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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

“Death's Delay of Twisted Fate” by Angela Sun

Submitted to Contest #197

+Unknown Number:<Dear Kaisen Markos,It is with deep regret that we at the Human Population Reduction Act Association (HPR2A) must inform you that you have been selected as one of the ten citizens who will be subjected to death tonight in the United States, as part of our ongoing efforts to reduce overpopulation on Earth.Your gun will be mailed to your residence at precisely 8:00pm tonight. We kindly request that you end your life quietly and without any resistance, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the provided manual. Should ...

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“Midnight ” by Helena Short

Submitted to Contest #197

Raven approached the front steps with a decision. She could stay at home, or face the crowd that currently gathered in the high school auditorium. The school year was coming to an end, and summer break loomed overhead. A whole two months where she spent her time stuck at home with her dreary father was enough to get her to search for a dress at a thrift store.  It was a black solid tube dress with a frilly skirt as if she were preparing to attend a funeral. Truth be told, she would much rather attend a funeral than attend her own high ...

1 comment 1
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“Why Me?” by David B Fraser

Submitted to Contest #197

   Keith Kampbell woke to the rumblings of beer barrels rolling into the basement of the Forgotten Boar Pub. The light was coming from the double doors above to receive the morning delivery. Keith pushed himself up from the stone floor, making a poor job of brushing off his Air Force uniform.    “Oi, how’d you get down here?” The owner asked in a thick English accent.    Keith attempted to throw a leg onto the ramp to the outside and make a clean escape. After a couple of failed tries, where the ...

2 comments 2
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“A STORY OF LOVE AND DESTINY” by Antara Srikanth

Submitted to Contest #197

“I have always believed in the power of destiny, Radhika! I sincerely hoped that one day I would call you my own. But I now realized that we are not destined to be together. Nobody can understand my feelings. I am tired of living in this constant fear of losing you. It’s better we part our ways here!” he said, looking into my eyes.  His words stirred a kind of emotion I cannot explain. My vision became blurred as tears welled up in my eyes.  “How could you do this to me in the name of destiny? Who decides our fate but ourselves...

8 comments 8
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“Everything I Introduce at the Beginning Comes Back at the End” by Maddy Ford

Submitted to Contest #197

“The great god Pan is dead!” That was the cry that first fed the lie to Cleo. The fearful lie that brought with it the fallacy in the nature of impossibility that was suddenly shattered. If the great god Pan could die then surely she herself could die. The granted gift of immortality felt like it had been ripped from her fingers. Death was a lottery that she had never entered, it had never occurred to her that her name could be in the bowl too. Could a god really die? Cleo, bathed in flower petals in a bath drawn for her, debated that ques...

1 comment 1
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“Mister & Misses Understanding” by Adrian Pedraza

Submitted to Contest #197

I took off my shoes and rested them against the yellowed wall. The howling wind tried to keep the door handle away from me–and almost won–but I stretched out and caught it, swinging it closed in a sharp motion. It had just started to pour outside and I merely escaped while the rain was still a soft sprinkle. Oh, the stormy summer days. Kathy was waiting by the sink humming something and admiring the weather and the smells and such. “Let’s go eat,” she said as a strike of lighting–or maybe just the booming sound of thunder–rattled the rickety...

2 comments 2
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“Call Me Away” by Andrew McClung

Submitted to Contest #197

I sail by nebulae, thrust in reverse order across the oldest parts of the universe, moving toward the source of all things in the afterbirth of creation, where gravity teases constituent elements—those noble gasses not yet noble—gaming about until chaos is imbued with the order of fractal geometry, to empower nature into an orderly image by the hand of God while millenia pass by in seconds. This is where God decided to send me, to the nursery of creation. What had I done to deserve this honor? I had again chosen the same $50 scratch-off ti...

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“Bitter, but Devoted” by C. R. Lukische

Submitted to Contest #197

               The end is never as exciting as the beginning.               In the beginning, there is hope, joy, life, and potential. But potential for what? To become rich and famous? To cure cancer? To lead a happy life? To live happily ever after in a fairytale that ends with the words “The End” centered at the end of the page?          &nbs...

