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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#197: Fate and Free Will

It’s an eternal question. Are our lives governed by our own actions, or subject to the powers of destiny? Religions, philosophers, writers, and everyday folk have been arguing about it for centuries, and we still don’t have a definitive answer. Stories of heroes locked into tragic fates they can’t escape make up a large portion of our oldest myths and legends. Yet modern stories tend to paint their protagonists as free will incarnate. Even so, there are still plenty that play with destiny. 


This week, we want to explore the age-old conundrum of heroes. Are we in charge of our fate? Or is it all in the hands of some unknowable power laying out our path forward?

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone successfully — or unsuccessfully — escaping their fate.

Angst – 107 stories

Write about a god desperately trying to get their chosen hero to follow the path they set out for them.

Fantasy – 61 stories

Write a story that includes the phrase “I’m free!”

Dialogue – 60 stories

Write about somebody who wholeheartedly believes in fate, and views every little thing through the lens of predestiny.

Character – 22 stories

Set your story in a world where everyone’s decisions are made for them. One morning, your character wakes up, and chooses not to go to work. Wait…chooses?!

Thriller and Suspense – 18 stories

Stories

“Lily Escapes her Predetermined Fate” by Darene Staniszewski

Submitted to Contest #197

Once upon a time, in a small village on the outskirts of a bustling city, there lived a young woman named Lily. Lily was a beautiful and intelligent woman, but she was also born into a family that believed in predetermined fate. From the moment she was born, her parents had already mapped out her entire life - from her education to her marriage and eventual children. Lily was expected to follow this path without any question or deviation. However, Lily was different. She had dreams and aspirations that went beyond what her parents had planne...

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“A WALK IN THE SUN.” by George Levy

Submitted to Contest #197

Topic: A soldier seeks to escape his fate.              Word Count-1,016 excluding title.          Sergeant Preston did not feel optimistic. He fought Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart all the way to Gettysburg last year, boxed him in, and smashed him up. Then, General Meade transferred his veteran cavalry regiment to Sherman’s Army of Tennessee in the Atlanta campaign. Now, he struggled out here with General Joe Wheeler looking ...

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“Man in the Mirror” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #197

       A December-like chill overtook me soon after I began to feel my way along the darkened and, I thought, deserted, area of the Pokomoke State Forest. The sudden burst of arctic cold almost knocked me off my feet into the darkened abyss.  I regained my balance just in time to avoid falling head first into the abandoned well.  The frigid air blew up from the hole, not in the middle of winter, but in mid-June.        Until I came in contact with the well sweat ...

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“Dreams of Escape ” by Patrick Druid

Submitted to Contest #197

Dreams of Escape Ten year old Kenny sat nervously in the passenger seat of the old, dingy, green 76 nova as his father drove on through the rainy night. He stared out the passenger side window at the gloomy night sky and the streaks of rain sliding down the window. Orange street lights lit the road at various intervals as the car sped onwards towards it's eventual destination. He barely breathed and didn't dare speak.He wondered when or if his nightmare would end and wondered also what he, a boy of only 10 could do about it all? Wa...

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“Zeroes” by Mark Camilleri

Submitted to Contest #197

“You know what he told me?” Timothy said, looking down at his small cup of black coffee. “I need to work more. And spend less.” I stared back at Timothy in silence, hardly surprised; he had spoken to several financial advisors, and they all told him the same thing. Many of them had met Timothy in coffee shops like the one we were sitting in right now.  With cruel irony, the café’s sound system was softly playing ABBA’s “Money, Money, Money.” Tim and I sat in our usual spot in the café at a table tucked away into th...

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“Making a Difference ” by Ruby Zaidi

Submitted to Contest #197

MAKING A DIFFERENCE  Do you ever get the feeling that you are starting on the wrong foot and that you are a centipede ? Well, that's the feeling l got when l entered my Chief 's office that day. I was six months into the Metropolitan Police Force and the Chief still regarded me as a sixth finger on one of his immaculately manicured hands. I had topped my class at the Police Academy, had several medals for martial arts, sports, even boxing but all that seemed quite irrelevant as far as the Chief was concerned . "You are ...

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“The Broken Fate” by Rhea Bloom

Submitted to Contest #197

Just six months ago, I was the highest ranking warrior in our lands, and I was forced to give that up for the sake of a prophecy. I understand why King Jurien eliminated my former title, but what am I if not a warrior? Only one week remains until I am to wed the King, and I should be honored the Gods saw me worthy of being Queen of Beloar, but some part of me was mournful of the life I always expected to live.  “There was an attack in the Northern Forest, my King.” A guard announced as he rushed to the King’s side. The King immediatel...

