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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#177: Found in Translation

“Every act of communication is a miracle of translation.”

– Ken Liu, The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories

Communication is the cornerstone of all relationships. A complex combination of sounds, words, gestures, and written symbols help us navigate the world and get our intentions and feelings across. It’s remarkably efficient, but sometimes, regardless of how clearly you thinkyou’re expressing yourself, things get lost between sender and receiver.

Inspired by the act of translating thoughts and feelings into words and actions — and the things that can get lost (or found) in the process — here are this week’s prompts:

This week's prompts

Write a story about two or more characters who don't speak each other's language (literally or metaphorically), but still find a way to communicate.

Dialogue – 54 stories

Set your story in a meeting where a professional interpreter takes some liberties, with major consequences.

Funny – 12 stories

Write about someone who is slowly forgetting their mother tongue or losing their language.

Character – 22 stories

Lost in a foreign city where they don’t speak the language, your character uses a translation app to get around, but constantly runs into problems.

Adventure – 9 stories

Write a story about a character who struggles to translate their thoughts and feelings into words and action.

Angst – 53 stories

Stories

“Used” by Diego Portillo

Submitted to Contest #177

Winter came a week early, and I felt it like I felt myself slipping away from Nicholas over the summer – suddenly and unbelievably. How could I have left him? I loved him. I swear I did. And yet, his voice irritated me with its drawn out syllables and small-squared teeth, constantly reminding me of the differences between us. Nicholas: tall, lean, smart, handsome, sexually liberated (his words), and Diego: short, skinny, between majors in college, nice smile, sexually repressed (Catholic background).I’m sitting across from him in my memories...

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“Check Yourself” by Nathania Harris

Submitted to Contest #177

Book entre 1 (Week ONE)Ok, this is so unreal. Jessica is such a nutcracker. Today, Daniah texted me and said “Shakira asked Dionna out to the dance, Sheela asked Jamal, and Miah asked Davion and they all said YES.”. Ok, so now she wants me to ask out Chris. I was terrified to ask him. His bangs are as shiny as a new clean car. As the wind blows, he comes to me and says “Hi, How are you doing, Gabriella? ''. I brushed my hair back and giggled “Ciao, Chris, come stay”?. “Il bene e il Vostro.” I laughed “I think you meant “Bene e tu” We laughed...

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“She keeps typing” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #177

Therefore, practice yoga, the art, and science of working without attachments. Only that can free you from the good and bad reactions. *** How does one recognize a person with a steady intellect and divine consciousness? One is neither overjoyed nor agitated in happiness or suffering. Free from desires, cravings for pleasure, fear, and anger, one’s mind is tranquil. That person would not be recognized in Dušanka. She stared at the writing prompt on her laptop screen. She got home from school an hour ago. She used ...

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“Paper Bridges” by Clementine Kapoor

Submitted to Contest #177

I gaze down into his deep hazel eyes, like the color of decades worn green sea glass peering out from the summer sand of the Amalfi coast. His tawny, tangled curls spill out onto my crisscrossed lap and his high-bridged nose points to the sunny New Mexico sky. PreCal was a devilish bore so we sneaked out of our last class in ninja-like evasion, dodging the didactic, pompous enemy behind water fountains and villainous SAT stands. Now we find ourselves, the rebellious duo, beneath the shade of a parched oak tree, languidly resting on a rusty p...

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“Where's the Bathroom?” by Dylan Miner

Submitted to Contest #177

“Bwat bre bou baying? Bi bannot bunderstand bou!” Of course Banthony couldn’t understand her, Zarah was not speaking Bibish. Where she comes from, no one does and no amount of frustrated and slightly sardonic Bibish would get him or her closer to thoughtful communication. “Zhis zis zointless.” She turned to face the cell wall, crossed her arms and dropped her rump on the cement floor, trying to relax her furrowed brow. She hoped her cellmate pacing behind her could understand what that gesture meant: “Ze’re zoomed”. Banthony had ...

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“Blue Flight Connections” by Violet Waters

Submitted to Contest #177

TW: Grief Business chokes the air on airplanes. An obsessive need for productivity sings through the air, in the constrained irony that one can do pretty much nothing. Every person onboard is forced into a box of limited production, if one simply did not just give up and watch movies. As a lone-traveling teenager, a thought echoed through my head in the long line of people boarding. Please don’t let someone weird sit next to me. Maybe they would take up too much space, and squish me into the corner. Or perhaps their earbuds wouldn’t connec...

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“Percy, the old rebel Swede” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

Submitted to Contest #177

Percy, the old rebel SwedeThere are no other sounds here at Kangaroo Point besides the heavy traffic passing over The Story Bridge. Main Street is always quiet. It is like being at a dead end and yet there is so much life there in the city across the river. This seems to be a secret place where the fruit bats hang in the paw paw trees at night and the rain flows under the wooden houses like a never-ending river. It is hot, humid and it smells of frangipanis and the tropics. We like sitting in the park under the big Moreton Bay fig tree in th...

