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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#148: The Lease I Can Do

Most of us at one time or another will live in an apartment building. Whether you live in a dorm while at college, or you live in a high-rise in Manhattan, sharing a wall or two with your neighbors certainly keeps things interesting. And living in such close proximity to other people has its pros and cons — you’re never too far from help if you need it, but you’re also never too far from the party your downstairs neighbors seem to throw every weekend.

What are some of your fondest (or least fond) memories of apartment living? Use these five prompts to explore what it’s really like to live in an apartment building — or just a little too close to your neighbors for comfort.

This week's prompts

Write about two neighbors who cannot stand each other.

Sad – 43 stories

Write a story involving a noise complaint.

Sad – 45 stories

Include a character in your story that is often in an apartment building, but doesn’t actually live there.

High School – 38 stories

Write about a couple touring an empty apartment they might rent.

Narrative – 27 stories

Write about an apartment building being demolished.

Sad – 42 stories

Stories

“What Do You Care?” by Tom Davis

Submitted to Contest #148

Fred crawled under the sink to get a better look at the leak in Mrs. Gibbons apartment, 225, when she entered and said, “Hey Fred when you’re done, I want you to look at the toilet in the main bathroom. It’s not flushing properly again.” “Have you been dumping food down there again?” Fred asked Mrs. Gibbons lowered her head like a child being scolded and knew what was coming. “How many times have I told you not to do that? Are you deaf or just stupid?” Fred said Mrs. Gibbons eyes swelled up as a few tears rolled down her ...

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“The Second Room” by Maël Finck

Submitted to Contest #148

“And over here is the master bedroom,” the realtor beamed, gesturing dramatically with her left arm towards the bedroom’s alder door, “Isn’t the natural light marvelous?” she asked. Franky and I just nodded our heads while we admired the empty space. I could see his eyes traveling from one corner of the room to another with a steady concentration. He clenches his jaw and squints ever so slightly when he is focused, his eyelashes gently making contact with his glasses as he surveys. I knew that he was visualizing what our bedroom would...

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“Home ” by Michael McCarthy

Submitted to Contest #148

“I can’t stand moving! I’m sure it’s a ring Dante missed. Why can’t we just stay in the house?”“We talked about this. We’ve been empty nesters for a while now. We don’t need the big house anymore. We might as well rent.”“You talk like we’re moving into assisted living.”“You act like we need assisted living. We’re just down-sizing.”“Down-size this! Um…I meant that in general, not toward you…dear.”“Mm hm,” she said, looking at him askance. “Here it is, apartment 1066. The young lady said the key is ...

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“These Walls Can Talk” by J L Jones

Submitted to Contest #148

I suppose I should have seen it coming. My occupants steadily left their spaces one by one a while ago now, leaving me empty and very alone. My hollow insides long for something to fill the void, something to breathe life into these old lungs. I am one of the last buildings left standing. I have watched several others in the area disappear over the last year or so. I didn’t understand why I felt increasingly anxious with every explosion and subsequent cloud of dust, smoke, and debris. But as each building succumbed to the blasts, my anxiet...

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“Demoliotin Doesn't Erase Memories” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #148

The noise was deafening. Dust rose into the air, huge clouds as if suspended by invisible string, gradually dispersing high above the trees and houses dotted sparsely along the road. The area was cordoned off with steel mesh fences but you could still peer through the gaps - enough to see what was going on. She had parked her car across the other side of the road to watch the building being taken apart by the demolition crew. She knew it would take more than a day to tear down the monstrosity – fifteen stories to be exact. Workmen in fluore...

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“I'm so much more” by Kathryn Rutherford

Submitted to Contest #148

The wind blows Dove’s black hair into her face as she stands on the sidewalk with a clipboard in her hand, attempting to save me. “Sir.” She flashes a young man holding a briefcase a smile. “Will you sign my petition?” He checks his watch and scowls at her. “What’s it for?” “A big developer wants to tear down this apartment building. I’m petitioning the city to turn it into a historic landmark.” He shakes his head. “It's just a building. It's nothing more than a tin roof and bricks. The city's full of them.” But I'm more than that. I'm t...

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“It's all going down to the dusty ground” by Alison Woodworths

Submitted to Contest #148

As the sun is raising, its light shine through the window, paints the orangish four panels pattern on the white boring blanket with Marianne underneath. Its light itches her eyes a bit, but she lies still, watching where it goes. For a moment, it’s look simple and beautiful, she thinks. It’s so simple that somehow finds it hard to understand why it happens and what it is really. Marianne decides, at last, to get up from the bed. She never hates the bird chipping as much as she does today. It reminds her that it’s the new day already and she ...

