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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#199: Strangers in the Night

I’m always surprised when I feel naturally at ease with someone new. It feels like falling in step with one another, dancing to the same track in the half-light, an imperceptible puzzle piece clicking into place. It’s both exhilarating and dizzying.

This week, I want us to spend some time thinking about that feeling, and explore those moments in our lives when we meet new people in either boring or serendipitous ways — be it making eye contact with someone on public transport, going on a first date, or meeting in a way that feels like destiny has intervened.

🥇 Winner

“Hazel” by Anne Delfosse

🏆 Winner of Contest #199

You know how when a dog is at the end of their life, its owner will give them a perfect day before taking them to be put down? Like, take them to the dog park, the beach and let them eat a McDonald’s hamburger? Well, July 14th was the day I designated to do that for myself.I was twenty-two, so I conjured up a list of twenty-two nice things to do for myself on my last day. Most of the listed items involved indulging in food, but there were a few I was more excited about- especially the grand finale, which was sneaking into a concert of some s...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Uncle Dale” by Michał Przywara

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #199

Papa said it was a mistake to let Uncle Dale go shopping on his own, even if it was just down to Sammy’s to pick up smokes. He said that we support our troops in this house, and that it weren’t in no way proper to send a hero off on his own, forced to wheel his own chair around – even if it was a beautiful first day of summer, and even if Uncle Dale had wanted to go on his lonesome. And when Uncle Dale finally came back, we all knew Papa had been right. We spent all afternoon watching the clock. I knew it was an eight-minute-and-thirty-one s...

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“The Mud Pie” by Walter Wright

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #199

Damion’s mind wanted to go, but there was nowhere else except the space between his ears. His eyes darted acquiescently, capturing and processing everything around him. The lights, which had a faint lime shade to them; the train’s seats, which all looked like the plaster of bathroom stalls; the windows, marked with scratches and fingerprints; from the gum spots to the skin folds of neighboring passengers, everything seemed as though it was yelling in a pointless chaoticness. He wished to teleport himself back home. “So who do you thi...

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This week's prompts

Set your story on a warm summer evening with a full moon, when everything feels magnetic and your character’s about to meet someone important.

Romance – 75 stories

Write about a character having a spiritual experience at a concert or a nightclub.

Dramatic – 27 stories

Your protagonist walks past an intriguing stranger, then turns around to take another look at them. The stranger turns around, too. Write about what happens next.

Character – 61 stories

Write a story about someone who finds someone’s diary, and tries to reunite it with its owner. It’s up to you whether they read it or not!

Mystery – 52 stories

Write a story about a character who returns home changed by someone they met on a trip.

Summer – 41 stories

Stories

“Hazel” by Anne Delfosse

🏆 Winner of Contest #199

You know how when a dog is at the end of their life, its owner will give them a perfect day before taking them to be put down? Like, take them to the dog park, the beach and let them eat a McDonald’s hamburger? Well, July 14th was the day I designated to do that for myself.I was twenty-two, so I conjured up a list of twenty-two nice things to do for myself on my last day. Most of the listed items involved indulging in food, but there were a few I was more excited about- especially the grand finale, which was sneaking into a concert of some s...

Read story

“Uncle Dale” by Michał Przywara

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #199

Papa said it was a mistake to let Uncle Dale go shopping on his own, even if it was just down to Sammy’s to pick up smokes. He said that we support our troops in this house, and that it weren’t in no way proper to send a hero off on his own, forced to wheel his own chair around – even if it was a beautiful first day of summer, and even if Uncle Dale had wanted to go on his lonesome. And when Uncle Dale finally came back, we all knew Papa had been right. We spent all afternoon watching the clock. I knew it was an eight-minute-and-thirty-one s...

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“Blind Leading the Blind” by Adam German

Submitted to Contest #199

It scares me looking back that it was an unremarkable chance encounter that made me speak to Doug at all. I was stressed, late for work and riding the bus. I was in a Zoom meeting with my earbuds connected to my phone; an important meeting I was supposed to be at in person. The man beside me got up at the next stop. His bag bumped me, stinging me back into the real world. My revenge for the disturbance was a dirty look he never saw. When I glanced back down at my phone, I realised my thumb ejected me...

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“For-Get-Me-Not” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #199

For-Get-Me-Not 'Memories, Like the corners of my mind Misty water-colored memories Of the way we were...' No radio but the song kept recycling in her mind. 'Of the way we were...' She clenched back the tears. Couldn't cry now. Would never be able to see the road. The glare of the setting sun was already blinding her as it fried every June bug, cicada and firefly splatting itself on the muddy windshield of her pint-sized pick-up. If she turned on the wipers what chance enough washer-fluid was in the tank to make a difference? No, with h...

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“Cut and Run” by Brynn Helena

Submitted to Contest #199

"Reckon I'll fold," Adelaide sighed, puffing one last breath out of her cigar before she stamped it out on the card table, leaving her hand behind, and stood to head toward the ladies washrooms. She could feel the eyes of all of the men at the card table watch her walk as she left, their gazes crawling along the curvatures of her body in her jeans. Luckily, the walk was short, and she escaped them as she swung the wooden washroom door open with one hand.The entire saloon was quiet, nothing but the sound of the workers playing their late nigh...

