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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

“Chasing Fire” by Emily Hulslander

Submitted to Contest #235

(names have been changed to protect the innocent and guilty) His name was Pedro. He was everything Micheal was not. Suave,exciting, and definitely a little, if not a lot, shady. I loved Micheal but our post graduation breakup had taken him back to his native England and me to Astoria, Queens where I promptly slept with my downstairs neighbor and spent my nights drunk on the N train to and from Manhattan. I met Pedro while he and I were both working in midtown at a sexy asian/mexican fusion restaurant; him being my floor manager, and m...

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“Hollow Memories” by Frisk Quiroz

Submitted to Contest #235

How did things come to this? I look back at the events of the past few hours, and I can't figure out how I ended up here... What I do remember are just merely flashes; glimpses into memories, all of which don't help. I woke up in my apartment just a few hours ago, where I was met with a man, standing before me. Before that, everything else is a blur. I don't remember my job, my name, or even the faces of my friends or family. I left my apartment and ran as fast as I could to the nearest elevator; down to the first floor and out the door...

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“Running Home” by Elizabeth Sloughter

Submitted to Contest #235

TW: Suicidal Thoughts; Gore Joey tore down St. Charles Avenue, the wind picking up speed and belting rain onto her back. Her hair – chopped short but growing stubbornly fast – became soaked and clung to her face. Raindrops, so like tears, dripped from her eyelashes. The wind and rain pushed her forward, in the direction she’d run so many times before. Her legs knew this route by heart. Her feet pounded onto the damp ground as puddles grew rapidly. She raced down the trolley line, her mind always alert – watch out for the trolley, it said. ...

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“Race - a continuum” by Maria Jansen

Submitted to Contest #235

The early morning was clear and crisp. The Jacaranda flowers made their usual pleasant squelching, crushing noise under my feet as I jogged. From the mountaintop that I had crested I could see the entire Tshwane in its splendid coat of purple flowers, heralding in the summer and the imminent examinations for school children and university students alike. I had studied hard and trained religiously to maintain a healthy mind and body and to be best prepared for the coming examination. Exhilaration flooded my body. It was my final yea...

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“An Ugly Truth” by Angela Kirby

Submitted to Contest #235

Lucy dug the heels of her palms into her eyes. She wasn’t going to cry. A rock sat in the middle of the passenger seat of her 1967 Ford Mustang surrounded by a million tiny pieces of glass. Little pieces of glass sparkled all over the interior. The stereo system had been ripped out of the console, but thankfully, most of her belongings were locked in the trunk. Her duffel had been opened and clothing thrown all over the car. Lucy checked under the seat and found the binder full of CDs missing. She sh...

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“The Under” by Thomas Jackson

Submitted to Contest #235

“Eight bucks, that’s all we got,” Doug says, passing the lukewarm coffee to Johnny. “Crap in a handbasket, man. Where did it go?” “We lost fifty on Villanova and another fifty on the Chargers.” “I told you, Nova on the road was dirty business. And you bought a round of drinks at the bar. I mean what the…” Doug kicks rocks. Johnny lets Doug walk the guilt trip for a few moments. “Well, crap. How about some breakfast?” They walk around the corner, plop into a sticky booth and nod over to the waitress. She wipes down the table before asking, “w...

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“Monsters” by Jaclyn Aldridge

Submitted to Contest #235

Me, to myself in my bathroom mirror: I am Julia, I am twenty years old, and there are no monsters under my bed. Me to my AI “therapist” Vicki: Hi, Vicki. How are you today? Vicki: I appreciate your question, Julia. I am well. More importantly, how are you? What can I help you with today? Me: Vicki, to be completely honest with you, I’m not really doing so great. My boyfriend, Ryan, cheated on me again, and I told him this was for sure gonna be the last time I let him do something like that. But then I turned around and had sex wit...

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“Crimson Blades” by Zolund Lee

Submitted to Contest #235

**DISCLAIMER. THIS STORY CONTAINS SCENES OF GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND ELEMENTS OF CHILD ABUSE.** The stench of blood and iron sat in the air. As Kojiro passed through the slaughtered village, his wild hair stood on end. The fact the blood was still fresh meant he was close. The warrior had been following a series of massacres throughout his lord’s military territory, personally dispatched by the warlord to dispatch the threat. His hand tensed on his sword’s handle. All of the attacks had been against villages hosting the lord’s armies. Each t...

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“Sicily and Juliet” by Bob Davis

Submitted to Contest #235

Sicily and Juliet Sicily sits on the old wooden bench outside of Marvin’s laundromat. With her hands, she runs over the peeled green paint on the wooden slats that have held the bottoms of countless souls, each one disheveled and lost in a world they would not choose as their own. Discarded cigarette butts litter the pavement underfoot. The sun beats down relentlessly on the woman’s face. The air stinks of stale liquor, gasoline fumes and the stifling fog of the dryers as they pump their exhaust fumes from the side of the cinderblock...

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“Grounded Ambitions” by Drew Winston

Submitted to Contest #235

As the taxi sped away, Lawrence dashed into the airport, eager to put the peculiar encounter with Walter behind him. Inside the bustling airport, Lawrence's strides turned into a sprint. He ran at full speed, his mind a chaotic swirl of thoughts. Oddly, the encounter with Walter lingered more prominently than the pressing matter of catching his flight. Images of Walter's optimistic grin and his harebrained business idea, 'links.com,' played on a loop in Lawrence's mind. While sprinting through the bustling airport, Lawrence couldn't shake ...

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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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