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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

“Dark Ages” by Jim Johnston

Submitted to Contest #149

DARK AGES, a Dystopian Capriccio by Jim Johnston Even with the plastic helmet, my nostrils burn from the acrid air, with its hint of rotting melons and animal feces. The storm has subsided, and official instructions for domestic cleanup appear on my device. The house, inside and out, is covered with a thin layer of opalescent dust, scattered with little flecks of light, like tiny diamonds. Why should something so lethal look so beautiful? I wonder as I begin my chore. I place the soap, the bleach, and a scrap of rough burlap on the kitche...

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“a house, awhile ago” by Angel C

Submitted to Contest #149

(Sensitive content - nudity) We as young people don't often tend to write about our memories. What person, during this time of their life, has time to be so reflective? When you're this age, the world only tends to move forward. Nostalgia and sentimentality aren't the type of thrilling emotions one wants to feel when they're young. On the other hand, it's why a young person should write. Writing is reflective, but rarely do we hear the reflections of the young. What will tumble out of the pen of one still wading through the periods that ...

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“The Path Unspoken May As Well Be Unspoken ” by Bob Nike

Submitted to Contest #149

Hi im this 18 year old kid and something has been teetering on my mind. People have been saying this town I'm in has a quote on quote dark past. Whenever I walk around this small but very big eerie town there's always strange happenings, things that people can’t explain. You may believe or not believe in these strange happenings but i can tell if you were to ask anyone who lives here they will tell you lies to make you stay. Sometimes this town's curse as I may call it sucks you in and won't let go. May 16th 2020, a dark and seem...

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“Dark Dreams” by C.B. Tannon

Submitted to Contest #149

[Note: this is a sequel to the story "Lies of the Rational Mind", although it can be read as a standalone story]The aftermath of whatever had gone down was grisly, grislier than most supernatural crime scenes I had investigated. I’m slightly ashamed to admit I’d had to run to the toilet to puke immediately. I returned to the bedroom a shade paler than usual, brushed underneath the yellow and black tape crossing the doorway, and appraised the corpse for a second time, trying my utmost to ignore the viscid stench of rotting offal emanating fro...

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“Another?” by K.J. Dyer

Submitted to Contest #149

The flash outlined the silhouetted as it stooped entering through the thick black wooden door. Shuttering the tempest like a muddy retriever. The twisted staff placed in the crux between the wall and the end of the bar. The wary travels’ body slumped onto the stool as outside drippings continued to plop to the floor. Long white knuckles clung to the edge of the bar, settling cold bones in place.“Welcome to the Hounds Tooth Pub, what can I get ya?”The bartender had already sized up his customer pouring a tall snout of whiskey into a tumbler.“...

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“Weird Band Chaperons” by Ray Maher

Submitted to Contest #149

Weird Band ChaperonsWe are close friends who were brought together through our repeated years of band practice. Meg is quiet and shy, with or without her flute. Dan, who plays trumpet, and Kyle with his French horn, are our loud ones. These two tall giraffes can be attention-grabbing fanfares even without their instruments. The other guy in our friendship gang is Dakota. He is short, intense, and as relentless as his drumming in the band performances. I am Dee, the last of our group, the other girl of our five, and I play the piano in our ba...

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“The Witch of Montefiore” by Via L

Submitted to Contest #149

“I want… to see my daughter…” The woman rasped her words slowly, but with distress. Her time was nearly up. That was alright. Aviva had gotten all she needed. The woman was a florist. She had loved gardening ever since she was little. Her favorite flower was a chrysanthemum. She had been 89 when she died eleven years ago. “I want to see…my daughter...” She --Dalia was her name-- spoke with tired urgency. Her lucidity was wavering. She was repeating her words, unable to form new thoughts. It was time to let her rest. Aviva had her han...

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“Speeding Ticket Jones ” by Cosette Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #149

Tia’s Grill had been on this street since before Damien was born, and seeing as how it was always full of people, would probably be there long after he was gone. There was a different mural painted on each wall, with colorful paper decorations hung neatly from the ceiling. The bar was in the center of the place, lit mostly by the three mini tv’s put up in the back by the all the bottles of liquor. The regular bartender was there, mixing drinks to make his own sort of magic. ‘Alcohol magic would probably be pretty useful’ he thou...

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“Affairs in Order” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #149

TW: Swearing and sexual references. Aled gazed with incredulity. How could every dirty secret he’d kept for so many years have shown up at his engagement party. His palms began to sweat. His throat begged for a drink. Had she done it on purpose? These were her guests. Laura caught him gazing at her and smiled, brown eyes glinting with the same sparkle as the ring he’d slipped over her finger. “I sh...

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“Strange Allies” by M B

Submitted to Contest #149

The dracoz made an intimidating figure against the setting sun: He had black scales with a bit of gray down the throat, two large horns jutting from the top of his draconic head, and a long tail ending in a spade point trailing behind him. His yellow eyes gleamed in the dusk light. His kilt rustled in the wind of the plains as the sun glinted off bits of armor adorning his torso. His greatsword - complete with a gem upon the pommel - swung at his side. His name was Draknor, and for many a long year he had wandered the lands and...

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“Falling Dice” by Robin Davidson

Submitted to Contest #149

Blake formed his plan almost immediately after hearing the sound. He didn’t expect such a simple noise to affect him so much, but that layered, striking sound—that clacking of dice falling against a wooden table sent his mind spiraling backward to a year ago, to the last day his friends were all together. “Next week, same time?” Christian had asked. Blake closed his notebook &...

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“The Hollow” by Zoë Page

Submitted to Contest #149

“Down in the damp where the trees clear, deep into the forest the treasure will appear,” I read aloud into the strong silence, my fingers clasping the note feebly. I could feel Aelin staring at me; I twisted to glare at her, “What on earth is this about?” Her dull grey eyes bored into me. She shrugged. “It’s just a treasure hunt. Figure out what the note means, like you’ve done for the last eight clues. It’s not that hard.” I sighed, defeated, turning to gaze despondently at the clue again. We had been sweating out in the blistering sunl...

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“Family Stranger Things” by Parshalla Wood

Submitted to Contest #149

“Deck the Halls with boughs of holly, FaLaLaLaLaaLaLaLaLa, Tis the season to be jolly, FaLaLaLaLaaLaLaLaLa.” This is the sound I heard as I got off the school bus and started for the front door of my house. Oh my, it’s already started this Christmas season. I wonder how the season will end, and who will get hurt because someone always gets hurt before New Year’s Day. As I entered the living room, the smell of turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce and so many other tantalizing aromas let me know we will have a great feast tonight....

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“The Dream Therein” by Cindy Calder

Submitted to Contest #149

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.” - Marcus AureliusThe light was there again, insistent as always and greenish in color as it repeatedly blinked in the far distance over the vast waves. It was just as it appeared in her dream, each and every time. Her dream had been recurring for nearly six months, and Zoe dreamt it at least once a week but sometimes more. Despite the repetition of the dream, she didn’t know what it all meant, but it was obvious her subconscious was ...

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“Sundown at D'oro Pizzeria” by Todd Johnson

Submitted to Contest #149

CHARLES EDGRET / PART ONE He lifts his head as the neon signs flicker and smear their chemical glow across the windows of D’oro Pizzeria, deleting the last data of light scrolling off the setting sun. From where he stands behind the cash register, Charles Edgret can see the advertisement he had made that very weekend, carefully printing the letters in alternating black, green and white on a square of orange poster board—a bold choice that color, but he felt the bright, cheery shade was more impressive, more inviting, more apt to catch the ...

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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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