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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#184: Technical Difficulties

If you’ve ever experienced technical difficulties, you know the boundless frustration it can cause. Glitches, bugs, constant buffering, or — worst of all — no connection whatsoever; these small inconveniences can throw our days off balance (and make us want to pull our hair out). Taken to the extreme, technological failures and a breakdown of the internet infrastructure could have far-reaching and devastating consequences on a global scale.

This week’s prompts are inspired by technostress and issues of connectivity, inviting you to take your frustration out on the keyboard — or even imagine a world without the internet! 😱

And psst! While we have you, remember to check out your free digital copy of PROMPTED — a new literary magazine, featuring winning stories from weekly Prompts contests just like this one, edited by Reedsy professionals.

🥇 Winner

“All the Lonely People” by Michelle Oliver

🏆 Winner of Contest #184

MONDAY I tap my foot nervously on the shiny marble floor as I watch the numbers descend. I’m going to be late… again. It really wasn’t my fault. I’d had my hours swapped with George this week, so he could leave work in time to pick his kids up from school, while his wife recuperated from surgery. I now needed to be in the office by 10.00 instead of 8.30. You’d think that would make me early. However, since I was finishing later, I’d tried to get to the gym in the morning. Well that was a mistake. It was either shower and be late, or ski...

222 comments 222

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Light Dies if I Close My Eyes” by Dan Coglianese

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

Dear Reedsy community: my fellow writers and readers, You’re all in on it, aren’t you? The truth is, you’re all pretending, right? Believe me, if just one of you said you knew me, I might believe it. Do you know me? Frankly, this is the last place I still exist. I fear that soon this will be gone too. Wait, let me guess: You have no idea what I’m talking about? You think this is a joke? Maybe if you know what happened you’ll believe me. My name is Harlan Trembley. I am 52 years old and I work at Diamond Ridge Property Management dow...

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“The Pros and Cons of a Super Position” by Luke Mitchell

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

PROS AND CONS OF PUSHING THE BUTTON By the One Who Pushes PRO: The world has never (not even once!) ended. Neither as a direct result of your having pushed the Button, nor in any other way. This is optimal. CON: The world (your world, that is) has indeed never, not once, ended (nor even changed in the slightest) as a direct result of your having pushed the Button. And not to be too down on yourself and your sad life and everything, but let’s be honest: This is suboptimal. (You need friends.) PRO: The people you pass on the str...

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“Worded” by Ash Egan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

SOMEONE NEARBY HAS CHALLENGED YOU TO A GAME OF WORDED.Rob looks up from his phone as the train pulls away from the station.Standing by the door, his shoulder pressed against the handrail, he observes his fellow passengers.Eight seats face each other in the center of the carriage, occupied by commuters bathed in the glow of their smartphones and tablets and e-readers. It's busy as always and everyone is squeezed in, shoulder to shoulder. Hunched and swaying in rhythm with the train's steady progression.The next stop is City Station.To his lef...

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“Virtual Dead” by Kitty Turner

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

Lines. A grid of intersecting lines. Texture like birdshot through fine white paper. I moved my eyes. The glare was blinding at first. Blue sky and the leaves of a tree resolved through a window. Where am I, I thought. Woven in between the beep, beep, beep of my heart, I heard my name.“Lydia, are you there?” The sound came from a woman in white who I recognized as my doctor. Her name escaped me, but the knowledge that I was in a research hospital dawned—I had volunteered for bio-augmentation. I was here by choice. The far-away voice cam...

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“Jinx and the Gap” by Adri Bruckner

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

“Why? What have you done?” He gave me a side-eye, brows furrowed. “Nothing! I just need you to extract it for me, and keep it for a while. I’ll be back, I promise.” I needed Jinx’s help. Otherwise there was no escape. I shouldn’t say ‘escape.’ I wasn’t escaping from anything. I just wanted to get away for a while. Away from the buzz, the notifications, the constant contact, the incessant connection. With everyone, and everything. I needed to get away – from the transport hub that told me when my ride would arrive, from the freezer that t...

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This week's prompts

Start your story with someone saying “Houston, we have a problem.”

Dialogue – 41 stories

Set your story during a complete city or nation-wide blackout.

Thriller and Suspense – 52 stories

Write a story about a character who is experiencing glitches in their reality.

