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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#209: Road Trippin'

The open road is a beacon of possibility. Who knows what you’ll discover as you navigate across boundaries, familiar and unfamiliar: maybe it’s the world’s biggest ball of twine, a hidden gem of a diner, or a new truth about yourself. Whatever it may be, a road trip provides the opportunity to indulge your curiosity, going wherever the wind may blow you. There’s no limits or obstacles, only what you’re willing to do.

After all, road trips are hardly ever about the destination. The journey is what matters most, and what you discover along the way, whether you're taking a vacation or setting out into the unknown. This week, we want to explore those unique feelings that only a good, long road trip can conjure.

This week's prompts

Set your entire story in a car.

Dramatic – 96 stories

Write about two strangers who are both heading to the same destination and agree to do a long distance drive together.

Character – 32 stories

Write a story about someone going on a life-changing journey.

Adventure – 57 stories

Write a story about someone getting lost, but discovering something they didn’t expect along the way.

Dramatic – 35 stories

Start your story with someone walking into a gas station.

Dialogue – 53 stories

Stories

“Right as Rain” by Viktor Klimczyk

Submitted to Contest #209

“I understand I should have been watching the road, but you gotta admit, the guy came in out of nowhere. Besides, who the hell decides to stroll around at night in this weather? There’s practically a goddamn monsoon raging,” says the driver. The passenger nods meekly. “You don’t think it’s my fault, do you?” The passenger’s head shakes. "I'm terribly sorry you had to experience that." The passenger nods in response. "You must be distraught." Another head shake. “How’s he doing back there?” The driver frets. The passenge...

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“Bitten By A Mouse” by JJ Pryce

Submitted to Contest #209

“Don’t cry, sweetie. We’re going to the zoo, remember? You’ll love all the animals there. And I hear they have your favourite – meerkats!” I had just woken up in the back of Uncle Luke’s smelly, old truck, but I didn’t recognise it initially. The stench of cigarettes and rust forming around the window edge gave it away. In any case, Auntie Nina’s soothing voice calmed me down a little. I wiped the tears away from my cheeks, but a few continued to fall as I tried to relax. I often get sad when I first wake up, especially in strange places. ...

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“A BOIL IN THE DESERT” by Julia Corliss

Submitted to Contest #209

The pain under my arm started as we left the motel. Daddy was determined to make it across the desert in one day. He and Mother had packed the old family Studebaker 4-door sedan tight while it was starry sky dark. They woke us kids up way before dawn and bundled us into the Studebaker. Daddy said it was a workhorse and would safely get us across the desert and on to California. I privately wondered about that. We were well into the desert as the sun was waking up. I had only been able to doze off and on because of the pain under my arm. M...

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“The Greatest of All Time” by Don Tucker

Submitted to Contest #209

I lit a fresh smoke and hand-cranked the window down a few inches, watching the smoke swirl at my dashboard, fighting for a way to escape into the morning air. The rain relentlessly pounded the roof of my Lincoln Town Car. I was willing to wait it out, I spotted puffy white clouds and blue skies in the distance. Only a passing storm. I flicked the growing pillar of ash onto the sidewalk as a singular fat drop of rain landed on the ember, extinguishing it. I lit another one and coughed until I could f...

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“The Jealous Dead” by Diya Sinha

Submitted to Contest #209

Tanya ran,she was late for her train. 𝑶𝒉 𝑮𝒐𝒅,𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕. Sunny strapped to her chest was squirming in discomfort.Just a few more seconds of jostling and he would start yelling his head off.Her wheelie case clattered behind her. Pushing her way through the crowd,she tried her best to keep her pace.Her hair came tumbling down, much to her discomfort. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍.𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅,𝒓𝒖𝒏.𝑹𝑼𝑵 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏. Sunny sta...

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“THE CURSE OF LIFE” by Kaitlynn Moon

Submitted to Contest #209

TW: suicide, mental health.The train suddenly stopped followed by the loud sound of the emergency brake. I look over the window only to realize that we were in the middle of a poppies field. To my horror, it meant that we didn't even reach the second stop of the 4 hours and half trip to Rhode Island. I certainly wasn't in a hurry considering I haven't visited my family in the last two years, but being trapped in the middle of nowhere wasn't exactly my idea of how to stall more time to avoid the big reunion. The conductor of the train arrived...

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“Love’s Odyssey: A Journey of the Heart” by Nancy Chadha

Submitted to Contest #209

Will she pull through? Chances were high; it was, after all, her who had approached him. He couldn’t believe his luck. To be honest, no guy his age would. He peered through the gas station’s glass door to see if she was still in his car. So far, so good. It’s all about the money, honey! He walked through the door, towards his car, in measured strides. His mind, though, was a blur of motion; orchestrating the plan from beginning to end; racing through it mostly, but meticulously even, going piece by piece. He handed her a paper bag; in it was...

