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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#18: Pocketful of Sunshine

Pockets are where we keep items of importance: our keys, cellphone, wallet, or, if you're Bilbo Baggins, the One Ring. (And if you're Natasha Bedingfield, the sun.)

Losing or finding such items can be a strong starting point for a story. Which is why this week, we're challenging you to write a pocket-sized (aka "short") story based on a pocket-themed prompt.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who buys a secondhand coat and then discovers something in the pocket.

Thriller and Suspense – 99 stories

Your fingers tensed around the object in your pocket, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

Science Fiction – 44 stories

Write a story about someone cleaning out their attic. They find an old piece of clothing, and inside of its pocket is an old keepsake.

Adults – 52 stories

"It was just here!" you shout, frantically searching your pockets for the missing thing.

Funny – 31 stories

Write a story about a very skilled pickpocket.

Character – 65 stories

Stories

“Lost and Found” by Somdatta Gangopadhyay

Submitted to Contest #18

‘It was just here!’ the words came out like firecrackers as I was shouting frantically searching in my pockets. Despite the fact that my denim has four pockets, I kept sliding my hands inside those pockets each time with the hope that I might find what I had been looking for. Rather flogging a dead horse might have fetched some result.‘What did I do with my phone wallet?’ I asked myself sitting on the bean bag in my living room, trying to recollect right from the beginning. Just like a detective, I was gathering all the data like when was th...

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“Chasing tomorrow” by Christopher Unachukwu

Submitted to Contest #18

The two men sat patiently in the car, monitoring their target. The first man appeared to be tired and impatient. He hated this part of the job. He should be in the station now, handing the wallet which contained 500 USD and a signed cheque to the ICT dude, so he could track the owner and be the hero. He was certain he would be rewarded because no man would return a wallet containing a signed cheque of 10,000 USD and 500 USD cash. But, instead, his crazy partner had talked him into monitoring some normal kid, who wasn't what he said he was. "...

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“Amateur ” by Alicia Trevino

Submitted to Contest #18

It’s not too often that Conway finds himself in situations like these. Normally he can differentiate which person is going to blow up at him and which ones are going to ignore him. This guy was on the phone when he bumped into him and that’s normally a fail-safe. If they’re already busy they have no reason to do anything but ignore you. Apparently, this guy was looking for an opportunity to fight. Carson had hardly gotten an apology out before the red-faced guy had two fistfuls of his shirt and has him buried in the wall. Spittle is han...

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“Dibs” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #18

“Ma’am? I’m telling you for the ninth time. That elevator simply does not work”“I know” Emily simply replied and stabbed the elevator button again.The guard fumed, “If you could just hear-“ “What?”“it doesc't work. The elevator." A carefully controlled face. Why do humans like her exist?“Oh!” Emily smiled, “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”And with another infuriatingly sweet smile she swept out of the elevator with as much grace as a queen leaving the guard think just how much his salary should be ...

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“The Grey Fox” by Annabeth Chase

Submitted to Contest #18

"They say she's back," a woman whispers to her friends. They shudder collectively and push closer to each other.Another one pipes up, "Old Mr. Graham down the road has locked himself in the house.""He's a crazy old bat. Should've been locked up in an assylum decade ago. Anyways, that won't stop her," the first woman rolls her eyes, "She's a menace, and the police ought to do something about her.""Too scared, in my opinion," a third one intones, like it's a well-rehearsed line."What are you all talking about?" a younger woman taps her foot ag...

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“Stolen Trinkets, Stolen Heart” by Kylie Mullins

Submitted to Contest #18

Lighting struck the ground, thunder soon rumbling the ground beneath me. Like the heartbeat of the earth, the raindrops pelted the muddy grass, sliding down the hill and dripping onto the sea of endless pavement, where it was carried along with a current of water and spilled into drains that lined the dimly lit streets, still filled with bustling people, dashing around madly on the sidewalks, yelling into phones over the roaring storm. The lightning flashed in front of me again, followed by sparks flying above the rooftops of the hundr...

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“There’s A Hole in Your Pocket ” by Ashleigh McDonald

Submitted to Contest #18

Sabrina woke up to screaming and pounding that left a dent on the wood counter top in the kitchen every morning. She shared a small room with her little brother Hector, who luckily was a light sleeper. Sabrina always thought he was faking “always in denial” Sabrina said under her breath walking past her brother’s bed to the door before opening it. The door exposed a small and run down apartment with a middle-aged woman behind the kitchen counter, crying while she rested her elbow on the dented counter with her forehead sitting in b...

