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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#149: Of Stranger Things

After its much-awaited release last week, the fourth season of Stranger Things has taken the world by storm. First aired in 2016, this television show stars a group of D&D-loving kids and unlikely heroes in a topsy-turvy world. Its creators took inspiration from many classic thrillers, and the show has in turn been influencing writers to write Stranger Things books.

Whether you’ve been swept up by this sensational show or not, I hope my Stranger Things-inspired prompts can propel you into a story of your own this week:

This week's prompts

Write about a character who is trying to convince others to play a game.

Kids – 20 stories

Start your story with the flickering of a light.

Kids – 98 stories

Write about two people who form a bond with each other through music.

Middle School – 46 stories

Set your story in a town that’s teetering on the edge of something dark, literally or metaphorically.

Dystopian – 50 stories

Write a story about an unlikely group (or pair) of friends.

Middle School – 43 stories

Stories

“A Conversation With Death” by Elizabeth Maxson

Submitted to Contest #149

All of the house lights had just flickered again and my heart was racing like a washing machine on the spin cycle. The book I was reading was not particularly scary, but for the past twenty minutes, everything I read was happening outside. First, the wind picked up just as the storm was brewing on the page. Then, a loud banging noise proceeded for exactly fifteen seconds before dulling into the wind. Two cats fighting and screeching made me drop the book, and lastly the lights flickering caused me to stop reading altogether. &nbsp...

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“The Case of the Caterer's Error” by Olivia Snead

Submitted to Contest #149

One night Ricardo Rivera's eyes snapped open out of a deep sleep. Sounds of snapping and cracking and breaking from downstairs pushed him out of bed. Numbed with fear, he forced himself to move. In the darkness, he almost called his wife’s name, then he remembered she’d left for her mother’s house. He stumbled to the bedroom door, went into the hallway, and clicked on the lights. The lights flickered, and almost simultaneously, there was a crash, and again, a sound of glass shattering. He gathered his courage, went back into the bedroom, ope...

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“Nobody Knows” by Richard Tallman

Submitted to Contest #149

Nobody Knows The flickering, buzzing lightbulb in the crystal chandelier of her mother’s bedroom woke Sylvia up from a delicious nap. It was cleaning day and her mother had yet to bring in the ladder that would reach up to the top of the vaulted ceiling so that the bulb could be changed. Her father had wired the chandelier the best he could, which wasn’t good enough. Just like the insulation under the bedroom floor and the plumbing job in the main bath wasn’t good enough. Her mother, Agnes, like in Agnes of God, called...

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“Felicity Browning” by Adeel Khan

Submitted to Contest #149

Silhouettes of serpentine phantoms dressed the blanched canopy above. At first, a single spectre careened across the ceiling, morphing into a bickering family; the demons jostled for supremacy, frenzied by the aphonic sounds of the night. The sibilance from demon chatter swirled the vapid air from its slumber. Persiflage in nature, they mocked the light that birthed them. The flame that sat upon a tallow column grew reticent, leaving it unsnuffed, I scurried forth as the opportune time presented itself. “Morrigan! Wake up!” Her peculiar li...

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“Hijack Hotel. ” by Justin Mugford

Submitted to Contest #149

“Did you see that?” “Hm? The lights?” Responding to his inquisition, she glanced up from her phone. “They flickered.” Unconcerned, her gaze fell back to her screen. “But, like, all of ‘em did.” “I’m sure it’s fi—“ “Not to worry, Mr. Peck” The woman behind the desk looked up from her computer, cutting Mrs. Peck off. Her brown hair was pulled back into a bun and her warm smile was adorned with pink lipstick. Her blue eyes were comforting and her tone welcoming. “Routine electric maintenance is being performed. Pleas...

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“The Thing at Wanderer's Creek” by Brendan James

Submitted to Contest #149

Julias mindlessly prodded the bubbling strips of bacon as they were being seared straight past what most would consider overdone. But the burnt bacon was routine for the first order of the day, which made its way onto the plate of the number seven combo, delivered to the always on time Sheriff’s Deputy Briscoe. Both the curse of being a moderately small town, and of the deputy’s graveyard shift meant that he was always the first in a seat at the bar across from the grill.The deputy gave Julias a courteous nod as he thanked him for ...

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“Ancestors from Lake Lanier” by Domonique Hines

Submitted to Contest #149

The sky is a warm orange color with clouds that look like sheep wool. Kennard Jr’s eyes have barely blinked since being on the road for 45 minutes. Kennard turned head slightly towards Hunter to see that he is still sleeping, not exactly in the same position he fell asleep in, but wild sleeping was a characteristic of his. Kennard looked out the window at the passing barns and animals on the beautiful green pastures that rests comfortably on the land. These were beautiful to him, but not the most impressive thing he has yet to see on this tr...

