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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

“A Heart Is Not an Orange” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #19

1Martin Wilson never returned from his student exchange program abroad. This is mostly due to the fact that he didn’t escape the vampire.“Oh, sweet Jesus!” cried the Brit, as he pounded down the stony hallways of the castle, footsteps echoing into the night. Outside the tall, gothic windows, a ghostly fog obscured the grounds around the place. His perception and understanding of where he was spatially were being warped and twisted – Martin thought he was at ground level, but now it looked as if he were on the third or fourth floor…“There is ...

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“Fake-adryl” by Natasha Arnold

Submitted to Contest #19

Snuggled in between his throw pillow and heated blanket, Sheldon was content. It was 4am after a tiresome day of Sheldon’s battle for social justice, usually in the form of Facebook arguments. Whether it was orphans, immigration, environmental care, or gay rights, Sheldon was always at the front lines. With quick wit and fierce typing, Sheldon would respond to vile posts written by “degenerate scum”. Among many things, Sheldon would be an outspoken voice against buying animals. Whenever he would see someone post about their new pet, he would...

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“Number One” by Lee Kull

Submitted to Contest #19

The Mart, New York City, New YorkShe walked the aisles, ocularly scouring each one, staring at every item, all the while knowing that it was none of these things she would leave with. She had decided before she had come what she was getting for her husband, but she played out the game anyway, knowing that the manager watched her intently through the surrounding video cameras. He was waiting to see what his next best-selling item would be.She pictured the manager in her mind, sweat beading on his forehead, nervously clasping and unclasping hi...

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“Sometimes, Reading Requires a Strong Left Hook” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #19

June 2nd, 1987 I walked out from the stockroom, reading off the shift schedule. “Randy, your shift is over. I’ve be closing tonight.” I glanced up. “Annnddd Randy is gone and replaced by a small dwarf.” “I’m not a dwarf!” A little girl with stubby pigtails exclaimed. “Oh yeah?” I teased. “Show me your hands.” Confused, she raised them up. I squinted at them. “Oh yeah, stubby hands. That’s a dwarf for you.” “I’m not a dwarf! I’m eight!” “So, you’re this many huh?” I held up eight fingers. Eagerly, the girl nodded. “Well, do you have this many...

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“Ring and Necklace” by Laurentz Baker

Submitted to Contest #19

I was expecting to return home in no more than an hour, but what happened next caused me to lose ten years. It was supposed to be a last-minute pickup. It was supposed to be ready the day after Thanksgiving. I had anticipated the Christmas rush and that things would be backed up. I never anticipated that the order would be the wrong necklace and ring. “See. The set I ordered for you was the one you were admiring at the jewelry store,” says Benny. The chocolate set. The one sent was rose gold. It was nice, but another couple from somewhere el...

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“Next stop, normal” by Bree Kokiri

Submitted to Contest #19

*Warning, this story contains strong subject matter that some readers may find upsetting. Reader's discretion is advised. I pulled my jacket closed as the cold autumn wind whipped through the parking lot of Chick-A-Dee store. I put on my tacky, neon orange, employee vest. It reads “How can I help you?” across the back. Right, as if I can help people while I’m chasing run away carts. Not that it stops them from asking. I pull my sandy brown hair into a pony tail, and sigh. I close my eyes for a moment, wondering how I can make this more fun....

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“And the clock read ten” by Chris Richter

Submitted to Contest #19

The clock read 9:26. Thirty-four minutes until closing time. Eloise looked awkward at the register. She was leaning on the edge of her stall, built too low to be leant upon comfortably, propping her head up with her hand. When her manager had threatened a lottery on Christmas Eve duties, Eloise had raised her hand to volunteer. She preferred the serenity of a late-night shift to the concocted merriment of the holidays. It was her family’s turn to host the entirety of the Pennywise clan. Uncles, aunts, and cousins descending atop a tide of ch...

