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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#183: Opposite Day

January 25th was National Opposite Day — the day when topsy-turviness rules, and nothing is as it seems. On Opposite Day, you’re supposed to say the exact opposite of what you mean. And while this holiday is probably just one for kids, it’s a fun excuse to think about the ways we communicate, and about the concept of “opposites” more generally.

Opposites are a frequent source of inspiration for writing; whether your opposing forces provide balance, or are at odds with one another. With that in mind, this week’s prompts are all about obfuscation, contrast, and swapping between extremes.

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone who is cursed to always say the opposite of what they mean.

Dialogue – 26 stories

Write a story about two opposites finding themselves surprisingly attracted to one another.

Romance – 48 stories

Write about a character who uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism.

Character – 14 stories

Write a story that includes the line “We’re just too different.”

Angst – 67 stories

Write a story about two characters whose paths briefly cross, but are actually going in opposite directions — whether literally or figuratively.

Dramatic – 93 stories

Stories

“Boats that pass in the night” by M B

Submitted to Contest #183

He stumbled through the fog, still dressed in the clothes he had been wearing since he started the journey, still burned and bloody from being on a sinking ship. He kept walking through the fog, feet padding against stone. When the trek would end he could not say, but he knew he couldn’t stop. There was nothing for him here, and nothing to return to in the opposite direction. Perhaps he would wander on and on endlessly. Was that what it truly meant to be dead? He had to be dead: There was no way he survived the sinking. He kn...

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“Who Would Dare Suppose?” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #183

Content warning: WWII concentration camp settingThe light of the sun is fading, much like the strength of the prisoners in striped trousers, shirts, and caps. Since the morning roll call, they have stood at attention as the July sun blazed down on them. Movement, even to sit, would be rewarded with the crack of a gun and the thud of a falling body. Many collapsed anyways from dehydration, starvation, and fatigue. Though beaten and kicked, they were unable to rise, and were dragged to the back of the standing ranks to be piled on top of one a...

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“Port Triton” by Anise Kaljmyer

Submitted to Contest #183

We're almost there. We're really almost there. Purple-fuchsia-brown has told us it's time to decelerate the ship and observe our landing spot from orbit. I know there is still much to do before we land, and it will be even longer before we leave the landing spot and make the journey to Earth. But I'm still excited. We are still closer to Earth than any of us have been for 65 million years.***"Test complete. All systems working."I let out my breath and straighten up. My back is tired from hours spent hunched over the valves, making sure nothi...

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“Omnivore or herbivore” by Christine Bialczak

Submitted to Contest #183

Veva stood at the counter. “What would you like to try?” the store clerk asked. “I really like chocolate,” Veva said. Inside she was already starting to cringe. Why did she say she liked chocolate? She didn’t like anything with chocolate, including cookies filled with chocolate icing. Her favorite flavor was vanilla, it always had been. “Here you go,” the clerk said, handing Veva two large brown cookies with light brown frosting oozing out between them. “Thank you,” Veva said and quickly walked out the door. As ...

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“P.S. Don't Believe Me” by Matt Francis

Submitted to Contest #183

Trigger warning: Swearing and emotional abuse.Erin is standing in the doorway, a small bag hastily filled with a few shirts and an extra pair of pants flung over her shoulder. Her hair, bright red, is wild and unkempt, and her face is so flush with anger that she seems to radiate heat. I can almost feel it from the kitchen island where I’m still sitting.“Are you sure this is what you want,” she says, struggling to keep her voice low, so only I can hear it. “Because once I go, I’m not coming…” “Just get the fuck out of here!” I scream, s...

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“The Inadequate Ideal” by Anne Social

Submitted to Contest #183

What do you do if everyone says they love you, but you hate yourself? That sounds dramatic. Cliché. Morbid. Whatever negative word you want it to be. Yes, it has to be negative. Because if you don’t believe the positivity of the people around you, then you have to believe the negativity that hides beneath. You know it’s there. It’s there when you say it’s a beautiful day (which by any objective standard is true), but you’re lying because you prefer stormy days that force you to stay inside. It’s there when you say someone looks pretty (which...

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“Harold and Maude” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #183

I have to tell you how angry and disappointed I am. My dinner was so late that it was dark outside when they returned. They told me they were going out to get me a surprise, so I let the late dinner slide. But then they came home with my surprise, and I just wanted to jump up on that knick-knack shelf and knock every smashy thing onto the floor!The female scratched my head and said, "Harold, this is Maude! You have a new friend!" Another cat! Seriously? Why would they think that was a good idea? Don't they know by now that cats are solitary ...

