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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

“THAT FACE” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #188

THAT FACE Paul was an accomplished architect. He had designed much-admired, much praised buildings as museums and churches not only in his country. He also had a beautiful family with his wife Milena and their children Peter and Simona. And he did not lack a circle of interesting and inspiring friendships and acquaintances. At thirty-eight he could say to be a fulfilled even happy man. And yet there was ….SOMETHING that undermined his satisfaction, that prevented him from being happy. It would be better to say that there was...

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“La Terrible Madre” by Marty B

Submitted to Contest #188

Themes of violence and self-harm At 8:30 AM the alarm clock went off, her cell phone buzzed and she saw the dead man on the floor. Edipa blinked against the sunlight pouring in from the window of the front room. She was nauseous, and her head rang with a vibrant ache. She put her head back down on the couch, only a dream- She abruptly sat up, she was on the couch, in her fiancé's house. She had to pick him up at the airport, and - Her eyes squeezed shut. She twisted her head and then opened her...

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“But I don't like making speeches” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #188

“But I don’t like giving speeches. I get so worried that I will say the wrong things, and people will get offended. At the very best, I would bore them silly, put them asleep.”“I know, Charlie, but this event is honouring your work at the company, and a speech is expected. Otherwise you will be insulting the people that came to the event. And you know how sensitive the boss, the great Mr. Brooks and his family are. They would use the lack of speech as being directed at them personally, and insult you behind your back...

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“It wasn't a birthday gathering.” by Red Wood

Submitted to Contest #188

The first thing I remember was standing in the mirror putting on an old suit. My memory was a tad bit hazy at that point, but I can still recall that the suit I wore wasn’t the finest I owned. I didn’t believe any other fancier suit deserved to be at such a dull gathering, even if it was in my praise. Another problem is that I could not recall who organized this event. Could it have been a coworker? Maybe it was meant to be a surprise for my birthday, I always forgot when that was. Either way, I knew it wouldn’t be very fun. I straightened m...

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“Mission Partner, Recognition, and Disappointment” by Emilie Ocean

Submitted to Contest #188

“So, what’s the catch?” I ask Malcom—my boss—crossing my arms over my red suit jacket as I arch a dark eyebrow, unimpressed.“There’s no catch, Becs,” he grumbles in a deep voice, the unlit La Prosa cigar stuck between his yellowed teeth bobbing in my face.“There’s always a catch,” I remark, my rouged lips pouting at the word.I graciously turn around, nonchalance a second nature of mine by now, to be on my way. The heels of my matching red stilettos clacking loudly through the tiled hall, the echo bouncing off the walls to announce my coming....

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“So What's the Catch?” by Sharon Farnsworth

Submitted to Contest #188

So What’s the Catch? he pondered. Ben Mattingly sat in a leather chair behind the impressive ball and claw mahogany desk that was passed down from grandfather Mattingly, a highly successful attorney in Columbia Heights, Washington D.C.. Ben was respectful of his grandfather’s reputation and knew the sacrifices he had made to make sure Ben enjoyed the finer things in life. Between the stacks of paper on the right, he felt for the pipe and lighter he left this morning before his doctor’s appointment. The tobacco pouch contained a special ...

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“THE POOL ROOM AT PELICAN POINT” by BRUCE MARTIN

Submitted to Contest #188

In the quiet retirement community of Pelican Point in Boca Raton, the residents enjoyed lavish facilities and an active lifestyle. The clubhouse had an Olympic-size, heated swimming pool, a resistance pool for walking, two heated spas, a Swedish sauna and a steam room. There were three restaurants, offering everything from breakfast omelets and French toast to the finest steaks, chops and salads. Friday night seafood extravaganzas, Saturday night brisket and stuffed kishka specials, and Sunday morning bagel, lox and chopped liver jamborees k...

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“The Sherlock Award ” by Kelly Sibley

Submitted to Contest #188

“Lady and Gentlemen… Lady and Gentlemen, thank you. Your attention, please!” Montague was a patient man faced with an arrogant audience. “Lady… Gentlemen, please, your attention.” To Montague’s annoyance, the dining hall’s general disregarding hubbub continued unabated.“Hear yea, hear yea, time to shut ya gobs!” was bellowed out louder than an elephant’s trumpet by Whip. Montague self-consciously adjusted his cravat as the dining hall noise settled as the gas lights bore down on his reddening face, “Yes, thank you, Maurice.” T...