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“Wedding Roadtrip” by James Muir

Submitted to Contest #209

Wedding Roadtrip James Muir Walking out to my mailbox on a Monday morning, I opened it and noticed the usual items—bills, magazine subscription offers, and free prepaid credit cards. One particular piece of mail that caught my attention. It was a cream colored envelope with a gold seal on the front. I went back inside my house, put the rest of the papers on the counter and sat down at the kitchen table to open the invitation. As I looked at the picture of the happy couple, I realized it was my high school friend, Max. The wedding was going...

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“There is No Such Thing as Unplanned” by Isabella Blu Ptito-Echeverria

Submitted to Contest #209

TRIGGER WARNING: Contains themes and scenes of sexual violence, gore, and abuse. "If a parasitic alien laid its eggs in your womb, would you willingly host their offspring, or get that shit vacuumed the fuck out of you?" Was my first thought as this pro-life bannered minivan pulled onto the shoulder.Of course, this would be the only person to pull over in the 6 hours I'd spent waiting on a lightless backroad in Buttfuck Nowhere New York. More than ever now, I had to keep the truth to myself. Who on Earth would believe something so ridiculous...

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“Me and Spitz” by Tanya Humphreys

Submitted to Contest #209

As I gazed down the dark alley my tail twitched at its end. The fact that I could not control it was annoying to a control freak like me. Life in the streets was hard but far preferred to the neglect and abuse I’d endured throughout my kittenhood. My burns were still scabbed, and my left leg still crooked out at an angle where the woman had thrown an iron at me. There was plenty to feast upon down places like this and as I slunk close to the trash bins at this end, I heard the scraping of tiny claws. I noted the fetid breeze was into my...

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“The Road to Freedom or Hell ” by AT Timothy

Submitted to Contest #209

I park in front of the massive warehouse used to dry-store boats for the winter. My headlights spotlight what appears to be a regular garage door, just as described. This has to be the place, but I cannot imagine how or why my brother would have chosen it to store a vehicle, much less how he paid for it from prison. Perhaps the owner had long ago forgotten about the arrangement. Or the entire derelict building. There is a combination lock, so I try the code given to me. When it inevitably fails, I can leave, my curiosity satisfied.&nb...

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“Where the Bitches Are” by Len Rely

Submitted to Contest #209

“Imagine a train, Dr. Komorov, a train on which a small gray snake has become a passenger. It must have made its way in at the last stop through one of the open doors, and is now making its way along the overhead compartments while the train is moving, a train which has only one passenger.” “What kind of train is it?” “The kind where the whole inside of the car is lit by dim florescent lighting at night and the overhead luggage compartments are made of wire that runs the length of the car, and the passengers sit on benches.” “That does...

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“The House of Goblincore” by Savannah Wagner

Submitted to Contest #209

“You sure about this? Because once you do this there’s no turning back.” “Uh,” “I’m kidding, I’m kidding, Senorita. You’ll look fabulous.” The hairdresser used a comb to tangle out her client’s split ends. “Tell me again what your name is.” “Well, it’s Ivy. Ivy Meadows.” The hairdresser started mixing hair dye into a plastic dish. “And just to confirm. You want black hair with just a tint of green?” “Um, yes.” “Perfecto. I will make it black enough that just enough green can be seen in the radiant sunlight. It w...

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“Unburdened and Anew ” by Kelly Guerra

Submitted to Contest #209

Bert Thomkins was the kid in school who absorbed the rules and lived by them as canon. He was the member of the family that was always depended on, but never favored. He was the safe friend of the guy who got the girl. He was the one who offered to pick you up from the airport, or to feed your cat while you’re away without expecting anything in return. He skipped through life’s milestones like a game of hopscotch; he checked all the boxes and didn’t cause any trouble. He became, of all things, a banker. He loved his family. He didn’t own ext...

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“A Drive to Nana's ” by Rebecca Terenzoni

Submitted to Contest #209

With one final sigh, the sun sank below the horizon. It's colors of orchard yellow, peach, and mauve trailing after it and fading into the quite stillness of night. Peter flicked on the headlights of his beat up Honda Civic, and continued speeding down the straight stretch of highway, anxious to be at his destination. Pinpricks of stars began to appear in the dark night sky, and the moon began to poke it's head above the tree tops. Peter hated driving at night. He could not confirm it but he was almost certain that he had some form of nigh...

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$250

Prize money

273

Contest entries

154

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 04, 2023 EST

Won by Kyle Sager 🏆

Title: The Driving Snow

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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