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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#159: Money, Money, Money

Like it or not, money makes the world go round. And while it (supposedly) can’t buy happiness, it can certainly change your life — for better or worse. This week’s prompts have money on the mind; whether your characters are winning big, or down to their last dollar, it’s time to start counting your cash.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a character accepting a bribe.

Adults – 48 stories

Set your story in a world where the currency isn’t money — or at least not money as we understand it.

Fantasy – 62 stories

Write about somebody down on their luck who unexpectedly comes into a large amount of money.

Teens – 49 stories

Your character checks their balance at an ATM and is surprised by the number they see.

Adults – 32 stories

Write about a character who’s never encountered a problem they couldn’t buy their way out of — until they do.

Angst – 25 stories

Stories

“Gerrit's Game” by J.T. Bancroft

Submitted to Contest #159

There was no rain yet, but the night above was gray and brooding. Storm clouds lowed in the distance, the sound masked by the monotonous moan of the sea.Gerrit McCole wore a dark scowl. Before him was a small and freckled kid wearing a baseball cap that was too big for his head. The kid nervously handed Gerrit a damp wad of cash.Gerrit snatched the money from the child, then counted the assortment of bills. He tried to hide a smile. It was all there, all hundred dollars.“So you’ll make sure I win, right?” the kid said, his voice timid and af...

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“Harmless” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #159

Harmless is the most dangerous word going. I know that now. The problem is that we don’t think! If an alien came down and examined one of us they would see all of our potential. They would marvel at the walking miracles that we undoubtedly are. Then they would conclude that we were a danger to ourselves and everything we encounter because we wilfully squander our potential and live a life of ignorance and instant gratification. We want it all and we want it now, regardless of how that pans out. Regardless of the cos...

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“Proud Fathers” by Greg Madden

Submitted to Contest #159

John Mason’s wife dropped her husband off at John Mason Auto Body Repair at 7:30 am on her way to her admin job three miles away. Four hours later, John studied his watch and knew his son, Randy, would arrive in the next 30 minutes at noon. The boy wasn’t always the best worker, but he was dependable. Randy was a senior at Lebanon High School and got out of classes at 10:16. He worked Monday through Friday afternoons at his father’s auto repair shop. He washed cars, picked up parts and supplies, swept the floor, and cleaned the restroom. It ...

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“The Outside Corner” by Gregg Voss

Submitted to Contest #159

The business-sized envelope was new with sharp, square corners and it was stuffed, taking up almost as much space on the bar as the spicy club wrap on Mike’s plate. Benny the bartender, the owner of the joint, walked by with a passing glance as if he had seen it all before, and moved on to wipe down some tumblers on a rectangular black tray. Mike stared at the envelope for a long while, wondering if h...

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“Cáca Meala” by Rose Godwyn Veil

Submitted to Contest #159

{ cw; swearing }"Ah, no, I'm terribly sorry but I don't believe we have that book in stock any longer."With a small swipe of a fingertip across the tip of his tongue, Rían turned the page of the book lying just out of view of the customer in front of him. A loud, unhappy grunt left the patron. Rían only glanced up at the towering figure— yet another orc with a less than inviting disposition, the third one that morning. Their eyes met only briefly, and then something dropped onto the counter with a soft, muted thud. "Hm?" Rían humme...

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“Have any spare time?” by Kelly Ellen

Submitted to Contest #159

“Please, sir,” Ayla said. Her face now a deep maroon with tears soaring down her hollowed cheeks. Her eyes darted back and forth between the man's blank expression and her wrist that carried a constantly dimming wristwatch. “There is really nothing more I can do.” said the expressionless man as if he had much better, much more interesting things to do. Instead, he was stuck behind his cherry wood desk, in his state of the art, ergonomic desk chair and shiny gold wristwatch, staring at this frantic woman who had very little time left....

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“The Black Rose Society ” by Camille M

Submitted to Contest #159

“You’ll become a gargoyle if you keep eating that stuff”, said Alexa without looking away from the entrance of Neutron, one of the most extravagant hotels in Electrica. Her vision was getting blurry from extreme fatigue and she could feel blisters forming under her feet. Needless to say her patience was running thin. Levi swallowed one last gamma, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he tilted his head to the side. “I won’t become like one of those crackheads who lost their souls to gamma and you know it. Besides, I’m nervous. What if he d...