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“An Admiral Encounter” by Menicos Menicou

Submitted to Contest #183

There I was, just standing there when what I wanted to do was forbidden. I was brought up with morals thrust upon me, religion was shoved down my throat not as a spiritual guide but rather a list of 'don'ts' that were drilled into from an early age. My parents were God fearing and that fear controlled them, it permeated their daily lives and as a consequence, me and my sister were brought up with a hundred and ten commandments.So here I was, just standing outside a coffee shop, pumped full of caffeine (coffee was a sin in my upbringing) and ...

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“Newton’s First Law ” by Carissa Cherrington

Submitted to Contest #183

If you asked Kira Chen to describe herself in one word, she would most likely say, “efficient,” and then tell you to stop wasting her time with stupid questions. If you asked Joe Garver the same question, he would laugh and ask how he was ever supposed to choose just one word when there were thousands of amazing options. Then he would ask if you wanted coffee and by the time you left the coffee shop, you’d be fast friends. It was purely by chance that Kira and Joe wound up i...

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“Breakthrough” by Sienna Liker

Submitted to Contest #183

“Marcus! Marcus!” The teacher called furiously, slamming her hands on her desk as the student stood up dancing on his desk. Lexi locked eye contact in a split second with Marcus, as she giggled softly under her breath; Marcus admiring her big, cheerful smile. Soon, Lexi found herself gazing off out the window, thinking about how courageous Marcus was for doing that. She could never be brave enough to do that! However, Marcus has a crazy, outgoing personality, while Lexi is a mature, sensible student, making them total opposites. “Lexi…?” Ms....

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“The 180” by Savannah B

Submitted to Contest #183

I have always been told that there is a thin line between love and hate. I guess, in theory, it makes sense. You get the same rush sensation, the same blur of vision, the same loss of breath. Love and hate are both extremely passionate sentiments- far away, on the whole, other end of the spectrum from lukewarm and mundanely numb. I used to feel mundanely— not numb, but content— while participating in my college classes. I have an immense passion for astronomy and I thoroughly enjoy engaging in each and every class that lends a hand in ...

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“Hardened Heart Friend” by 姐姐

Submitted to Contest #183

Trigger Warning (TW): Mental health, Death of a loved one----------------------------------------------------------------To AndyYour love for animals is a beautiful thing. Although it hurts when they depart from us, I hope you believe in me when I say you've given them a small piece of happiness every time. The only thing you should realize is your fault should be bringing your companions peace. I've seen the love in their eyes when they look at you. So don't deny the truth of their last moments with you being wonderful.And I've seen the lov...

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“A Letter From St. Lydia's Hospital” by Lindsey B

Submitted to Contest #183

I know I should have said it before, but I'm sorry I ruined your birthday. If I could do it all over again, I would. I hope you know that. But I understand if you don't. You wanted to know why, do you remember? You were standing in the doorway, a bit of blue frosting still on your fingertips. I'm sorry, but when you appeared, all I could think of was how much sugar and fat were in those cupcakes. Probably about twenty-six grams of sugar and four to five grams of saturated fat. I couldn't tell you why I had started wailing the second you ...

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“A Golden Bracelet's Curse” by Charlotte Hamlett

Submitted to Contest #183

Kendra Sharp-Hayes was a positive, upbeat, polite woman born in 1976. Unbeknownst to her, her life changed dramatically in 1997. She and her best friends- Brandy May Beau Ralph, Martin James Walters, and Ann Margaret Austin-Jay were the top-ranked archeology students in their class., and they were all selected to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime archeology expedition. They were excited as they boarded the plane to fly all the way to Cholula, Puebla, Mexico to search for artifacts and relics from the Mayan pyramids. On the way to Mexico, K...

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“Opposite day” by Darling Jackson

Submitted to Contest #183

Opposite Day By Laney Bryant I wasn’t looking forward to my sixteenth birthday like you might be. People say that before there was something called a sweet sixteen? It’s funny to me that people used to look forward to they’re sixteenth birthday. I was certainly not looking forward to mine, in fact I was dreading tomorrow. At least I can finally get it over with, no more waiting to see what curse I was given. I mean I had been waiting for 15 years. No more overwhelming sense of trepidation. I found it interesting that out society ...

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$250

Prize money

248

Contest entries

125

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 03, 2023 EST

Won by Laurel Hanson 🏆

Title: Of Harpers and Heroes

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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