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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#19: Talking Shop

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday might be behind us, there are still weeks of shopping ahead as many of us gear up for Christmas.

While Hallmark holiday movies might have us believe that holiday shopping is a relaxed and cheerful activity that involves dipping into quaint shops with a hot chocolate in one hand and a bag of goodies in the other — we know the truth. Often, holiday shopping is a chaotic, several hour-long excursion through a packed mall, where you down cups of coffee just to keep yourself going. Or maybe you prefer to shop online, from the serene comfort of your couch. Finally, perhaps you avoid the whole thing altogether, because, like the Grinch, you know that "Christmas doesn't come from a store."

Whatever the case, it's clear that shopping can conjure up a range of emotions in different people. And your challenge this week is to capture those very emotions in a short story about... shopping!

This week's prompts

Write a short story about someone in the middle of a very long and busy retail shift.

Funny – 41 stories

Write a short story about someone searching for the perfect gift for their partner.

Romance – 60 stories

Write a short story about someone watching a convincing infomercial.

Funny – 20 stories

Write a short story about a shop that takes place over a span of years.

Narrative – 41 stories

Write a short story about someone based on their shopping list.

Character – 49 stories

Stories

“Restful Sleep” by Paula Allison

Submitted to Contest #19

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“Infomercial Imagination ” by Kamilah Ambriz

Submitted to Contest #19

"WOW WOW, This new nonstick pan is amazing! You can use these pans for practically anything and everything!” The 3am infomercials were starting to appear on Michael’s TV screen as he slept on the couch. “Hey, you there, are you in need of health care?” “BUY NOW ONLY $19.99 WITH SHIPPING AND HANDLING” “FOR ALL AGES, KIDS, ADULTS EVEN YOU GRANDMA” “NON STICK” “INFO” It was a never ending madness of commercials. Michael woke up from his couch sleep and was fed up...

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“What's Cooking?” by Chris Novak

Submitted to Contest #19

Bret Blackmon grabbed the remote and sat down in his favorite chair, an overstuffed Laz-E-Boy Recliner. The Chair. The material was worn at all the touch points, just short of threadbare and, truth be told, the thing stank a little. But he still loved it and refused to give it up. His friends and family suspected he kept it because it smelled bad – no one ever wanted to sit in it when they came to call!He plopped into the Chair, a cold Pepsi and bag of Taco Bell treats on the side table. This was his idea of a great supper and he h...

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“"How do you think they got him to do that?"” by Alyse Morrell

Submitted to Contest #19

My grandfather instilled in me wisdom and insight that far exceeds any college education, while also bringing joy and laughter to my days. I spent many hours at his house while my mother worked her second or third shift in a row at the local hospital. I obtained many of his tendencies during those baby-sitting stints, like how to conserve money, cook liver and onions, and enjoy classic cinema. One tendency I did not inherit, however, was his gullibility. We referred...

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“Little Record Shop on the Corner” by M.D. Smith

Submitted to Contest #19

What a great job, I thought as I smiled at the Christmas shoppers bustling in and out of the store. I had a friend who was a disk jockey for the radio station owner, Mr. Woodbury, who also owned The Record Shop. As much as I loved the popular songs on the Top 40 Billboard charts, to be paid to work in a store where all kinds of music could be heard at the sample record players was terrific. I think I’d have worked for free if offered that part-time job. Here I was employed to listen to Yellow Rose of Texas, Autumn Leaves, Davy Crockett, and...

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“The Wishing Well” by Tomeika Dunn

Submitted to Contest #19

Bobbie stood silent as she stared at the bright, flickering colorful lights that draped the store window. They flashed to the motion of the music coming from the large speaker tucked in the corner. She felt her arm jerk as her mother pulled her inside the store. She had heard about the store from a girl in her kindergarten class, she had said it was magical; there was a wishing well that granted wishes. Bobbie had tons of wishes saved up to ask for, she had searched every place in her apartment to find any loose pennies that may have fallen ...

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“Beginning's End” by Madeline McDowell

Submitted to Contest #19

By Madeline McDowellThe grey sky hung oppressively low as I merged towards the off-ramp. The rhythmic clicking of the blinker kept beat above the soft hum of Christmas music while the SUV next to me and I negotiated, rather heatedly, the terms of my merger. With a rev of his engine and a single finger salute, my sparring partner was gone; sped off ahead and disappeared into the torrent of taillights continuing down the highway. This left me just enough room to take the ramp before ploughing head first into those orange garbage...

