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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 – 123 stories

Make a race an important element of your story.

Narrative – 44 stories

Write about a character who suddenly cannot run anymore.

Character – 43 stories

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

Dialogue – 65 stories

Stories

“I love running in the forest.....but” by David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #235

I love running though a forest…….but This is a story about running through a forest, one of my great pleasures. A sad and disturbing event happened some years ago that until now has prevented me from continuing enjoying that pleasure. It was on one cold winter’s night I decided to discuss the matter with one of my closest friend, Henri. We were at my country house sitting in front of the fire enjoying a superb Calvados. I asked Henri the following question. “Have you ever been faced with a dilemma that has had serious repercussions on your l...

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“Morning in Amaseno” by Courtney Caruso

Submitted to Contest #235

Monica and Courtney, cousins bound by blood and friendship, embarked on their morning run through the quaint streets of Amaseno, a picturesque Italian village nestled amidst Monti Lepini and olive trees. The cobblestone paths echoed beneath their synchronized strides as they breathed in the crisp morning air, their laughter harmonizing with the chirping of birds. Monica, with her olive skin and espresso-colored eyes, radiated the warmth of her Italian heritage. Born and raised in Amaseno, she knew every corner of the village like the lines...

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“The Search Party” by Carly Vair

Submitted to Contest #235

Content warnings: infanticide, accidental suicide The last drops of the infant’s blood cling to the knife wound like slick glass beads. Bast gives the body a little shake to dislodge them; one lands in the goblet beneath, the other on Melidrei’s hand. She flinches though the blood is already beginning to cool, staring at the dark spot on her hand as if it’s a spider she’s afraid to spook. Bast wipes the blood off with his forefinger and pops it in his mouth. “Don’t look so forlorn, Mel.” Melidrei glances up at him, cat-green eyes dry...

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“Escape From the Garden” by Tracy Phillips

Submitted to Contest #235

Staying with Grandma was the highlight of my summers back then. I didn’t really notice the lack of an indoor toilet or that you had to pump water into the kitchen sink instead of turning a knob. I didn’t care that the coal stove spewed enough heat up close to melt your fingernails while failing to warm drafty corners. I never felt deprived when Grandma and I did our laundry using an old ringer washer that billowed steam like monster-movie fog. I suppose I was a bit obtuse; blind to the agony of having only one black and white TV, unaware of ...

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“March” by Molly Jenkinson

Submitted to Contest #235

Sunday 21st March 2010 Mam was fuming when we got back from church today cos there was a big rip in my tights and apparently the whole congregation was staring at me. I don’t know why she even cares. We’re only going so they’ll tell the welfare people we’ve been. It’s not like God gives a toss about my laddered tights. He’s got bigger things to worry about, surely. She’s making me go every Sunday now – acting all holier than thou as if she’s not down the Swan with Big Tony twenty minutes after we’ve left. He’s such a weasel. (Big T...

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“Tumakbo Ka!” by Conrad De Jesus

Submitted to Contest #235

“Run for your lives boys!” The sound of the headmaster’s shrill words echoed across the grassy field. “Or you’ll be seeing me at three o’clock!” Father K’s deafening voice on the loudspeaker caught Freddy by surprise causing the twelve-year-old to drift off the dirt track. A quick nudge by his best friend’s elbow helped correct the wayward course. Arnel, a step to his right, drew Freddy’s attention with a look of concern that mirrored his own. The moment however, evaporated as the two were overcome with laughter, a hysterical yet natural res...

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“"Car ride home"” by Elle Florendo

Submitted to Contest #235

‘It’ll be different this time,’ Corrine repeated to herself as she drove steadily across the highway. Emma fell asleep in the backseat minutes past midnight. She wore the same clothes for two days straight. They haven’t eaten anything but pretzels and chips. She once had to brush her teeth at the side of the road. This would understandably be upsetting for most kids. But Emma didn’t mind at all. She had her mother’s free spirit attitude, so all of it seemed like a normal thing to do on roadtrips. They never really did one b...