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“The Fool” by Keria Thadison

Submitted to Contest #18

“Only when it is taken with the hand of the Fool will the medallion gleam, thus heralding the Chosen One and the beginning of the end of the Dark One’s reign.” That was the supposed prophecy that has been passed down for generations. For some, it was a promise, a hope for a better future. For you, however, they were just pretty words that quickly lost their appeal when your stomach twisted itself into hungry knots, vying for a morsel of something to eat. The so called chosen one wasn’t going to be you or anyone else that you knew. The chosen...

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“I Only Trust Myself” by Rachel Frankki

Submitted to Contest #18

Rain was pouring as the puppet show came into the village. With them came dark skies, thunderous clouds, and vicious claps of lightning that were brighter than any lamp invented. Everyone understood that the puppet business didn't stop for any sort of weather altercation however. The performers were covered, so what did it matter if the audience was soaked through their clothing for entertainment. As long as the puppeteers got their money from ticket sales, they could care less about the actual people they were providing for. I suppose...

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“Sticky fingers” by Sabrina Costilla

Submitted to Contest #18

"Like this." My older sister had hung up her rag of a jacket on the fence in the ally way as she showed me the best way to pick pocket someone in the busier crowds we have been having. "You are tiny so when you reach in they won't feel it but what do we do when we see a nice looking women?" I sat on a box one leg resting on the other however when I answered I jumped and in a quiet shout I pull out my knife, "Slice the bag in the bottom." She smiles and takes the torn cloth off the wooden poll and forced it on. "Smart young lady now lets go ...

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“The Pickpocket” by Nora Barth

Submitted to Contest #18

Liz glanced around the crowded street, fully aware of everyone and everything. People’s eyes usually slid right over her, so it was easy to slip through the throng of adults. Small and dirty, she was usually the one parents told their children to avoid. This particular morning, her eighteen-year-old cousin, Luc, had tipped her off about a few men who were expected to arrive by boat at nine o’clock. It was rumored that they carried with them some 1,000 pounds and were going to a secret meeting with the Prime Minister. Ha! They’re not very goo...

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“From One Jacket To Another” by Andrea Tran

Submitted to Contest #18

Victoria swept her long dark hair over her shoulder, her gaze glossing over the length of the room before finally settling on her reflection in the brassy mirror behind the bar. From her seat, she had clear sights on her mark; six feet, blond hair, dark grey suit that undoubtedly costed more than a mortgage. The distorted image in the mirror showed he was making quick progress with his third whiskey sour of the night. Meanwhile, was making quick progress of her third glass of water in a cocktail cup of the night. It was almost showtime.&nbsp...

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“The Stolen Wallet” by Jay Nicole

Submitted to Contest #18

Milo Grant never asked for the life he lives. He never asked to have deadbeat parents. He’s lived on the streets almost his whole life. He never really had a job, he ran low on talent and education. However, Milo had one talent, he could pickpocket anyone, and not get caught, It wasn’t the best talent to have but it kept him alive, and he was grateful for that. Milo made his way through the crowded streets of New York. He studied every person as they passed him. He took note of what their clothes looked like, if they looked like they ...

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“King of the Petty Thieves” by Helen C

Submitted to Contest #18

"I'm going to have a rum and Coke," Jacob Deleon announced to his living room, empty of all souls except for his and that of a small gray tabby cat dozing on the sofa next to him. He could afford to get a little loose and celebrate some, tomorrow was payday, the day he made the rounds of his usual pawn shops and swapped out the gold trinkets he had nabbed that week for cash. This used to be as daunting a task as stealing the jewelry itself had been, but Jacob, or Jay, as he introduced himself when necessary, was a well seasoned veteran...

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“The Encounter” by Neely Estey

Submitted to Contest #18

“You do what you can to survive, Mary. That’s all you can do. That’s all any of us can do.” The words of my late mother pounded through my head as I raced down the cobbled streets of London. As my cheeks slowly reddened in the crisp morning air, I couldn’t help but tear up as I thought of her soft hair, the warmth of her reassurance, her voice waking me in the morning... No. Not now. There wasn’t time to get trapped in memories, though I knew they would come back. They always did.&nbs...

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$50

Prize money

291

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 06, 2019 EST

Won by Sam Lauren 🏆

Title: The Price of a Nice Guy

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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