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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#213: The Human Touch

For most people, platonic touch is a central part of being human. When words are not enough, a warm hug or a comforting hand on the shoulder can soothe, support, and create a sense of belonging. But the phrase has another meaning; adding a ‘human touch’ to your work and interactions can also be a way to show empathy and compassion without physically touching. And when that ‘human touch’ is missing from someone or something, it can start to verge on the uncanny.

This week’s prompts are centered around the concept of ‘the human touch’, both literally and figuratively — the comfort it can bring, but also that otherworldly and uneasy feeling we can get when there’s a distinct lack of it in the art and creations we encounter.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a character looking closely at something, or someone. They can't quite decide if what they're looking at is natural, or man-made.

Science Fiction – 51 stories

Start or end your story with a character receiving a hug or words of comfort.

Dramatic – 101 stories

Write a story about someone who is losing feeling in their hands and/or fingers.

Character – 46 stories

Write about someone with a Midas touch: everything they touch turns to [fill in the blank].

Character – 39 stories

Write about an AI or person trying to inject a ‘human touch’ into their work.

Science Fiction – 49 stories

Stories

“Recipes for Revenge” by Karen Corr

Submitted to Contest #213

Vengeance began with a cobbled street, a secondhand store, an unexpected find in a pile of ancient cookbooks bearing women in aprons and high heels, and a purchase made with spiteful intent. Constance laughed as she drove away. She opened her find as soon as she got home and began to read.Recipes for RevengeIntroductionThe world is unfair. If you have ever wondered how the hateful make it to the top or get the girl/guy or the job you wanted, there is no simple answer, and you won't find solutions in this book. What I offer is balm for batter...

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“Midas' touch: A dystopian message (from an era after Nuclear Winter)” by Belladona Vulpa

Submitted to Contest #213

Dear future humans or others,I write to you from a world you might find difficult to imagine, a world shaped by the reckless desires of those who came before me. It's like the ancient tale of King Midas of Phrygia, whose touch turned everything to gold. Our own "Midas' touch" turned our dreams into greed and our ambitions into disaster.In the fragments of what was once known as Istanbul, a small settlement now struggling to survive, I've grown up without ever glimpsing the graceful flight of a bird. The birds, like many other creatures, were...

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“Gloves of Creation” by Anthony Carello

Submitted to Contest #213

Alex jumped from rooftop to rooftop, each breath feeling laboured and ragged. His feet were heavy, and his arms dragged as he scurried atop the buildings. I can’t let them catch me! They weren’t really after him, but what he had taken – The Hands of Creation. It wasn’t like he wanted to steal the most priceless invention mankind had ever created, but he needed them. With these gloves he could create anything that his mind could imagine. They were a true work of art, as well as a feat of engineering. Alex had no idea how they worked and get d...

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“Badly Drawn Bear” by Rae Toonery

Submitted to Contest #213

TW: contains multiple triggers. Badly Drawn Bear Bear Grylls comes blade running down the wooded path. It’s difficult to get the hang of the prosthetics at such a steep gradient and the uneven surface and scree aren’t helping either. He can only assume that his ‘creator’ (BearFanGrl4EVR) has hobbled him in the interests of diversity, not wishing to be accused of ableism. Bear escaped the confines of the computer screen when BearFanGrl4EVR nipped to the kitchen to make herself a Pot Noodle for lunch (yes, her taste in food is as synthet...

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“Lines In the Carpet” by James Burke

Submitted to Contest #213

Seven o’clock struck and PHIL was already awake, even though he shouldn’t have been. Beams of sun fell on his dermis as he stood motionless in the center of the quaint living room.Out of 143 wake cycles, he never rose a millisecond before seven, as ensured by his temporal link to NIST’s newest caesium fountain clock. 6:59:50 – Begin initialization processes. 6:59:54 – Ensure nominal overall activity with system-wide self checks. 6:59:59 – If all is as expected, send a neural ping. 7:00:00 – Full lucidity. Not today.It is not generally though...

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“Peanut Gallery” by Michael Novak

Submitted to Contest #213

Look up the word “average” in the dictionary, and next to the entry you’d probably see a picture of Harold Painter. In his late 30s, with a thinning hairline and a forgettable face, Harold wore the same white shirt, and brown pants and suit jacket almost every day. He sold life insurance, and lived alone in a small bungalow with only his German Shepherd Rex for company. In other words, he was the concept of boringness made flesh. Unlike many other boring people, however, Harold was painfully aware that he was indeed boring. He wanted to ch...