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“Strings of Solace” by A.R. Eakle

Submitted to Contest #199

The moon was high over her, seemingly taunting her. It illuminated the entire sky in a way that made it almost seem human, like it had emotions and feelings and memories, and she wondered if the moon was sad or happy or angry or indifferent. She sat on a park bench; it was approaching midnight and there were few stars in the sky that could be seen through the light pollution of the city. Beside her sat her violin in a black case. The trees seemed to shake and come to a rest as if taking their seats. She looked around and saw nobody. She was...

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“Car Sickness” by Katy B

Submitted to Contest #199

[content: death] From her position in the back seat, face pressed indifferently against a box of Krishna figurines, Emily watched the sky cut in and out between the dark concrete serpents of the interstate. She had always hated snakes and highway snakes were the worst: sleek and fat, doubled back on themselves, swallowing their tails. Emily thought, what if I swallowed one too, and suddenly she could feel it writhing cold and alive from her navel up through the back of her tongue. “You’re just car sick.” The frame of her father’s glasse...

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“A Town For The Dying” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #199

Wynonna Belle struggled with the several volumes of books she carried across the main thoroughfare of the once bustling Arizonan town of Canyon Diablo. Since the closure of the town’s library, Wynonna had made several deals with store owners to house some of her books, where she could provide places for townsfolk to gather and read or take needed lessons in literacy. Precariously balancing the heavy books in her arms, Wynonna’s steadfast resolve held strong as she crossed the aptly named Hell Street – now void of its once rough reputation ...

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“Descendants of Esau” by J. D. Lair

Submitted to Contest #199

All five senses come alive in the wilderness. Hearing and smell tend to be the most sensitive though. Tonight, I hear an orchestra of frogs and crickets backed by a babbling brook. As I take deep breaths, the smells of pine smoke and lake water take hold of my nostrils. It occurs to me how closely smell and taste are linked when I also recognize both of those smells as flavors on my tongue while eating the fried trout I made for dinner tonight. Though sight can be hindered by firelight, the full moon casting its heavy glow across the lake he...

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“The Mud Pie” by Walter Wright

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #199

Damion’s mind wanted to go, but there was nowhere else except the space between his ears. His eyes darted acquiescently, capturing and processing everything around him. The lights, which had a faint lime shade to them; the train’s seats, which all looked like the plaster of bathroom stalls; the windows, marked with scratches and fingerprints; from the gum spots to the skin folds of neighboring passengers, everything seemed as though it was yelling in a pointless chaoticness. He wished to teleport himself back home. “So who do you thi...

Read story

“The Diary” by KG Green

Submitted to Contest #199

"The Diary'" Chapter 1: The Scout Leader's Tale The flames of the campfire danced and crackled, casting eerie shadows on the faces of the gathered scouts. It was a perfect night for a spooky story, and the scout leader, Mr. Thompson, had just the tale to send shivers down their spines. "Alright, kids," Mr. Thompson began, his voice low and mysterious. "Gather 'round, for I have a true story that will chill you to the bone. It happened not too far from here, in the darkness of a moonless night." The young scouts leaned in closer, their ey...

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“A Match Made in Heaven” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #199

A Match Made in HeavenHenry made ordinary people look extraordinary. He was as nondescript as they come- 33 years old, medium height, slightly overweight, thinning hair, 1 and ½ years of college, no accomplishments in the field of sports, the arts, or any other measurable aspect of human endeavor. He lived in a two-bedroom apartment with a high school buddy, drove a Ford Focus, managed a shift at a small auto parts distributor, watched a lot of TV, and had dinner with his mom every Wednesday. There wasn’t a single thing that…oops,...

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“Cursed To Be More” by Michelle Oliver

Submitted to Contest #199

The grizzled, grey man hobbled along the village street, his head bent, back bowed. Samra watched him with a wary eye and huddled closer to Mama as they sat on the stoop shelling peas together. Mama’s hands worked endlessly, and she barely needed to follow her actions with her eyes. Samra was not so dexterous. Her hands slowed as her eyes followed the old man as he shuffled along. His gait was slow and rolling, as if one leg was shorter than the other.“Samra, stop staring. Concentrate on your task, child,” Mama ...

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“生日快乐 - Happy Birthday” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #199

“A clear night,” Li Mei Ling texts in Mandarin, leaving the transit station. “Weird, but a good sign.” She turns a corner, her attention fixed on her mobile as she passes a mix of modern and traditional Chinese architecture. Neon colors splatter and stretch across the city street where throngs of young people loiter near vibrant, trendy bars and restaurants. A thrumming bass echoes, and Mei Ling smells the aromas of sizzling noodles, skewers, and dumplings offered by mobile food carts. A pair of pink over-the-ear headphones play The Only One...

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“Half-life Beach” by Chris Miller

Submitted to Contest #199

I am laughing because I finally know that I am dying. I didn’t realise until tonight. The beauty of her solo voice splits my face into a child’s smile, the chorus makes me start laughing with joy and the song’s end is the death of something more beloved than I will ever be. My cheeks are wet with tears and I don’t care. The air in the room holds the last note like a match holds a flame, but then it’s gone. The song is gone and we are floating in the vacuum it has carved in the atmosphere. Our souls have been sucked up into the space that the...

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$250

Prize money

256

Contest entries

143

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 26, 2023 EST

Won by Anne Delfosse 🏆

Title: Hazel

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.

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