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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#240: In the Wind

Wind is something of a contradiction. Powerful yet invisible, it’s nothing but air, but can influence the shape of landscapes, sway trees, and carry whispers across vast distances. This force of nature can be a calming breeze or a raging storm, offering comfort or unleashing destruction.

It’s always around us, whether you’re laying on a warm beach with a relaxing breeze cooling you down, or in awe as a storm passes by while carelessly throwing debris. With that in mind, this week we delve into the wonders of wind and bring attention to its influence within our stories.

This week's prompts

Begin your story with the sensation of a breeze brushing against a character's skin.

Narrative – 139 stories

A crumpled piece of paper holding an unexpected message is carried by the wind. Where did it come from, and where is it going?

Mystery – 63 stories

Set your story on a sailboat, large or small, and entirely at the mercy of the winds.

Adventure – 32 stories

Craft a story where a character finds themselves swept away by the wind, either physically or metaphorically.

Angst – 60 stories

Set your story in a lighthouse surrounded by powerful gale-force winds.

Dramatic – 37 stories

Stories

“Starved” by Gabriella Hersey

Submitted to Contest #240

The skin on her forehead is bloody and cracked. Lips pale, skin a greyish blue. Ellen dips her chin forehead as she massages the base of her neck with her fingertips. Mmm. she moans.Each stroke is a painful reminder of the past week. The overdue bills.Finn is sick.She takes the tips of her fingers and runs them past her concrete shoulders. Each gentle push cracking a knot.Ouch. Ellen relieves.She relishes in this moment, and she wants more. She craves the touch of someone else’s fingertips on her skin, sinking their tenderness into...

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“MY HERO” by Joan Wright

Submitted to Contest #240

The big old yellow school bus bumped along the lonely country road. School got out at three, but Carrie and Josh were the last stop. They usually didn't reach the end of their gravel driveway until about four o'clock. Carrie was nine and in the fourth grade and Josh was a six year old first grader. They both had dark brown hair like their dad, and blue eyes like their mom. Carrie loved her little brother, but she was tired of that constant statement, WATCH OUT FOR YOUR BROTHER! Running a farm takes a lot of work and everyone has to help was ...

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“Under the Willow Tree” by Susanna Jade

Submitted to Contest #240

He lay close beside her, his breathing deep and regular, his body warm and reassuring. How long she had waited for this great satisfaction? This sense of oneness years of struggle had finally brought her. He had left her many times, saying he just wasn’t ready to settle in with one woman, being always overwhelmed by her loving, yet constant, demands. She had left him, too, having grown weary from waiting for him to decide what he wanted, weary from wondering which beautiful brunette he was then wining and dining, weary from being a human yo-...

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“Gentle is the Touch of Dilemma” by Alex Lansey

Submitted to Contest #240

It was 7:03 AM when Eleanor finally killed the alarm. Another dreamless night had passed by too fast to recover the energy for another busy day. With eyes half closed she trudged to the kitchen.“Bloody hell …,“ she gasped as she looked at the table covered by yesterday´s shopping. She had forgotten to store the perishables.There was no time to do it now; soon she had to wake the kids and get them ready for school.Breakfast first, something simple, something quick.Eleanor pushed the shopping to the side making space for three around the small...

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“Stranded in the Wind” by Victor Wolfe

Submitted to Contest #240

“... Supplies running low. Rationing begins tomorrow. Aphrodite’s Kiss due to sail near this route tonight. Attempt at rescue possible.” Rufus read the final line of the entry over and over. With an almost involuntary shake of his head, he snapped the logbook closed and shoved it into one of his many pockets. Rufus stood near the beach as the waves became larger and more frequent. The horizon was so blackened it swallowed the sunlight, casting an ominous glow across the open ocean. “So much for fishing,” he thought, loosening the grip on hi...

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“Gale-force Fears” by Tawny Molina

Submitted to Contest #240

Another gust of wind hit the side of the building, causing plumes of dust that had built up over the years to shake free from the ceiling and sprinkle down over Anna's head. She had lived here on her own for several years and had been sure she'd gotten every cobweb and dusty spot in the old lighthouse. It seemed whatever storm was causing the rush of wind outside was determined to prove her wrong. She glared up at the roof, beyond which were several flights of stairs and the light at the very peak. The reason she remained here even in these ...

