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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#146: Getting to Know You (And Me)

Mental Health Awareness Week may be coming to a close, but it’s always a good time to reflect and try to treat one another with a little more understanding — even when our experiences aren’t the same.

Of course, understanding others is part of the job description for writers, or else how would we create our characters? With that in mind, let’s explore what it means to build connection with others (and ourselves), and the different types of reflection that may be required along the way.

This week's prompts

Write from the point of view of a character writing a letter to their past or future self.

Character – 70 stories

Write about a character attempting to meditate or do something mindfully.

Narrative – 38 stories

Set your story in an unlikely sanctuary.

High School – 34 stories

Write about a character discovering a surprising strength in either themself or another.

Character – 56 stories

Start your story during a team building exercise.

Adults – 17 stories

Stories

“Dear me…” by Katie Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #146

I opened the wood door and closed it again, taking off my shoes and making my way to the stairs. “I’m home”, I pointlessly yelled to the empty house as I proceeded to make my way up the staircase and to my room. I entered the rectangular box and sat at my desk and opened my backpack. I took out my school work and mulled over it for a bit before deciding that this was useless and I had zero motivation to complete any of the assignments, so I, once again, closed my textbooks and computer that I would leave until it was far too late for any rea...

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“Letter between Selves” by Alanna Cieslek

Submitted to Contest #146

Dear Future Self, ‘Previous-self’ speaking here and I just wanted to say I’m sort of sorry. No, I mean I’m really sorry. I know I haven’t treated you well and now you are dealing with the aftermath of those choices. For what it’s worth though, it was fun. I had an absolute blast partying with my friends in high school, college, drinking into the early hours of the morning and feeling invincible. I thought we couldn’t be hurt; nothing bad could happen to us. I know you were being mistreated, but please understand I felt so alive and free. W...

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“From Me to Me, and Me to You” by Cado E.

Submitted to Contest #146

warning: depression, unreliable narratorTo Whom This May Concern,Sometimes I think about the future. And it can be good — and then it can be bad. Sometimes I think about the past. And it can be good — and then it can be bad. Sometimes I think about the present. It can be good — and, yes, bad too. So, where in time is it always good and never bad? Nowhere in time, probably. This is only my personal experience, and my personal experiences might not overlap with yours. Perceptions aren’t like two metal rings that can be interlock...

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“times of quiet growth” by Angel C

Submitted to Contest #146

(Note: story contains brief sexual content). I want to give you some memories now, my friend. Some things you can hold onto as life goes on, and deepens into hardships, and lightens back towards goodness. Sometimes memories can be so tremendously important. They can remind you of a kinder time that now seems elusive. More importantly, they can set the tone for the future, as you look for something, anything, to remind you that life can be okay again. And so, future self, take these two memories and hold them close. Here is the first, the...

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“HEY, YOU!” by Nancy Richy

Submitted to Contest #146

Did you ever wish you could go back in time to when you were five years old? That’s a reasonable age – old enough to grasp the difference between right and wrong yet young enough to be just a kid having lots of fun. You have many years to go before you’re even on the cusp of adulthood and there will be an infinite number of opportunities for you to fuck things up. And you will. Being a kid is all about having fun so knock yourself out! It’ll all get real soon enough If I, a mature and seemingly rational woman of the world, could write a ...

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“How I Found Myself” by Greta Bonati

Submitted to Contest #146

There’s very few times in life when one actually chooses to stop and observe. Today, I chose to sit on a bench and simply watch time go by. It’s way harder than it seems. I feel like I should be doing something, or adding to this scenario, maybe some music? Sometimes only the presence of time is taken for granted, whereas it should be cherished. So I choose to sit still. And as I sit here I observe the people walking by, most of them running from the rain. Because that’s what you're expected to do, taught to do. Today I chose the rain suited...

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“Hell, it's rehab!” by Monchi Dragg

Submitted to Contest #146

Content Warning: Excessive Swearing, Morbid/Disturbing imagery Seth “Charlie” Bridgeton clapped his hands. The sudden sharp noise startled the members out of their meditation. They all simultaneously raised their heads to the leader.“Great! Great silent time, guys! Now that you all have brought to mind the horrible atrocities you’ve committed while under the influence of alcohol, let’s talk about it.” He flipped to a page on his clipboard. "Let's see… There are a few new faces joining us. Would they like to introduce themselves?"The room kep...

