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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

“The Gatekeeper” by Lorilyn Roberts

Submitted to Contest #159

Ivan, the gatekeeper, summoned the young lad, Leonid Portnoy. Having just turned 21, Leonid was now considered an adult according to the village’s laws. The majestic sun hung over Ivan’s shoulder as he stood next to the gate. Gently rolling hills and pleasant valleys surrounded the obscure town. At an undisclosed location, it was the only city in the world where people didn’t have to work if they didn’t want to, and everything was provided to its residents for free.Hidden City would remain hidden as long as Ivan was its gatekeeper. For decad...

1 comment 1
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“High School Money” by Patricia Atkins

Submitted to Contest #159

Thomas stood in front of his bully. Out of his entire high school career, he had never been more afraid of a single person in the whole school. Not even the counselor, who students were forced to talk to when they were caught smoking cigarettes or that one math teacher that ruthlessly failed just about everyone had the same effect on him. Adult scrutiny didn’t compare to that of someone his own age. His bully’s opinions of him bled out onto the other kids.  His name was Alex, and typical with high school bullies, some kids were blissfu...

2 comments 2
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“A New Chapter” by Kendra Wray

Submitted to Contest #159

The elf, a Lord of the Rings Elrond look-alike, hands over a cup filled with a rose-shaded berry beverage. It’s the closest thing to a fruit smoothie I’ve seen since arriving in the Fae Realm from the Human Realm about two months ago. I take a sip of the sweet beverage and show my id card. I can tap my id card on a scanner and gain entrance to my home, place of work, or make a payment in restaurants and stores. “That’ll be one hundred grams of sand,” the elf merchant says. “One hundred what?” I hold up my id card and inwardly growl. Patri...

4 comments 4
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“A Rainbow In The Storm” by Beulah Jamali

Submitted to Contest #159

She wiped the tears silently flowing down her cheeks using the corner of her pyjama top. She could not stop the tap of tears. Morning had arrived and if sleep could be all 24 hours, she would have signed up for it, to escape her miseries. "Thank you," she mumbled to herself as she got out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. Looking at herself in the large mirrors that lined her bathroom walls, she picked up her toothbrush. The toothpaste was running out, she had to slowly squeeze from the bottom to get what remained to the top."I will get so...

3 comments 3
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“Bribe” by T.M. Kehoe

Submitted to Contest #159

Marty was at the hospital tonight, like every night. What was different was, instead of being in his wife’s room holding her hand, he stood outside the hospital, and outside the ring of entrance lights and lamp poles. He wore scrubs with a hoodie over them, for warmth and disguise. He shouldn't have bothered; no one looked twice at him. The scrubs made him invisible. He nervously lit up a cigarette. He was far enough away from the hospital for it to be legal, but judging from the disgusted looks he got, it was still morally outrageous. He fi...

3 comments 3
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“Secrets” by Stephanie Lee

Submitted to Contest #159

"No man, seriously. I can't do this." Being from the streets, Randy was tired of playing with this guy who seemed to think this was just some game. He sighed with irritation. "Man come on. Stop trying to pretend like you ain't gonna do this. Your holier than thou act ain't foolin' nobody. You can keep up the pretense until you cave, or you can just cut the bull and cave now." Dan took a moment then looked Randy right in the eye as best he could. It was a bit of a challenge. You see Randy was a giant of a man standing at 6'5" and weighi...

1 comment 1
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“Proof of Purchase” by C.M. Teller

Submitted to Contest #159

There was a certain irony with the situation that Alexander found himself in, he had always found a way to stay ahead of the game to the point that he was able to tell others how to do the same, but now he didn’t have a single Cra-i with how much he had.  “Welp,” he said in finality “this sucks.” he said looking over at the.  ‘Ok don’t freak out, you’ve been here before, you can crawl your way back up.  Although, having ten Branchs to your name was great… when it lasted.’  Alexander thought to himself, ‘You know how to le...

2 comments 2
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“Deal with the Devil” by Felicia Ogunnowo

Submitted to Contest #159

Tristan couldn’t bear much any longer. He sat with authority at his desk at the front of the classroom, watching the documentary along with students about the background of the timeline of The Great Gatsby. At this point, he couldn’t care less.  Images blurred so much that he rubbed his eyes incessantly. Words jammed in and flew out that he grasped nothing of importance. More and more, as the video went further, his urge to escape grew. This is probably how students felt everyday when he was lecturing. He somehow related with their ado...