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“Killer Run” by Stardust Rubino

Submitted to Contest #235

It was the same morning jog Lindsey Schwartz took daily. Two miles from her house to Marshall Park. It was a piece of cake for her, although she didn’t eat them herself. Even with the greenest slice of key lime or banana cream staring her in the face at Shari’s bakery, they were invisible to her, as her goal to double her mileage made the scrumptious snacks moot. November 2, 2022 was going to be that day. The sky dropped as much water as any other day in southwest Washington, yet not an umbrella in sight. The ability to withstand the ...

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“JJ’s summer” by Bill Miller

Submitted to Contest #235

"I ran *huff* as fast *huff* as I could!" I sputtered as I stood on the front porch of the tan double-wide trailer, hands on my knees and gasping for breath. The sweat from my brow burned as it dripped into my eyes. Jimmy came running up behind me in no better shape than I was. "Billy, what the heck are you running up here all hot and bothered about," Mom asked as she opened the cracked screen door to let us inside. "Come on in and cool off, let me get you a.." "Mom *huff* she found him! She found JJ!" I...

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“Can't Sleep” by Travis O

Submitted to Contest #235

The motel room is dirty. Not from me, it came that way. The toilet constantly runs and the sheets on the mattress have stains. There’s some mud on the floor near the entrance. Even the TV reception is poor, not that anyone is watching. I can’t say I’m surprised, coming from a place like this. Nobody actually stops here to sleep. They come here to escape, to get away. Maybe some even come here to die. Like one final stop on the roulette wheel. Not me though. That’s exactly what I’m hoping to avoid. You can run but you can’t hide. Thin...

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“How to Run Away in Microgravity” by Corbin Russell

Submitted to Contest #235

They train you how to amble about on these rocks, but they don’t train you to run for goddamn life. One third gravity, hell one twentieth of Earth gravity, you can learn how to hop in your jump suit, pack and all, without falling on your bubble like a damned terra firmer, fresh in the float. But it all goes out the air lock when you suddenly have to run for your last. That lizard brain of yours doesn’t care a milliliter about the tech that brought you out here. It remembers. Remembers you scurrying from one rock to another knowing the sunli...

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“Two Better Than the Devil” by Aaron KC

Submitted to Contest #235

Have you ever run so far that your nipples bled through your shirt?Jogger’s nipple. Some call it red eleven or big Qs depending on how the blood looks dripping down your front. You're running for so long the fabric of your shirt gets damp with sweat and is just constantly rubbing and rubbing against your skin and your nipples chafe so badly that they start to bleed. The good runner's shops will have special tape you can put over your nips to protect them. You can usually find it between the ace bandages and the energy gels. Me, I just use go...

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“Sky Fire: The Prehistoric Race” by Franco Lopez

Submitted to Contest #235

The annual Sky Fire ceremony is commencing soon, and all the clan riders have finally arrived after their arduous pilgrimage through the jungle to our capital village. This year’s race was blessed by the Sky Fire itself, marked with an unprecedented bright beacon of growing light that could be seen during the day beside the Sky Fire’s radiance and at night, shining brighter than our ancestors. The elders claim it is a good omen bringing fruitful blessings and fortune in the upcoming year. However, a ...

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“Fifth Race” by Imogen Bird

Submitted to Contest #235

It's an age old adage, you don't need to be able to outrun the bear, you just need to outrun your companion. I had subscribed wholeheartedly to this idea, until it was my little brother falling behind me, slipping slowly into the jaws of hell.There aren't actually any bears in Rekilm, the beasts we run from are far more calculated and even more tenacious than any animal you can imagine. They proliferated from the Earth's day of reckoning hundreds of years ago. A rapture without the salvation for the faithful. The world is now past any kind o...

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“The Bus” by Bob Harding

Submitted to Contest #235

Sandra looked back. This was the tenth time she’d glanced over her shoulder during the last mile. She tried to will the bus to slow down. A quarter mile behind her, it was still just a yellow blur, but it crept closer every time Sandra checked. Her watch beeped and she began to run. Well, she called it running anyway. It was more like a slow trot or, for those a bit more cruel, a fast walk. Sandra didn’t care what other runners thought. She just had to keep pushing forward. She started breathing harder. To her and anyone else wat...

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$250

Prize money

312

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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