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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

“The Grand Scheme of Things” by Kang Lee

Submitted to Contest #197

“Let’s go over the topic of free will,” Professor Grimwald announced, stalking over to the whiteboard centred on the stage inside the lecture hall. “I realise that we are studying physics, not philosophy, but it’s truly incredible how much the two subjects overlap.” “Overlap?” I repeated amongst a sea of ignorant university students.  “Yes, Daegel.” He tapped his marker against the whiteboard filled to the brim with scientific jargon that I doubted anyone could understand. “In physics, the ultimate question that we are trying to answe...

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“Can You Say "No" to a God?” by Kyle Duarte

Submitted to Contest #197

“No? What do you mean, ‘no’?” I went back to my duties, ignoring the man whose face had just turned beet red. I picked up another twig, assessed its dryness, then added it to the bundle in my arm. “You do realize that I just offered you the chance of a lifetime, right?” The man was, admittedly, beautiful. I mean gorgeous. Long, dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a face that might have been chiseled out of marble. Something about him repulsed me, though. Something familiar, as if he brought up old memories of someone I knew, like an ex-...

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“Free from the AI?” by Lynel Black

Submitted to Contest #197

Nor walked through the throngs of people. There were more out today than usual but that was no surprise considering the weather. The lush grass underfoot squelched gently under his feet. He checked his com unit which projected a map only he could see which showed his friends as a tight cluster of brighter points on small familiar map a hundred or so meters ahead of him. Hey here’s Nor, said Yoshie to the rest of the group, standing from her squat position. The others followed suit and warmly greeted Nor with a kiss on either cheek as is cu...

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“A Fate Worse Than Death” by Victor Lana

Submitted to Contest #197

It felt like a sucker punch when Nick found out that he was going to die. He sat there with his mouth hanging open as the woman he had just met gasped, dropping her drink on the table and covering her mouth with her hand. “What’s wrong?” Nick asked, looking up from the grilled salmon he was eating. They were on a blind date, set up by his sister Gina who was Veronica’s best friend. She picked up her glass and then started patting the spillage with her napkin. “I…I had a vision.” Nick studied her appearance – dirty blonde hair, pale skin, ...

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“ARE THERE VIDEO GAMES IN HEAVEN?” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #197

*** WARNING: Disturbing imagery, language, mental illness **** * *Jeremy Small, age 13Monday, 8:54 p.m.Ugh. Tomorrow’s Tuesday. Tuesday’s such a nothing day. It’s like being the second child, or somewhere in the middle; not the first or the last. It’s not as weird as Wednesday though. I really don’t get Wednesday being hump day. They couldn’t come up with something better than hump day? All I can think of is Rocco, our French bulldog, on dad’s leg when he answers the phone and Rocco feels slighted. But Tuesday has no...

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“A Criminal Mind Is All I've Ever Had” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #197

George Raymond ran into the alley. The car had been following him ever since he’d left prison. At first, he thought he was paranoid, but the more he watched, the more he saw that car. A dark blue Chevy Nebula. License plate UFNT 37847.  He went for coffee. The car was there.  He went to work. The car was there.  At night, he would look out the window of his rundown apartment. The car was there. One time, he got a glimpse into the vehicle. He saw four people before the car sped away. After ten years behind bars, he felt...

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“The Redemption of the Cowardly Immortal” by James Bird

Submitted to Contest #197

It was the fifty ninth day of Tomryan’s immortality and the God of Life was still furious. Her golden orbs for eyes fixated on him as she moved in close, scowling so intensely that Tomryan thought that she might knock him backward with the force of her glare alone. For a split second, he contemplated dashing in the opposite direction, back out through the waterfall that concealed the entrance of the God’s magnificent chamber; but he stood his ground. ‘I assume you didn’t bring me here to lecture me on my choices again,’ He said with false br...