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“Elysia’s Hero” by Genevieve Masters

Submitted to Contest #197

In the celestial realm of gods and goddesses, there existed a deity known as Elysia, the Weaver of Fate. Elysia possessed the power to shape the destinies of those who dwelled in her universe and guide their mortal lives. She created thousands of worlds across the universe, with species beyond any single mortal’s imagination. For eons, she had meticulously crafted the tapestry of existence, creating worlds without suffering or malice. But darkness had found a way to creep in without Elysia noticing, and it began to devour the tapestry, unw...

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“The Painter” by Elliot Kessler

Submitted to Contest #197

The Painter stepped back and looked at his landscape. It was nearly perfect! The trees stood tall and proud. The long, swaying grass was greener than anything the painter had seen before. The mountains covered the horizon and stretched to the sky, capped with snow and towering over a large, blue lake.The rolling hills were home to all kinds of critters, like squirrels and rabbits. Horses stood with flowing manes and stood in groups. Birds flew through the clear sky with wings stretched wide. Fish swam in the lake, noiselessly exploring their...

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“Chosen?! 1,2,3, Not It!” by Deborah Rivera

Submitted to Contest #197

Rushing in while closing the door quickly behind me. Closing my eyes, standing in pitch black, with my hand on my chest. Trying to gain control of my breathing so I don’t have to use the inhaler, now is not the time for coughing. I can hear his truck tires slide on the gravel. My mom rushing, heels pounding the floor, hearing the urgency to catch him outside with every step. Both doors slamming at the same time makes me jump. My insides feel like every emotion you can think of all knotted up in a razor blade twister on the inside, when ever ...

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“The Draft” by Christina Branaman

Submitted to Contest #197

The Draft Written by Christina Branaman Humans tend to think that a hero is not born with such characteristics, but rather created through obstacles they face and paths in which they take. This is of course, partly the truth, but the obstacles and paths in which occur are brought upon by the likes of us Gods. Our heroes each hold a specific destiny based on the God who has chosen them. For instance, Hermes and his heroes actively work in delivery and mail carrier positions. Aphrodite holds most of the Miss Universe pageants and her heroes...

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“According to Plan” by Zack Vannarsdall

Submitted to Contest #197

This story contains mentions of a child's death and murder by police. The acts are never shown, nor truly described. The Star of Lerangis had aligned with the moon of Khoury. The dark lord of The Maniscalco, Kagawa, was soon to arise. So, all in all, a very productive morning. The great god Moreno sat back in his wingback chair, cup of tea in hand it was just how he liked it: a squirt of lemon and a sprinkle of horseshoe nebula. He looked around his solar system wide study and smiled. Everything was in its place and on schedule. Just the...

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“Light's Wager” by J Lee Ratcliffe

Submitted to Contest #197

The God of the Light and the God of the Dark sat at the edge of the world where they met twice daily, once at sunrise and once at sunset.“Would you like sugar in your tea?” Dark asked Light.“Not today, thank you. I feel far too melancholy to enjoy anything sweet.”“No sugar?” A perplexed expression appeared on Dark’s face.“No, no sugar. I don’t think I could enjoy it. It has been thousands of years since I rested, and I find myself too weary to experience joy.”“Then why don’t you rest?”“How? When? Wherever I am, the world is awake. If I rest,...

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“Fate of Mind” by Memories Mannix

Submitted to Contest #197

Demons surrounded us on all sides, their mouths open and ready to eat us. I could see the Demon King's castle in the distance. This was it. I needed to ensure Artemisia arrived at the castle.I knew what I needed to do.      "Artemisia!" I yelled. "Come!"      Artemisia pushed the nearest demon off of her, placing the flat of her blade against it and shoving with all of her strength. A disgusting creature. Way too many horns protruded from its body, sharp and wicked. Not much di...

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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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