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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#188: But There's a Catch

In life, there’s almost always a catch. The beautiful new shoes cause blisters. The exciting promotion at work leaves you feeling out of your depth. The free upgrade to first class comes with a screaming kid for a neighbor. If something seems too good to be true, maybe it is!

We might call these drawbacks ‘the fly in the ointment’; the little things that spoil what would otherwise be wonderful. With this week’s prompts, we’re encouraging you to lean into those frustrations, big and small. Will your characters be able to find a workaround, or is this as good as it gets?

This week's prompts

Write a story that starts with the line “So, what’s the catch?”

Dialogue – 96 stories

Write about a character who would have complete happiness, if it weren’t for that one thing.

Character – 63 stories

Write a story about someone who is determined to not have their day spoiled — but the universe is trying their patience.

Funny – 48 stories

Write about someone who thinks they just got a great deal on something, only for them to realize…

Mystery – 32 stories

Write about a character who’s attending a dinner thrown in their honor, but deeply embarrasses themself during their speech.

Funny – 19 stories

Stories

“The English Lop” by Alexey Williams

Submitted to Contest #188

And among the ruins were the cages of the English lops. The house had burned, yet the lop cages had been spared as they sat in a shed some fifteen feet from the house. The lops made not a sound as I approached. They all appeared unharmed in their cages. I'd settled on setting them free as it was a terrible thing to be unfree, and they had earned their liberty as far as I was concerned. Their metal cage doors were opened, and I simply coaxed them out with a hand. The lops were so docile that in spite of all that had passed some of them didn't...

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“Women’s Day on Moon Day” by John Rutherford

Submitted to Contest #188

He wanted to impress her. In her culture Women’s Day was a big deal. He had seen this over many years, when he worked in numerous offices, and processions of flower deliveries arrived at the ladies’ desk, the more the better. Every woman or girl became the recipient of flowers, gifts, this was the queen of days on the annual calendar. He was so eager to impress her and show his care and gentlemanly attention. But the universe was against it. This year, anyway.She was an avid believer in astrology, and the moon’s cycles. She thought she had a...

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“You have to be my Child for a day.” by Hope Linter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #188

“So what’s the catch?” I asked, thumbing through my paperback book, happy to hear my daughter Lillianne’s glee, instead of her moping, after finding Bubby, her birthday rabbit, lying in his cage, dead. Of all the stupid things for her seventh birthday, I’d surprised her with a fragile, mortal creature, when her mother, my wife, had passed away a year ago. I put my book down. She clapped her hands. “You have to be my child for a day.” “And if I am, what will I get?” I wondered where this was going. “Daddy,” she said in exaggera...

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“Kintsugi” by Olivia Lake

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #188

It was going to be a good day. It had to. Lily knew the perfect way to start the day: cinnamon sugar doughnuts and coffee. When she got to the cafe, though, the barista was locking the doors. “Are you closed already?” she asked. The barista shook his head. “Something with the plumbing. They have to shut off the water.” “Oh…” she trailed off. She checked her watch. Is there another cafe nearby? Or a bakery? There’s a place on Randolph Street - no, that’s a Starbucks…they don’t have the right doughnuts. Do I have time to look? She ...

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“The Gap Year” by Stevie Burges

Submitted to Contest #188

This story contains swearing. One day Wendy, the woman from the Human Resources department (whom I loathed), leaned over me while I worked through the hundreds of emails pinging into my Inbox, all demanding immediate answers. ‘Have you heard the news? she asked. ‘No’, trying to keep the dislike and coldness off my face. ‘I’m going to Namibia to dig toilets’. Horror struck; I stopped typing and looked at her full in the face. ‘What d’ya mean? Going to dig toilets?’ ‘I’m taking a senior gap year.’ A year off to dig t...

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“The Green Chalice” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #188

The Godhead. Holiday. Visions. Destruction. Across the multiverse, there are beings of extraordinary wisdom gifted with the power of omniscience, capable of witnessing places, people, and events throughout all time and space. They are the Chosen, selected by their universe to bear the crown of the godhead - the curse of true sight - so they might intervene in the affairs of mortals to right terrible wrongs and act as a counterweight to the malicious, strangling tendrils of Chaos. The form of the Chosen varies between universes; nowhere in al...

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“A Pretty Sweet Deal” by Beth Peterson

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” the devil asked.“No catch,” Martha insisted as she poured him a cup of coffee. Black with far too much sugar, exactly as he’d requested. “I just thought a fella like you’d be interested in making a deal.”She settled into the old kitchen chair opposite the devil. He looked much younger than she’d expected. Otherwise, she’d pictured him perfectly. Dark, slicked-back hair. A neatly trimmed beard. Sharp eyes that stared at her like a hungry predator.“I don’t tend to get called up by little old ladies,” the devil said befo...

