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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#143: Beautiful World, There You Are

Today (April 22nd) is Earth Day, and since it’s far too easy to doomscroll our way through discussions about the climate crisis, I thought we could also find more positive ways to show our appreciation for this planet. This week’s prompts are inspired by the beautiful world we live in, and the ways we can reconnect with it.

This week's prompts

Set your story in the woods or on a campground.

Summer – 82 stories

Write about a character who loves cloud gazing.

Fluff – 55 stories

Start or end your story with a person buying a house plant.

Fluff – 63 stories

Write about a trip to see a natural sight that’s usually only ever seen in photos.

Adventure – 9 stories

Write a story involving a friendship between two different species.

Vampire – 44 stories

Stories

“Cloud Gaze With Me” by Laura Eliz

Submitted to Contest #143

Springtime in New York. It is a feast for the senses. Each season of New York City can be a feast for the senses, but Springtime in New York offers the vibrant views of pink spring time blossoms, the green grass that you can lie on as you cloud gaze in the park, the brilliant blue of the sky and the fluffy white clouds that peak out between sky scrapers, and the sounds of buskers and drum circles. You can taste Spring from the local restaurants who source their food locally from farmers, and you ...

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“The Saga of Scout Ken and Trapper Mike” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #143

The bushes rustled. The taunting hoot of an owl sent shivers through him. Trapper Mike heard soft, hesitant footfalls. Someone was watching him, sneaking up on him. All he had wanted to do was find Frankie Cincinnati’s party. Now he was lost in a pitch-black forest and was about to be eaten. How did his life come to this? The saga of Scout Ken and Trapper Mike began one August night in the early 1980s. Before then, they were simply Ken Radford and Mike Harrison. Their friends tagged them with their nicknames because they had an amusing ...

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“She Could Simply Walk Away” by Harriett Ford

Submitted to Contest #143

She Could Simply Walk Away Jemma heard the sound again, a low moan coming from across the swamp. She had previously dismissed it as the groan of a live oak branch rubbing against another in the breeze, a common enough sound in the wetlands. This time she inclined her head toward the fan of palmetto leaves and listened intently. Moonlight penetrated through ghostly fingers of Spanish moss draped above her head, limning the trees in black against the starlit sky. She could smell the scent of decaying vegetation and feel the damp, cloyin...

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“Leaf.” by Jesper Jee

Submitted to Contest #143

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been alone.Actually, that’s not entirely true; There’s always been others near me, several in fact. But I had always felt - alone.Don’t know if it’s just baseless paranoia or if there was something to all those whispers and rustlings around me. Maybe not. Maybe it’s just me.I never really gave much thought about what kind of person would bring home a houseplant. An ambitious botanist looking for a cure to some awful disease? A supervillan looking to procure some poison? Perhaps some stoner wanting to add s...

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“An Unusual Pair” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #143

An Unusual Pair They are an unusual pair. One flies high and with his acute vision can spot food that even some of those on the ground might not see. The other doesn’t rely so much on his eyes – nose first, ears second and eyes third. And yet, despite their differences, they get along just fine. The one provides food without trying to, which the other steals and always get away with it. The wolf isn’t selfish enough to care about losing a little food.&nbsp...

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“The Rankalank” by Hamzah Malik

Submitted to Contest #143

The RankalankOnce upon a time there lived a boy called Northum, who loved animals fondly. One day, a few days after his eighteenth birthday, he saw a man beating a horse in the woods, its pleading neighing slicing through the cool evening air.Without thinking, Northum ran towards the horse and beat the man with a bag of apples he had, his anger seething out of his mouth in breathless hissing.You see, reader, Northum had an affinity for animals, but also had quite the temper. When the man, who was both shocked and angry that a young boy was b...

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“The Frozen God ” by Adam S. Karofsky

Submitted to Contest #143

“Something is definitely out there watching us.” “Hansen, give it a rest, would ya?” Clifford said, giving her coat a shake to dislodge the snow that had gathered around her collar. “I’m being fucking serious Cliff, I swear it’s out there.” Hansen squinted against the darkness and the ever-present falling of flakes for movement in the deep shadows of the forest. The light from their campfire would glance off the trees nearest to them before being swallowed by the depths. “You know these things only come out during the daytime, right? Y...

