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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#234: Time Out

Often, it feels like there aren’t enough hours in a day. We juggle dozens of warring obligations — work, home, friends, family — alongside our own wants and needs. At one time, you might back out of a friend’s birthday to visit an ailing family member. But at another, you’ll go to an important work conference rather than visiting your mother across the country. You never know how much time you have — to make your career, to follow your dreams, to spend with your family. It’s an uncertainty we all learn how to live with, one way or another.

In the spirit of this uncertainty, this week’s prompts focus on time. Who has it and who doesn’t, and who is trying to carve it out, minute by minute.

This week's prompts

Write a story about someone whose time is running out.

Angst – 112 stories

Write a story about someone who wishes they could turn back time.

Character – 70 stories

Write about someone taking advantage of some unexpected free time.

Fluff – 31 stories

Start or end your story with someone saying, “We have all the time in the world.”

Dialogue – 71 stories

Set your story in a place that’s frozen in time — literally or metaphorically.

Narrative – 56 stories

Stories

“03/27/74” by Leanna Sanders

Submitted to Contest #234

You enter the library, except this is no ordinary library. You may only visit this library once. The circumstance for entrance is all the same, but the cause for entry is individual. Once you enter you may not leave, but your time expires within the library, entry is not a choice, but is required. In your personal library every book is available for your wandering eyes. The titles upon the shelves fit every genre, but they can never be read by any individual except you. It is your choice which book to check out first, so choose the one with ...

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“Advance Notice” by Peter Wyatt

Submitted to Contest #234

There was never enough time. So many things to do and never enough time to get it all done. Martin Johnson had spent most of the last 48 hours preparing for the corporate merger his firm was brokering between two tech giants and this afternoon it was supposed to all come together. Provided, of course, he could seal the deal with the two principals. Martin felt confident he could do it. But first he needed food. It was lunch time and Martin was starving. He was looking forward to devouring some leftover pizza in his fridge. But he never made ...

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“Family Torn Apart” by Tom Davis

Submitted to Contest #234

The bright yellow sun smacked Bobby in the face as he took his first steps towards freedom as the heavy concrete prison door swung open. He just completed his 20 year sentence for manslaughter and looked forward to freedom. Bobby would never forget that night the crime happened and wished he could right the wrong. But he knows he can’t. One of Bobby’s brothers was there to drive him back to Mom’s house when he was released from prison. “How does it feel to be free again?” his brother Jim asked. ...

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“Just Another Day” by One - Tooth Shark

Submitted to Contest #234

It didn’t take long before I was back, staring blankly at my computer screen, wondering how to respond to my teacher’s request. A writing prompt with the words : Explain in full detail what you do if you were given the ability to time travel. What time would you go back to? Why? I was only a few weeks into this creative writing class that I had practically forced onto my schedule and I was already writing more than anything else. If it’s not a prompt, it’s an essay. If not that, then I have to write out the date on my paper, rather than simp...

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“The incident of the black ice” by Rebeka Czobor

Submitted to Contest #234

The teacher's lounge echoed with the sound of his humming. Tim had never seen it empty before - the room was almost ominous, with all the outdated furniture and the dripping coffee machine. He was unsure if the sudden solitude was a gift or a curse, in which he was destined to ponder upon lesson plans, correction deadlines, and parental complaints. Before he could decide, he heard slow steps approaching down the hallway. Strange, he thought, how usual sounds can be so threatening in a quiet school. The shoes’ taps on linoleum was rhyt...

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“A Lesson in Dreaming” by Zolund Lee

Submitted to Contest #234

Shen had never fought so hard in his life. His legs quivered, and his arms barely held themselves up, much less his wooden training sword. His teacher, Master Fukuhashi, stood diametrically against him within the dojo. Despite the long training session, Master’s stance was still strong and ready as he faced down his student. “Young Shen,” he said, “finish this fight.” The boy hesitated. He knew what his teacher wanted him to do but not how to achieve that goal. He tried to analyze the situation, picturing the many different scenarios in hi...

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“TWO YEARS TO INVASION: TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #234

"We have all the time in the world." That's what the members of our government keep saying. I don't believe them. I don't think the people believe them either. Time is precious. The members of our government do not understand that. They don't understand what's going to happen to us if we don't have a plan. A little over three months ago NASA detected a strange object on its way to earth. Nobody knew what the object was. It was too far away to have a clear view. The government speculated on what it could be. The people also speculated on ...

