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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#175: Pitching In

With thousands of yearly participants from around the globe, our contest has grown into one of the largest writing communities in the world. We’re very proud of it, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it grow further. But all this would be impossible without the help of our Reedsy Prompts judges, who generously dedicate their time and expertise to review story submissions and keep this community thriving (if you fancy joining them, by the way, you can!).

To celebrate their work, this week’s prompts are a love letter to the everyday heroes who are chipping in, helping out, and lending their skills to their community.

This week's prompts

Start your story with two people planting a tree together.

Short Story – 50 stories

Write a story about someone who volunteers to read for others at the local library, and how it impacts their community.

Adults – 22 stories

Write about a character who discovers something while raking leaves in their neighborhood.

Mystery – 40 stories

Write about a professional who is called back to serve their community after retirement.

Character – 17 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Thank you for that.”

Dialogue – 47 stories

Stories

“Curious George and the Unforgettable Summer” by Savannah Wagner

Submitted to Contest #175

I wasn’t thrilled to volunteer at the library that summer, even in the slightest. If it weren’t for the damned pack of cigarettes Mom found. Even worse, they were Colleen’s cigarettes. She’s the one who forced me to try one behind the Winn Dixie after volleyball practice. So after a merciless lecture from Mom and a biblical sermon from Dad, I either had to volunteer at the community church every day cleaning the pews and dusting off chalkboards in the musty Sunday school rooms or volunteer at the library. The last novel I think I ever read f...

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“A Pile of Lies” by A H Nazzareno

Submitted to Contest #175

The botched Bloody Bat Recovery Mission ended with me getting caught, and I instinctively raised both arms toward the evening sky when I knew the gig was up. Dammit, I thought, I’m as good as dead. Unadjusted pupils somehow noticed the Timex’s hands stretched in opposite directions—it was 9:15. Although the LED floodlight was blinding, it was no accident. A lazy shirtless thug with a viper tattoo and a sinister glare intentionally flipped the switch. There was no time to think or react because I was cornered, forced to e...

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“Cherry Blossom Tree” by Chirag Gandhi

Submitted to Contest #175

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, two friends, Sam and Sarah, stepped out into the backyard of their childhood home. The dew on the grass sparkled in the early morning light, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees that dotted the landscape. Sam and Sarah had grown up in this house, and they had always dreamed of turning the small patch of dirt in the corner of the yard into a flourishing garden. Today was the day they were finally going to make that dream a reality. "Are you ready to do this?" Sam asked, looking over ...

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“Two Friends on the Library Stairs, After Hours” by Beth Elliott

Submitted to Contest #175

Wow, this feels so…surreal. What does? Being back here, like this. Oh, yeah. I know what you mean. It’s like, a good weird though. Like we went back in time or something. Yeah, it’s great. I really missed this. Me too. How many years has it been, exactly? Since we were sitting here last, having a drink? It must’ve been when we met up the year after graduation, when I was passing through for work and you were visiting Rachel, so like…nine years? Holy shit, nine years…It’s been way too long, man. Nine years…all that time and yo...

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“Oil Baron” by Mary Lehnert

Submitted to Contest #175

Dear God, this is an awful place. Anxious and wide awake , the only passenger in the Company limo on his way to Burnsville, fifty miles north of the largest town in the state my Grandfather, Karl, was in turmoil. Why, he asked himself, for the umpteenth time would a major international Company locate its headquarters here.Twenty eight years old, hired for the executive trainee program, he had arrived at Tulsa International Airport an hour ago. Peering out the window the prairie offered nothing, no lights, no o...

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“The cursed CD.” by Vanessa Garcia

Submitted to Contest #175

My life has gone down-hill. It was like all my luck disappeared, and it was all because of that box. It was actually a strange day, when I found it. It was raining, I was late to school, got scolded by Mrs. Briggs, a dog stole my lunch and I embarrassed myself in front of the whole school. That day I felt defeated. Especially when my mom told me to rake Ms. Imogien's lawn. After all that embarrassment I really didn't want to rake leaves, however Ms. Imogien is my favorite neighbor. As I was raking her lawn I hit something. It was strange, it...

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“Victoria” by Grace Cawley

Submitted to Contest #175

Brum-brum-brum-brrrrrrr, the chainsaw of the construction man begins to cut down my favorite tree. My beautiful cherry weeping tree. She had baby pink flowers sprouting from her ends. She had strong, sturdy roots. She had spots of shade that held touches of sunlight. She had a large trunk and a flatter spot on one side of it that had been molded there after generations, perfect for my back to rest against. She was so tall, and so magnificent, I swear she touched the heavens with her tallest branch. She was the perfect tree to get comfortable...

