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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#140: Down Memory Lane

It’s no secret that many writers draw inspiration for their writing from real life, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, when you’re searching for things to write about, taking a memory of your own and altering it is a reliable way to get out of a bout of writer’s block.

Memory is an important concept when writing fiction, as it helps connect the past to the present — so this week, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

This week's prompts

Start your story with the narrator or a character saying “I remember…”

Angst – 102 stories

Write about a character with an unreliable memory.

Character – 46 stories

End your story with total oblivion.

Horror – 24 stories

Write a story that involves a flashback.

Fiction – 71 stories

Write a story inspired by a memory of yours.

Nonfiction – 90 stories

Stories

“Bridge” by E KL

Submitted to Contest #140

Now my friends, as an Asian-American, you would think that I would have often faced racism and that I would have nursed each of my broken pieces into somewhat of a nice-looking sculpture with cracked lines running all over. But in fact, it was quite the opposite. As I was growing up, I luckily did not face as much racism as I do now. But now, I hurt for the brothers, sisters, and the elderly that could've been my grandparents. Every time I scroll through another article, I know that we have lost so much, yet we continue to climb the hard roc...

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“3 Little Birds” by Justin Briggs

Submitted to Contest #140

When I was a boy I shot three birds on a fence. The karma haunts me. It was a cold fall day, no snow on the plains, but the thought of snow in the air. My breath was crisp and chilled. There was no way to know what I was about to do. A good day for birding. I sat shooting my paper target that morning for two hours. I was a dead eye, as they say. Even with corrective lenses, I could hit anything I shot at. The weapon at hand was a Red Ryder BB gun. This device could be loaded with dozens of lead pellets about one-quarter the size of a pea, ...

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“MY GARDEN THAT GROWS BONES” by Darrell Grant

Submitted to Contest #140

Warning: some violence I remember when I was the self appointed almighty protector of my neighborhood. I also remember always thinking and being aware that it was a matter of time before I got caught doing what I believed I had to do, to protect my neighborhood. Hell my neighbors couldn't just keep coming up missing or dead and me not becoming one of the suspects. But I didn't care because I knew that even if a person burned down their own house and left a can of gas in the middle of the living r...

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“Memory of Now” by Shannon Patch

Submitted to Contest #140

“I remember when it was just you and me,” I say, smirking a little as a five year old crawls from the arm of the couch onto Josh’s head. He’s trying to read. He smirks back, dog ears the page, and pulls a ball of arms and legs and energy down into his lap. “I remember when you used to nap!” he says, and lands a kiss on her chubby, giggling cheeks. “Remind me she needs a bath later,” I say, rising to tidy up the living room while our child is momentarily distracted by her daddy’s Sunday morning stubble. I remember the soft scratch...

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“ROUTE 66” by Ed Tar

Submitted to Contest #140

Traveling Old Route 66 It was 1958 and the biggest day of my life to that point—high school graduation. Graduating at the end of the January term meant no senior trip, but that wasn’t going to stop me. A few days after graduating, as the Everly Brothers were singing their smash hit “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” three friends and I had a drea...

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“Whirlwind” by Carolyn Carter

Submitted to Contest #140

I remember when my daughter was a toddler, I avoided taking her to the park because it always drew her to the colorful big toys and the noisy energy that came from the playground. As I watched her beautiful brown eyes sparkle with excitement, I cringed with apprehension. It hurt me to see her lovely face turn shades of pink and her cheerful smile turn upside down when I said things like, “Uh...we’ll come back tomorrow, ok honey?” ...

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“Hurricane of Fire” by Tracey Martin

Submitted to Contest #140

I want... to forget. The thought repeats itself as I take another swig of hard liquor. It does little to numb my senses; I laugh bitterly. I sit at the far end of a downtrodden bar where not even the blinking neon lights can reach me. I shouldn’t stay in one location much longer; I know what happens when I do. There’s a storm growing inside me, and I can’t control it.I get up to leave, but just before I reach the door, it happens: my eyes flash with a quick burst of lightning contained within the depths of my pupils. Nobody notices; they’re ...

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“Pros and Cons” by Molly Norton

Submitted to Contest #140

I did not expect to fall in love with her. I guess nobody really expects that unless they’re like super hopeless romantics. Genuinely, I really did not plan on falling in love with her. I needed a roommate last year and she was looking for a place to live. I liked that she was organized and made random lists of pros and cons. Suddenly she was dragging me to parties or borrowing dresses and introducing me to boys. After the pandemic, I’ve been reluctant to get back out. Although, Veronica has absolutely no problem with it. By the way, her goi...

