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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#2: Toni Morrison

This week, we mourn the loss of an incredible figure in American literature: Toni Morrison. A Nobel Laureate and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Morrison penned eleven novels in her lifetime, including Beloved, Song of Solomon, and The Bluest Eye. We hope to honor her with this edition of our competition, featuring prompts based on the resounding themes of these and other works in her remarkable oeuvre.

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone who's haunted by their past.

Narrative – 69 stories

Write a story about someone trying to escape their situation.

Novel – 47 stories

Write a story in which someone experiences discrimination.

Novel – 18 stories

Write a story about someone who defies social conventions.

Narrative – 15 stories

Write a story in which something seemingly innocent symbolizes something much darker.

Novel – 22 stories

Stories

“TOKEN BLACK” by Wilson Jackson

Submitted to Contest #2

TOKEN BLACKA Mercury Slim Short StoryTwo a.m. Sunday morning, but the usual after mid-night crowd at Mitch's bar onCentral Avenue didn't stick around on the account that it was the lord's day. Ownedby a man with the same name, Mitch Blake, a former actor who was once a pretty boyin Hollywood, became an aging pretty boy as his star began to diminish so he lefttinsel town to come back home and use his money to open a bar.The watering hole sat between two future luxury apartment complexes, the typeof housing for the young corporate executives. ...

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“The Girl In Red” by Charita Ravi

Submitted to Contest #2

I remember, as if it were just yesterday, the day I met the girl in red. It was a gloomy evening, the dark clouds overhead threatened to burst, the lampposts cast shadows over the towering trees. Ah, the greenery made more vivid by the rain and the smell of the soaked earth is just pure bliss to take in! With the streets of London empty and the scenery being too good to resist, I decided to walk the distance to my apartment. Back then as there wasn't any other way to reach the area where I live...

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“The Darkness We Never See” by Michael Shannon

Submitted to Contest #2

John took a step to the left, moving away from the water filled pothole. He lowered his umbrella and avoided eye contact with a passing couple. It rained a lot in the greater northwest, it was one of the reasons why he chose to live there. It brought him a type of happiness that was otherwise elusive. It also meant the Others weren’t out. That’s what he called people with other skin. The Others never operated in the rain, it irritated their skin, and half of them couldn’t afford clothing to deal with it. &...

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“The Anniversary Party” by Abby Lyon

Submitted to Contest #2

I eat my breakfast under the watchful gaze of our wedding photos. They hang on the wall behind me as I crunch my cold granola. We’d insisted on sunset photos that day five years ago. Framed in black, the red and copper splashes across the stark grey walls of our formal dining room. Our faces are nearly as radiant as the backdrop. We were all joy that day. We were hopeful. I hear your footsteps on the marble tile in the kitchen before I see you enter the room. You’re wrangling with your tie, undoing it before my eyes, making sure I see. It’s ...

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“New To The Neighborhood” by ALYCE CAMPBELL

Submitted to Contest #2

“Belle, you’re about to obsess,” Henri said, staring at me over the newspaper. “Obsess?” I echoed, gazing at the sphere on our patio table, sparkling in the sunlight. “What do you mean?” “Someone left that snow globe on our doorstep, and you want to know who and why.” “Well aren’t you curious, just a little bit?” “We’re newcomers to the neighborhood. I expect someone left it as a gift and will come by eventually.” “Don’t people normally bring welcome bean casseroles or baked ziti or fruit pies?” “These days people are careful with food. Alle...

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“The Key” by Mike Dettmers

Submitted to Contest #2

Rudolf Heinkel’s house is immaculate. It’s white exterior is flawless, the black roof looks new, and the yard is in pristine condition. Rudolf keeps it that way. Every single day, he tends to his house. He cuts the grass once a week whether it needs it or not. He rakes the leaves religiously, even picking them up by hand to get every single one. In the winter, his sidewalks are clean to the cement. His neighbor, Harold Jackson, is more typical. His yard could use a little extra work. More leaves could be raked. The grass could be c...

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$50

Prize money

171

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 16, 2019 EST

Won by Amy St. Pierre 🏆

Title: Kids

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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