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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#196: In Another Life

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the way making a single decision, big or small, can cause your life to fork off in an entirely new direction. There are the obvious crossroads, the big life choices, and then there are the tiny ones; ones we fail to notice are taking place every single day. Waiting at the crosswalk instead of jaywalking, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, spending an extra 10 minutes scrolling through social media — even these non-events can make the difference between a life-altering incident happening, or not happening.

But what if we could access those paths we didn’t take? Would we go back and choose a different route for our lives? What if we could sense those “sliding doors” moments as they happened? This week's prompts are inspired by this classic sci-fi dilemma, and by the coulda, shoulda, woulda’s we all live with every day.

This week's prompts

Write about a character unknowingly experiencing a “sliding doors” moment. Write your story in two halves; what could have been, and what actually happened.

Dramatic – 62 stories

Write a story that includes the phrase “Maybe in another life.”

Dialogue – 74 stories

You’re walking down the street, when you spot a familiar figure. It’s another you. And they’ve come from an alternate reality to warn you about something.

Thriller and Suspense – 32 stories

Write a story involving a portal into a parallel universe.

Science Fiction – 61 stories

Set your story in a world where time travel has been perfected, and people can use it to hop between alternate timelines — but at a cost.

Dystopian – 50 stories

Stories

“Quantum Superposition” by I Jones

Submitted to Contest #196

Quantum superposition is the ability of a quantum system to exist in two states simultaneously. In 1801, Thomas Young demonstrated this concept with his double-slit experiment. Shining light through two small slits would result in two distinct beams of light, were the trajectories of light governed by classical physics. The observation of an interference pattern showed this to be untrue. Photons of light did not go through one slit or the other but took a multitude of possible paths. Over the years, many people attempted to see how this ...

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“Alternative Timelines” by Tiffany Snyder

Submitted to Contest #196

Alternative Timelines: By Tiffany Snyder The year was 2073 and the use of technology rapidly took over the world. Humans became ten times smarter and more adaptable to the revolving but constant changes. They became more conscious of their health and financial needs and there were less broken homes in the communities. People focus most of their time on finding resources and unlocking the universe’s secrets. As life became easier to manage many humans became restless and extremely bored with their day-to-day routines. The governm...

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“Life” by John Richardson

Submitted to Contest #196

Jason Allen stood on the corner at a busy intersection in Nashville, with a sign that read “Homeless Veteran. Anything Helps”. He wore a dingy grey shirt with a black Nike logo, faded denim jeans-stained brown at the knees, and a worn leather belt fastened tight against his ever-shrinking waist. Jason wasn’t really a military veteran; he was just working an angle. The location was ideal. The intersection where he stood was at the end of an off ramp from a major interstate in the heart of downtown. It was one way, with a left turn lane which...

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“TWINS” by Gloria Murray

Submitted to Contest #196

1240wds TWINS Walking on legs like a zombie, eyes clouded with the film of tears, throat with a large pit stuck inside causing me to swallow over and over, I moved slowly toward the casket shrouded in white gauze...

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“The Unchosen Path” by Michelle Thomas

Submitted to Contest #196

“Would you go out with me, Melissa?” It was a simple question… but it came from the most unexpected person. Chad was a good friend of my older brother, and on the varsity football team. The position he played was a linebacker… whatever that was. I’m not familiar with sports terms. He was on the shorter side, but still taller than I was and stocky. Chad’s dark hair created beautiful loose curls as it grew out, and his grayish-blue eyes could make any girl melt. And that’s what they did. As a person Chad was very sweet, but he wa...

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“One More Wave” by Courtney Lutz

Submitted to Contest #196

My eyes burned in protest as I forced them open to get my bearings. Under the surface of the angry sea, I could not distinguish murky bottom from slate grey sky. Another wave tumbled me sideways and then my hip scraped into the sand and shells below. I quickly sunk my hands into the sand and pushed up, my head finally emerging from the surf. The tight Velcro strap tugged on my ankle as my surfboard retreated with the last wave. I pulled in the line and hauled the board up the beach. Sitting on my soggy towel, I checked my phone. A...

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“If Only” by Alexander Hanna

Submitted to Contest #196

“So, do you wanna play football?” my mom asked. My dad sat close by, waiting for my decision.I quickly looked back and forth between them and then at the carpet. “Sure,” I said, the sound escaping from my mouth, even though I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play.“You’ll play?”“I said yes, didn’t I?” I snapped. I quickly walked up the stairs to my room and shut the door. I pulled the shade down and sulked in my bed, unhappy with the world.From there, I signed up for the team. I went to tryouts and summer football camp; making the freshman A team a...

