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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.

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

“The Other Side” by Emma Diliberto

Submitted to Contest #157

** contains some potentially triggering material such as mental health, and bullying** I run outside, my face red and wet with tears. Gasping for air, my lungs penetrate as I flee with despair. Pain's surging through the body. Actual pain. How I feel- It actually physically hurts. My mind is racing. "Why. Why. Why. Why is this happening?" I'm still running. Running with no direction. But it must have been looking for something. A place. Anywhere but here. "I want to go back" Between the fragments of my conscious blurred vision, I fi...

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“Snow Leopard” by Jacob Chudnovsky

Submitted to Contest #157

I gently tap her on the cheek. No reaction. I tap harder. Her eyelids flutter, and her breath speeds up for a second but then slows down again. I grab her shoulders and shake her. Still no reaction. She’s very deep under. I must have overdone it with the ether. Getting sloppy in my old age.I walk to the kitchen, pour a glass of cold water, then return to her and pour the water over her face. There we go. Finally.Her eyes pop open, and her body strains against the ropes. It takes her a couple seconds to fully wake up and take in her surroundi...

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“Begonia” by Tesaneyah Dan

Submitted to Contest #157

A long observer of lovers’ quarrels, the oakwood grandfather clock overlooked the table where the man and the woman were opposite not only in their positions at the ends of the wooden table but in their countenance. The man’s eyes, pulled into a cutting look, were set on the woman’s downturned ones; the man’s nostrils flared as hers concave with each sniffle; and the man’s mouth was curled into a grimace while hers fell into a frown. Not looking up from her fingers which she twiddled in her lap, the woman broke the silence, “I ain’...

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“I Used My Last Pair Of Good Underwear Two Days Ago” by Raymond S

Submitted to Contest #157

TW, Past drug abuse, self harm, disasociation “You’re doing it again.”“What?”“Going away.” Wes is moving again, he always is. Folding a load of laundry he had dragged into Dillion’s house. “Hey love you don’t really have a choice but can you pretty please let me borrow your washing machine? Our dinosaurs broke and Jared Insists he can fix them. We’ve all been hand washing and fighting for places to hang dry for a week.” Dillion just shook his head in amusement, and stepped aside for Wes.He also needed t...

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“Pink Tips” by Lisa Hanlon

Submitted to Contest #157

If you knew where to look, you could see the curtain slightly move as Cleo jogged by the house. Anxiously sitting by the window with her morning coffee, notepad ready to take down any observations, Madison leaned forward to catch her first glimpse of Cleo that day. Mornings were only a fraction of the daily routine that Madison had built around her neighbor. There was just something about Cleo that had her enthralled. Two months ago, the movers had just closed the moving van’s door when Cleo had bounded over to greet her new neighbor. What ...

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“The Mirror” by Kaitlyn Pinegar

Submitted to Contest #157

The daughter is 16 and never in one place for too long—especially not at home. Today, though, her bedroom feels exceptionally claustrophobic. Her chest heaves with another muffled sob. The mother is exhausted. It's been the longest week, shuttling her youngest to gymnastics and staying up way too late to hear her oldest get home safe. It's already 6:30pm and she’s barely started dinner. She can't remember the last time she cooked for fun, like she used to when it was just her and her husband in their sorry excuse for a first apartment....

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“The Airport” by Dawn Locklear

Submitted to Contest #157

The Airport Love impassioned is a delight and wonder. That this can hold the heart and soul in its essence of not knowing, yet knowing, all there is to know. Thus, begins a story of once upon a time… She strolled through the airport, baggage in tow. Most of the seats were taken except one, it was at the end of the row of the connected seats. Making it convenient for the luggage to be next to her. Of course asking for it was a particularly nice validation of manifesting her intent. With a big sigh and smile to t...

