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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#157: The Green-Eyed Monster

Reality TV is a big guilty pleasure of mine, and the guiltiest of all those pleasures is probably Love Island. I've spent the last few weeks glued to my screen each night, chatting about it to anybody who's willing to listen — and a good few people who aren't.

One recurring theme of the show is jealousy; contestants break up and make up endlessly, and jealousy often has a hand in the drama that plays out between them. Of course, jealousy isn't always of the romantic variety, and envy over what we don't have can infiltrate our lives in strange and unexpected ways.

This week's prompts tackle the green-eyed monster, and how it can lead us astray — plus a tiny nod to Love Island. I couldn't resist.

🥇 Winner

“Wish You Were Here” by Zack Powell

🏆 Winner of Contest #157

Bonjour from the city of love! I don't have much space on this postcard, so I'll keep things brief. I'm heading to the all-you-can-eat crêpe buffet soon anyway. My new lover, Jacques, doesn't mind a woman with a few extra curves. More cushion for the pushin', you know?Oh, you should see him. Jacques is quite the looker, a total zaddy. Like George Clooney without the drug problem. I'm talking high cheekbones and a strong jawline. An accent that can turn cheddar into gouda. Washboard abs you could do two and a half loads of laundry on. I'm pre...

188 comments 188

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Alice Through the Broken Glass” by Riel Rosehill

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

The significance of stage fright and anything other than life itself evaporated the moment the window shattered from the impact of my body.Sparkling shards formed an iridescent cloud around me, suspended under the clear blue sky. The glass sang a wind chime tune, a backdrop to my sharp intake of breath and the heavy thump of my heart.As the distance between me and the window grew and my blond wig blew into my face, tears flooded my eyes. I messed up now. Not only was I going to die, I was trying to be Alice whilst doing so, breaking my paren...

110 comments 110

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“The Perfect Couple” by Aeris Walker

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

She thinks she wants him, but really, she needs me. He doesn’t appreciate her like I do, won’t love her like I could. She is blind to his control, but I want to free her from it. For her—for us. So we can be together.We will be together.***It is week one of filming. The chosen few arrive on set with glossy hair, and bright smiles, and a suitcase bulging with only their best—the most flattering colors, the sexiest silhouettes; they are here to find love as the world is watching.Overcaffeinated producers greet each participant and assign them ...

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“Bob Bought a Farm” by Michał Przywara

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

Bob Oaker braced himself against the shed door and grunted when the goat rammed it. He might have shrieked too but he chose to dis-remember that, as it was unbecoming of a man in the prime of his mid-sixties.But then everything grew silent. All he could hear was the wheeze of his own sweaty breath in the sweltering shed, the dzee-dzee-dzeeing of the cicadas – or grasshoppers, or whatever – and the caw! of distant northern cardinals.Well, he didn’t know they if they were cardinals. They might have been bluebirds or, well, turkeys for all he k...

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“Haunted” by Terri Carter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

TW: Domestic Abuse/Violence I was so young when I fell in love with him. Seventeen is too young to know anything for sure, really. And it’s definitely too young to see through the sheep’s clothing worn by the fiercest wolves. Looking at him now, even in the midst of him resting so peacefully, I can see there is an evilness to him. Even if I didn’t have evidence by way of bruises and shattered glass, I can still see it. His whole aura reeks of demons and violence and insecurity. There was a time when I thou...

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This week's prompts

Write about a relationship, either romantic or platonic, that is being affected by jealousy.

Romance – 71 stories

Write about someone deliberately trying to make somebody else envious.

Dark – 25 stories

Write about a character who discovers the grass isn't actually greener on the other side.

Middle School – 44 stories

Write about two characters who both want what the other has, without knowing the feeling is mutual.

Adults – 27 stories

Write about somebody looking for love on a reality TV show.