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“They Forgot” by J Belle

Submitted to Contest #149

The chasm had gotten larger since the last night. Selkie stood on the edge of the cliff and surveyed the fresh damage. She estimated that about five more feet of earth had chipped off and fallen into the bottomless trench since her last observation. The whole town was pervaded by a feeling of dread. The apocalyptic trench was literally gaining ground, but ever since the police had quit trying to stop the encroaching cliff, there had been an unspoken agreement among the people of the town not to speak of the danger that was almost in their ow...

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“The end of money” by Mucemi Gakuru

Submitted to Contest #149

I became conscious I was turning. But, where was I? I could hardly figure myself, let alone my surroundings. Consciousness, a phenomenon that, once rekindled, flows from an unknown point within oneself to fire up the rest of the body, was returning to its ceaseless marvel. Mine had just turned on, making me quickly aware of my body and that I was turning on my back. My first instinctive action was to open my eyes, only to be met by pitch darkness. The scenario felt like the beginning of time - a blank mind, and in surroundings, I could not...

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“Mission Success” by Vanessa M

Submitted to Contest #149

Content warning: school shooting His alarm clock blares, and he blearily wipes the crumbs of sleep from his eyes. He stumbles out of bed and into a pair of crumpled clothes from the floor. Grabbing a piece of toast on the way out, he checks that all of his supplies are in the car before peeling out of the driveway to his final destination. She strides into the school in her bright pink raincoat. In one hand, she holds her sparkly coffee tumbler; in the other, a stack of math tests, graded and stickered. She wears an infectious smile and ...

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“The River” by Faith Terry

Submitted to Contest #149

I didn’t want to go to the water by myself, but Kellan has band practice. They have to play at homecoming, and her part is especially important. Kellan plays the drums. The drums are the only part of the band that anybody cares about, unless there is a really remarkable saxophone player, and at our school, that is definitely not the case. I tried to play saxophone when I was in fifth grade band, but I couldn’t even get the thing to make a satisfying honk, let alone learn my scales. Sometimes I listen to music and close my eyes and think that...

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“Hidden in the Woods” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #149

“Molly! Give that back,” the redhead sprinted to the other side of the parking lot with a black phone in hand. A brunette followed close in distance quickly catching up. Abbey cornered her friend, the red-head grinning like a Cheshire cat as she held the buzzing phone. Brianna could only stand and accept the usual chaos that erupted when they all got together. “Abbey, you’re the one who left your phone out,” Molly held the device behind her back as the brunette consistently grabbed at the rectangle. It was less like two college-aged women ...

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“True Friends” by Asher Barlow

Submitted to Contest #149

True Friends November Eighth, 2023 Colin: ‘The train trundled along the tracks on the road to Barcelona. The restless passengers stirred and muttered, checking their watches and phones. They were nearly jolted out of their seats when the train screeched to a halt.’ Marco: What’s this? Colin: It’s my story. I’m writing a story based on a true life experience. See if you can guess what it is! ;) Marco: Ok sounds fun. Colin: ‘It was late in the noon, the was sunlight dimmed, and the people heard the train doors open. The boot-falls of...

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“The Last Sunday” by Caterina Baldi

Submitted to Contest #149

The Last Sunday I remember one Sunday when I stayed at home while everyone else was at your funeral. It was a Milanese Sunday like many others. The indecisive sky, the half-empty streets, a day of restless thoughts stretched to Monday. Everyone was at your funeral. Only I was missing. It was supposed to be a farewell day, to say goodbye. I had already said goodbye. For months now, you have been tired of living. You even smell tired with your sugary and rotten scent. I have already said goodbye to you several times. "Goodbye, Marcello", F...

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“A journey into a strange book” by Urooj Aslam

Submitted to Contest #149

A journey into a strange book – Urooj Aslam The sun shone through the clouds after the heavy rain. Still the water on the roads gave a feeling of swimming in the pool. It had been raining for three days constantly and the roads of Islamabad could not be without a view of a pool in different areas. It was seven in the morning and traffic on the roads was like a maniac, the December winter of 2021 with its cold was trying to lay its covers of mist all over the city. The schools in every sector of Islamabad were to start at eight. One could i...

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$250

Prize money

256

Contest entries

123

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 10, 2022 EST

Won by Katy B 🏆

Title: How to Win a Game of Chess Without Really Trying

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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