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“The Train” by Glenda Toews

Submitted to Contest #188

“It’s em.”“Naw, can’t be em, he died, on the cross two thousand years ago.”“Mate, I tell yer, it’s em!”Both boys leaned off the raised platform peering into the train, noses pressed against the window trying to get a better look.“Bloody hell Bobby, I think yer right!” Mikey’s right hand rose making a cross over his body sanctifying and protecting in one swift motion.Jesus turned and saw the boys staring. Jesus smiled. Jesus scratched his beard. Jesus had a back pack on his lap. Army Green, an American flag stitched to the front.“An American ...

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“Shawarma” by Elisabeth Bridges

Submitted to Contest #188

Alana Chambers picked at her dinner; poking at the salmon on her plate, occasionally raising a tiny bite to her lips and chewing mechanically without tasting it. The young man seated next to her glanced over with an amused but not unsympathetic twinkle in his eyes. “Who ever decided that it was a good idea to have dinner before the speeches, right?” he murmured, leaning in so he could be heard under the mic-amplified voice of Ms. Catherine Sciama. The tall, impossibly elegant gray-haired woman was currently detailing the history of t...

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“The Seduction of Herb” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #188

The Seduction of Herb“So, what’s the catch?” Even the Party of the First Part was surprised at the quick response, the ease with which the words were spoken, void of any serious consideration of the required consequence. The implication of the message from the Party of the Second Part was that all prior elements were agreed to. “There’s no catch, Herb. That’s the deal, straight up. You get everything I’ve promised in return for your immortal soul.”“That’s it? There is no catch?”“That’s it, Herb.”Slick black ...

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“1963 Fender Stratocaster” by Marty B

Submitted to Contest #188

Paul had found the fountain of youth, and it was slowing stealing his mind. It didn’t look like much, faded and worn. The retirement present from his old boss. The boss who forced him out of the business he built. Paul remembered the chubby and energetic kid he had hired and mentored for the past 10 years. Derek was twenty years younger, and through political maneuvering with the Board had taken over as CEO. If Paul still had the fire in his belly then maybe he would have fought harder to keep his executive positio...

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“Miracles Happen” by Stephanie Stevens

Submitted to Contest #188

Miracles happen.The daffodils bloomed before the snowdrops fell this year, making the churchyard a veritable carpet of yellow. However, in late March,primroses blossomed among the graves, and some late daffodils put theirdelicate heads on the northern facade of the church. Together they replenish the yellow hues in time for Easter. On Good Friday morning, I turn my face to the sun. The weather is unseasonably warm, and the sun’s golden rays reach the rich earth, encouraging growing plants to bud forth. Birds twitter in the trees, nesting, wh...

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“Drug of Choice” by Nona Yobis

Submitted to Contest #188

They’re all the same. At first, you feel invincible, at one with the universe, so Zen that you’re certain you’ve found Enlightenment. The high reaches to the stratosphere, and the feeling is so warm and calming, it’s like being engulfed in the very essence of love itself. But it doesn’t last. I’ve tried so hard to find the perfect drug, but no matter what I try, I can’t find one that gives me a lasting high. I’m not picky, either.I’ve gone to several different dealers, traveled the world searching for the next promise of ...

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“Dick’s” by Deborah Allion

Submitted to Contest #188

Jack preferred the old gas station Dick’s because he thought the cashier was pretty and she never carded him. He only went there after really rough games. He would buy a six-pack, play Xbox, and tell no one. Thursday was a rough game. Coach barely let him play any. After the game, Jack’s dad Mr. Davis offered a dead-eyed smile to the sweaty brown-haired boy before complimenting his little sister's tumbling and asking Mrs. Davis if they were eating meatloaf again for dinner. They were. He drove with windows down. His sweaty curls drie...

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“Tea and Biscuits” by Anja Barker

Submitted to Contest #188

‘So, what’s the catch?’ I asked, confused at Gabriel’s immediate agreement to my plan. ‘That’s not the right question to ask’ he responded sharply, his still powerful eyes boring into mine. I took a deep breath in, trying to remain calm, in control. I was trained for this kind of situation; I just hadn’t expected it to happen that way. I had hoped I’d be given more time, a few more chances to prove myself, to gain his trust. More time to figure things out, more time to learn what not to say. Speaking to Gabriel was like walking on a tight r...

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$250

Prize money

258

Contest entries

133

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 10, 2023 EST

Won by Tom Bombadil 🏆

Title: The First Idol

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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