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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

“Persistence” by Ian Grogan

Submitted to Contest #222

You glance at the reflection of your face in the stream in front of you, the outline highlighted by a combination of warm colors from the distant fire behind you and the slight flicker of the stars above. The image becomes blurry as you dip your cupped palms in the cool water. Bringing your hands to your face, you sip the current and feel the refreshment awaken your body. You know this is your last chance to gather yourself, so you let the drink linger on your lips for as long as possible. With your feet rigid, you lower your damp fingers in...

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“A Criminal Act” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #222

Her phone rang. Katie grabbed and swiped it. “Hi, this is Katie.” She held it up while continuing to put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher.“Hi Katie. I’m really worried about Edwin. He’s made some new friends. I’ve seen them. Skinheads. They must want something. Dunno what. I’ve told him they’ll get him into a lot of trouble. He left today, very anxious, but he wouldn’t talk about it.”“It’s ok, Paul. I’ve been worried too. He told me he’d met a couple of skinheads and said that people judge them because of how they look. One had smiled at h...

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“Luck Schmuck” by Benny Regalbuto

Submitted to Contest #222

Humphrey rolled out of the way just as the Geigerfly dove at him and felt a burst of power. That always seemed to happen if he waited until the last possible second to dodge, though he couldn’t say why. He came around for the shot as the Geigerfly began to pivot midflight, and time slowed down around him. Everything—the irradiated river to his right, the poisonous gook the Geigerfly had just spewed, the Geigerfly itself—moved as if through molasses. That often happened after his bursts of power. As did his strangely overpowered gunshots. S...

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“Get Real” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #222

School was completely shit. I need to get that straight from the very start. Filled with a bunch of tossers and the worst of them were the teachers. Sanctimonious know- it-alls spouting crap that was neither use nor ornament. Surviving was all it was about. What a waste of time. Good job I had a good bunch of mates. We had a laugh. That was all there was. It was a case of getting through it and nothing more than that. The day I left school was the best day of my life. I’d arrived. End of the bullshit. I was going to earn and a man ...

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“On the Shore of Styx” by Zachariah Chamberlin

Submitted to Contest #222

The boy peered beyond the river to the desert beyond. Somewhere in all that desolation, a monstrous city teaming with souls awaits. He could still go there. His option to cross the river is still on the table. Then there was the alternative. Stay with the ferryman, learn from him, and awaken the thing inside him. He has felt something growing in him, pressing against his ribs, aching for release. It had been a gift passed down to him by his mother. Until now, he always considered himself cursed with her talent. The boy can see the dead. H...

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“Strings Attached ” by Geeta Boodansingh

Submitted to Contest #222

I NEED TO SEE YOU.Five words. Five small, simple words. But the force of them was enough to shatter her entire world. Anne read the message again- for the hundredth time- searching for some hidden meaning in the words."The usual?"She startled at the question, surprised that she had reached the front of the line. Tom, the barrista looked at her expectantly."Yes," she nodded.Her eyes drifted towards the large screen on the wall above the counter.On the Langstorm trial that was being replayed. The recording cut to the sentencing, then the image...

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“Riding with the Devil” by Vesta Bartholomew

Submitted to Contest #222

Jason opened the passenger door emblazoned with black lettering advertising " F and F Antiques - PHONE 371- DEAL" . He climbed into the seat of the late model 1998 fire-red Ford-150 truck with great care and excitement, making sure he hadn't tracked in any mud. The vehicle had all the bells and whistles and a matching enclosed utility trailer hitched to the back. Freddy Foster, the proprietor of the business and deluxe transportation package, slid behind the wheel. He started the engine and pull...

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“Lester ( A Shaggy Dog Story)” by Marvin Furman

Submitted to Contest #222

Warning: The story makes reference to condoms and sexual intercourse. Lester ( A Shaggy Dog Story) By &nb...

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“Like a Silver Shell” by Lisa Papademetriou

Submitted to Contest #222

Laid out below her, the silver city shimmered like a mirage. In the distance, it looked clean and bright, reminding Linette of a large, smooth shell that had sat on her grandmother’s shelf when she was young. The creamy dome curled into a hollow interior of iridescent silver. Linette imagined the swooping lines of the gleaming city at night, aglow with lights. It amazed her to think that human minds had, long ago, imagined tall buildings and parks, homes and business centers, and had laid the groundwork that had made this beautiful city—her ...

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“Louisa’s Insurrection” by Arthur An

Submitted to Contest #222

Being betrayed is like breaking your arms. You can forgive but you won't be able to hug. -Leo TolstoyLouisa pranced upstairs. The euphoria of becoming the newly elected president of the 42nd Street Council allowed her to ignore the bleeding leg wound. It was only after she sprinted up to the fourth-floor landing that she realized her utter exhaustion and, there on the linoleum steps, the trail of congealing blood glistening under the fluorescent lights.Taking a breather on the landing Louisa recalled that it was her best friend Agnes who ha...

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“The Trajectory of an Advice” by Shahzad Ahmad

Submitted to Contest #222

The movie ambled into a relatively crowded compartment of the imagination of the fragmented community that functioned as my adopted home. It lingered there for a while before ferociously charging towards the outstretched arms of eavesdroppers or random individuals on the grape vine; acting pretty much as self crafted post cards seeking immediate attention! I seek apology of the contemporary hi-tech generation since the mention of post cards amidst the electronic invasion is just like writing with chalk on a smart board! I was acting as ...

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“The murderer at Bethany” by Herman Labuschagne

Submitted to Contest #222

The few remaining patrons looked up with alarm when he appeared. Everybody knew trouble when they saw it. And although nobody had seen his face before, they knew his kind.From the kitchen she surveyed him with squinting eyes. A largeish woman, somewhere near middle age, looking as if she once might have been almost pretty. A matronly figure, visibly secure about herself and her establishment.The girl who helped her seemed relieved when the older woman beckoned with a quick sideward motion of the head that she could go. The startled young ser...

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“Hope” by Michael Blight

Submitted to Contest #222

In a world marred by the scars of an apocalyptic catastrophe, where remnants of humanity struggled to survive amidst the ruins, a young girl named Eliza struggled to survive. Eliza was a resilient 17-year-old with auburn hair and dazzling blue eyes who had seen the darkest depths of human nature which left a bitter taste in her mouth. This resigned her to a life of solitary existence, convinced that people and trust was not a luxury she could afford to have.Her long, tangled hair and dirt-streaked face were evidence of the challenges she had...

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“Orange Juice” by Piper Jenne

Submitted to Contest #222

I was in the orange juice section of the dairy aisle when I received my first prayer. It sometimes happens that way, I guess. I was just looking for some juice with a little bit of pulp, but there are a million and one pulp options to choose from. There's semi-strained and mid-range and mildly-chunky and almost-a-solid and I couldn't tell what any of them meant but I just needed to get the juice that Claudia would drink and I didn't have time to stand in the goddamn juice aisle having a panic attack over pulp but it was happening and there w...

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“A Guardian in the Rough” by Keelan LaForge

Submitted to Contest #222

I walked in the door with two strange women that would soon become family, carrying all my worldly possessions. They amounted to one suitcase and a shoulder bag. I was broken. I’d been granted entry to the refuge after a long debate with myself about whether I should ask to go or not. It should have felt like progress, but it felt like a huge step backwards. I was starting from scratch, building upon the rubble of my recent life. I didn’t know where to put myself. The old building was warm, but it felt vast. I didn’t know where I was going, ...

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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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