Romance – 18 stories

Stories

“Wish You Were Here” by Zack Powell

🏆 Winner of Contest #157

Bonjour from the city of love! I don't have much space on this postcard, so I'll keep things brief. I'm heading to the all-you-can-eat crêpe buffet soon anyway. My new lover, Jacques, doesn't mind a woman with a few extra curves. More cushion for the pushin', you know?Oh, you should see him. Jacques is quite the looker, a total zaddy. Like George Clooney without the drug problem. I'm talking high cheekbones and a strong jawline. An accent that can turn cheddar into gouda. Washboard abs you could do two and a half loads of laundry on. I'm pre...

188 comments 188

Read story

“Alice Through the Broken Glass” by Riel Rosehill

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

The significance of stage fright and anything other than life itself evaporated the moment the window shattered from the impact of my body.Sparkling shards formed an iridescent cloud around me, suspended under the clear blue sky. The glass sang a wind chime tune, a backdrop to my sharp intake of breath and the heavy thump of my heart.As the distance between me and the window grew and my blond wig blew into my face, tears flooded my eyes. I messed up now. Not only was I going to die, I was trying to be Alice whilst doing so, breaking my paren...

110 comments 110

Read story

“Good Times” by Brynn Helena

Submitted to Contest #157

[Prequel to my story 'Safe Space']She stood across the room surrounded by meatheads and bimbos, dressed in a red mini dress that left very little to the imagination. Every curve of her petite body was on display. Her warm ginger hair fell in ringlets around her shoulders, bringing out the natural red blush in her cheeks. When she laughed all the men leaned in as she did the same, their eyes dipping down to her prominent cleavage. She didn't seem to notice though, or care for that matter, sipping on what looked to be her third or fourth glass...

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“Paper Tigress” by Yves. ♙

Submitted to Contest #157

Vidalia removed her mask, tucked her hair behind her ears, and leaned forward instinctively towards the makeup artist. He sprayed something into his hand, applied it to her face, and cocked his head, so that he would have been looking into her eyes had she not already been gazing into the distance.All contestants had been asked to come “hair and makeup ready” to the set each day, which Vidalia had assumed meant she could turn up in no makeup, but the producers had taken one look at her and blanched, which told her that at least she really wa...

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“The Perfect Couple” by Aeris Walker

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

She thinks she wants him, but really, she needs me. He doesn’t appreciate her like I do, won’t love her like I could. She is blind to his control, but I want to free her from it. For her—for us. So we can be together.We will be together.***It is week one of filming. The chosen few arrive on set with glossy hair, and bright smiles, and a suitcase bulging with only their best—the most flattering colors, the sexiest silhouettes; they are here to find love as the world is watching.Overcaffeinated producers greet each participant and assign them ...

Read story

“A Good Night's Sleep” by Kathleen Fine

Submitted to Contest #157

Harvey was snoring louder than normal, so Gloria kicked his hairy leg aggressively under the covers. Without waking, he rolled from his back to his side, his big belly flopping on the mattress as if he were a seal basking in the sun. She noticed that his belly looked bigger than her sister’s had been when she was nine months pregnant. Feeling impish, Gloria poked her newly manicured finger into the flesh next to Harvey’s belly button, half-expecting a baby to kick back, but instead, the skin jiggled back down to its original position on the ...

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“Life in the Captions” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #157

Hello there Instagram!!! Just stopped by to tell you that-- My little girl is officially graduating from high school today! Now you know Jed and I *refuse* to spoil our children #GoodParenting but since Kysa has gotten into *every college she applied to* we thought we’d reward her with a #BrandNewCar As you can see, we chose her favorite color--Burgundy. The dealership didn’t have any cars in that color so we had a little custom number done up. She was so excited to take a photo with her new car that she nearly forgot to put on the b...

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“Something Broken” by Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #157

“Vince and Sal have invited us out on their yacht next weekend.” Ben glances at me before dropping his gaze to his phone.The lounge is cold. I sip my coffee and stare at the wilting pot plant in the corner. And the silence hangs over the casually thrown gauntlet.He coughs. “I’ll tell Vince no, then?”I grip my mug. He’s serious. Tiny ripples of horror radiate through the coffee.He waits for my answer as though he’d asked if we wanted to spend a weekend with our closest friends.“You can’t seriously expect me to go?” I ask.“This might be a good...

