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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#212: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I don't really exchange letters with anyone, but if I did, I'd receive them with great anticipation. There's something very unpredictable about a letter: it can provide insight into a person's most private feelings, make a public statement, or share news of events big and small, from historic events to everyday gossip. You just never know until you open it.


This week's prompts are inspired by all things epistolary.

This week's prompts

Write a story in the form of a letter, or multiple letters back and forth.

Short Story – 147 stories

Write an epistolary story set during a major historical event. The event may be the subject of the letters directly, or be referenced in the background.

Historical Fiction – 30 stories

Write a story about a pair of pen pals.

Character – 26 stories

A mysterious letter is delivered to your character's home. It's not addressed to them, but they can't resist peeking...

Mystery – 65 stories

Set your story in a post office.

Fiction – 36 stories

Stories

“Beyond the Boulder: Mythic Letters of Sisyphus and Atlas” by Jonathan Page

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Atlas,Greetings, my celestial friend!Another day, another uphill journey. I’m eager to get down to business! The boulder gets heavier, but I'm certain "today will be the day."Lunch was a feast of wild pomegranates and roasted lamb.Pythagoras swung by, talking angles and approaches.Remember, persistence conquers all!With optimism,Sisyphus* * *Sisyphus,Your optimism, it befuddles me.I bear ze weight of ze vorld on my shoulders.Ze vorld casts a shadow, leavin' me alone in darkness.Today, perhaps, is ze day I let it slip.It has al...

8 comments 8
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“Dead Letter Room” by John-Paul Cote

Submitted to Contest #212

She looked down at the blood splattering over the hundreds of envelopes displayed before her. She felt every heartbeat pump it out and bring her closer to death. Her head was light. Her body was weak. She finally slipped off of her chair into the forgotten pile of mail that she was becoming part of.“Someday,” he said from behind her, “someday we will find the solution and Annabelle will be beautiful again.”Weeks before, the punishment seemed inhumanly cruel. All Cassidy had done was sneak into a restricted area for a story. It was a story he...

3 comments 3
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“An Epistle Conveyed by Airship” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #212

An Epistle Conveyed by Airship7th day of January 1872My Esteemed Mr. Ambrose,May this missive find you in robust health and high spirits.Acknowledging your eminence as a prodigious savant of the mechanistic arts, adorned with intellect, a cogent psyche, and a countenance befitting a gentleman, it is apropos for me to forewarn you of my decision to set our contraption into motion.Pray, do not construe this communiqué as a provocation to intercede in my endeavor. I beseech you with heartfelt sincerity to refrain from your curious, inquisitive ...

21 comments 21
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“RAT TRAPS AND BAD EGGS” by Susan Catucci

Submitted to Contest #212

*** Adult situations, Mature language **** * *To Whom it May Concern:There comes a time in everyone’s life when they need to take a step back and ask themselves, am I living my best life? Am I seeing life as it really is, or am I seeing it as I wish it to be? Let me ask, are you the trusting type? When you buy eggs at the market, do you place the carton of eggs in your shopping cart without checking them first for cracks? For the price you’re paying for those eggs, would you run the risk of purchasing a bad one? Just...

12 comments 12
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“About Alice” by Tom Skye

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear friend,To whom this letter is addressed, I do not know. It has been written by me in some form or other many times over, but for now, I have no means to send it. Perhaps I am writing to myself, for myself, but hopefully not forever, though the activity is somewhat therapeutic.I find myself in a pickle, stuck in this hot cabin deep in the moors. I share the space with my beloved wife, Alice. She suggested coming here for a month to find ourselves, to clear our heads, but that month feels like many, and my head is more bruised than clear....

9 comments 9
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“Letters to you” by Honey Perez

Submitted to Contest #212

*** Explicit Language ***January 1, 2022Hey Rachel,I’m going to write a letter to you every month for the next year and see how this goes. I’m not sure what to write, honestly. This shouldn’t be so awkward right? I guess I’m being stupid. I’ve written letters before, this shouldn’t be a big deal. Um. Anyways, happy New Years. I hope your New Year’s Eve was filled with fun. I um. I had friends over. It’s been awhile since they’ve been here. Ari says hi btw. Um, but yeah it was nice, I guess. We had a couple of drinks and did the countdown. I ...

11 comments 11
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“"Pen Pals"” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #212

“Pen” Pals “The guy is a genius, Matt.” “How’s that?” “You’ll see. Watch and learn.” ---------- Dear Martha, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my arms the day I leave this terrible place. Love, Old School P.S. Could you please put some money on my Commissary Account? ---------- Dear Sally, I hope this letter finds you well. The days become longer and harder here. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of holding you in my ...