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“Familiar Strangers” by Kaythi Oo

Submitted to Contest #140

'Hello there. Who are you?' I stare at the strangers crowding around my bed. Something is familiar about them, but I can't exactly grasp what. 'I'm your daughter, Mama,' says the familiar stranger, a young woman with dark hair, the same shade as mine. 'Daughter,' I muse, glancing at her. I look inquiringly at two other men. 'Who are you?' 'I'm your husband,' says the man, who looks as if he's in his 60's. 'This is your son, Lacey.' He nods toward the man. 'Husband. Son. Who's Lacey?' 'Oh, Mama,' cries the daughter. She flings her arms over m...

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“On Evil's Side” by Duha Khan

Submitted to Contest #140

“Almost there,” Hades’ slightly-distorted voice whispered over the walkie-talkie. “Take another left at the end of this street. There’ll be a security camera pointed right at you on one of the side shop’s backdoors. Keep outta its way. You don’t wanna mess up this time!” He hissed, the same way he hissed at almost everything he said. I took a careful turn to the left of the street, eyeing the camera he had just mentioned. It was a moving camera, that turned from left to right. “Okay, okay. Stop crawlin’ up my back, Dude. It’s annoying. An...

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“Everyone Just Called Her "Viv"” by Marc Bradley

Submitted to Contest #140

September 1971—The morning started in a rush. I was in kindergarten and my brother in second grade. Mom was in more of a hurry than usual and was not her smiling, upbeat, positive self. It did not take me long to realize that my brother and I had missed the bus. Mom rushed us all into the car, all of us into the back seat, my brother, me, and our good friend Jimmy from across the street, who had missed the bus as well. There were no seatbelts back then, so the back seat was the safest place for kids our age to be. The next thing I remember i...

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“The Worse Day” by Larry McDonald

Submitted to Contest #140

`"It seemed like yesterday," the man told his son. "I had a similar incident when I was in the war in Afghanistan. We didn’t fight the enemy with video games, back in my day. We were boots on the ground. "Dad, we don’t fight them with video games." "We use an Intelligent War-fighting Autonomous Reaction Force, or IWAR, for short," said the son. They might as well be video games; you watch them on your fancy screens and don’t even get your hands dirty. Although it is not a bad thing to keep our boys from ...

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“Remember to Forget ” by Lilac St.Madden

Submitted to Contest #140

TRIGGER WARNING: This contains sensitive topics such as mental health issues, substance abuse, and suicide. Remember to Forget Written By: Wren St.Madden "What's your name?" The doctor asked. "Faith." "Last name?" I stared at the floor, my head tilted a bit. My black hair tangled in knots, my skin pale as a ghost. Black circles under my tired eyes. My lips were chapped, my skin was peeling. 11 bruised ribs, and 4 broken fingers. "Last name?" The doctor repeated. I shrugged. I knew it, but I'd forgotten how to p...

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“In the Box” by K. M. F. Strider

Submitted to Contest #140

Content Warning: Physical and Sexual Violence, Language “Fine,” he says at last, circling the lowest number and signing his name. I hold out my hand. “Congratulations. You just bought yourself a car.” His hand is a little clammy, but he shakes on it and leans back in the chair. “You didn’t even buy me dinner first!” he jokes. I hate those jokes. But I am a professional, so I plaster on a smile. “I’m going to step out for a minute and get everything moving for you, and I’ll come back with some paperwork. Sound good?” H...

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“The First Sin.” by Charles Dean

Submitted to Contest #140

"Why do you weep, my child?" Asked a mysterious voice that echoed all around the dark sewer tunnels. Loray stopped crying and opened his eyes, startled by the question. He turned left and right but saw no one, making him wonder if he had lost his sanity. "Why do you weep, my child?" Asked the voice again. Loray looked down and saw a single red eye staring at him from within a puddle of dirty water. The eye seemed to look deep inside his soul and ponder at his depths. Loray jumped away and as he knelt facing away, he placed his hands on his e...

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$250

Prize money

333

Contest entries

170

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 08, 2022 EST

Won by Cecilia Maddison 🏆

Title: Old Soul

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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