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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#195: Sidekicks and Second Strings

Growing up, I was never a huge fan of superheroes. Maybe because I didn’t really identify with the grand, brave acts and main-character energy of the likes of Spider-Man, Batman, or even Sherlock Holmes. Instead, I was partial to the less flashy, secondary characters: the Watsons working quietly behind the scenes, the bassist in the band, or the defenders who quietly keep the team from conceding points, while the quarterback gets most of the credit.

This week, I want your stories to be an ode to the unsung heroes, the underdogs of storytelling, and the small acts that, collectively, can be just as heroic as catching the bad guy or defeating evil in one grand swoop.

This week's prompts

Set your story in a staff room of an essential profession that is often undervalued — nurses, cafeteria staff, sanitation workers, etc.

Character – 51 stories

Write a story from the point of view of a sidekick, or someone who is happy to stay away from the limelight.

Character – 87 stories

Write a story about someone who receives — or makes — a life-changing, anonymous donation.

Dramatic – 23 stories

Write a story that includes the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Dialogue – 27 stories

Write about someone who is learning to recognize and take credit for their own achievements.

Character – 18 stories

Stories

“Haikuna Casserole” by Erin Keeney

Submitted to Contest #195

That irritating, erratic buzz of fluorescent lights underscored the chatter in the windowless break room. There were a few round tables and metal folding chairs, salt and pepper packets strewn everywhere. We had a couple of vending machines, an old tan colored fridge and boxes of extra plastic gloves and hairnets on every countertop.My day time cafeteria staff at Berwyn Hospital’s long term recovery unit was finally sitting down for a few minutes after assembling dozens of lunch food trays for our patients. We had little down time befor...

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“Thirty Years In” by Don Tucker

Submitted to Contest #195

It had been years since anyone was allowed to smoke in their tiny break room, but it had been even longer since anyone from administration had ventured down to their little corner of the world. One would have to walk in the main entrance, past the gymnasium and the glass trophy dust caked with a thick layer of dust. Girl’s Basketball State Champions, 1981, Boy’s Baseball State Champions 1989, 1993 were inscribed upon some of the forgotten plaques. Down the stairs, through the hallway adorned with faded yellow bricks, take a right through the...

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“Hidden Hero” by America Marble

Submitted to Contest #195

The sound of laughter in the background brought a smile as we spread out our blanket on the hot summer sand. Only after our beach umbrella was set up and the cooler was resting in the shade, did we finally sit back and enjoy the view. The sounds of the waves crashing, followed by children’s voices, had my eyes straying towards the shore where a blond lady paced back and forth in a four foot spot. Finding this very unusual, my eyes stayed glued to her form, wondering what had troubled her. Finding her still pac...

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“Teddy the Wonder Boy” by Ralph Aldrich

Submitted to Contest #195

It’s an age-old story. Mr. Freedom stands atop the getaway car, grinning wildly while holding each of the bank robbers by the scruff of their necks. News cameras and citizens’ iPhones are all taping the event for prosperity. Laurels and praises are being heaped upon Mr. Freedom for doing only what he seems capable of fighting crime. Meanwhile, I stand off to the side unnoticed, Teddy the Wonder Boy. At the end of the Iraq War, Dirk Stroman, aka Mr. Freedom, found an infant boy in the rubble of a collapsed building. ...

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“Presto!” by Amy Rosenthal

Submitted to Contest #195

The black silken bag whispered against my nose as I crouched in the absolute darkness. I could feel the emotions of betrayal, panic, and abandonment at the edges of my perception but I held them back, reminding myself that soon I would be freed, again. I could feel my prison move around, tilt, and after a light thump I could feel something brush against my cloth surroundings as if looking for something. I sighed and pressed my nose upwards, breaking through the roof slightly. The light blinded me momentarily as something wrapped around my to...

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“Let's Save the World” by Melissa Ziegler

Submitted to Contest #195

Anne leaned against the concrete wall of the superhero headquarters. With a snap of her fingers, a small flame came to life on the tip of her pointer finger. She used that flame to light the cigarette hanging from her lips. Another snap, and the fire went out. That first drag of the cigarette was like a drowning man’s first gasp of air. Anne pulled the smoke into her body like it was the answer to all her problems, and for one beautiful moment the burn in her lungs was enough to block out the rest of the world. She sighed and r...

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“Hopes of Madness Abandoned Them: The Story of Ygor Fritz” by Levi Michael

Submitted to Contest #195

To Ms. Elga Fritz, Hull, England.Ingolstadt, Mar. 15th, 17—My dearest sister,I apologize for the late arrival of my first correspondence. How you must have worried. Fear not, I have arrived unharmed, yet weary from travel. Ingolstadt is truly a mecca of knowledge and learning. I was received warmly by Dr Umholtz and his staff of metallurgists. Our quarters are quite pristine, not exactly the spartan accommodations I had pictured while imagining my boardings during my long journey. We are truly a cohort of gentleman blacksmiths. My ...

