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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#158: It's All Good, Man

With only a few episodes left to air, the legal drama Better Call Saul is coming to an end. Along with the Breaking Bad saga, this spin-off garnered dozens of nominations and countless fans around the world through excellent character development and storytelling. Saul Goodman’s colorful suits, elaborate scams, and wordplay (“It’S all Good, man”) will be hard to forget.

Whether you're familiar with the series, or this is your first time hearing about it, there'll be something for you in this week's prompts — inspired by the show's characters and themes.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a couple sharing a cigarette in a parking lot.

Adults – 66 stories

Write about a character with questionable morals.

Dark – 41 stories

Write a story where the law plays an important role.

High School – 24 stories

Write a story about a character who is trying to become a better person.

Middle School – 42 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “It’s not fair.”

Middle School – 72 stories

Stories

“I Need to Change - a Lot” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #158

I used to be a horrible person and not that long ago. I’ve been trying so hard to change. I know it’s only been two weeks that I’ve been trying to mend my ways but it’s very difficult when you haven’t been nice for such a long time. The main reason for me wanting to change is quite simple really. I’m lonely. Horrible people aren’t likeable. I know that first hand because my dad was and is horrible too. That’s why mum left him when I was a kid. “I’m off” she yelled one night. It probably wasn’t any louder than she usually shouted but it had ...

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“Waste Not, Want Lemons” by Kasey Kirchner

Submitted to Contest #158

You’re trying to grow a lemon tree in your kitchen because the world is ending. But you live in Minnesota, and you’re pretty sure your partner thinks you’re crazy for trying to grow a tropical fruit on a kitchen counter in Minnesota. But you’re committed. You’re determined. You’re going to grow a lemon tree. And then, you tell yourself, you won’t feel so bad about consuming lemons because you won’t be consuming lemons from the store; you’ll be consuming lemons that you grew right here at home. And maybe you’ll be so good at growing lemons th...

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“A Story About Someone Trying To Become A Better Person” by Ruby Gower

Submitted to Contest #158

Here is a story about someone trying to become a better person. Here is a carnival and a summertime of any year and lights and people and joyful screaming. Look at the sturgeon moon stamped onto the black sky. Now, if you would, walk out of the crowd and into a darker part of the carnival. You can come back later. After a silent walk along slick, dark grass- yes, I know, a carnival in the dark? You're too bound by habit. Have a little imagination. Anyway. After your walk here is a single booth. Here is a man in a dark su...

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“All is Not Fair in the 3rd Grade” by JJ Robinson

Submitted to Contest #158

Aloise loved recess! Her favorites were the swings, the jungle gym and the big- leaf maple tree at the far end of the playground. She loved to trace its deeply ridged bark with her finger and read her favorite books under its majestic leaves doing their job by giving her a nice, cool spot to read. Aloise was in the third grade at the Bulls Bridge Center School. She had deep brown eyes and long wavy, white-blonde hair that hung down around her shoulders like a shiny princess cape. “All right, boys and girls, you can put your papers ...

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“Critical Failure ” by Mel F

Submitted to Contest #158

Trigger warnings: mentions of suicide, death, murder, and violence. Critical Failure Report – Unit 6534 – All Coms Down The words flashed on out control panel. We all knew what it meant. All four of us breathed and said nothing for a moment. Gerart gave a long drawn out “Fuck”, which, yeah. Our mission was simple, collect data, research the planet, don’t die, don’t become more hassle than you’re worth. The Collective don’t waste resources on rescue missions, but they pay well and if you’re lost on mission your family get a nice pa...

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“The Two of Us” by Prince Vang

Submitted to Contest #158

“It’s not fair.” He turned his head to look at me, but I didn’t do the same. His hands were clasped in his lap and he hesitated before he placed one of his hands on top of mine. He was as cold as the stone tile we sat on at the top of his apartment building. I shivered from the cold breeze that was leftover from the thunderstorm this morning, but I rejected his jacket when he held it out to me. The chill settled into my bones and I could feel my heart pounding in my throat. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I finally turned to look at him. My brown ...

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“Nighttime Conversations” by Laura Eliz

Submitted to Contest #158

“I don’t normally smoke”, said Cata, their deep brown eyes glowing in the light of the cigarette lighter. “Me neither”, I said after lighting their cigarette, and lighting my own. “The day just called for it”. “What happened?”, Cata asked. ...