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“Ill Doctor” by Tiger Tanya

Submitted to Contest #196

Raindrops battered the stone-cold gravel as the tired tires tore through the ragged roads, tirelessly. My heart slammed against my chest; the leather beneath my claws blunt and the air filled with anticipation, sweat. Looking through my rearview mirror, headlights burned along the pavement, the steam smoked the surrounding air. My eyes flickered left and right, the veins in my hands blue with tension. Just then, one boot, then two boots slammed against the slippery road as tiny droplets clung onto the car door. Jet black hair, bl...

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“About Face” by Katy Dream

Submitted to Contest #196

Gazing out my office window, I decided it was too nice of a day to sit eating lunch in my office. Plus, I needed a break from my desk phone and email. Grabbing my leftover coffee and my packed lunch, I head down the steps and leave my office building. I walk into the courtyard that sits next to some sidewalk vendors. They too are out enjoying the lovely weather in hopes of drawing in customers. I decided it really was a nice courtyard with several benches, memorial plaques, tables, chairs, and umbrellas all surrounded by beautiful flow...

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“The Moonlight Hotel” by Meleah Goldman

Submitted to Contest #196

The doors slid shut again. The cold brass of the elevator shimmered, and my steps towards them were softened by the refined orange and red carpet of the 20th floor. A cleaning lady, about to enter room 20809 glanced up at me. Her black and white uniform hung slightly loose on her, and her back was bent at an acute angle over a cart of bleach, towels, and soap. She looked straight through me and did not make eye contact. For a while, she looked dazed and did not blink. Then, with a quick shake of her head, she lost interest in whatever she sa...

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“That Pit in Your Stomach” by Natalie Wills Parker

Submitted to Contest #196

Swimming above the asphalt. Bathing in the rain. Blinded by lights that blur in the fog and twinkle in the raindrops. How did you get here? Your headache is back. The one you woke up with this morning. You swore you’d be fine, but deep down you knew you wouldn’t be. All day your head was throbbing on and off. You should have called in sick, but you don’t like the way you feel when you do. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to come in today,” you’d stammer. “Damn,” Jan would sigh quietly under her breath, but loud enough to travel to ...

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“Booby Trap” by Sarah Duffey

Submitted to Contest #196

What could have happened on April 3, 202X: “Wanna use my telescope?” Carrying around a tote full of plastic Easter eggs, Tessa scanned the park as if she was a pirate looking for a place to bury her doubloons. Her little brother trailed behind her, playing with the newest gadget their uncle had handed down to him; a nautical, brass telescope. The springtime rain had turned Peterson Park into marshland. The egg hunt had been rescheduled once already due to the weather, and the local sponsor was not willing to postpone it again. S...

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“That's a Terrible Idea...What Time?” by Jedediah Laub-Klein

Submitted to Contest #196

That’s a Terrible Idea…What Time? What Could Have Happened Helen pulled out of her racist gynecologist’s office parking lot. There was a red truck in front of her. OnThat the back of the truck were a set of metal testicles and a “my body my choice” bumper sticker. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard; it read 5:57 pm. She knew it was going to take her a half-hour to get to Lupe’s house. They were leaving at 6:45 p.m. The guy in the truck seemed to be trying to get the parking attendant’s number. She was giggling, but...

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“Annie's Rules (Les Regles d'Anni)” by Nancy Weber

Submitted to Contest #196

Annie’s Rules Annie’s Yellow Cab Rule #4: If her hail attracts a minivan with a duck bill snout and sliding doors, she must shake her head and wave it on. The door is a test she always flunks. Either she doesn’t tug fast and masterfully enough to satisfy the driver and he treats her to a stream of derision, or she tugs so hard that the door slams with tinny reverb, cuing the driver to buck vengefully into traffic before she can find the goddam seatbelt. Rule #4.5: If it’s raining, and she’s not wearing a raincoat (you kno...

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“Jacqueline” by Sierra Fraser

Submitted to Contest #196

I woke up this morning with another desperate urge to run away. Pale sunlight fluttered through the sheer curtains of my room. Gray. Even the bright paintings I hung on the wall last week look gray. Everything is becoming so dull. I stare at my blank ceiling and wrestle, like every morning, with the instinct to leave. I can always find something to tether me here. But not today. &nb...

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$250

Prize money

279

Contest entries

149

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 05, 2023 EST

Won by Delbert Griffith 🏆

Title: The Bullet that Esther Stopped

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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