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“Somewhere in Time” by Kate Seger

Submitted to Contest #19

In a fickle world, in a town that was forever reinventing itself, the shop was a constant. It had presided over the corner of Abbott Street and Lillian Lane for nearly a century and a half. There had been subtle changes, of course, but they were minimal compared to the upheaval that had taken place in the pastoral town around it. It was not, Kael realized, so pastoral anymore. He marvelled wistfully at the transformation as he drove through the outskirts towards the shop… where Lorelei would be waiting. She always was. Where once there ...

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“Clocks” by Lisa Jawalekar

Submitted to Contest #19

July 4, 2004“Commercial space for sale. 1000 square feet, includes workroom and back bar. For more information, please contact us at 89 ESTATE.” Martha Founder cocked her head at the sign. The dimensions were a little smaller than she’d been hoping for when she’d made the long way from her countryside home to the middle of the city at the whim of a friend. Katy had said it would be bigger, but Martha couldn’t argue that the plot was in a prime location, smack bang in the middle of the busiest part of town, and it had been their dream to...

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“The Riddance's Christmas Riddle” by N S

Submitted to Contest #19

It’s Mrs. Riddance, and she was back for another mind-nerving ‘life quest’, as she would love to call it. We went back to our seats as she was prepping for a short speech that we didn’t really want to hear. “Alright, Class. What a lovely sight. I know it must be very burdensome to wake up every morning and having to see me today, but well, that is something that I myself couldn’t help,” said Mrs. Riddance. I had to applaud her self-awareness of how the majority of us saw her, although part of me felt a bit sorry that she had to eve...

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“And we might need this too...” by Elizabeth Donohue

Submitted to Contest #19

Tins of tuna and tomatoes were stacked four high in the wobbling shopping cart. Bags of apples, packets of chips and at least four cartons of milk were laying underneath twelve boxes of cookies and a giant watermelon. Annie Atkinson's trembling hands pushed the cart, swerving left to right across the aisles, apologising profusely to the woman whose backside she just ran into. Silvia Jackson was stacking packets of spaghetti in aisle two. She smiled at Annie and dug about in her apron pocket for her phone to call Michael Atkinson. Michael sig...

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“Mom’s Perfect Pie” by Leigh Hartung

Submitted to Contest #19

I look over the shopping list again: 7 Granny Smith Apples (No Bruises) Vanilla Bean (Not that extract stuff - An actual vanilla BEAN) Pure Cane Sugar Baking powder Light Caro Syrup Pastry Flour Farm fresh Milk Farm Fresh Eggs Kosher Salt This was the list of items needed for the absolutely perfect, delicious apple pie that mom only made once a year, at Christmas. This year, I would be making it, and I’m scared out of my wits. Every year, mom would pull out this shopping list, and spend h...

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“Shopping List ” by Kamilah Ambriz

Submitted to Contest #19

Every person's shopping list is different. A mother's shopping list is different from a girl in her teen's shopping list. Miranda was no exception. Miranda Hiller was a 16 year old girl who just wanted her life to start already. She'd fantasized about life in the big city and having everything she desired. In her room, she had posters of the New York City, Paris, London, all the major cities that she dreamed of going to. On top of that her father bought her everything she ever wanted. She had it all, laptop, new phone, latest tech, eve...

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“Chocolate Comfort ” by Ashlynn Keith

Submitted to Contest #19

DISREGARDING THE PIERCING EYES of my fellow last minute Christmas-sale shoppers, I toss my shopping basket onto the checkout stand, only feeling moderate remorse. The clerk finishes charging the older man in front of me, saying his goodbyes and happy holidays before transitioning his focus to me. He’s frozen for a few seconds with his mouth agape, but he ultimately accepts his fate. He reaches a hand into my basket, pulling out three boxes of classic hot chocolate mix. Holding the box to his eyes to read the bold lettering he remarks, ...

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“A Christmas microwave meal for one” by Alice Guile

Submitted to Contest #19

I’m a delivery driver for a supermarket. It’s not the most glamorous job in the world but it pays the rent. I have got a wife, and two kids to take care of so I can’t be too fussy. I often wish I had worked a bit harder in school, but what’s done is done. I was never top of the class anyway, never been a brainy sort of person, but if everyone was brainy who would deliver shopping? I often make my job more interesting by glancing at the items as I pack the van and then imagining what the person will be like based on their shopping list. I see...

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$50

Prize money

211

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 13, 2019 EST

Won by Kelsey Marlett 🏆

Title: Man-Eater

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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