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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#166: Game, set, match

Lately, my sporting news feed has been taken over by the retirement of two legendary tennis players — Serena Williams and Roger Federer. Whenever sports stars end their careers, it leaves me wondering what it must feel like to start something new after dedicating so much time and effort into performing at top level.

Of course, retiring, quitting, or changing careers are life-changing events whether you’re a professional athlete or not, and the prompts this week are inspired by the bevy of emotions this can bring to the surface — from trepidation to excitement, to regret or even nostalgia.

This week's prompts

Start your story with someone saying “I quit!”

Adults – 55 stories

Write a story about someone who knows it’s time to retire or change jobs, but is hesitating.

Adults – 43 stories

Write about a rivalry between two coworkers that has unforeseen consequences.

Adults – 26 stories

Set your story at a retirement or leaving party.

Adults – 19 stories

Write about someone who has long since quit but decides to go another round for old time’s sake.

Adults – 37 stories

Stories

“Good Things Come to Those Who Wait” by Deborah Mosley

Submitted to Contest #166

He had endured a lengthy career. In recent years he had also become aware that his end date in the workplace loomed ever nearer. The signs were everywhere. Interaction with his coworkers had become non-existent. There was a time when all he seemed to do was attend meetings. He had shaken his head and complained to his wife often, explaining that he worked long hours because he could not complete his work because of all the meetings he had to attend. Everyone wanted to hear his opinion. Now he was invisible....

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“I Was Strong Once” by Christopher Katalinas

Submitted to Contest #166

I was strong once. I still am, but in new ways, and not how I used to be. I can’t decide if I’m happier for it.“The legions know death well,” I say to the assembled demira. “They are its harbingers and its lovers, greeting it with an embrace when it comes. The ground shakes whenever they walk. The sun envies the sparkle on their helms. Every man and woman that make up its ranks fights with the strength of two people—four when surrounded. To fight side by side for the glory of our nation, to stand at the vanguard of the most gallant host our ...

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“Joe Pooped Himself, And Other Things” by Jarrel Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #166

Joe went number-two in his pants again. When I asked him to come to the board to solve 12 times 11 in front of the class he squinted. I told myself he was analyzing the problem, but after the audible grunt, and his excusing himself to go to the restroom, and that familiar stink in the air, I felt stupid for not seeing it coming. This was the third time in five weeks he purposefully crapped himself to avoid a situation in which he would likely look foolish front of the class. Yet in his limited wisdom he chose a worse outcome. “Mr. ...

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“Before I Begin” by Octavia Kuransky

Submitted to Contest #166

By: Octavia KuranskyBefore I begin, there are a few things you need to know. I am average. Average weight – hippy but average weight. Single.Not young. Never spent a night in jail. But in 1993 – I killed a man. I was never caught. Questioned but never brought to justice so to speak. And with that in mind, I can begin. Why am I telling you this? Because I am thinking to do it again.See, the first time I killed a man it was really an accident. We were standing on his veranda, leaning on a thin wrought iron rail that was really too fr...

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“"May the Best Man Win"” by Timothy Schmid

Submitted to Contest #166

Paul Ingram shook from fear as the semi truck's trailer walls closed on him. He wanted to flee, run away, and hide from the trauma he had endured. However, his moral consciousness was stronger. "You won't leave your coworker, will you?! You won't let him suffer!" Paul squeezed his ears closed and shut his eyes, counting to 10, drowning out his coworker's grunts of pain. It did not work. Instead, words echoed from the man sprawled on the ground, muttering, "Help! I-I am dying... "SNAP OUT OF IT, PA...

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“The Confession” by Kimberly McFetridge

Submitted to Contest #166

Melissa has been my office mate at Monroe County Community College for the past five years. We are each other’s confidants and supporters. We also have the same silly senses of humor. More than once, raucous laughter has escaped from our office and has been heard at the other end of the corridor. We hit it off right from the get-go. We quickly discovered that not only do we both love hiking, biking, and practicing yoga, reading historical fiction and mystery novels, and watching Game of Thrones, but we share similar views about life. We love...

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“Problem Solving” by Ava Woodrum

Submitted to Contest #166

“We. Need. Solutions!” A short, round, chubby man stood up at the head of a long white conference table and slammed his stubby hands down. The plump man grabbed his cup of coffee off the table and walked towards the TV. He pressed his stubby finger on a statistic that read ‘23’ on the TV and cleared his throat. “This is on average how many verbal fights have occurred between your two fellow co-workers, Jennie and Ryan, in one week.” “I didn’t realize it was that bad, Mr. Mark,” a co-worker muttered under their breath, as they t...