8 comments 8
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“River, Mountain and Valley Floor” by Paulette Lundy

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #212

Dear Majestic Mountain, I pray this letter finds you enjoying a clear sky and warm temperatures. I apologize for being so presumptuous that you might want to hear from me. You and I have been entwined for so long I felt it was time I told you how I feel. I have worked my way down your slopes, through your forests,  and around your rocky shores all my life. I come from a source deep within you. I am intensely connected to you. We breathe together. When you are covered with bare trees, snow, and ice, I get low. When the snow melts, the ic...

8 comments 8
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“Dear Santa” by Ty Warmbrodt

Submitted to Contest #212

Dear Santa, It’s that time of year, filled with holiday cheer. It’s white and cold, everything is trimmed with gold. Jingle bells ring and carolers sing. The world is lit up, sparkles, and shines. Passerby’s share holiday greetings with open minds. Families gather for traditions that matter. Today I woke to winter’s chill, which decided to take up residency on my hardwood floors. I threw on my slippers, adjusted the heat, and I cooked myself a big breakfast. Normally I don’t do that, usually just some toaster waffles and coffee. But today, t...

14 comments 14
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“Bridges of Ink: A Transcontinental Friendship” by Carol Boeth

Submitted to Contest #212

Chapter 1: The World in an Envelope The vast expanse of the sky slowly transitioned from the fiery hues of the setting sun to a deep twilight blue. Lila McKenzie settled comfortably beneath the sprawling mango tree that had become her sacred spot for introspection. Each letter she penned to Cindy was not merely ink on paper. It was like dispatching a piece of her very essence, a vivid fragment of Jamaica, across vast oceans and landscapes. And today's letter held the promise of something new, something special. Meanwhile, thousands of miles ...

1 comment 1
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“A Letter from a Little Girl to her Father at the Front ” by Stephanie STEVENS

Submitted to Contest #212

This story concerns World War One and has references to the conditions in the trenches. It is inspired by a story which appeared in an annual belonging to my father which was lost or thrown away over 50 years ago. I have made up my own story . Hernesbury Hall, September 1916. Dearest Papa, I felt so joyful when I received three of your letters at once a...

4 comments 4
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“The Package” by KD Weinert

Submitted to Contest #212

“Next.”The girl behind the counter flashes a smile. Kyanna. My stomach flips. God, she’s even cute in a baggy postal uniform. Am I imagining it or is that smile a bit brighter than the one she gave the last customer?I tug the hood of my sweatshirt lower over my eyes, and then fold and unfold the paper in my hand, pretending to read it while holding up my index finger.“Sorry. I’m not quite ready.” I gesture to the guy in line behind me. “You go ahead.”I continue to stare at the paper, occasionally looking up to the station next to Kyanna’s. T...

8 comments 8
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“Pals For Life” by Teresa Brown

Submitted to Contest #212

Mike found a letter tucked in the corner of his mailbox. He looked it over, the words were a little faded but he could make out the name. He spoke to the mail carrier the next day and decided to keep it and write to the owner of the letter and let them know he found the letter and that the recipient didn't receive it and that he lives there now. Not knowing how things would turn out, he sat down and started writing. Dear Sir, I am the new owner of this address. I found a letter tucked in the corner of the mailbox from you to an unknown...

5 comments 5
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“Casting Shadows” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #212

"Can you give us any comment on your latest triumph?" Camilla silently substituted the word 'triumph' for 'murder'. Outdated though the term was, she still liked to use it privately. "The Brixham one?" Camilla nodded. Her older brother had covered the story; Ordinary murder made headline news by the popularity of the killer. And to think that she was interviewing him herself! "There's nothing much to say." The restaurant was busy and the man had to shout although they were only a table apart. "My employer paid less than my average rate, but ...

9 comments 9
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“Swimmers” by Mathew Channer

Submitted to Contest #212

    Dear Vance, I’m not entirely sure why I keep writing to you like this. I told Clara about these letters: she smirked and told me to say hello. Isn’t that a special kind of fucked-up, your daughter asking me to tell you hello. I wanted to tell about the calico cat I saw today. It reminded me of the one you had when we met; the little fluff-ball with the white socks that never left your lap. Until you gave it up. All innocent creatures are drawn to you, but eventually you leave them, don’t you? I should have seen it comin...

4 comments 4
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$250

Prize money

304

Contest entries

129

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 25, 2023 EST

Won by Wendy M 🏆

Title: The Last Of The Bright Young Things

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 | Many Hands | 2024-09

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