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“Job Search ” by Andrew Fruchtman

Submitted to Contest #188

“So what did you expect with a name like that?,” the therapist continued. “Oh, I don’t know, I never put much credence in any of that stuff. They’re just stories. Biblical or mythological, what’s the difference?”“Well maybe, but you’ve gotta admit it is a little weird, you being named for him. I mean ‘Job,’ what were your parents thinking anyway?”“Apparently they weren’t.”“So, how can we, you, deal with all this? How can you streamline your life to better slide uneventfully through your days?”“I can try to maintain a lower profile ...

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“Best Day Ever” by Lindsay Flo

Submitted to Contest #188

“Good morning, miss.” Her voice was gentle, as was the velvety soft hand on my bare shoulder, but neither could soothe the pounding in my skull. I offered some sort of noise resembling a distressed animal to let her know I was alive. Opening my eyes was too much to ask. “You requested a personal wake-up,” she said, her voice again sliding like butter, and I carefully forced open one eye. “I’m up,” I managed. I could not believe I was hungover. I had done everything in my power to avoid this, I mean, outside of not drinking. I had hydrat...

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“Life Will Go On” by Alessia Machado

Submitted to Contest #188

————————————————————————————————————— It was winter. The room was dry and cool. That one tiny window in her apartment was opened, letting in breezes of the crisp air outside. The sound of New York City bustling. The old wallpaper had already begun to peel at its corners. The low sun shone in through the window and created a daze of orange light. She stared at it. Her eyes watching it, peeking up from the top of her laptop screen. The sun reflecting off of it. The black piano. It was upright; its white and black keys relaxed. Quiet. Like ...

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“Eddie Goes A-Courting ~A Spring Romance~” by Cindy Strube

Submitted to Contest #188

Eddie Goes A-Courting~A Spring Romance~“He-elp! He-elp!”Breaking the tranquility of a March morning, a desperate cry rings across the valley. No man runs to assist, nor even a woman lifts a finger to dial 9-1-1. Here and there a lip twitches. An eyebrow raises. Perhaps a chuckle or a sigh escapes. “He-elp!”Again the call resounds. Looks are exchanged, acknowledgements murmured.“There’s Eddie! You can tell spring is coming.”Down the road, Eddie searches for the one thing that would give him complete happiness. The One who would...

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“The House that Wasn't Haunted” by Noah Aylward

Submitted to Contest #188

I got my first house for more than $10K under market value. The low asking price made my mother nag at me to get every inspection I could pay for, but after the home inspector, the termite inspector, the radon inspector, and the structural engineer all came back with clean bills of health on the property, even she had to admit I'd found a good deal. The seller, an older fellow named George, took my first offer without any haggling. He said he didn't have the energy to take care of the place anymore and just wanted it off his hands. We closed...

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“The Copperfield of Tax Accountants” by KT George

Submitted to Contest #188

There was too much food and wine and not enough good company. At least, that was the sober opinion of the evening's honorary guest. When surrounded by dozens of strangers celebrating you, you don't get much time to think things through. Your job is to show up early, make a conscious effort to connect with everyone in attendance, then make a speech proving you deserve the honor bestowed upon you. David Fields was a prodigious tax accountant with the reputation of being gifted with analysis and computations. Many thought him a magician...

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“Highway Robbery” by Mad Bennett

Submitted to Contest #188

It’s not a good deal unless it feels like you’re pulling off a scam. Ash had driven off the lot in her new truck like a thief, glowing with pride tempered by only the weakest press of guilt. She’d never set out to take advantage of anybody, but it’s survival of the fittest. Don’t go selling a truck before you know its worth. She’d found her victim hosting an estate sale. Ash was no antiquer, and she didn’t go hunting for hoity-toity clothes sold at a song on account of their owner’s unexpected demise, but she liked an adventu...

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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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