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“Retirement” by Marie White

Submitted to Contest #166

Though Collin got to the chintzy restaurant half an hour after the party’s start time, he found its honoree, a man whom he’d never seen arrive a second late for anything throughout their twenty-five year friendship, absent. Just in case he’d missed him, he, again, surveyed the room—a banner screaming, “Happy Retirement!” draped across the ceiling, streamers taped to bisque-colored walls, and coworkers clustered around scratched walnut tables, chatting as they sucked cheddar chunks off toothpicks and sipped...

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“The window” by C P

Submitted to Contest #166

It was the end of June in Mumbai. After three days of incessant rains, the monsoon relented to allow the frenzy of Mumbai life to resume. The tracks re-emerged from the swaths of overflowing waters and the local trains carried this frenzy and distributed and re-distributed it across the city. Madan was in his office, a hitherto unused corner improvised as an office by setting up partitions on two sides to give him the benefit of having an independent office matching his recently acquired stature as an officer. His crammed office on...

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“Farewell to a professional” by Maximilien Brown

Submitted to Contest #166

“Today we bid farewell to the best of us.” All around the room, glasses raised to the ceiling, in reverence for the moment. “John was a man like no other. A creative mind, fiercely dedicated to his craft, and known to us all as a kind and caring friend. Agreeable nodding began to circulate around the banquet room. “And who can forget our fine man’s sense of humor? Lest we forget the Prague Fair fiasco,” the speaker said with a sly grin. Disparate laughter broke out across the room among the older attendees. The younger people in the audie...

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“Once More” by Eric Shelton

Submitted to Contest #166

We could hear the sounds of battle from within our tent; the war cries and the crashing of swords and shields and axes. Battles have this pulsing quality to them like the ebb and flow of blood that can be felt through the veins; this pulsing thundered in my ears. The sounds flowed through me leaving a cold terror in their wake. I barely kept myself from shaking. Sitting opposite of me in our tent looking more bored than anything else was my charge, Harald. To my young eyes he was an old man and, since I was so young and inexperienced, I was ...

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“The Humble Hero” by Kimberly Walker

Submitted to Contest #166

The Humble Hero I’m too old for this! I have tried to retire for ten years and you all keep pulling me back to coach or run in these races every time. I knew I couldn’t handle a whole race, please. I will always love you and the races, but I am no spring chicken anymore. I only do it to raise awareness for my charity, (S.H.E). Shelter for Help in an Emergency. I plan to pass the baton to someone else this year, and if you’re interested in winning, you’ve got to put someone faster on the anchor leg. My heyday was twenty years ago. Your...

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“Double Agent” by Josh Mullenax

Submitted to Contest #166

The company Rolex said 6:43, but he knew it was running five minutes fast. After 45 years of service, they gave him a watch that ran fast because ‘he’d be slowing down in his old age and needed to plan accordingly.’ He thought constant math would keep him sharp so he left it. He shook his head knowing that his days of precision timing, down to the half second, were done though his body and his wife, Yuval, knew he was done a few years before. When everything is always on fire, agents never have time to think about themselves. Maybe that’s wh...

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“In my day” by Thomas Jackson

Submitted to Contest #166

VLOOKUPS, XLOOKUPS, and ZLOOKUPS are bad enough. In my day, we used a piece of paper and a number two pencil. Now, all these kids talk about is Java, Python and SQL. The only sequel I care about is Terminator 2. Now that was a great flick. And don’t get me started on the water cooler talk. It’s all Tinder and Bumble. I can’t tell if they are starting a bee hiving club or Boggle’s cousin is making a comeback. I love that game. “Hey George, we’re starting a GoFundMe for Becky. It’s really sad.” Gabby says, snapping me out of my ‘get off my law...

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“Tell Me a Story” by Wil Montgomery

Submitted to Contest #166

TW: the mention of alcohol use, some profanity, and implications of child abuse but it is never explicitly stated or mentioned in any way.Despite the dim lighting, the air of the casino was bustling and lively; it smelled sickeningly sweet and filled with foggy choices. There was a maddening ringing that could be from every inch of the shaggy, red carpet, followed by cheers and yells; others looked on with careful glares. The bartenders polished glasses and gave half-hearted sentiments to those drowning their loses in the sweet nectar of the...

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$250

Prize money

180

Contest entries

73

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 07, 2022 EST

Won by Rebecca Miles 🏆

Title: Letting go

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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