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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#167: Mind Yourself

Do you sometimes feel like you spend a lot of your time in a fictional reality that has little to do with the real world? From cooking up imaginary scenarios about what we could, should, or would have said,’ to overthinking the smallest of incidents that happened years ago, our minds can make us feel incredibly powerful one minute, and equally helpless the next. These tricks our minds play can change our perceptions of both ourselves and the people around us.

This week’s prompts are inspired by the creativity of the mind — and the worlds we construct in our own heads (with both positive and negative consequences).

This week's prompts

Start your story with a daydream sequence, before snapping back to reality.

High School – 63 stories

Write a story about someone who overthinks every single thing, blowing the tiniest incidents out of proportion.

High School – 16 stories

Set your story inside a character’s mind, literally.

Fantasy – 58 stories

Write a story about someone who thinks their life is a romcom and they’re the protagonist.

High School – 15 stories

Write a story about a character who can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.

Horror – 80 stories

Stories

“Searching For Utah. ” by Jeannie Labelle -Potvin

Submitted to Contest #167

I begin dreaming of endings.Scene after scene endlessly play across the stage that fills my head.Old movies race towards the finish line. The final credits roll down the incline, crowding my vision with shadows and shades.It is the final scene of “Raising Arizona”.I stand behind Nick Cage as he speaks of the child he and Holly Hunter once stole.Their movie characters desperately wanted a baby and believed that the Arizona couple who'd just had sextuplets wouldn't miss one.Turns out they were wrong.The pair eventually return the boy to his ho...

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“Runaway Mind ” by V JHD

Submitted to Contest #167

I’m trying to write a story. I have ideas to work with but for ages I have been spinning around in the world of genre specific storyline’s muttering to myself as I go. For starters I am someone who has just woken up, no idea where I am or how I got here. Well imagine if you please what that might be like, a groggy feeling of discombobulation, looking around trying to make sense of where I am. If I woke in my bed, In my home I wouldn’t think or feel anything other than waking up and getting on with my usual routine. But if I was taken u...

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“PLANET OF THE APPS” by Ranga Rao Indurti Venkata

Submitted to Contest #167

PLANET OF THE APPS Babu was getting terribly bored. He had been minding the family electronics store since the morning, and except for a handful of customers who had wanted safety covers for their mobile phones, no one had shown any serious interest in buying the newly launched range of Apple and Android devices on display. Looking out at the shoppers thronging the market street ahead, he was hoping that things would soon look up and that he would still sell a few devices by the end of the day. This was primarily a rich textile exporters t...

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“Ticket to Misery” by C.C. Bos

Submitted to Contest #167

Jack slowly meandered out of his kitchen, barely raising his feet off the ground as he moved. Coffee in one hand, and running the fingers of his other across the granite-top island still sparkling from his cleaning lady’s recent visit, he sulked towards the nearly panoramic wall of glass separating him from the rest of the world. The planet’s slow rotation had just begun to reveal the center of the solar system, illuminating Jack’s view of the just-waking metropolis far below. How appropriate he mused, as he looked out over the city that nev...

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“Dare To Daydream ” by Katie Black

Submitted to Contest #167

“Shhh. We have to be quiet.” I whispered, my voice shaking as I spoke. I looked at my team, panicking and waiting for me to come up with a plan. The growls and footsteps of the beast echoed through the dark forest. I racked my brain about what to do, desperately trying to come up with a plan to get us out of this. But all I could think was how did I get into this mess? Of course, I knew how. My father was the hero of our kingdom. As the head knight of the king’s guard, he saved many lives and...

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“In Wooded Dreams and Embers” by Amanda Terrell

Submitted to Contest #167

Laying in the warm sun on a soft bed of switchgrass near the shores of Loch Adair was the only form of solitude permitted by my father. The grass was still damp from the summer rain that passed through a half hour ago leaving behind the faint scent of petrichor and primrose. A gentle breeze caressed my skin raising goosepimples on my legs. A shiver traveled up my spine as I turned the page of my book. “Lady Valinor, it’s nearly time to return to the palace,” a deep velvety voice spoke from a few feet away. Sighing I shifted on my thin blan...

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“Dreams of Ulops” by Judith Robinson

Submitted to Contest #167

A daydream is being distracted by your thought while awake. When Jim was bored with school, his mind would wander, and he would go to his special place. His favorite place was on the islands of Bonaire. There he played with his imaginary Leafy Sea Dragon friend, Ulops. The sea dragons are members of the seahorse family. They have a shape like a seahorse, with a long snout, tail, and unique fin placement. They also have lobes or leaf-like protuberances sprouting from their bodies. Although Ulops swam the seven seas, he would always come back ...