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“Quiet In Their Minds” by Timothy Rennels

Submitted to Contest #197

QUIET IN THEIR MINDS The flickering shadowed light from the kerosene lantern danced across the page that lay on the lone table in the room. The quill pen paused above the parchment, then spotting its prey below, swooped down to the page. The frenzied scratches of the sharpened nib poured out words, demanding release. The script was wild and barely decipherable, mirroring the mind of the author. I lived an orphan’s life bereft of hope Resentful relations taking me in My thoughts spiraling downwards on a slope But then the voices came from d...

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“Living The Lie” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #197

Screams from the living room sent Sarah away from the dishes to break up the disturbance from her children.“Elizabeth, don’t hit your little brother.”Billy wanted the Doll Elizabeth laid down while playing on a smartphone.“But Mommy!”Elizabeth protested as Sarah removed the Doll from her daughter’s hand and returned it to Billy.“Why can’t he play with your doll?”“He’s a boy!”Billy was one. Who knows why he was interested in the Doll? Perhaps it was the blond hair or how the arms and legs moved. Maybe it reminded him of his mother.Squealing f...

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“In The Hills” by Miqui V

Submitted to Contest #197

"Why do people do drugs when smells like this exist?" I say aloud, stretching my arms open to the dappled sunlight and green canopy. The cool air, heavy with the smell of this morning’s rain, kisses my exposed collarbones and peeking ankles. "I do not know." is my sisters frustrated answer. She gives a final heave and out tumbles all her luggage onto the damp gravel. From the little red car we've been in for hours, almost seems to come a relieved groan. I didn't bring anything. Perhaps it is not only the smell of rain, the forest is as lush ...

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“Convergence and disappearance” by F.O. Morier

Submitted to Contest #197

Not that I'm going to tell you how old I am, but for the sake of putting this story into a timeline, I'm willing to add that I came of age in the nineties. Nineteen hundred nineties. (Sorry, couldn't help myself.) I only put this in to avoid the miserable and endless whining that I never use a date to place the story. If you ask me, that's just a covert form of control - sigh. Is there a date mentioned with Snow White? Do you guys ask Clarice Starling about the dates she went to see Dr. Lecter? Not me. Anyway, my entry into adulthood was acc...

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“A Monkee to Die For” by James Flanigan

Submitted to Contest #197

In a Los Angeles suburb, twelve-year-old Molly McCarthy sobbed uncontrollably on the bed in her room. The volume of her sobbing was purposely turned up high — loud enough for her parents to hear and experience her sadness. It was a frequent event in Molly’s home and typically yielded results that met or even exceeded Molly’s expectations. But today, the crying was going about as well as the nascent year had gone for young Molly.  1968 had gone off the rails early. Molly had been sick for two weeks immediately after New Year’s Day with...

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“Inescapable” by Denis Baldwin

Submitted to Contest #197

“Fate is an accident, like a bad car wreck on a freeway. One minute you’re in control, the next you’re careening off the rails, crashing head first into destiny. The only way through is through, no going back to who you were or where you came from. Things are different now. You’re different. No choice in the matter, just the way things are. But what if I told you there was a way to level the playing field? There is. We’ve discovered it here at The Institute.” “My name is Rich Huxley, founder of said company. You see, the Law of the Multiver...

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“Worth the wait” by Eline Pols

Submitted to Contest #197

"Honey, you don't have to do this," Alejandro said worriedly, grabbing his fiance's arm. "Yes, I do," Chase snapped back."But are you sure this is safe?" Alejandro asked concernedChase rolled his eyes at him. "Of course it's safe, I build the time machine. You trust me, right?"Alejandro groaned"This isn't about trust! Of course, I trust you! I just don't like the idea of my fiancé stepping into a death machine," he exclaimed in frustration."You are the most dramatic person I know. Now If you don't mind, I have a mission to accomplish," Chase...

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“The Last 24” by Kevin Ramey

Submitted to Contest #197

8:57 PM Within the cramped confines of my cell, I stood silently - a sentinel of misery and despair. For 23 long years, this had been my abode, devoid of any luxury or comfort. The roaches and mice that skittered around me were the only semblance of company I had. In the dark corners of my mind, I wondered if they were descendants of those that had greeted me on my first day. As the day of my impending execution drew near, I found myself unable to sit still. The meager possessions that remained, a final remnant of my worldly existence, w...

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$250

Prize money

268

Contest entries

100

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 12, 2023 EST

Won by HR Pinches 🏆

Title: The Fate of Customer 12

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!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

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