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“On The Run” by Paul Michael Winters

Submitted to Contest #175

My name’s Logan. I’m fourteen years old. And I’m gay.I have this hope that living near a liberal mecca like Seattle will make coming out a lot easier. But boy, am I wrong. My parents freak out. Mom cries a lot. Dad gets angry. Like, really angry. There’s a lot of shouting. And finally, an ultimatum.“Stop with this gay shit, or find someplace else to live.”As if I chose to be gay.With tears streaming down my face, I load up a backpack. My dad screams at me and slams the door on my way out, yelling something about me never coming back.My best ...

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“JEFFERY'S WISH” by Rita Ford

Submitted to Contest #175

Jeffery’s Wish He climbed up in Santa's lap with a giggle. Jeffery may be only six, but he sure isn't shy. Poor, Santa, didn't know what hit him. "I want a superhero for Christmas, Santa. Do you know which one I want?" "No little boy I don't. What is your name? "My name is Jeffery Simon. I'm so excited. The superhero I want is five feet eleven inches tall" ...

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“A Marvelous Discovery” by Shawn Wier

Submitted to Contest #175

It was a crisp Saturday, which meant that it was time for Dad to make his weekly rounds clearing leaves from elderly neighbors' yards. The plan was for me to be his helper, but that was the plan every week. Still, in the last week of October, the only "help" I was good for was to knock on the front door and check in with the people whose yards "we" tidied."Come over here, kiddo," my dad called from the edge of Mr. Kelly's yard. I ran toward him as fast as my little legs could go even though it made my cheeks prickle in the cold air.He smiled...

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“It Starts With a Song” by Jess Newkirk

Submitted to Contest #175

The icy wind blew the dead, orange leaves around their feet. They stood quietly, with the shovels in their hands. A single oak tree stuck out of a burlap ball between them. “It’s too cold for this,” Aimee mumbled. Caleb chose not to respond to her. He looked down at the ground and rolled his eyes. He didn’t want her to know that she was annoying him. Today was supposed to be a healing day. “You can wait in the car where it’s warm,” he sighed. “I can dig the hole.” Aimee watched her brother as he put his foot on the head of the shovel and...

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“Princess Story Time” by Audrey Harmon

Submitted to Contest #175

“Thank you so much, again, for agreeing to do this.” “Hardly,” Tessa said. “You didn’t give me much of a choice, Emily.” Maybe that was harsh. Tessa knew her sister was home sick and needed help today. She took a breath and said with less malice, “What else are twin sisters for?” “See? That’s the spirit.” Tessa checked her makeup in the mirror again, shocked at who was looking back at her. Giant eyes framed by thick, brunette curls, and large yellow pearl studs on her ears. She need only look down to see the most incons...

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“Aperol” by Jennifer Cameron

Submitted to Contest #175

I birthed you, bottle fed you, bathed you and then I buried you. At 28 your pulsating heart had decided it had been broken too much to meld itself back together. You always had loved too hard and too fast. And now I broke like I was showing my solidarity with you, whilst my fingernails collected dirt in half moon shapes. The earth was neat and compact, and he was sat on the grass adjacent to me, his legs crossed and eyes wet. It had actually been his idea; Ashton had said we should plant a tree in your memory for future kids to climb the s...

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“Shay and Azure” by Tamarin Butcher

Submitted to Contest #175

Shay stabbed Azure's shovel into the ground with grim determination, but it was difficult to make any real progress with the rain beating down relentlessly, causing mud to slide back into the hole almost as quickly as she dug it. "This is ridiculous," muttered Azure, fighting with the second shovel. His second-best shovel, as he was at pains to point out. "All for a fucking tree..." "You have a better idea?" snapped Shay. There was still a heavy sadness sitting on her heart, but ever since their adventure in the forest, it had eased, imp...

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“How to Name a Tree” by Dylan Mass

Submitted to Contest #175

“Good afternoon class. Today we are going to be discussing your senior project. You have three categories to choose from and anything goes, as long as it remains within the boundaries of your category. Any questions?” “I have one,” A blonde girl, roughly seventeen, with gray eyes, and not the British grey, but the American gray. Her face is always set in a permanent smile, which has led people to calling her a clown, even though nothing about her resembles a clown. She is also one of thousands of descendants of Genghis Khan, the great milita...

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$250

Prize money

176

Contest entries

105

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 09, 2022 EST

Won by Elizabeth Henkel 🏆

Title: All I Want For Christmas is Fair Labor Practices

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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