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“The Performance” by Kayla Pater

Submitted to Contest #234

“We have all the time in the world.” She sniffled at Charlie’s words, wiping a stray tear from her cheek with her sleeve. Her classical violin, a gift from her mother, sat beside her on the bed, discarded in a fit of defeat. The bow was still held tight in her palm, making her pale skin even paler. She would’ve broken the bow, if not for Charlie’s soft hands prying it from her fingers. “All the time in the world? You’re kidding, right?” She said softly, curling around herself. “I won’t get good at this, no matter how much time passes!” ...

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“Saturday Night at Gino's” by Eleanor J Winstanley

Submitted to Contest #234

‘We have all the time in the world,’ Sean whispered across the table, gradually withdrawing his hand from hers. For Sadie, the tiny table had just gotten so much wider, and she felt as if she sat so much further from him now. She swallowed hard, focusing her eyes on the blood – red napkin laying in a crumpled heap next to her plate of barely – eaten Bolognese. She hoped it would help her to fight the tears back. A rising nausea began to overwhelm her, and she reached hurriedly for the tall glass of table – water. Se...

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“Time, Anyone?” by Kristina Heiks

Submitted to Contest #234

Time, anyone? We have all the time in the world. Seriously? Who says that because I don’t feel like I have any time at all. My day spins by so fast I’ve barely registered sunrise before its suddenly dark again. Up, coffee, boots on, car started, off we go for another round on the carousel. Today is cold and the car hesitates, not wanting to start. “Com’on” I mutter, slapping the dash. “You can do this.” Another crank and it groans to life. I sit and let it idle a minute, another moment lost to my in-a-hurry morning. Putting ...

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“Embracing Tomorrow” by Penelope Autumn

Submitted to Contest #234

“We have all the time in the world. At least that’s what he told me. But now he’s gone, isn't he.” One moment your life’s perfect, and the next, everything seems to be falling apart. “I’m so sorry Liv.” she leaned in for a hug, “I’m here, I’m always here.” Obviously I was thankful for Eliana, she always seemed to be right there when I needed her. But I just couldn’t believe her, she may not always be here. He wasn’t. ‘Always’ seemed like a blissful lie now. “I was working when it happened.” I started slowly, “Just a norm...

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“Coffee Talk” by Adrian Scebelo

Submitted to Contest #234

Jacob showed up at my house at 1:30 pm, the same time he did every Saturday. I watched him pull in the driveway from my window before seeing the “here” text on my phone. Unlike usual, I wasn’t outside on the front steps waiting for him. Instead, I was lingering by the door, wondering how long I could stay in the house before he drove away without me when my phone buzzed for a second time. “you coming?” I debated replying with a last minute excuse. A “sorry, just caught a stomach bug,” would do. It might as well have been true, my st...

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“Flee ” by Harris ;D

Submitted to Contest #234

By the time he had left the factory, the sun had just about fallen behind the ragged city skyline. Burnt buildings, collapsed roofs, two or three storey blocks fallen onto their sides, with bricks and chunks of stone spilling onto the earth, made mounds and hills where there had been flat land. If anyone braved them, perhaps they could see the entirety of the city from where they stood. People would often crowd around them for days, crying and screaming as they lifted rock and tossed loose stone. Amar shook his head, it was a terrible busin...

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“Doing Hard Time” by Vesta Bartholomew

Submitted to Contest #234

Leonora ran at breakneck speed through the wild untamed forest of Eastern Hemlock and White Pine trees, her long black hair streaming behind her and her brown and white spaniel, Tempus, close at her heels. Thorns and pricker bushes tore into the soft flesh of her light reddish brown skin of her face and arms but she had no time to assess the damage. She plunged without a thought into the babbling stream who had been her companion since childhood. The bottom of her expensive exquisite white gown was s...

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“I'm Tired of Running” by Baron Crase

Submitted to Contest #234

This story contains death, talking tentatively about substance abuse, and some language. The organ sounded like a horn in the deep. My feet hurt, but that was far from the focus of the moment. Row after row of men and women alike mostly staring straight ahead, tears welling in their eyes, while the rest admired the salt residue on their shoes. The air hung heavy; each breath felt forced as the elephant sat on everybody’s chest. My eyes were dry even as my heart was f...

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$250

Prize money

340

Contest entries

132

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jan 26, 2024 EST

Won by David Pampu 🏆

Title: 6:47 PST

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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