Mystery – 82 stories

Write about someone who has chosen to disconnect and live an analog life.

Character – 36 stories

Write a story where a character has to decide whether to press the button or not.

Science Fiction – 70 stories

Stories

“All the Lonely People” by Michelle Oliver

🏆 Winner of Contest #184

MONDAY I tap my foot nervously on the shiny marble floor as I watch the numbers descend. I’m going to be late… again. It really wasn’t my fault. I’d had my hours swapped with George this week, so he could leave work in time to pick his kids up from school, while his wife recuperated from surgery. I now needed to be in the office by 10.00 instead of 8.30. You’d think that would make me early. However, since I was finishing later, I’d tried to get to the gym in the morning. Well that was a mistake. It was either shower and be late, or ski...

222 comments 222

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“Just Oregon” by Wendy Kaminski

Submitted to Contest #184

The alien vessel’s bridge fell silent as Kz’Rrr’s mighty scaled tail thumped the floor repeatedly, its owner lost in thought. He tapped the panel twice then addressed his second-in-command: “AND YOU SAY THERE ARE EVEN MORE EXAMPLES THAN ALL OF THOSE?” Pryr. Jtt was nervous about relaying the scope of his findings at this late stage, but he was otherwise prepared with his remaining data. The fates of them all – as well as the financial legacy of their distant civilization – relied upon him illustrating the issue in such a way that the su...

116 comments 116

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“Glitches are Unjustified ” by Sahil Monhotia

Submitted to Contest #184

“Take them.” The doctor said as he handed me the pills. “I know that these won’t provide you with a ‘sudden alleviation,’ as the majority of my patients expect from these drugs. It takes a long time for an enormous loss to be forgotten. Naturally, you can’t forget it forever. Even your mother wished for your happiness, right?” “I agree, doctor.” I recalled that she used to ask me this question: “Ana, will you ever forget me if I’m away from you?” And I firmly asserted: “No, never.” She replied, “No, you must.” We should at least attempt to ...

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“Technically Crewed” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #184

For Lars, landing an industrial steward role straight out of school was like winning the lottery – or at least a scratch card – but it turned out that babysitting a deep space cargo ship was sublimely boring. “Good morning, Lars,” said Stella, the ship’s AI, in her robotone voice. “Morning, Stella.” He plopped into his seat in the command globe and took a sip of his piping hot triple-cream cinnamint coffee, completing their morning ritual. The command globe had awed him when he first started the job eighteen months ago. It was a tiny raised ...

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“I'll Stay Up All Night With You ” by Liv Chocolate

Submitted to Contest #184

cw: foul language I close my eyes to sleep, but the bright, flickering light of a Liberty Mutual commercial passes through my eyelids. Suddenly, I’m awake. My heart jumps to my throat, and my face flushes hot. Still half-asleep, I take a moment to collect myself, to gather what has happened.It turns out, my husband has done it again—turned on our bedroom TV after I’ve already gone to bed. I consider turning it off point blank, or at least changing the channel to something more palatable. It’s 1:06 in the morning, and he’s chosen&nb...

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“Goats, Arrive” by Story Time

Submitted to Contest #184

He threw his phone away on a Tuesday. By Thursday, he was crossing the second bridge leading into Delle Faire. The first bridge would bring you to a little island in-between the mainland and the big island. The little island was called Marco’s River even though there was no river, but there was a small town, and Scott could just have easily bought a house there and been a little closer to his old life. He could have done a lot of things that would have looked like half-stepping. He could have kept his phone. He could have left his social...

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“No Shit!” by PJ Aitken

Submitted to Contest #184

“Houston, we have a problem!”“Thanks a bunch Dad. Tom Hanks is on the phone, he wants his script back.”“Sorry, love. Anything?” “NOT YET!!”“Well… keep trying!”That was the default conversation throughout my childhood whenever I needed to poop. I remember it so clearly even though it was decades ago because it defined who I would become in so many ways. For the world looking in it was a number two issue but for me it was always my number one problem with a shit-stained bullet.I still remember how it started, stupid really but I guess I w...

