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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

“One Day in July” by Fern Bryant

Submitted to Contest #196

Jean wakes up early, just before his alarm goes off. He looks outside and sees that it’s another typical London summer day, grey and cool. He feels clear-headed, glad that he limited himself to two beers at the pub last night. At a little past eight he gets a phone call from his new boss, asking him to meet him at 10am at an address in Kilburn to repair a faulty fire alarm and do a general maintenance check on the alarm system. Not exactly exciting but the kind of work an electrician is often asked to do, really a piece of cake. He’s glad to...

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“In Another World” by Magnolia B

Submitted to Contest #196

In another world The lights in the car blind my eyes, making me squint. In another world, you and I are dancing on a beach, the sand between our toes. The wind tosses your hair in front of my face, making you laugh. The tide suddenly pulls in, splashing your dress, salty waves. Now, we both laugh, staring out into the watercolour sunset I promised to take you to today. Your eyes are sapphires. The car ride is long. I sit, watching the buildings fly past in a blur as I leave my memory of everything behind. In another life, I’m down...

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“Entropy” by Warrington Williams

Submitted to Contest #196

EntropyBy Warrington Williams03/4/23Later that night, we were standing on the north end of Pawleys Island looking at a dull red glow in the sky over what used to be Myrtle Beach."As I see it, God is a careless son of a bitch, and you just like to watch. So, just do any damn thing you want with me."Those were her final words to me. She wasn't angry, upset, or being melodramatic; it was a simple observation along the lines of 'You are wearing a plaid shirt.'Mercy was never her strong suit.We had grown up together, our mothers bonded in alcohol...

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“Eudora” by Spryte Magnus

Submitted to Contest #196

Eudora Spencer didn’t object to joining her mother for tea with Wolfram Belvedere and his son, Quinn. Quinn was two years her junior, but she was almost eighteen-practically a spinster! There didn't appear to be anything wrong with Quinn. He was charismatic, intelligent, and handsome. Unfortunately, Wolfram’s son held nothing of appeal to Eudora. In contrast, when his sister Daphne burst into the room shrieking like a banshee and swinging a fire poker–and clad in no more than a dressing gown–she had everything that Eudora never knew she want...

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“I Will Never Have You, and That is Okay” by Marii Anya

Submitted to Contest #196

We met during a time that most considered the end of the world, but because of you, I considered it just the beginning. You had your odd ways and quirks, you would wear your pants low and would never take off your beanie, and for some reason, you never did any of the classwork. You would submit everything on time or a couple of days late but refused to do work in class, instead, you would lounge in your chair and pester me to explain the assignments. I would explain, at first because I did not know how to say no and then it was because I cou...

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“The sadness in her eyes, the knife in my heart” by JJM Gudde

Submitted to Contest #196

It was supposed to be just another ordinary school day, like many others. But she had to break the balance. That petite, infuriating, beautiful idiot.I still remember the day our eyes first met. She was thirteen and a new face in the city. I was fifteen, born and raised in the area. It was the first day of school. She entered the bus, then slowly made her way to the back, where a few empty seats were available. As she walked, her sight seemed fixed on the floor, as if afraid to look, even briefly, other people. Too shy, I thought. Her cheeks...

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“The Crow's Wonderland” by Stefania Reale

Submitted to Contest #196

Before the orange specks of dust called light began awakening to take place of the stars in the sky, or else they were only the stars returning to ash because they’ve simply had enough of the world’s burdens of nightlights, and decided to leave it whilst they had a moment of daybreak to conceal in; it was at that particular moment where the stillness of the early morning was marked by the rustling of feathers outside of the lone windowpanes. A flock of crows is called a murder. A premonition. To which it was the moment w...

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“Life Beyond Life” by SUNIL VARSHNEYA

Submitted to Contest #196

Life Beyond Life By Sunil Varshneya This is the story of my friend Peter. We met in the college. Peter was not attractive. He had a face only a mother could love. During lunch, he would sit alone in the corner of the cafeteria as it was said that if you want to lose your appetite, you sit with him. I could see him beyond his physical body and liked him. He was a well-aware human being and knew more about this world and human beings than anybody else in the college. I had a special connection with him and tried to be with him as much as possi...