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“Saturday Morning Nostalgia” by Laura Eliz

Submitted to Contest #143

Saturday mornings are for drinking coffee, being up in time for breakfast, and trips to the farmers market or to Trader Joe’s, Aldi, or Wegman’s if you live in upstate NY and choose not to brave the farmers market in the dead of winter. Saturdays are also for purchasing house plants to bring back to my apartment where they will likely meet their death. The market has a variety of plant vendors. There are succulents, which are my favorite because they can't be killed easily, there are annuals that can be planted in the garden,...

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“The Brute and The Riaex” by Mary Duke

Submitted to Contest #143

“My life can’t possibly get any worse.” The accursed little creature that I had the pleasure of calling my sister took the last swig of her ale, “Oh Albert,” Aella grinned, “it can— just give me a moment,” she put on her green hat with its gold tassel, and a mischievous smile that made me feel queezy. Oh, dear spirits of the ancients no… She took her mandolin, leapt up and started strumming a peppy tune. Confidence marked her stride as she began to sing. “There once was a man who lived under a wall; He hid from the birds and their happ...

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“Scores Settled - Don't Dig Deep” by Latha Prakash

Submitted to Contest #143

The autumn leaves crushed under Jennifer's feet as she walked in the woods. The breeze cooled her face. The open sweat pores that acted as a fountain were now shut. A calming kind of chill rolled down her neck, arms and hands. This rendezvous with nature was all she needed to calm her frayed nerves. Jennifer was a photographer who worked for a reputed publishing office in New York. Despite her flourishing career, she felt that something was amiss in her life. Upon a suggestion from her friend, she resorted to some soul searching. She...

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“A House Plant Indeed” by Clara Candace Farr

Submitted to Contest #143

A house plant indeed. Christina wandered the aisles of Nordstrom’s Department Store. It was cold outside, and the warmth of the store felt good. Everything she needed was in the store. She began in the linen section. She ran her hands over the highest thread count sheets. She closed her eyes into old memories of her favorite gold-colored sheets. Her mind filled with loving embraces, lazy weekends spent in bed, long conversations as her head rested on her expensive favorite pillow. These new sh...

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“Feathered Friend” by Kelly Mesenbrink

Submitted to Contest #143

Henry Fluffypaws did not feel like gardening that day. He’d woken up on the right side of the bed, next to his beautiful wife, and with the scent of flowers wafting into his window. He had absolutely no motivation to disturb the beautiful moment he was experiencing. But Mr. Marsden would want his hedges perfectly trimmed as usual. He sniffed angrily at Henry whenever there was a branch or two un-snipped. Hootie Marsden terrified Henry, and he did not dare disobey his wishes. So Henry took one last look at his sleeping wife, gave her a kiss o...

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“Devil’s Ivy” by Lily Saylor

Submitted to Contest #143

The plant sat dormant on Oliver’s doorstep for three days until he reluctantly brought it inside. At its arrival, he had chalked it up to be a simple error with a delivery driver. People mistakenly drop off packages at the wrong address frequently, so he naturally assumed an annoyed neighbor would be around to collect it after a day or two. When no annoyed neighbor had come his way, Oliver began to consider the possibility that a friend of his had dropped it off at his door as a kind gesture. A gift, perhaps. This thought was quickly ...

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“The Woods Don't Like City Girls” by Ginger Scharpe

Submitted to Contest #143

The Woods Don’t Like City Girls Candice was a city girl. What was she thinking, saying yes to Todd? Go camping, her friends had said; it will be fun, Todd said. Candice really wanted to impress Todd. They had only been dating for a month and she knew he loved the outdoors. She had never been camping, never been in the woods, never even roasted a marshmallow. When Todd told Candice that he had a camper and it was more like “glamping,” glamorous camping, she gave in. How bad could it really be? Famous last words. Todd showed up in front of...

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“Forgetting to Forget” by Ema Fancher

Submitted to Contest #143

Kitty cat with a backpack followed by a bubble-blowing dragon, Anabelle loved watching the clouds roll by. Cool grass surrounded the child as she gazed up through the topiary maze. Spring neared its yearly slumber and the day’s heat attested to that fact, but Anabelle never missed an opportunity to seclude herself in the silence of her garden. She slipped there whenever she spied a glimmer of freedom. In her garden, she never wasted a moment’s thought on her problems. And her problems were plenty. “Miss Anabelle!” came the familiar call of ...

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$250

Prize money

253

Contest entries

139

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 29, 2022 EST

Won by Zack Powell 🏆

Title: What Happens in Vegas

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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