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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#235: Running Wild

Every day, countless people around the world participate in some form of running, from jogs to ultramarathons. And that simple act of putting one foot in front of another is a deceptively meaningful one; it’s something that transcends pure sport, and that can be used as a metaphor for various life experiences.

Running has a powerful psychological effect, as it often mirrors or influences our mental state. Just think about how often it pops up as an image in literature, to express a character's behavior or mindset (think running on empty, moving in circles, heading towards trouble, escaping problems, racing against time, and so on). This week, let's explore the theme of running and some of its interpretations in storytelling.

This week's prompts

Start your story with one or two characters going for a run.

Adventure – 37 stories

Write a story in which a character is running away from something, literally or metaphorically.

Angst – 122 stories

Make a race an important element of your story.

Narrative – 44 stories

Write about a character who suddenly cannot run anymore.

Character – 42 stories

Write a story that includes someone saying, “You can’t run forever.”

Dialogue – 65 stories

Stories

“Thieves’ Gambit” by Martin Marriott

Submitted to Contest #235

There were still some secret bars and unsavoury hideouts in Echo City that Yen Ortrix hadn’t visited, which, given her current predicament, was fortunate. She needed a place to lie low for a while until the shit storm she had stirred up died down. How long would that be? She figured it would be quite some time. Over the years, she had angered Zorix Kyril and stolen from his criminal organisation too many times. Whenever Kyril caught up with her, she always managed to talk her way out of being killed, ending up working off her debts. After al...

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“Black Hole Solitude ” by Bryon Mayfield

Submitted to Contest #235

The tendrils surrounding the black hole slithered out in shades of fire-burnt vermillion. They spiraled around the jet-black circle at the center, their vaporous spirit cascading out into the stellar void surrounding. Anything that drew too close to the massive body was doomed to join it, as it sucked in everything in range, right along with any misguided hope of escape. For nearly as long as the insect species Komaxa, of the planet Vulik, had been a spacefaring society, they had chosen to give this sector of space a wide berth. As far as ...

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“Running From Regret” by Jessica-Roisin Coop

Submitted to Contest #235

[sensitive themes: illness, mentions of abuse, cheating]. “Your father doesn’t have much time left”, Beth’s mother, Vivian, said sombrely. Her face was shrouded in worry and stress lines creased her face, even over the less than perfect quality of the Zoom call. “When are you going to stop running away from your problems and come home? You need to see him, get closure”. Beth scowled, unable to concede to her mother. She travelled a lot for her blog but was free to return home at any point. She had just conveniently chosen not to…b...

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“Monster” by Eleftherios Konstantinidis

Submitted to Contest #235

My body’s aching. I have been running for too long. I cannot feel my bare feet touching the ground anymore. My legs and arms are full of wounds from running through the bushes and the tree branches that spread low, naked, and harsh. One of them scratched my face in a rushed moment that I raised my head to grasp a glimpse of the sky. I still managed to see the snow falling so gracefully all around the forest. A moment so serene and graceful that almost made me forget that I’m being chased by the evil throng. Their deep thirst for revenge is w...

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“My Buddy” by Vina Tadanki

Submitted to Contest #235

Hard to express, anxious I feel; Buddy I bless, he knows how to heal. Her long transparent raincoat was drenched under the heavy battering, seeking respite from the incessant rain under the dense shady trees spread out around the walking trail. As the wind caught her coat, the raindrops propelled off its oily surface, creating a sparkly fractal around her; a few drops escaped under the hood, gliding along her brunette bangs and joining her tear-brimmed blue eyes, causing a salty deluge on her otherwise flushed, dry face. She squeezes her e...

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“The letter found on Chomolungma” by Arter Grim

Submitted to Contest #235

Resilience, experience, and robustness are all features one would typically cherish and aim for, but they become the bare minimum in the face of Chomolungma, the Goddess Mother of the World. To climb it, one would need to be humble and respect the course of the snow and wind. Not doing so shows great arrogance, and those who dare to will pay their tolls. Thus, the mere sight of its grandeur from below is a gift. The opportunity to climb it is a challenge. Regretting and turning back is wise; to survive it is mercy, but to reach the peak is e...

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“Creep” by Kirsty Holyer

Submitted to Contest #235

I’m sure no one can see me from this spot. They will never know I’m here. I continue observing from my hiding place. The bathroom is bright white; the light from the glazed window bounces off of the shiny surfaces and makes my eyes sore. The intense smell of chemicals often stings my nostrils in this small room. It can also be comforting in here, when the shower is running, and the steam creates the sense of a more tropical climate. I tuck my body tightly into a gap and peer out. I never intended to keep coming here and watching them all...

