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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#222: Show Me The Way

When navigating life’s challenges, we could all use a little guidance — someone who can show us the way, or give us the wisdom we need to follow the right path. In literature, much like in reality, coaches and mentors are often central to a protagonist’s development, offering training, advice, or tools to succeed in their Hero’s Journey.

What's fascinating about mentors is that they come in different shapes and forms. They might be a nurturing figure, who offers wisdom and support; a harsh and unyielding professor, who demands the impossible; an unconventional thinker who brings a unique perspective. Sometimes the guidance doesn’t even come in human form: perhaps it’s a dream, a spirit, a faith, or an item, like a totem, a book, or a map.

This week’s prompts are all about people (or things) that, in one way or another, have a pivotal role in someone’s journey.

This week's prompts

Start your story with a student on their first day of apprenticeship.

Teens – 18 stories

Write about a character who has a love/hate relationship with their mentor.

Character – 36 stories

Write about a mentor whose methods are controversial.

Character – 22 stories

Write a story about a character who finds guidance in an unlikely place.

Dramatic – 81 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “You’ve got this.”

Dialogue – 53 stories

Stories

“Anna” by Anne Buchanan

Submitted to Contest #222

Sensitive Material Warning: Substance abuse, references to physical and sexual violence, mental health. Heaven indeed, the valley in early spring. A light wind rustled the trees, tinged with the earthy scent of the paper mill. How lovely, the contrast of the season's chill with the sun proudly bathing the deck where I sat. Why would anyone wish to leave? I tried to shove down the sense of foreboding, and fully embrace the present ideal, but despite every effort, I knew this moment was slipping away. Tomorrow loomed, and though the bu...

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“Margot The Ballerina ” by Kiyana Marie

Submitted to Contest #222

"Mother, my feet are killing me. I have blisters. Can I please skip practice tonight?""Skip practice?! What a ridiculous question! You have blisters because of your new shoes; you need to break them in. It doesn't help that your pointe technique hasn't been up to par. You cannot afford slacking anymore Margot. Now go freshen up."I sit on my bed as I stare at my pink walls. Feelings of melancholy overwhelm me. The days pass, and every day I feel like I am in a body of water. I am drowning underwater, suffocating to death. Every time I reach t...

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“Pieces of You” by Lissette Hernandez

Submitted to Contest #222

"Kid, you're an unstoppable force." My grandpa smiles at me and then reaches for his fork for another piece of his famous chocolate cake."You think so? I really want to get into this school." I placed my plate on the table and fiddled with my fingers."You will get into that school, don't sweat it. But you've got this, it's already written in the stars." My grandpa says with a mouth full of cake._____________________________"Okay, everything is packed. You ready, Gabriel?" My mom squeezed me so hard I swear I could feel the air popped out of ...

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“An apprentice Frist day” by Gail Ormsby

Submitted to Contest #222

Maya stood in front of the large glass doors of the tech company, her heart pounding in her chest. It was the first day of her apprenticeship, and she was so excited and nervous. She had always dreamed of working in technology, and now her dream was finally coming true. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors. The lobby was bright and airy, with a modern design and a friendly receptionist. Maya checked in with the HR Department and was given a badge and a building map. Maya followed the map to the engineering department, where she w...

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“Growing Sophie ” by Aseret Franco

Submitted to Contest #222

Sophie stared at her mentor, arms crossed over her chest. "You know, for an old guy, you sure don't know anything," she scoffed. Her mentor, Mr. Johnson, rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes, because seventeen-year-olds are always the epitome of wisdom," he shot back, his voice thick with sarcasm. Sophie couldn't help but smile a bit at his tone, even though she was still annoyed. She had been working with Mr. Johnson for a few years now, and while she loved learning from him, they definitely had a love/hate relationship. "You know, Mr. Johnson, you'r...

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“A Love/Hate Relationship” by Gail Ormsby

Submitted to Contest #222

Alex had a love/hate relationship with their mentor, Professor Chen. On the one hand, Chen was a brilliant scientist who had helped Alex achieve so much. Alex had started their research as a graduate student under Chen's guidance, and Chen had pushed him to be His best. With Chen's help, Alex made groundbreaking discoveries in artificial intelligence. On the other hand, Chen was a demanding and often cruel mentor. Chen expected perfection from Alex and quickly criticized him when he fell short. Chen also had a habit of taking credit for Alex...