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“A 5-Day Trip” by Suma Jayachandar

Submitted to Contest #184

Day 5 There are countless tea shrubs lurking outside. Each one, a half-painted face of a Kathakali dancer, ready to ensnare me with their eye movements. So, I don’t dare to stare through the window from my four-poster bed. Instead, I glaze at the elaborate carvings on the wooden ceiling; giant chocolate squares sprinkled with golden blobs. My stomach growls but I have no appetite.For how long have I been lying here?Days? Months? Years!?No, it can’t be years, silly me! Though the gossamer ball gown on me belongs to another age. Am I the young...

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“Title 93% Loaded...” by Edward Latham

Submitted to Contest #184

A blue, rectangular box popped up in the middle of Michael’s vision. He skimmed over the white text:Metaverse update patch 13.21- Improved A.I. for non-playable characters and personal assistants- New hairstyles and apparel available!- Bug fix to dance emoticons Download CancelHis eyes landed on the ‘cancel’ button...

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“Love's Labors Cast Aside” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #184

Formula: infidelity, swearing, heartbreak, singular mention of suicidal thoughts. “This is the last time,” she told him. His lips left her neck. The lust inside him was dampened by curiosity. “The last time?” he asked. “I can’t keep lying to my husband. I’ve handed in my notice at work already. I’m moving away. This will be the last time you see me.” She drew the covers up around herself as armour. “Say something.” Every assumption he’d made about their relationship imploded. He’d built his happiness on their stolen moments. He wilted, an ...

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“The Light Dies if I Close My Eyes” by Dan Coglianese

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

Dear Reedsy community: my fellow writers and readers, You’re all in on it, aren’t you? The truth is, you’re all pretending, right? Believe me, if just one of you said you knew me, I might believe it. Do you know me? Frankly, this is the last place I still exist. I fear that soon this will be gone too. Wait, let me guess: You have no idea what I’m talking about? You think this is a joke? Maybe if you know what happened you’ll believe me. My name is Harlan Trembley. I am 52 years old and I work at Diamond Ridge Property Management dow...

Read story

“Killer Kyle and Multiverse Mike” by Graham Kinross

Submitted to Contest #184

Parental Warning: contains mention of public urination, gore, violence,drugs, and frequent pop/geek culture references.Ever feel like the walls are closing in? I definitely had a bed when I went to sleep. Next thing I know, I was lying on the cold, hard and sticky ground. There were some magazines there that I think have been out of publication for years. It was cool getting to know Kerrang's hottest artists of 2014 all over again, but I missed my bed.Then there’s my flatmate. Don’t get me wrong, the photos on the wall are a testament to the...

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“Limited Support” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #184

“Houston…? Hey, Houston, are you there?” “Yes, boss!” “…We have a problem…” “Okay, what’s the problem?” “The Internet is down.” “That’s more of a setback than a problem, isn’t it?” “It’s a fucking problem when I can’t load my invoices! It’s a problem when I can’t access my fucking bank account!” “Alright, alright. No need to get shirty with me. I’ll look into it.” “…Thank you…” “…Looking at the server… the server says… everything is working normal.” “So, why can’t I pull up anything on my computer?” “Dunno. Hang on a sec while I put you on h...

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“When We Fly” by Laurel Hanson

Submitted to Contest #184

Note: This account is (mostly) true. Names have been changed per FERPA regulations.“Houston, we have a problem,” I announce unnecessarily.“More like a lot of problems,” Gabe offers. True that.Let me back up. Second period is kind of a shitshow from the start.I had almost completed the mini decathlon event our district requires teachers to accomplish during the six-minute break between classes. It is a ten-step challenge of mental and physical endurance involving equipment hookup, remote Classroom set-up, lesson coordination, media uploads, d...

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“Worded” by Ash Egan

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #184

SOMEONE NEARBY HAS CHALLENGED YOU TO A GAME OF WORDED.Rob looks up from his phone as the train pulls away from the station.Standing by the door, his shoulder pressed against the handrail, he observes his fellow passengers.Eight seats face each other in the center of the carriage, occupied by commuters bathed in the glow of their smartphones and tablets and e-readers. It's busy as always and everyone is squeezed in, shoulder to shoulder. Hunched and swaying in rhythm with the train's steady progression.The next stop is City Station.To his lef...

Read story

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$250

Prize money

281

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 10, 2023 EST

Won by Michelle Oliver 🏆

Title: All the Lonely People

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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