4 comments 4
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“How Many Choices does a Can of Chicken Noodle Soup Cost?” by A. Vaughn

Submitted to Contest #159

I stared at the blazon red of the Campbell’s label and tried to ignore the rumble in my stomach. If I bought the soup, it would have been worth the right to choose to linger a little longer and steal a few moments with my grandmother after my cousins left the potluck on Saturday. Sadly, inflation had made the act of grocery shopping a joke. Evan didn’t want to come with me, saying he spent too many Choices the night before with his work buddies. Then he promised to pay me back.      I caught a glimpse of a chip in...

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“For Louis” by Brynne Nelson

Submitted to Contest #159

The notebook is small, the ink and cover both faded from what must have originally been a licorice color. The whole thing is speckled with dust and the spine is completely wonky, bent to a near-ninety-degree angle except where it’s belted shut with a dingy old shoelace. I shouldn’t have picked it up; there are real books in the yard sale, books that aren’t tucked, half-smashed, into a cardboard box with a mouse-chewed hole in the corner. But I’m curious. Who bothered to keep such a junky collection of scraps, and why? I throw the thing on ...

2 comments 2
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“Aches and Pains” by Avery Crescent

Submitted to Contest #159

You tell me about your bad knee, your achy back, your sore shoulder. I’ve heard your sob stories. I’ve listened to your complaints. I’ve been a doctor for 24 years and I’ve heard it all. You say you need something for your pain. I’ve had two vertebrae in my spine fused together and a metal socket implanted in my right hip. Both times, I went home with a month’s supply of Vicodin. I bet you did too. It’s why you’ve come to my clinic. You’ve run out and your doctor won’t prescribe any more. You come to me with the cash and I provide ...

2 comments 2
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“Ancestry” by Ashley Frerichs

Submitted to Contest #159

It took some digging, but Marjorie Lipman eventually found out which guard could be trusted with a favour. Rumour had it young Andrew Taylor was susceptible to bribes, so the next time Marjorie caught him in the prison hallway’s (not-so) secret blind spot, she flashed him her brightest smile along with a crisp tenner and her father’s Nikon. Without hesitation, the guard slipped the bill into his pocket, hung the camera’s strap around his neck and followed her into the infirmary where one of their most notorious prisoners laid up in waiting. ...

2 comments 2
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“Small Flames” by SJ Latrice

Submitted to Contest #159

Sunlight streams through the church's lattice work windows, pale and dull. Alys sells the last of the blackberry jam and slips the six spinel fires it was bought with into the nearly full bag at her hip, its pink surfaces half-burning to the touch. Newly crystallized then. She glances at the back of the woman who'd given it to her. A girl really, wrapped in bright purple linen and walking alone with hunched shoulders. Alys breathes harshly through her nose as she turns away.  "Do you have to go back?" Reben asks as he hugs her, pr...

1 comment 1
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“Thanks Again, Means a Lot” by Mandy S

Submitted to Contest #159

“Thanks again, means a lot.” The hooded man far younger than himself shook Ollie’s hand and stepped back into the car. The exhaust pipe sputtered as he pulled away and left Ollie coughing out long tendrils of dark soot.  He shoved the thick envelope into his back pocket and stuffed his hands in those of his jacket. He spun on one heel and made his way back towards his own Volkswagen, the one that barely started.  For a moment, once he was behind the wheel, he considered using the money to catch up on repairs. The thought quickly ...

2 comments 2
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“To Build a Nest” by Eleonora Shaba

Submitted to Contest #159

And what's more calming than the gentle spring breeze caressing your face while the sun rays leave small kissess all over your skin before bidding goodbye, leaving the moon to comfort you for every hardship that you went through the day. It would definitely be my favourite fragment today if it wasn't for the small chiwawa constantly barking at me for the past 5 minutes, the taunts of its owner adding to the delightful  music to my ears.“Screw you,” I scowled. “You illegitimate child of a dog and rat! You're ruining my tranquility!”As a ...

3 comments 3
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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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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