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“Gamophobia” by Seraf Al Zaurak

Submitted to Contest #196

A story as old as time, but not the story I ended up with. It started off classic enough. 1969. New York City. Upstairs-downstairs neighbors running into each other, flirting, casual sex, calling the cops on each other. The usual. He was a musician, full of groove and sperm, a smooooth talker. Lips wet, long curly bedhead hair and eyes that had seen the birth of worlds. And when he turned those eyes on her, he saw the flawless composition of her being, her body a symphony, her words polyrhythmic, her heart a steady metronome. She was a m...

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“A Tad Myopic” by Steve Munyau

Submitted to Contest #196

As if the creepy scary stares with each step I take aren’t enough! A glaring eye. Like that of an eagle peering above ready to pounce and devour its next meal. The whispers of hurly-burly jeered epithets from misfits have to trickle their way down into my eardrums. The mirror itself even stares back. Disrepute and disgrace is the image it reflects in shame. The eyes gaze back at me. They have shades of red flecks in them. Rheumy with a sense of gloominess. A deeper leer into them, and my eyelids drop down to stifle the raging storm of ...

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“Maev and the Prisoner of the Mind” by Daniel Rosas

Submitted to Contest #196

“Who are you?” It was more a demand than a question that battered against Erylis’ body while attacking her mind, probing her thoughts and memories. Erylis let out an exasperated sigh. The last thing she remembered was being hauled off in a transport to be transferred to a maximum-security prison. But as soon as the door had closed everything had gone black until she woke up here in this bedroom with a crazy woman and her two massive bodyguards holding her down. “I already told you,” Erylis said through gritted teeth. “My name is Eryli...

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“May 3rd, 2023” by Sylvia Carruthers

Submitted to Contest #196

The sun descended like a guillotine, marking the end of Julian’s day as a freelance graphic designer. Julian often felt trapped by the demands of his clients. His dream job had been reduced to the endless critiquing of design illiterates selling useless products in a world full of trash. He was still a wage slave, even though he didn’t occupy an office or work normal hours. There was no escape from the culture of capitalism. At least at work he could fully occupy his mind with fresh ideas and answers to design problems. Theirs were simpler...

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“The Gamble” by Nona Yobis

Submitted to Contest #196

The poker chip feels cold and smooth in my hand as I nervously roll it around in my sweaty palm. All around me, people crowd the tables where people lay down their chips and take their chance at rolling the dice. The room is filled with anxious souls awaiting their fate, each one hoping to leave a winner. Several tables occupy the dank, low-lit space, which has an inexplicable layer of smokey fog blanketing my line of sight. I elbow my way in to stand at the edge of one of the tables, just in time to see someone turn in their chip an...

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“Deja Vu Decision Time” by Derek Hastings

Submitted to Contest #196

Deja-Vu Decision Time By Derek Hastings The first time I experienced the Deja Vu interruption I spent much of my day feeling a particularly persistent restlessness. The kind of restlessness that comes with a profound invasive sense of boredom. Something I have begun to call; the Same-Old, Same-Old disease. I had spent my day like every day before it over the previous same-old, same-old year; wake up, eat, work, eat, sleep, repeat… That day — it was a late summer evening — taking the garbage cans to the street, I saw myself trundling the ...

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“The Four Noble Truths” by Eilon Solan

Submitted to Contest #196

“Today we discussed this painting by Toulouse-Lautrec, called Two Women Waltzing,” Janet said and showed me the painting on her cellular. The cold sun of March was shining over the balcony of the restaurant on the 49th floor of the Stick, and it was difficult to make up the details of the painting. “These people are his acquaintances,” she continued. “This dancer in the front, her name is Cha-U-Kao. She openly declared being a lesbian, and she has a male occupation – a clown. Think of it, that was 130 years ago, and today …” One of the thi...

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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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