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“Shear Envy” by Amy Ingram

Submitted to Contest #157

*contains some mildly offensive language*Alex got to the woolshed while it was still dark. Her father and brothers had gone out even earlier, to be ready to begin the muster as soon as there was light for the ewes to see. It was her job to fill the indoor pens ready for the shearers to start, and they would be arriving by six in order to cut out the whole mob by the end of the day.The covered yards were already filled with the small mob they had brought in last night. Alex could hear the occasional barking cough but there was no other sound ...

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“miss. bachelorette” by Zi Poromon

Submitted to Contest #157

A heated cocktail party left Winnie in a cloudy position, questioning everything. With only six men left, what move will she make to determine who is here for love, and who is here to leave chaos. ------------------------------------- “Makeup and hair done.” “Yep!” “Great, I’ll be right back with the producers for a run down of the show today, so you can just sit here on the couch and feel free to eat and drink.” “Thanks Sandra.” Winnie’s eyes are still heavy with sleep and fatigue, and her mind is as full and busy as the filming cre...

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“All Alone” by M.K. Kitch

Submitted to Contest #157

"Love has always eluded me and not from my lack of trying. If 35 years of life was not enough to at least have sampled love, then another 35 wouldn't bring about the full course. I read popular books that just confused me more. Take 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus', sure, this may answer some questions in the traditional sense but let's take a moment to think about this in a non-traditional manner. What if the Martian didn't want a...Venusian? No that can't be right...Venetian? Ugh whatever the 'Martian' equivalent for Venus is but ...

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“LOVE” by Byron Senior

Submitted to Contest #157

Author Discretion: Mild swearing. The two motor boats were driven by show staff towards the vacant island. “Two Contestants! Two Weeks! One Island!” Both contestants looked up as they heard the booming voice coming from the island. Not that it made a difference as they’d both been blindfolded. “These two lovebirds are looking for that special someone, and will be put through a series of tests to determine if they’re meant to be!” The female contestant gripped the front of her shirt, and the male contestant tapped his fingers on his...

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“Next time on Love Galaxy!” by Dempsey Hyatt

Submitted to Contest #157

WARNING: This story contains love, lust, and ghirlsblips the size of a pirate’s eye patch I was having breakfast, Cinnamon Toast Crunch with a glass of orange juice, when a helicopter landed on the front lawn of my suburban house outside of Sacramento. When two G-Men, government cronies in their typical black suits and ties, knocked on my front door, I was glad I wouldn’t have to explain this situation to my two teenage girls, who were already at school, and my wife, who was at...

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“Cheers for Chicks. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #157

While she was browsing in her local library, curious Imogen picked up an intriguing new title, in the 'New Release' section. Being a practicing Christian, she borrowed this new epic lit. The title was, "The Pink Bible", edited at a modern convention of nuns attached to the Holy See in the Vatican. Imogen arrived home, and collected her mail. It was that time of year, Christmas cards! The first one was lovely, the three Wise Kings seated in their robes in the traditional way, on their three camels. After carefully displaying her cards, Imoge...

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“Et Tradidit” by Savier Silva

Submitted to Contest #157

Standing there, with my sword in hand I sighed as I looked at Heldr. He was tired, I could tell that much just by looking at him. He was panting, the massive claymore that he wielded clenched by the hilt in a shaking hand. The sun setting behind him painted the world around us in red and golden fire and I thought back on all the things that brought us to this point. Looking down at my right arm, I could almost feel the phantom pain of the flames from Heldr’s sword as he used it to sever my original right arm, the fact that it was replaced by...

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“Monster” by B.A. Saia

Submitted to Contest #157

There is something inside me that unfurls like black smoke when I’m hunched over in the bathtub half-covered by purple water and he’s sitting naked on the toilet stinking of vodka and weed telling me that, exactly six months ago when we broke up for the second time, he had fallen in love with someone else. It happens like this: We walk into the art store, and he drops my hand. We walk into the art store and a girl with pink hair and three nose piercings smiles at him, and he drops my hand. He tries to play it off all casually like th...

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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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