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“First Business Trip” by Narelle Bennett-Elliott

Submitted to Contest #177

“How was the flight?” Brad said, I could hear the clattering of dishes and the sizzling of food. It was hard to tell what he was making, he has always been terrible at orienting the camera so that I could see what he was up to. “Long, thankfully I managed to sleep most of the way. I just got to my hotel. I have a few hours before our meeting with our counterparts. I’m thinking of snagging something to eat. I saw a cute cafe on my way in.” Brad’s face pops on screen and with an excited grin he exclaims “Ooo! I’ve heard so much about South Kor...

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“The Nature of an Affair” by Heather Rosenthal

Submitted to Contest #177

There is a smooth and glimmering stone at the edge of the ocean. She is structured and unique but is unable to believe that unless it is spoken to her by others. She dreams of conversations and goes into an absolute frenzy when one can provide her new learning or dismantle her previous learning. The stones around her are only concerned with the Earth below them, they do not interact with the air. They don’t feel it’s gentle caressing or slow degradation of their surfaces. She longs to ask the air questions, but can only listen to its ...

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“Twas the Week Before Christmas” by Joseph Lewis

Submitted to Contest #177

Twas the Week Before Christmas Ah, at last, the Christmas cards are finally sealed and ready for mailing. All they need now are some holiday stamps from the post office. “Did you get the stamps I asked you to pick up?” my wife called down from upstairs. “Running out now,” I replied, as I threw on my jacket and scarf. “Better hurry. I was hoping to get those cards to everyone before Christmas.” “Not to worry.” I dashed out the door and headed for the car. After a short drive, I pulled into a crowded parking lot in front of the post office. ...

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“Emotianally colorblind” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #177

The friendly front desk lady stood at the door, holding out a giant candy cane to me, almost invitingly. -"I don´t think I like the sight of that." I sighed. She looked at me with puppy eyes and slowly came closer. -"Doctor Harker requires a favor." Molly beings. -"Let me guess." I interrupt her. "a last-minute patient?" She nods silently. -"I have a plane to catch Molly." I say with a sense of urgency. I can see that Molly sympathized with me but was unable to conjure up the words to express it. -"I can give you another free meal vouc...

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“Puppy Love” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #177

Kate looked around in appreciation. The pub was a historic building with a dark beamed ceiling and uneven walls. She scanned the crowd, almost missing Louis until she realized he was in a snug alcove where the conversation of the other patrons and the Christmas music were a pleasant background noise. He jumped to his feet as she approached, rocking the table, a delighted smile spreading over his face. Kate smiled back. He reminded her of a goofy puppy, tall and lanky with a mop of dark curls.“This is a lovely place,” she said. "Great atmosph...

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“Ingrid” by Gregory Day

Submitted to Contest #177

It was his last stop of the day. Ingrid Braid was a middle-aged lady with autism. He couldn’t tell by the work order, but the case manager and he talked beforehand. “She’s in 303. She’s hard of hearing and has a hard time walking so she might be slow coming to the door.” Beverly said. “Sometimes she talks German when she is upset so try not to make her mad” Mark was mapping his route for the next day when he came up with the idea to stop at Ingrid’s apartment last so he could spend more time with the autistic woman. She came from Austria 50...

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“I Heard You, Mostly, but You Won't Hear Me” by L Boogie

Submitted to Contest #177

“Good afternoon Ms Patterson, what brings…” “Peterson, it’s Peterson. Patty Peterson” Dr. Norman noticed Patty looking at him so intently it felt like she was staring a hole in his head. He didn’t feel a sense of intimidation from her stare. Patty bopped her head back and forth like she was listening to a song that only played in her skull but was obviously on mute to the doctor. She simultaneously tapped her foot like an excited rabbit triggering childhood memories of his favorite cartoon, causing the doctor to smile. No,...

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“Relationship Woes” by Keith Maynard Jr

Submitted to Contest #177

The glass begins to fog as he breathes on it; taking his hand he wipes it away. There in the display is the white leather overcoat Carol had admired, she hadn't said anything but he had noticed. Digging into his jeans he takes out his wallet; not enough he thought. He worked for $500.00 a week but most of that ended up going toward living expenses. The jacket cost $4000.00 but soon Christmas would be there. He had been saving bit by bit but with only a week left, he was short on money with no visible way to get the extra needed. His mind...

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$250

Prize money

150

Contest entries

70

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 23, 2022 EST

Won by Laurel Hanson 🏆

Title: Colonel Mustard in the Kitchen Without a Hearing Aid

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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