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“Corrupted Code” by Michael Clark

Submitted to Contest #197

For as long as I can remember, every day has always been the same. Get up. Go to work. Come home. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Lately, something feels different. Almost like the battery on whatever device they use to program us has begun to die. That is highly unlikely, though. The Government comes regularly to check our Connectchips and ensure they are updated. This morning I stare at my ceiling, knowing that I have to go to work. But I am not moving. Not today. Today, I am choosing a different path. When I clock in at at work, a signal is sent ...

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“Heartache Special” by Brenna Morrison

Submitted to Contest #197

Ever since I can remember, I've dreamed of finding my soulmate. I began looking for him surprisingly young, starting with my nextdoor neighbor Alex who I wrote a lengthy love letter to after he shared his chalk with me one hot summer afternoon. I told him we should “get mayreed” but he must not have agreed because he never spoke to me again. I cried in my mom’s arms until she gave me the most important advice I would ever receive: “Sometimes fate makes you wait”. Of course at 5 years old I didn’t understand fate or its infinite wisdom but I ...

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“Free Choice and the AI Household” by Tod Hughes

Submitted to Contest #197

The small black box sat in the corner of the living room.. watching, anticipating, and directing activities within the house. Harmon took comfort in the everyday decisions that were taken over for him.  Artificial Intelligence was something he embraced, letting him focus on more important matters. His robot butler had a facial screen that made it seem more like a true person, not in terms of real conversation, but it was able to understand basic commands and be programmed to do the menial tasks that Harmon abhorred. Thi...

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“The Shaman” by Patricia Merewether

Submitted to Contest #197

I never believed in sage burning, gem mooning, or shamans until I met Leah. She was always happy and cheerful, and it wasn't an act. She was wise beyond her thirty-something years and became my best friend. We worked in the medical lab of a major hospital in Ohio. I enjoyed my work, but it brought me little joy. I verified testing results, such as blood counts, checking pee for illegal substances, etc. You wouldn't believe the stuff people put into their bodies, like too many blue pills or poppy seed muffins. Leah worked in the genetics lab...

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“Worker Bee” by Lisa Cornell

Submitted to Contest #197

From the moment I started on the job I was a dedicated worker, I thought of myself as a prized member of the team. It gave me such satisfaction and pride that I truly didn’t think I needed anything more from life.After all, it was my destiny. I was born into the role as a female honey bee, I was tasked as a worker bee, spending my days out of the hive foraging, working on the infrastructure of the hive whilst ensuring it was kept clean and I was also responsible for circulating the air around the hive by flapping my wings.Meanwhile when out ...

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“Longevity” by Rider Viv

Submitted to Contest #197

Longevity By Vivian Doolittle I used to be afraid of dying. Now? I want to die. It is my most fervent wish. It has been so for over a thousand years. Long since, I killed my only companion, Bill. But that was not my first crime. Nor was my first crime the fact that it was I who had doomed poor Bill in the first place. No, my first crime was my hubris. My second crime was killing the Seer. I know now why her warning was so dire, but I let my pride blind me to it. She counted on that, I’m sure. What I wouldn’t give for death’s swe...

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“Champion of Light” by Paul Castellucci

Submitted to Contest #197

Under the rising sun, concealed by the moon, a child was born. The Champion of light that the ancient prophecies foretold of. Far to the west: whole forests were cleared, rivers dammed, and animals driven to near extinction. The Commonwealth of Estaria was responsible. Smoke and soot filled the air above their cities, as they ignited new steam engines and factories whirred to life. For each tree felled, each bird choked by the smog, and every fish poisoned in the rivers, the god Arcanis wept. A scholar of the old gods, and a student of prop...

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“Chains of Destiny” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #197

2022Beneath the searing sun, Bhavaroopa pounded the pavement, her heart racing in her chest as she desperately scoured the area for her missing son. She darted from one humble abode to another, from one humble storefront to another, her eyes scanning every face that she encountered, begging for any scrap of information. But each time, her pleas were met with a swift shake of the head or a curt "no." It wasn't that these folks hadn't seen her boy, but rather that they were too preoccupied with their own daily grind to spare a moment for her p...

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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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