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“The Exchange” by Jay DeFord

Submitted to Contest #159

In the midst of the bustling merchant streets a man was weaving through the crowd. It was late, most of the shops and vendors along the market had either closed up or left. Michael was trying to get out of the city with their shipment with no one noticing him. His outfit was rather nondescript. They needed to get back to their city with these supplies as quickly and quietly as possible. He was making it back to the river shipyard where a man was sitting on a box, keeping his eye on a couple other boxes around him. His outfit was similar to...

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“A Cut Above the Law” by That Guy

Submitted to Contest #159

Wang screamed as the nine serpents’ fangs sank into his exposed buttocks. The backs of his legs were already ravaged and the caustic venom coursed through his body. He closed his eyes and dug his hands and feet deeper into the wooden post he was tied to. The creatures lingered to slither up his back until, with a jerk, the torturer retracted them back into the whip’s shaft. Chief magistrate Hsu tsked and stroked his long black beard. With a raised eyebrow, he turned to councilor Lin, top advisor to the emperor, who was sitting ...

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“Hope” by Moumita Boral

Submitted to Contest #159

Hope” Her phone blinked suddenly, and again she saw the "Notice" message to clear her outstanding dues. She breathed heavily with a sigh. Again this alert! Plus, times were really hard. She was down to her last 1000 rupees and all the job interviews were simply going flat. What will happen? "How will me and my family survive the entire month with so little money?" Dad! Yes Dear! How much money do you have? Roughly around 700. Around 200 rupees in the bank, and I withdrew 500 for household expenses. She breathed heavily ag...

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“Caudral” by Elizabeth Melchior

Submitted to Contest #159

Regret is a funny thing. Some days it flows through every vein in my body. I feel it in me & I wear it like a sweater, hood up and all-consuming. Having just turned 25, I look back on the first half of my twenties and physically cringe at each decision I made that led me to move back into my childhood bedroom. The genesis being getting into a relationship at twenty-one with Eddie from history and ending with believing his, “It’s nothing. I don’t even know her,” when regarding suspicious emails between him and Theresa from Accountin...

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“Queen of Hearts” by Sally Pace

Submitted to Contest #159

Shaina sat at the kitchen table and threw the pen she was holding down. She had just written the last check for her monthly bills. Her bank account balance was $12.18. She sighed. Just once, she wanted to have enough left over, so she could take the girls to McDonald’s for dinner. That didn’t seem like a big deal, but it would have been for her family. It had been a long time since they had been able to afford even a simple treat like McDonald's. Her loser ex-husband had left seven years ago, right after Katie was born. Hilde was just eigh...

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“Creekside Diner” by Ian Matonti

Submitted to Contest #159

Sandra adjusted her loose ponytail. A nervous tic she carried from childhood. Some chew their fingernails or tug their ears when uncomfortable. Sandy played with her ponytail. She glanced over at Mike; manager for less than a week and he already was making a name for himself. Not in a good way. Mike sat in an empty booth and glared at Sandy. Her hands shook as she cleared a table of dishes and glasses. She looked back at Mike, who motioned with his eyes toward the back of the diner. Sandy knew she had to do something. Not because she...

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“Money Isn't Everything But It Does Help” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #159

He sat on the wooden stoop eating his jam sandwich. Opening up the two pieces of bread he inspected the inside, sighed loudly and put them back together again. “I can’t eat another jam sandwich” He said aloud “I might splurge this week and buy some ham!”. John opened up his thermos and drank a gulp of tea. It warmed him. And then he looked around at the hall he had been cleaning. The jarrah floor boards were now free from dirt, grease, beer and anything else that had been slopped on it since last week when he cleaned it. “Oh well it’s a job ...

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“Demo Man” by Marty B

Submitted to Contest #159

To destroy, to tear down, that was the Demo Man’s job. The heavy hammer flew of its own accord in his fists, the walls falling, collapsing in huge crashes. He was the conductor in this orchestra, calling for the high pitched crack of thin lathe, the long rip of the tearing wallpaper, and the kettledrum boom of the breaking studs. His skill was not in building, or creating, but in destruction, the art of destroying another’s creation. What takes months to build comes down in a day. Usually he knocked down homes, but he was indifferent, b...

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$250

Prize money

216

Contest entries

88

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 19, 2022 EST

Won by Daniel Allen 🏆

Title: Blood and Cookies

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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