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“THE ASSISTANT” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #195

THE ASSISTANT “ Peter, please, I recommend you, the file on George’s crime must be ready by tonight. You should have already found time to fill it out. If you haven’t done it, get busy. Look, you have to go and see Mr. Gilles and try to calm him down, reassure him. He phoned me all agitated” “All right Paul,” I say, getting ready to go out. “ One moment, Peter,” my chief ( boss) says, looking around and beckoning me to come closer. “ While you are at it, try to keep Mary calm too. She is bombarding me with phone calls and questions. “ Mary...

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“Out of the Limelight” by Alex Fischer

Submitted to Contest #195

“Graaah! Hahahaha!” Goon Brick cackles as he wades through red dust clouds seeping through a ruined city block. “It’s only lunch and I already levelled all the biggest buildings in the neighbourhood!” he then turns his attention to an alabaster, flatiron department store at the fork in the street: the new Drake Kazama Fashion Complex on its grand opening. “Except that one.” Most people would run away from a creature like this, but I got as close as possible, hiding behind a post box to get a better view of it. You might think I’m a nosy phot...

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“Scarlet Grin” by Roland Hacker

Submitted to Contest #195

An ambiguous, iniquitous entity exists in Utah, an unnatural presence felt merely from itinerant travel through the Great Basin. Rising elevation stokes greater separation from the scope of human perception, upslope fog concealing mystery as the endless grind of time and weather before it. Those native to this land know of what I describe, for urban legend began long before settlers descended the Rocky Mountains seeking fairer climes. My introduction to this wretched place came as I found myself in service to Dr. Gregory Porter, a re...

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“P. T. Barnum, Anonymous and Magnanimous” by Edward J. McCoul

Submitted to Contest #195

“P. T. Barnum, Anonymous and Magnanimous!”Phineas Taylor Barnum, better known as P.T. Barnum, was a man of many talents. He was a showman, a businessman, and a philanthropist. He was the kind of man who always had a smile on his face, and he loved nothing more than making people happy.The American Museum, Barnum's grand entertainment attraction, drew millions of visitors to the intersection of Broadway and Ann streets in New York.The museum was a five-story marble structure filled with a wide variety of exhibits and attractions. In addition ...

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“Trophy” by Poppy LaC.

Submitted to Contest #195

(TW: Gore and Violence) Adrienne slipped on her blue surgical gloves, walking into the morgue she works at. The pitter-pattering of rain made a calming environment unlike the harsh, cold metal room. Her glove squeaked as she pulled out her subject of today: Karie Shiren. Gagging, as always, Adrienne set the stiff, porcelain body on the table. A cut was down the chest, open and rotting. She did her usual routine, checking if any body part was missing or damaged. Midway through the process, she noticed a vital thing. Several of Karie's ribs we...

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“Snapshot of My Beloved” by Shawn Wier

Submitted to Contest #195

Normally, I write fiction. This prompt, however, aligns with the timing of a momentous life event too perfectly to be coincidental. This is the story that is directing my fingertips over the keyboard; this is the story that I need to tell. I cannot write anything else—nor do I have any desire to do so. This week, my life partner defended his doctoral dissertation. Over the last six years, four of which I’ve spent beside him, he has studied the material properties of the human heart to extend the current understanding of tricuspid valve...

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“The Neuroscientist and the Rockstar” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #195

Trigger warning: Suicide“And with this new technology, we can obliterate chronic depression and anxiety around the world. Thank you.” Doctor Martin paused a moment, taking in the applause from the stadium that surrounded him with a smirk. He then glided off the small stage reuniting with his team of researchers. “Always leave them wanting more,” he would tell his team every time he gave a talk on the team's newest technology. Julian always thought that this sounded more like a remark from a rockstar rather than o...

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“Ever This Day” by Beth Kubala

Submitted to Contest #195

“Just another day at the office,” she said as she planted her feet on the floor. I stood in the doorway. “Nevertheless, go and have a healthy breakfast, you’ve got time.” She stretched and yawned. “Why am I so tired?” “You didn’t sleep as well as you could have last night. It probably didn’t help that you were still looking at your phone at 11:30 pm.” I don’t think she heard the last part of my comment as she headed into the bathroom for her shower. “You look lovely, very fresh,” I said but she was looking in the mirror at her face and inv...

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$250

Prize money

206

Contest entries

92

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 28, 2023 EST

Won by Geir Westrul 🏆

Title: Untold

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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