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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

“Destiny or Journey” by Zulma Suro

Submitted to Contest #209

People have existential crises all the time. I had mine only a few months ago. After careful research, I figured out many ways to deal with it and tried most of them. I learned that some people go to a psychologist, others spend money on expensive clothing and designer accessories, a few dedicate more time to themselves, many keep a journal, and a handful quit their jobs to find their passion. I decided to take a more radical approach, a leap of faith. I switched my monotonous and meaningless existence for a life-changing journey. ...

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“The Worst, Best Day” by Debra Koffski

Submitted to Contest #209

My ad agency had only 8 employees, plus our fearless leader, and owner; Miya. She was laid back and cool, however, she was a micro manager. The company had been in business less than six months, but we've had some lucrative clientele. For the most part, I got along with everyone on the team, with the exception of one. His name was Josh, and he was a know-it-all. One time I was working on an ad campaign, and he walked up behind me, started reading what I wrote, and said "that will never work", and walked away. No constructive input, nothing a...

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“Interstellar Runaway” by Amanda Cedeno

Submitted to Contest #209

Sensitive item: Slavery “One order of Raatte Carbonara extra Ketchup!!!!” The chef bellowed. Sadly, another customer and I came up to retrieve it. An interstellar rule is that when two people order the exact same thing in a diner, they have to share, even if it is a burned, chicken-sized rat on a stick. Sharing wasn’t in my plans. “Come, we can sit here.” The Aca’t, who was the other customer, ordered while taking the plate of food, and ushering me to a booth near...

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“Bittersweet Journey” by Kimberly Schramm

Submitted to Contest #209

The mournful sound of the train whistle floated across the mile between the track and my ears. I loved that sound, far away and lonesome. It gave voice to the feelings keeping me awake. Bittersweet, it hinted at mysteries of the unknown. When the sun rose in the morning, I would leave the only home I'd ever known. I could never sleep the night before a trip. Not that I had much experience. At six going on seven, I had only taken two trips. Those were vacations. This time is different. We were moving to Texas. Lying awake...

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“The Eighth Vile Vermin” by Cajek Veilwinter

Submitted to Contest #209

Elara stood in the ornate chamber of the Tyrian Library, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows on the walls, illuminating the rows upon rows of ancient tomes and scrolls that lined the shelves. She took a deep breath, her green eyes fixed on the imposing figure seated at the head of the long wooden table. Before the young hare archivist sat the Lord Head Cleric: a venerable badger named Lord Thorne, flanked by his council of esteemed scholars. His fur was a...

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“Lost in the Loop of Time” by J Rico

Submitted to Contest #209

The golden rays of the morning sun gently kissed the tranquil shores of Cancun as Marcus embarked on an adventurous road trip through the Yucatan Peninsula. Eager to escape the crowded tourist spots, he had rented a car to explore the hidden gems that lay beyond the glittering resorts. Armed with a map and a sense of wanderlust, Marcus set off on his journey, eager to make memories that would last a lifetime. The first few hours of the drive were enchanting. Marcus cruised along picturesque coastal roads, taking in the breathtaking views o...

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“Marooned” by Mark Gagnon

Submitted to Contest #209

The digital sign read, ACCIDENT AHEAD. ROAD CLOSED. FOLLOW DETOUR, and that’s what I did, or thought I was doing. I-25 between Las Cruces and Albuquerque is the personification of desolate nothingness. Becoming lost should have been impossible. The word impossible only applies to a task until someone accomplishes that task and, unfortunately, that someone was me. There were sparsely placed detour signs right up to where the road forked. Then it was the driver’s choice. Waze was useless because there was no cell service. I chose the right for...

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“A Good Idea For A Movie?” by Penny Pepper

Submitted to Contest #209

This is so stupid. Why do we have to go to the stinkin’ library? “Look, you dad and I have some things to do here. Just sit over there and work on your project.” She was about to turn to the Library’s meeting room when she turned back around with a grin. “and I mean your school project. I’m not going to fall for your tricks again. Love you.” She smiled and walked off. “Love you too.” Okay. Maybe the library isn’t that bad. Besides I need to get that project done. My school one. Not the movie one. I sat down at one of the tables and pulled ou...