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“The Silence” by Liz Molloy

Submitted to Contest #158

CW: Cursing/mild language.Nadia winces while her phone goes off. Without lifting her head or moving her body, she reaches over to grab her phone from the stand, declining the call with one click of the side button. She groans into her pillow, the migraine already pulsating from the back to front of her skull. Dread and self-hatred consume her mind, already regretting the bottle of tequila she completed last night. She feels little, tiny paws climbing up her spine, and then a fat plump hits her lower back as Torrington curls up on her, his wa...

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“The Beast in the Dark” by Allen Millican

Submitted to Contest #158

Ryan stood, frozen in place at the helm. His eyes locked on the monstruous figure lighted by the storm in the distance. The figure, though lit up by the flashes of lightning, was bathed in dark shadows like a curtain draped over it. He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry. He broke his gaze from the creature and looked around. Everyone was staring up with the same look he had. They all knew what it was, but no one was willing to say the name out loud. If they never uttered its name, maybe there would be a...

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“It's Not Fair” by Lorilyn Roberts

Submitted to Contest #158

Hope walked out of the courthouse tired and hungry. After a three-hour deposition filled with too much banter between irate lawyers, she wanted to grab a bite to eat before heading home. While 24-hour rush jobs for court reporters paid well, when unexpected, they sucked. How many times had a rush job bashed her plans for the evening? But at least tonight, she had no plans. The quickest dinner would be takeout Chinese food. Hope went to Kung Fu near her condo and bought some orange chicken and rice. Kung Fu always added a free fortune cookie...

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“Cloudy with a Chance of Cancer” by Eshawnial Lowry

Submitted to Contest #158

"How are you doing Darryl?" Maria asked. She took a cigarette from my brother's mouth and took a puff. She handed it back to him and exhaled. He finished it and tossed the butt to the pavement. "Thanks for letting Mary visit with us for the weekend." "I'm fine Maria, considering everything going on with dad and all. Mary loves hanging out with Sarah when she can so thank you too.""Steve, I'm heading off to work. You two look after each other okay." She gave him a kiss then got in her car and drove off. Mary wandered over to t...

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“Ash Became Them” by Nivedita Shori

Submitted to Contest #158

They stood against the wall, puffs of smoke from each of their slightly-darkened lips curling in rhythm and joining into a cloud in unison. Jayesh laughed at how misleading the image was. There was nothing united about the two of them. Not any more. Neera narrowed her eyes to thin slits as her cigarette threatened to turn into ashes way too soon. Even Cinderella got until midnight. Eleven minutes was not fair. Especially for a slow smoker like her. She was losing against thin air, which was sucking at her nicotine roll faster than he...

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“Love Is A Killer” by Joseph Registrato

Submitted to Contest #158

Love is a Killer Two cops huddled in a dingy backroom finishing up reports on what they agreed had been a suicide, but then the best friend of the deceased called and said she was responsible for the death and wanted to be arrested. The younger cop said, “She’s lying. There is no way she lifted her best friend up onto a table saw, of all things, switched it on and somehow pushed her into the blade. It’s not even physicall...

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“Home Grown Dilemma” by Kevin Alphatooni

Submitted to Contest #158

There’s something about the Carolina sunrise that makes people stop, look, and appreciate nature’s beauty by observing the diverse colors painted in the sky. Not AJ. Just as he was starting his shift, he received a call about a disturbance in the boonies and nothing ever good happened out in the boonies. After filling his stainless-steel tumbler with fresh coffee, he hopped in his patrol car and drove out to investigate. Normally, he would have treated this as a routine check, but he didn’t receive the&nbs...

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“The Perfect Witness” by Kate Kilbee

Submitted to Contest #158

The boy saw everything from his cosy den inside the hedge. He'd found it months ago not far from his own street. He liked to sit there out of sight. School meant taunting, bullying, a gang of boys who were relentless, violent. "Your mother would sleep with anybody. She's a tart. Does she do it for money?""Don't be stupid. His mother's too ugly!""She probably has to pay the men!"This was followed by lots of rude looking gestures and pointing.The taunting would be followed by lots of laughing, pushing and shoving between the bullies. Then...

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$250

Prize money

245

Contest entries

103

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 12, 2022 EST

Won by Scott Christenson 🏆

Title: Your Cat™️ Customer Service

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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