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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#189: Remastered, Retold

Books, as a medium, have remained virtually unchanged over centuries, even with the advent of ebooks and audiobooks. Our way to enjoy music, on the other hand, has gone from live troubadours and symphonies, to gramophones and vinyl records, CDs and MP3s, and, most recently, streaming apps. To build these virtual libraries, sound engineers have been hard at work remastering older tracks to improve the sound quality to fit our modern standards, preserving and bringing classic albums to the ears of new generations.

Whether you’re a purist who prefers the scratch of an old record or someone constantly looking for rejuvenation, this week’s prompts build on the idea of remastering, asking you to take inspiration from tales old as time and put your (modern) spin on them.

This week's prompts

Write a story where a character must continue to tell their tale to a listener to avoid unsavory consequences.

Dramatic – 41 stories

Write a story inspired by this quote from Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy: “In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”

Fiction – 66 stories

Write a story about a fox spirit (a gumiho, jiǔwěihú, kitsune, or hồ ly tinh), inspired by, e.g. Korean, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese folklore.

Fiction – 41 stories

Write a modern version of "The Tiger, the Brahmin, and the Jackal," in which someone suffers from their own good deeds and must turn to an unlikely source for help.

Fiction – 21 stories

Start your story with “It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark.” (Hans Christian Andersen, “The Little Match Girl”)

Winter – 112 stories

Stories

“The Hobby” by Sarah S.

Submitted to Contest #189

Fourteen months, but if you do the math, we have only really tried for eleven. Twice I was away for work right in the middle of my fertile window. One month we both had COVID, so your sperm was probably shot anyway, which maybe actually means that three months from then, maybe that was when the sperm was no good. I don’t know. I just know it’s not working. The doctor says that by now it should’ve happened and maybe it’s time to look into alternatives. You take my hand and say this will make us stronger. You say this is just an obstacle on th...

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“The Father, The Sons-of-Bitches, and the Unholy Ghost.” by Ken Cartisano

Submitted to Contest #189

I turned up my collar and tightened the belt of my tattered coat. It was well past midnight and a cool fog had drifted in from the harbor.The muffled sound of voices signaled the passage of three young thugs at the end of the street. They were moving fast, and keeping their chatter down. I don’t think they felt any safer than I did. Not in this district.The solitary streetlamp was no match for the gloom. Its amber light flickered now and again, threatening to go out altogether.Something small and hard thumped to the ground near a pile of tra...

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“Chrysalides” by Jay Wayne

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #189

They called him John, because he didn’t have a name. He’d been pulled from the Dusek estate during the raid, where he’d almost been shot because he refused to identify himself. Only later did they find out it was because he didn’t speak. Still, Ana finds there are plenty of other ways to learn about John and his past. On the drive to the ward, Ana sneaks several glances at him in the rearview, watching as he stares out the windows, wide-eyed, like he’s never seen the city before. When they arrive, he’s shaking so badly that Ana has to call ...

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“The Newspaper Girl” by MJ Simons

Submitted to Contest #189

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark as she stood on the cobblestone streets at the Christmas market. The town was nestled in the heart of the mountains, and snow during the Christmas season was common and expected. The wind tore through large conifers sifting the snow as it fell. The streets were lit with lights, and the colors were bright and splendid. Sweet and spicy aromas wafted through the air as vendors sold delicious meats, candies, and hot mulled wine. Her stomach growled from bitter pains that threate...

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“Whispers in the Halls” by Micah Zarin

Submitted to Contest #189

I never thought I'd be sitting here, spilling my secrets to someone I hardly know, but life has a funny way of turning your world upside down. You see, I've found myself in a rather precarious situation. If I don't keep my story going, "they" won't be happy, and trust me, you don't want to see them unhappy. It all began on a stormy night, the kind that makes you want to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. Little did I know, the dark clouds overhead mirrored the sinister events that would soon unfold. I had just wrapped up my job as ...

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“A Ghost's Story” by Diane Green

Submitted to Contest #189

A Ghost’s Story November 1967 It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. Fifteen-year-old Becky Chalmers hoped the weather would be better tomorrow. She and Uncle Beasley were going on an archive adventure at the Trenton Court House. Uncle Beasley, several cousins removed, pulled up to 26 Cadwallader Court clanging and clattering in his 1949 Crosley Hotshot. They would be in search of a man named Moore Furman. &nbsp...

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“A Legend Untold” by Shaivi S.