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“Doggone” by Katherine Willey

Submitted to Contest #146

The light penetrating the room’s dusty curtains seemed too bright for the time of day. Still groggy, Archie lay blinking for a couple minutes trying to figure out what it was that felt off. It took a moment to recall exactly where he was. His head hurt a little, probably due to the five Coors he’d downed the night before, but that wasn’t it. Something else was out of kilter. On this fourth morning alone in Lim’s cabin, Archie had already established something of a routine, especially for the early part of the day. Well, actually, Lim’s dog...

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“Aftermath” by SEAN MILLER

Submitted to Contest #146

The peace found in the ruins of a battlefield is unlike any other. The aftermath of a battle is the antithesis of itself. War is chaos. A cacophony of sounds barraging one’s earlobes from every direction. The reverberating clang of metal as two bloodied swords strike, the erupting shudder of a cannon-shot rippling through the air, the commanding shouts from generals as they attempt to raise their voice above the other competing sounds with fail, each sound more terrifying than the last. The smooth sound of a blade across a slitted throat, ...

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“Choice kingdom” by Emily Rau

Submitted to Contest #146

The soft grass tickling my feet, the sweet smell of cherry blossoms. The light gently caresses my hair. It all seems so familiar, yet so foreign. To think that only two days ago, I was wrapped up safely in a blanket. Now, I am here. Looking out at the ocean that seemingly stretches to eternity. Yet, it had to be fate. I ponder briefly, what I would be doing right now had I not taken that wrong turn. Had I not opened that ever so peculiar door carved into the mountain? Stepping...

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“Flavia and the Party Flutters” by Lara Robinson

Submitted to Contest #146

Flavia is going to a party! At first, she didn’t want to go because she doesn’t like crowded places or loud talking or bright colors or sharp smells that come charging around corners and run up her nose. But most of all, she doesn’t like the Party Flutters. The Flutters always start in Flavia’s stomach like an enormous pot of popcorn that zips and crackles. They fill up her insides, and the popping and crackling get so loud that the Flutter Bees wake up. They stretch and wiggle their wings and bump into each other. The ...

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“The Life and Times of June Parker-Jones” by Emaley Rose

Submitted to Contest #146

“Did you know,” said the girl, “ that octopi can unscrew the lids from jars?”“No, I didn’t,” I replied, even though I did. “Where did you hear that?”“I just read it.”“Oh.”, I said.“It says here that a human brain has eighty-five billion, five hundred million more brain cells than an octopus brain. Brain cell is another word for neuron.”“It is.”Her eyes narrowed. “You know the word neurons but you don’t know about octopi opening jars?”, she asked.“On second thought, maybe I have heard that somewhere before.” “Interesting.”I cleared my th...

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“WE CAN BE RUNAWAYS TOGETHER” by Sikholiwe Manikela

Submitted to Contest #146

I wanted to walk fast but I could not. Each time I took a step, a sharp pain struck as if shocking me with my teeth clenched hard, sure they would shutter. It had been three hours of walking, a walk that normally took me an hour stretched to hours of agony and pain. My hand was raised, wiping away my tears with the back of my shaking hand. Ask me how I was still standing and I would not tell you, but I kept moving until I saw the school gates. I moved a bit faster, knowing I was in no way presentable for school, but what could I do? It w...

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“Strangers” by Emma Diliberto

Submitted to Contest #146

I sit in silence as I examine the peculiar surroundings, watching people like a fish floating within a deep tank of water. Through the reflections of the moving water, I observe fragments of human exchanges–laughter, arguing, crying, hugs. The foggy images parallel the tank's glass full of children's cloudy handprints imprinted on the glass. The glass, a separate wall between their existence and mine, yet the remains of their life engraved within my vision forever. The water like a lens for my perceptions of how it flows and gleams, only all...

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“Strength I Could Never Have Imagined” by Caitlin Cusack

Submitted to Contest #146

The letter that followed the manuscript was in a familiar script, but one I hadn’t seen in 30 years. He reached out for my help, and for the first time, I was in the position to give it. And so, this is his story, summarized from a memoir carefully constructed. It’s sad and true and needs to be heard. Every loss in my life has been tied to that moment. And that sound – right before the flash. Most people will never experience it up close. It’s like gun shots. When I was eighteen years old, I was a soccer phenom. All-American, top recru...

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$250

Prize money

215

Contest entries

134

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 20, 2022 EST

Won by Michał Przywara 🏆

Title: 10 Days to Mindfulness

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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