathed heavily. She was going first today. She wore a puffy winter jacket and a tiny maxi dress; no tights. It was 15 degrees outsid...

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“Bravery In Sobriety ” by Sam Demogenes

Submitted to Contest #135

May 10th, 2017 was the day that would inevitably change my life. It was two days before my eighteenth birthday, and my mom had been asking me for weeks what I wanted. Each time she asked, I gave her the same smart-ass answer, half as a joke, and half 100% serious. And each time I said it, I saw the pain in her eyes as she asked, “seriously Kelsey, what do you want?” Eventually, she just stopped asking. I don’t know what it was about this particular day that prompted reality to set it, but it hit me like a ton of bricks. Something needed to ...

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$250

Prize money

212

Contest entries

154

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 04, 2022 EST

Won by Thom With An H 🏆

Title: Home of the Brave

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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