Submitted to Contest #189

여우.Yeou.Haneul couldn’t imagine what went through the minds of Yeou’s parents to name her something so vile. So accusing. Fox. As flattering as it is to have a human named after one’s own kind, Haneul could only imagine the poor girl growing up with eggs thrown at her head and people pushing her off swing sets. Whatever weird things bullies did in the 21st century. Maybe foxes had finally lost their bad rep around town. People can change after centuries of labeling gumihos as seductive villains for wanting to fit in with their two...

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“man against nature” by Molly Kelash

Submitted to Contest #189

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. I had no shoes, no coat, and couldn’t remember anything before this moment, how I’d come to be in these woods, where I’d come from. Who I was. A clean slate, a near mental newborn, stranded in a frozen, impenetrable, forest primeval. Toes numb, teeth clacking, I rubbed my eyes, hoping to clear, or rather, fill my aching, empty head with understanding. My basic survival instisnct and my ability for complex thought were both intact, so one thing was clear: if...

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“SHOWDOWN INTERRUPTED” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #189

Messenger angels and demons throughout Heaven and Hell had begun spreading the word about an upcoming event that would determine, once and for all, the fate of the world. The polarization of life forms had proven to be a disastrous experiment. God and Satan had watched from their respective vantages and come to the same conclusion. The mortal realm simply could not figure things out on their own and it was time for drastic measures before Planet Earth was reduced to a fading memory, a blip on the radar of what once was.The two...

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“My Walkman” by Penny Pepper

Submitted to Contest #189

“It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling and it was almost dark…” Wrong station. I moved the dial on my Walkman, that can’t play cassettes, waiting for a good song to come on. No documentaries. No politics. No corny jokes. (Although they are funny) No news. Just me and my music. Finally! I turned up the volume. “Now it’s time for Joan Jett’s rock to come and give us some music.” The radio station man said. When the song ended, it was as though a good moment was taken away. “Alright, this new band of 1985, is sure to be great one day.” The ...

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“Hell Is Not What We Think ” by Andrea Sumner

Submitted to Contest #189

There are nine circles of Hell, each crafted to bring its trespasser to the breaking point. But what no one tells you, is that the true hell of it, is Hell is uniquely yours. Why send the outspoken, though in pain, to a place with companions to suffer and talk to? A bond over misery is still a bond. No, their Hell consists of a room in which all life is absent. Silence their only companion. Or what about the greedy? You don’t send them off to hoard large rocks, hoping to drain every last ounce of avidity out of them through sweat and tears. ...

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“The Loneliest Journey” by Nona Yobis

Submitted to Contest #189

The sun disappears within the canopy of leaves above me, the gentle sway of the branches a betrayal of what lies ahead. I drudge on with feet as heavy as lead, as countless people before me have done. I have heard that most people can make it through the darkest part of this wood and come out the other side. Most. Others are not so lucky, succumbing to the dark, foreboding loneliness, losing themselves along the way. If this were a journey of choice, then it would be chosen by no one. But I have no choice but to press forward. If I stop,...

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“Scarlet Snow” by J. D. Lair

Submitted to Contest #189

Warning: Contains scenes of death.It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. John continued shoveling hardened earth into the unmarked grave. The silence surrounding him accentuated the sickening sounds of the task at hand. This was his least favorite part of it all. There was always such finality attached to the burying of a body.***Jonathan Tearse had taken over the family trade with his father’s passing. Tearse Ranch of Evergreen Valley. He had always loved the small mountain town where he was raised, but wished he...

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“Google Doogle” by Tricia Cundiff

Submitted to Contest #189

I have a story to tell, though no one will believe me. When I lie in my bed at night, I barely believe it myself. But in the light of day, as I see my wife and daughter playing in the backyard, I know it all to be true. The tale must be told, although few may ever read these words. But the truth of it should be laid down, for I can take no credit for the changes in my life. I am a man of little worth, a real s.o.b. Barely able to hold on to a job, I manage to keep us from being homeless and enough food on the table. Berating my wife regularl...

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“The Snow Bride” by Jane Andrews

Submitted to Contest #189

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling and it was almost dark as Harry opened his eyes and came out of his reverie. He had always though that Jeremy, his eldest cousin, would inherit the family estate one day. However, to his great surprise, a series of unfortunate events had ensured that every one of his cousins perished before reaching the age of thirty – with the result that Harry suddenly found himself heir to Locksby Hall and to a lifestyle he had never dreamed of.He was around twenty-five at this time – a pale, dark-haired boy, good...

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$250

Prize money

281

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 17, 2023 EST

Won by Fabi M 🏆

Title: Decomposition Sits with You

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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