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“Don't talk about it, Be about it” by Bee Williams

Submitted to Contest #148

AN: This story contains sexual themes and strong language I was woken abruptly by the sound of music, extremely loud conversations, and laughter. "3:47?" I grumble, squinting to gaze at my bright phone screen, "That's later than last week." I tried desperately to fall back asleep while covering my ears with each side of my pillow, but I soon gave up. I rose from my bed and walked to my closet, where I put on a pair of jeans and a jacket before exiting my apartment. I repeatedly pounded on my neighbor's door and rang the doorbell. The door...

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“The Old Dog And The New Dog” by D. Jahan

Submitted to Contest #148

1. Confrontation The mere thought of going to an unknown territory excited the new dog to such an extend that his tail wagged as fast as the hand of a grandma with a folded newspaper on a hot summer afternoon of New Delhi when power's shut. His ears straightened like grandma's body on bed when power is finally back. Down the stairs and they were about to head outside, but the new dog stumbled to a door with a funny smell. The smell of an older dog! This made the new dog's tail wag faster than grandma's hand on the hottest day. But, his human...

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“The Tale of Abigail Fig” by Mike Rigby

Submitted to Contest #148

BANG! BUZZZZZZZZZ! Percy Pudders wallowed in his pathetic, rusting apartment. His mind drowned by the deafening noise above, as well as his own self-pity. Big, fat Percy Pudders; too scared to approach the man, who lived above him, to ask him to stop drilling and playing music at 1am on a Monday. No. Percy would sit and take it. Reminiscent of every aspect of his entire life. It was Percy’s 40th birthday. No big celebrations, though. Not even any cards in the post. His mother was his only family and she was long...

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“The last "415"” by Thomas Oliver

Submitted to Contest #148

She answered the door topless. Patrolman Jim Bob White, Tybee Island’s newest cop, was responding to a noise complaint, something the police department dealt with on a nightly basis during “touron” season. Even though he was a rookie, he had already responded to several noise complaints this summer, but none like this. Tybee Island, off the coast of Georgia, is home to about 3,500 year-round residents, but around 8,000 come for their summer vacations each week and are joined each weekend by additional 2,000 day trippers from nearby Savannah...

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“On, off.” by Nusa Zam

Submitted to Contest #148

On. Off. On. Off.That’s the way life is in Number 23 – well, from my perspective anyway.John walks into the house at eight as usual, and Linda’s already home.On.She’s in the kitchen, presumably washing something from the sound of the tap running. He’s late, again – probably due to overtime. The tap squeaks and makes the weird gurgling sound it normally does when it’s switched off. They still haven’t got that fixed yet, but it’s on the list along with all the other jobs around the house they ignore. Her footsteps approach; she’s coming. John ...

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“The Star and the Liar” by Keith Holmes Jr.

Submitted to Contest #148

Reverend Ragland had always been a good liar. Not the standard—schoolyard—liar who barely managed to keep a teacher off his back, no. He was the kind of liar who could mint a new cryptocurrency, get hundreds of people to buy into it, and get away scot-free while convincing everyone he too had no idea what happened to the coin. He could take a dive on a wet floor that lacked a sign and get even the employee he fell before to believe he had bruised his hip. His greatest lie, however, was making even the people who knew better believe he was a ...

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“807” by Megan Shull

Submitted to Contest #148

Trigger Warning: Abuse, suicide, sexual violence, foul language Celia emerged from the metro escalator, not realizing how much she should have appreciated the final blast of cool air before suffocating in the swampy humidity of the downtown pavement. She turned enough to see Emile’s hand reaching out for hers as he stepped from the escalator, checking his GPS for the directions to their next appointment. Emile gently pulled Celia through the park that would lead them a few blocks from the third apartment they’d be touring that day. His ha...

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“Goodbye Dunes” by Amandah Blackwell

Submitted to Contest #148

The Sand Dunes is a pet-friendly apartment complex located in a quiet suburb. It boasts 255 apartments, considered small by most real estate investment standards. Residents can often be seen walking their dogs and chatting up with neighbors. The kids play in the playground area and draw chalk art on the pavement. Voted one of the best apartment complexes for many years, the Sand Dunes often had a waitlist of people wanting to live there. When a resident moved out, an apartment wasn’t vacant for too long. But lately, it’s been a struggle to...

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$250

Prize money

195

Contest entries

90

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 03, 2022 EST

Won by S.K. Wulf 🏆

Title: Two Stubborn Women

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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