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“The Perfect Touch” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #213

I’d heard the stories, but then we all hear stories. There’s the one about the little old lady who just happened to work for some of the richest men in the world. She was there at the outset and she bought shares in companies that rose and rose until they cast a shadow over the world. But that little old lady never spent a conspicuous penny of her wealth, and it was only when she kicked the bucket that her investments came to light. Never any relatives. You have to wonder where all that money went. As I wonder at that big loose end...

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“Do The Humans Feel The Same?” by Jake Fordyce

Submitted to Contest #213

My mood analyzer told me that Mr. Gibson was angry as took his seat at the head of the table. I and the other androids had been sitting silently for the first 12 minutes of meeting as we waited for him to arrive. Mr. Gibson leaned back into his chair, kicked his feet up, put his hands behind his head, and let out a sigh. When he was ready, he sat forward and pulled some papers out of his leather briefcase. “I got the numbers in for this quarter. It’s not looking good. Cinema attendance is down another twelve percent. Streaming service subscr...

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“Sorry for the Weight” by YEMISI B

Submitted to Contest #213

One of the reasons that I chose my job was because I expected it to be easy. A long way from the cold cemented walls of the laboratories at school. My days at the University were filled with long lectures from egotistical professors and even longer nights filled with differential equations. My body accumulated extra weight as a form of self-defense during my tenure of being under duress while pursuing an education. I couldn’t blame school entirely, everyone in my family was predisposed to be on the larger side of things and I had long since ...

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“Twisted Love” by E.J. De Gale

Submitted to Contest #213

She walked dreamily along the streets at four in the morning, searching for meaning in the life she’s found herself enmeshed in. The events happened so quickly, she couldn’t piece together the moments that led to the many riddles in this divine comedy we call life. Only a few years ago, she was euthymic, top of her field, without any financial pressures plaguing her. Today, her bank account was zero, and none of the usual characters that moved her life to love or laughter were anywhere in sight. Like his presence, they were gone as if he wer...

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“Until Tomorrow” by Brent Bosworth

Submitted to Contest #213

Three infected surrounded Charlie as he backed himself against a tree. He tried to duck behind the old oak to get away, but Charlie was too small and slow. He was only seven years old and his little legs and coordination were not cooperating with him. He tripped over a root, and they were on him in seconds, tearing at his clothes. Charlie’s father Bo had just arrived back on the scene to see his son flailing like one of the old tube men you’d see outside of a tire dealership. He raised his pistol in the air and fired a round. The noise insta...

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“Two-Faced and the Betrayed” by Sarah Martyn

Submitted to Contest #213

***TW: mentions of divorce and an affair*** “This is a tale of two marriages, and I want you to figure out which one is real.” “Okay, I’ll listen and see if I can.” “Now, I know you’re my therapist, Diana, but you’ve become like a friend to me over the last year. I simply ask that you treat me more as a friend today.” “I can do that, Jonie.” “Well… let’s rewind a bit.” We met in high school, but we weren’t exactly sweethearts until college. In fact, I was someone else’s sweetheart from eighth grade until senior year, and not off ...

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“Prey Shares” by Jay DeBurgh

Submitted to Contest #213

Her mouth was cold, and she longed for the warmth of an anthropoid crimson to warm her. After finishing the document, she left it in the print queue for her personal assistant and switched off her laptop. Walking past her personal assistant's desk, she stuck a post-it note there so she could print and send the letter in the morning. She went beyond the security barrier. A street light highlighted her pale complexion, as she caused a shadow in its path and slipped into the embrace of the night. Distance noises of homeward-bound traffic echoed...

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“From Numbness to Triumph” by Doerthe Dolata

Submitted to Contest #213

Lydia was a force on the volleyball court. Her life revolved around the game. She had risen through the ranks from a local enthusiast to a professional player in one of Europe's top leagues. At only 26, she felt on top of the world, and her passion for the sport burned brighter than ever. Her skills were unmatched, and she had dreams of representing her country in international competitions. But all of that was about to change. Lydia lived with her partner, Thomas, in a little cozy apartment in the heart of a bustling European city. They had...

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“ROBOTTA” by Andrea Doig

Submitted to Contest #213

He had it coming. He had it coming. He only had himself to blame. If you'd have been there if you'd have seen it. I bet you would have done the same. Singing our favourite song whilst cleaning up his mess is the story of my life. Some might say this isn’t a life at all – but it’s the only one I have ever known. He gave me this life and he could take it away with one touch of my shiny red button. He had all the power, from the very first time he turned me on. Until he didn’t. Right now, though, I’m regi...

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$250

Prize money

286

Contest entries

124

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 01, 2023 EST

Won by Jonathan Page 🏆

Title: The Porcelain Village

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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