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“SECRETS” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #209

Larson McNabb and Joy Malloy were on a first date. Larson had invited Joy to a cruise on Lake Erie aboard his Yacht, the “Kahlua.” The weather was picture-perfect. The hot sun shone down on the water, dancing atop the waves. Larson thought that they would set a course for the middle of the lake and drift for a while. He and Joy shared some wine as they jetted through the water, the wind blowing through their hair. Larson desired more than a mere journey with Joy on the Lake. True to Lake Erie’s legends, the weather suddenly turne...

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“Ayagom, the Resolute” by Lynel Black

Submitted to Contest #209

The afternoon was fresh and dry. A new smell of vitality and growth seeped from the forest around him. It was a very welcome change from the week of rain that Fred and Wylma had endured. A week of persistent drizzle that soaked to the bone and gave no chances to dry anything out. Everything he owned was in various states of saturation. Bitter experience had taught Fred to protect at all cost his sleeping bag, but it had also succumbed to the persistent rain and now felt clammy to the touch. Of course Wylma, his 2 wheeled companion, his accom...

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“On the trail” by Maximilian Gunnarsson

Submitted to Contest #209

In his late 20’s Eddie found out that his girlfriend was pregnant, and after weeks of fierce arguments with harsh words, threats, and begging, it was determined that the child was most likely not Eddie’s. At a little past midnight during a party at Eddie’s best friend Adam's apartment, he was sitting in Adam’s bedroom with Kitty and Adam opposite him. Despite the blur in his head caused by beer and liquor, Eddie was able to comprehend the affair the two of them told him about. After hitting both of them, Kitty on the cheek and Adam rig...

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“If Opinions Were Dollars, Rockefeller Would Envy You” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #209

Francisco Bonilla laughs to himself when he sees Grady Quaid’s landscaping truck pull into the gas station’s parking lot. It’s Sunday, which means Francisco will have the company of a quartet of four opinionated sixty-year-old men to entertain him during his shift. Wiry, with a caterpillar mustache, gentle brown eyes, and ruddy but pleasant features, forty-two-year-old Francisco has worked at the Cumberland Farms in Shelby, Connecticut for a decade. He has been persistent in his effort to master English and speaks it more ably than many o...

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“Tulips in December” by Hosea Guy

Submitted to Contest #209

I can hear the engine turn over in the parking lot as the bell on the glass door rings, and this is all so familiar. I let the door swing shut behind me and I am remembering how we used to do this all the time, a hundred years ago—you waiting in the truck with the air conditioning on to relieve you from the mid-July heat, me paying for our gas and slushies. “Hey there!” I try not to feel too annoyed as the kid at the counter comes around to ask me how I’m doing, but we are in a hurry and it’s like he’s never even heard the words “per...

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“Lodetrippers” by DR Forge

Submitted to Contest #209

There was not enough money or human capacity for patience contained in this earthly world to make this job worth it. Especially not with the measly daily stipend Briel was about to completely blow through at a gas station on a state line so unremarkable, he couldn’t remember which side he was on. If he hadn’t owed his aunt a favor- the kind of looming favor that would strip away every ounce of joy if you ignored it and tried to sunbathe on the beach, which Briel knew, because he had tried-he would have been back on the sand as fast a...

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“Way Stations” by Marco Damiano

Submitted to Contest #209

It had been a long, hot Summer day off the side of I-95 when Laura looked up from behind the counter of the refurbished Cenex station to see the long figure rounding the corner of the building. He strode through the glass doors, looked around, and then walked up to her. “Hello,” he said in friendly but polished tone. He had clearly been practicing this as he walked over. “Hi there,” Laura said in her most casual-yet-welcoming voice. The gas station was large, but nearly empty of customers. Behind the open slot in the wall perpendicular t...

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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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