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“Forging Sparks” by Kai Nico

Submitted to Contest #222

The fae I knelt beside was covered in ash and soot with burns down their left arm and hand. They were wheezing slightly, eyes closed against the sun overhead. Clearly having given up on fleeing. There was nothing I could do for them except drag them behind a building, hopefully out of harm’s way. Everywhere I looked, a blazing inferno. Walking down the streets, I was greeted with screams as another fire sparked in front of a group of individuals trying to escape. A quick glance of my surroundings told me the eyes that were the same co...

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“CAMRYN AND WAVERLY: FROM LOVE TO HATE BACK TO LOVE” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #222

How can someone be this annoying? I lover Waverly. I honestly lover her but she is driving me crazy. No Camryn you are doing it wrong, that's not how you do it. Let me show you how to do it. One of these days I'm going to do something I'm going to regret. Waverly has been teaching me about magic since the day I found out I was a witch. I was about twelve when I began my training. It was fun in the beginning. Waverly was a good teacher. She still is a good teacher. We always had fun together. But as I got older Waverly began to change. Her ...

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“The Odd One” by Kathleen Spencer

Submitted to Contest #222

The old bat laughed wickedly, “That is not right! Do it again!” Allen remounted the old bicycle and pedaled fast down the grassy hillside in the country. Lightning struck the kite’s tail, and electricity ran down the line to the back of his bicycle’s seat, briefly shocking him, as it jumped to the other end of the line and made its way to the old generator in the witch’s cottage. Lights in the witch’s house and television came on. “Why don’t you just use your magic to make things work?” the apprentice yelled. He did not know if she had heard...

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“Smokers Unite” by Joseph Hawke

Submitted to Contest #222

Smokers Unite! “Good afternoon, and welcome to Wellness Today, your daily outlet for quality information on health and wellbeing. “I’m your host, Cameron Baldwin, and today we have a very special guest, Doctor Englebert Higglesby, a tenured professor at James Hopkington Medical School, the leading medical school in the Americas, and an expert in disease management and consumption epidemiology, a new field that Doctor Higglesby has innovated with funding from various i...

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“Run Betty, Run!” by Aicha Lghyati

Submitted to Contest #222

“Again!” Mr. Black shouted. Betty’s legs trembled as she started running another lap, the 10th for today. She wanted to tell him to stop, that she couldn’t take it anymore, but flashbacks of her crying at night came back to her. She’s always dreamed of making it to the Olympics, and for that, she had to push herself to her limits. “If you can’t run Betty, you can always quit.” He pointed out her wobbly feet before she reached the 10 lap mark. “No sir!” she shouted, determined and out of breath. “Stop!” he yelled. As soon as she heard his ord...

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“Emma's Gift” by Webb Johnson

Submitted to Contest #222

A good friend and colleague who knew I had several weeks of summer hiatus from teaching design at Claremont College, asked me if would volunteer to teach a summer school art class for high school freshmen. I agreed and this announcement was included in the Spring/Summer issue of the City Civic Arts Newsletter: ’Scapes: Land and Sea. Learn to draw the world around us. For young artists interested in taking their drawing to a higher level. Explore a variety of subjects, developing an understanding of form, composition, line, ligh...

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“Unseen” by Juhee Singh

Submitted to Contest #222

Lila stared at the Dutch apple pancake deflating in the skillet. The front door slammed as a small hiss of air escaped from her culinary masterpiece. This morning she’d made a point of getting up early enough to make her specialty. But it wasn’t enough. The kids had emerged from their grottoes and followed their father out the door without a glance at her. She’d hoped their favorite might have coaxed them into f...

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“THE WRITING CLASS” by Jolanta Polk

Submitted to Contest #222

There were three of us in the little cafe squeezed between a dime store and a launderette in Little Italy. We had the place to ourselves; it was too late for the night-time boozers who dropped in to hose down their stomachs irritated by the excessive intake of Manhattans and too early for the mid-day pastrami-on-rye guzzlers from nearby offices. If anybody wondered why a would-be writer, born, bred, and baptized in the Dublin Liberties, was more frequently than not seen in the company of two octogenarians born, bred, and bar-mitzvahed in pre...

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“Swish the Kool Aid” by Danny Bubb

Submitted to Contest #222

Warning: This story concerns substance abuse, emotional and physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Long Eddy, NY Swish the Kool Aid Larry was pleased with the boy’s progress. He was a quick study, and knew how to adjust recipes on the fly. There had been some minor disasters, but the kid was 15, and he was attentive. Last week, there was a misunderstanding regarding tablespoons and teaspoons, but some potatoes and stock diluted the minestrone until it was just right. They simply froze an extra conta...

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$250

Prize money

210

Contest entries

101

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 03, 2023 EST

Won by Audrey McKenna 🏆

Title: Just Like Him

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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