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“Bob Bought a Farm” by Michał Przywara

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

Bob Oaker braced himself against the shed door and grunted when the goat rammed it. He might have shrieked too but he chose to dis-remember that, as it was unbecoming of a man in the prime of his mid-sixties.But then everything grew silent. All he could hear was the wheeze of his own sweaty breath in the sweltering shed, the dzee-dzee-dzeeing of the cicadas – or grasshoppers, or whatever – and the caw! of distant northern cardinals.Well, he didn’t know they if they were cardinals. They might have been bluebirds or, well, turkeys for all he k...

Read story

“Bleeding Love” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #157

Striding onto a stage in a suit made from a disco ball and the smooth silk of Barry White’s last breath, the host raised the mic to his lips and winked into camera one. “Hello one, hello all. Love is here and it’s time to fall!” His classic catchphrase drew raucous applause from a crowd of men and women strapped into their seats to stop them rushing the stage. Teeth whiter than a diamond bought with ...

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“Haunted” by Terri Carter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #157

TW: Domestic Abuse/Violence I was so young when I fell in love with him. Seventeen is too young to know anything for sure, really. And it’s definitely too young to see through the sheep’s clothing worn by the fiercest wolves. Looking at him now, even in the midst of him resting so peacefully, I can see there is an evilness to him. Even if I didn’t have evidence by way of bruises and shattered glass, I can still see it. His whole aura reeks of demons and violence and insecurity. There was a time when I thou...

Read story

“Love, Guilt, and Meteor Showers” by Shuvayon Mukherjee

Submitted to Contest #157

Content Warning: loss of pregnancy.She holds my gaze a heartbeat too long, and though we both recall the past, it’s the future we see clearest. I shouldn’t, but I’m powerless as my legs carry me across the atrium towards her. I can’t stop myself from admiring those lips, reposed against her wineglass. I can’t stop my eyes from tracing down her slender fingers, pale skin, gleaming fabric, and the shape of her body underneath. It doesn’t matter what I tell her, or what she says back. This love affair has only one ending.When I’m driving home, ...

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“Chasing Dreams! ” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #157

(Content Warning: Violence, Blood, Murder, Language.) The night came crawling in like a lost predator searching for its prey. The beast howled at the moon with blood-lust in its eyes, and for a moment, a quiet hush fell upon the lonely town of Oak Flats, West Virginia. The citizens were tame, but the animal was savagely wild and took what it wanted. In a back alleyway behind Devil’s Bar, the scruffy homeless man didn’t see the evil claws reaching out from the darkness until it was too late. The feral beast ripped limb from limb a...

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“Blind Date Done Deal” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #157

“I’m trying to figure out who should be jealous of whom here?” Regina’s date asked, his handsome features glowing. She thought about how she would answer this question as the cameras of Australia's largest reality television show zoomed in.**Pre-Date Interview:“What do you hope for in life?” the director asked.“To be happy,” she said, smiling and looking straight ahead and not moving around in her chair as they had taught her. Her mother had told her to always look her best, “We need to have men look at you the way your dad looks at Aus...

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“Whatsisname from eBay” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #157

“Please hurry up and open,” I mentally pleaded with the shop assistant through the crystal-clear window. She couldn’t hear me, but I knew she could feel my angst through the glass divider. ‘Limited Stock,’ said the posters stuck to the inside of the window. ‘Once they’re gone, they’re gone!’ It was the 1980s – the decade of desire. Computers, Rubick’s Cubes, Teddy Ruxpin, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, and the most anticipated arrival to my young impressionable life… Cabbage Patch dolls. What made them so necessary to have, is anyone’s gu...

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$250

Prize money

185

Contest entries

88

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 05, 2022 EST

Won by Zack Powell 🏆

Title: Wish You Were Here

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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