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“Home” by Emily M. Reiser

Submitted to Contest #235

“Lizzie, you have to go.” Lizzie shook her head, grasping Nina’s hand tighter. “I can’t leave you. Not after everything.” The color was draining from Nina’s face but she managed a faint smile, coughing up blood right after the act. “We did what we set out to do. Now you have to get out of here before they come back.” Nina’s right hand fumbled its way to her pocket. It emerged with a large coin that had a sun sketched on both sides. “Take this. Find the others who believe in our cause.” Lizzie slowly pulled the coin out of Nina’s fingert...

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“The Crawling Death” by Zavier M. Ames

Submitted to Contest #235

Hudson’s sleepless bloodshot eyes nearly appear as if they protrude completely out of his sockets; It has been a hellish journey in the red mists of the forest of deep into the Carpathian forests as he has ridden through the night with sounds that not only wake the dead but sense their tenebrous curse. His horse, a pitch-black Arabian with a glowing fiery patch of white as if drawn artfully on its forehead, acts as a beacon warning passerby of its incoming doom, but it fears no specter or demon. It is intrepidly moving forth toward…onward…ev...

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“The Contemporary Prometheus; or, FrankenBill” by Matt Aberdeen

Submitted to Contest #235

Note: this story contains themes of violence, gore, substance abuse, implied sex and self harm. Please be advised before continuing. My new skin itched. I was not yet accustomed to forms like these, nor could I decide which was most frustrating: my new long hair constantly obstructing my field of vision, or the heaviness of my breasts. No, that's a lie. I had so far failed to manage putting my hair up in a way that wasn't conspicuously sloppy enough to attract unwanted attention. Frustrating, but a problem I knew would disappear with prac...

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“24 Hours” by Elyssa Jackson

Submitted to Contest #235

**Trigger warning (Themes of cannibalism)** 24 hours. Easy. As sweat poured down my temple, I crouched behind a statue of some politician. I gripped the stone tightly with my sweaty hands. I couldn't see very well through the fog, but I didn't see anybody near. My shoulder relaxed a bit and I slid down to the ground to catch my breath. I looked at my surroundings. I was in Washington DC. I’ve lived here my whole life. There were national monuments in every direction. In fact I was sitting under one. But this wasn’t the one I was looking fo...

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“Even In Hell, I'm Running Free” by Emanuel Diaz

Submitted to Contest #235

In the bosom of Hollow Heart Blood City, England, the degradation of humanity's moral tapestry unfolded with the stealth of a serpent. The once-proud city, now enshrouded in the gloom of moral decay, bore witness to a slow and insidious erosion of the principles that had long anchored the human spirit. This was not the result of a sudden cataclysm but a gradual disintegration of values that had stood the test of time. As each moral boundary blurred, and virtues deemed sacred were callously cast aside, the city metamorphosed into an abyss of ...

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“Race to Rebel Creek” by Elijah Rose

Submitted to Contest #235

A horse was essential out here simply because how d***ed far everything was from everything else. Lieutenant Nathaniel James Beaty kicked up his horse to a brief trot to catch up with his companions. Despite the official rank given to him by the State of ________, he was actually a junior member of the group as this war party had no army to command. 22 officers and NCOs moving incognito across the scorching hot prairies into the far west i...

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“THE LONG DEATH OF THE NATURAL HORSE” by Aaron Bowen

Submitted to Contest #235

The sterile floor clicked beneath the steel couplings affixed to the soles of Evinflo Calabash’s knee-high boots. He passed stalls, as he went, and from each he heard the hiss and beep of the systems that assured the veterinary engineer that the horses were functioning normally. Beyond the windows, he could hear the crowd beginning to gather in the stands, and could almost picture the white of boater hats, linen suits, and hoop-skirted dresses. A muscle in his neck twitched, and he slapped at it, approaching his anim...

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“Amazing Race” by Polani Monderen

Submitted to Contest #235

The Amazing Race, does it ring a bell? It may if we are contemporaries, and if we are not it probably won’t make a lick of sense though hopefully by the end of this, you will find some appreciation for it. For me, the only thing that rings is a loud laugh from deep within at a younger version of me. As a proper 90’s baby, I grew up anticipating new, weekly episodes, of prerecorded humans fighting for the top spot in a reality show that brought the family together, no matter what the events of the day held. There are a few reasons this flashb...

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$250

Prize money

310

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 02, 2024 EST

Won by Kajsa Ohman 🏆

Title: KILLER IN THE WILLOWS

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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