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“Build God, Then We'll Talk” by Aristos Achion

Submitted to Contest #167

“You know this isn’t how the world is supposed to be” the sentence piques my interest as my eyes move on, “Does any part of you look at the sky and hurt?” and in that instant, I feel it, the dullest of aches in the pit of my stomach, in the deepest most intimate chambers of my heart.Doesn’t it hurt? My thoughts taunt me, Doesn’t it burn?The ache in me throbs as I move my eyes away to the wall, tracing shadows, evening out my breathing.It hurts doesn’t it, your shackled uniqueness.Your singularity.I sneak a glance at the end of the page and r...

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“Ouroboros Part Four - The Escalation” by Nova Smith

Submitted to Contest #167

Ophi felt a root-like thing shove at his side. “Wakey, wakey, Ophi. I got another place to show you.” Ophi’s eyes cracked open. “Uh?” Semar beamed the biggest smile Ophi had seen on his face… which wasn’t very big. “Yeah, we’ve been in this creepy scrubland long enough to know the ins and outs.” “Oh,” Ophi pulled his mucus-glued lips apart just to say one word. Semar stretched toward Ophi’s face. “Yeah! Come on! Aquila’s waiting outside.” The moment Semar said that, a quiet wave of cold washed over Ophi. That prompted Ophi to lift his h...

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“Much Ado!” by Lakshmi Narayani

Submitted to Contest #167

“oh nooooooooooooooooo………………!” Tara awoke with a jolt, hearing the loud noise of glass crashing, shattering and her mom’s scream. Her afternoon nap was interrupted. She jumped out of the bed and ran towards the stairs to check where the sounds came from. “Tara, stay in your room! DO NOT come down. It’s not safe here! Go back to your room, RIGHT NOW!” her mom shouted from the foyer downstairs. As an obedient eight year old, Tara ran back into her room and closed the door. But she was absolutely shaken up. Her heart was pound...

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“Morning Coffee Run Gone Wrong” by Lex Lockner

Submitted to Contest #167

“Order for Sarah!” Sarah almost jumped almost too eagerly for her drink at the counter. She smiled at the barista and said “thank you, have a nice day!” Sarah paused to wait for a response, but the barista had already moved on to the next order. Slowly backing away, Sarah wondered if her tone was off? Or maybe the barista was just having a bad day? Or maybe she didn’t hear and she should call out thank you one more time? Why wouldn’t you respond to someone saying thank you. That is the proper thing to do isn’t it? Turning on ...

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“A Crying Kiss” by Carla Carvallo

Submitted to Contest #167

Shards of glass sit on my palm. They embed themselves deeper every time I move. Darkness wraps around us. Not a single candle remains lit. My eyes can no longer make out his silhouette, but he’s here. I don’t have to see him to know that. The creak of a floorboard, that loose one by the kitchen. Then, his pace quickens. As he nears me, his hands reach awkwardly for me. They flail about rampantly, dreading the thought of my absence. His fingers graze my forearm, sending chills up my arm and throughout my entire body. A shudder grabs me and sh...

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“The False Goddess and the Tree” by Phillip Marvin

Submitted to Contest #167

“Where am I?” She asked. You decide, think of somewhere you’ve been. The voice inside of her head said. She tried to move her limbs but they did not respond. No. They were not there. Neither was her body. She was whole. She knew all her being was intact but it floated in something. Around her were lights. They swirled around her, riding an invisible current. When one touched her she felt a wave of warmth emanate from the contact. It felt—nice. Following the command, she thought of somewhere, and shadows came. They danced on the fri...

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“The Perfect Dream” by Ella B-T

Submitted to Contest #167

It was a gorgeous summer afternoon, everything was normal, and Harper Henderson was completely fine. Better than fine, in fact - she was perfect. She was sitting at the corner table of her favourite coffee shop, the sunlight pouring in through the window and coating her in a gentle golden warmth. She was wearing her favourite dress. It was sky-blue, and the kind of light, flowy frock that you can only wear on sunny days like this one. In front of her was a cup of tea, just the way she liked it - two cubes of sugar and a splash of cream. Sh...

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“Make Believe?” by Ember Rain

Submitted to Contest #167

“Do you see it, Angie?” “See what?” Angie squatted down next to the child and looked around. “The dragon right over there. It is huge and green...” Are you sure it's not purple, Tabatha ”? “Purple? Why would a dragon be purple? This isn't some children's educational program this is real.” “Oh, right. Okay, let me just go and say hi then.” “Are you daft, woman? What are you going to do jump off the castle wall?” “We are in a castle? Of course, we are in a castle. Just this morning we were in the woods surrounding a castle....

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$250

Prize money

232

Contest entries

96

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 14, 2022 EST

Won by Lucy Joyce 🏆

Title: Adelaide's Cemetery

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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