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“A Story of Spun Yarn” by Lily Kingston

Submitted to Contest #19

“Umm, do you have this in teal?” I asked holding up a light blue bundle of yarn. “Ooh, or maybe like a fuzzy teal? I don’t know what it’s called--arts and crafts really aren’t my thing--but like it has sort of these splintering-off threads on it? It puffs out more.” I tried to gesture with my hands. “God, I really don’t know what it’s called. Do you know what I’m talking about?” “Yeah, I think I do.” The employee answered. “We might have some in the back.” I exhaled, relieved. “Great, this is like the fifth AC Moore I’ve been to in the past ...

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“Sarah's List” by Heidi Slowinski

Submitted to Contest #19

‘ISO the owner of this list.’ I typed into my post before adding the photo. ‘To whom it may concern,’ I went on, musing at the formality of the post. ‘I am seeking the owner of this list, found at the local discount store on 2nd Street.’ I tagged the location, just in case.It was a piece of notebook paper I found in the aisle at the discounter where I was picking up paper plates and a few other supplies for a co-worker’s birthday at my office. I had been in a hurry and, frankly, in a bad mood. The holidays, year-end, deadlines, no time, no s...

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“Building a Dream” by Tara Emami

Submitted to Contest #19

It started when she was a little girl. She desperately wanted to have a car toy, but everybody brought her dolls instead of car toys. Car toys were for boys. So, one day, in the middle of her birthday party, she decided that enough was enough. When her uncle gave her another barbie doll, 4-year-old Tara threw it out, in front of twenty pairs of shocked eyes.In addition to scaring her family with this aggressive-called behavior, she got creative in how to satisfy this burning desire inside her. After the birthday party, her mom would often fi...

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“Axiom the Second” by Arthur Tiberio

Submitted to Contest #19

The most important part of watching someone was to make sure you weren't being watched in turn. Keeping this in mind, Romley walked silently through the outer promenades of the bazaar, taking care to stay only in the shadows. The sun was very hot, despite this being only the barest edge of the desert, so the loose turban which covered his eyes received no special attention. He passed quickly through the domain of the fruit vendors and fishmongers, and wormed his way into the crowded stalls of men who sold far more exotic items. Amulets of ca...

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“Customer Chaos at Christmas ” by Kaysie Davis

Submitted to Contest #19

‘Damn this store, damn this sale and damn these people!’ I thought to myself as I carried a large television through a tight knot of people. “Pardon me!” I called trying to make a gap in the crowd. A few people glanced in my direction but no one bothered to try and move out of the way. Finally, I was forced to attempt to squeeze through the tiny openings that appeared in the herd. I apologized to the people that I bumped into while swearing at them in my mind. At last, I managed to bring my customer and the television up to my re...

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“The Murder by the Portrait.” by Rima ElBoustani

Submitted to Contest #19

Mandy and Sam were in a four year relationship, thinking about marriage. This Christmas, Mandy wanted to give Sam something truly special. She had been looking for what seemed like forever. When she found a present that she thought was perfect, she wrote a letter to go with it. This is it: Dear Sam,A few days to Christmas, and I still don’t have your gift. I want to get you something you will never forget. One day, I was passing a Used Art Store. I had never heard of one of those before. My sensibilities intrigued, I went in. Inside the stor...

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“Gifts for One” by Debbie Rae

Submitted to Contest #19

‘Ah, hello there,’ said a voice from above her. ‘This is Madame’s, yes?’Of course. It made sense. A customer would see the neon sign in front of the shop that announced that yes, this was indeed Madame’s, but would step inside and ask the question anyway. Why stop there? Why not make Isabel spell it out? Isabel kneaded the back of her neck for two more seconds and looked up, less to help, more to match the smell to its owner. Her hand flew to grip the end of the counter, and she managed to stay on her feet. The woman was bathed in an as...

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“The Christmas Baby Infomercial” by Rima ElBoustani

Submitted to Contest #19

“DA DA DUM!This is your Birthday and Christmas all rolled into one! If you were born on the 23rd or 24th December in any year, this is for you! We are offering a 50% discount on everything to all you Christmas babies! Come now, while the offer is still valid! Must be eighteen or over.”***After watching the infomercial, Dorothy rushed into her bed room, searching everywhere for her fake ID. As luck would have it, her fake ID said that she was born on the 24th of December. She had thought it was just more believable because who would lie about...

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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.

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