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“Dusk on an isle” by Dani Guldborg

Submitted to Contest #240

It is dusk on the isle; desolate and dead with no one to witness the gradual settlement of night. The craggy outlay of rocks further enhances the dank gloom of the lighthouse - the wind battered structure solitary, surrounded by a wasteland of water. There is a man in the corner - he is watching me. His bloodshot eyes pierce the damp darkness of the room, pinning me to the bed like a bug on a board. I sit on the edge of the mattress, my stuttering hands clasped neatly in my lap as my thighs grow heavier, sinking into the indentations I make ...

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“Space: 2049” by Sam Newsome

Submitted to Contest #240

Space: 2049 Jon awoke with the sensation of a breeze brushing against his bare forearms. It was an unusual feeling since the sleep pods were extremely climate controlled. There was no wind here. He was at least a million miles from the nearest natural breeze. Jon was a member of the first Agri-Mining expedition to Mars. Since subterranean water had been discovered on Mars, establishing an outpost had become a high priority. NASA had become a relic of the past, but with discove...

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“NORMANDY” by Melinda Madrigal

Submitted to Contest #240

Looking out into the vast ocean, the wind brushing against my skin. I'm reminded of the events that took place here on this beach 80 years ago when I was but a teenager. I was eighteen, a young kid from a small town in Upstate New York who wanted to see the world. I just didn't know I was going to end up in a war zone. I enlisted in the Army in the hopes of becoming a pilot. Instead I ended up as an Infantry soldier. I didn't know what that meant none the less I was excited. I'm getting goosebumps up and down my arm thinking about that day a...

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“Where do they go?” by Jamie Rae

Submitted to Contest #240

I heard the grown-ups say more people visit the bottom of the lake than the town itself. Apparently, they never return. The people in the lake I mean. Mr. Samson says that freezing cold water can quickly take your breath away. I guess that’s what happened to those visitors. They lost their breath. I wonder what they’re all doing down there, still. My brother Mark says they’re all dead and rotting with only their eyeballs and hair left. He can’t swim though so I think he’s lying. He said his friend said so but I don’t believe him either....

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“THE HIGHGATE CEMETERY” by MIke JOHNSON

Submitted to Contest #240

Here is a true story drawn from a childhood memory that still remains to haunt me.In the early 1970s, London's Highgate cemetery vampire became a popular distraction in local and international news outlets. Whatever the creature was, it was seen many times by various witnesses and promptly declared a terrible vampire by two flatulent, over-inflated, self-appointed, and self-promoting experts.Descriptions vary in detail, but most described a tall black shape with a white or pale skeletal face moving silently within and sometimes without the c...

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“The Super Chronicles: Origin of Powers” by Stephen Laviera

Submitted to Contest #240

The night sky is beautiful, a cool breeze cuts through the darkness. Subtle highlights of purple and dark blue sweeping across the abyss. Making the stars seem to be within our grasp. Billy watched himself above the Cleveland skylight in Ohio. He gasped at the beauty of the night sky. Turning sharply to cross over the bridge leaving downtown. Sharpening his focus to see through the breeze kissing his cheek. Gliding faster he looks back as if he passed a meteorite followed by a stunning green. Stopping in mid-flight still gazing back and a vo...

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“A Million Smiles” by Ray Samber

Submitted to Contest #240

A shiver runs down my spine when a light gust of ocean breeze rushes past me through the trees. I can feel the pebbles crunching against the rock through the bottom of my shoe. It reminds me of just how fragile everything is and if just one of those pebbles was knocked out of place or a strong enough burst of wind rushed through, I would be at the bottom of this rock formation in seconds flat. I’ve always been scared of heights but for some reason when I come here and stand on the edge, I feel at peace. Everything else in the world dies down...

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“Carnations in Spring” by Elle Laerghinar

Submitted to Contest #240

The morning breeze carries the smell of freshness that only comes with the spring air. With a promise of renewal, spring had finally come. I close my eyes and breathe in the morning dew that still lingers on the grass around me. The once vibrant nature around me has dulled since a year ago, I think to myself. The wind gently caresses my face, as if seeking forgiveness from a lost lover; perhaps it is. Seasons feel weird to me now, the way nothing stops or deviates them from their designated time gives the impression of breaking a sacred prom...

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“Hiding in Plain Sight” by Claudette Lew

Submitted to Contest #240

Before Albert opened his eyes, he could feel a rhythmic, hot, sticky breeze assaulting his face. Duncan stopped his panicked panting and began licking Albert’s cheek and then ears and forehead until Albert woke up and swatted him away with his hands. “I’m alright, you buffoon! Leave me alone!” He slowly reached his hands to his sides, felt the ground beneath him, and pushed himself to a sitting position. Filled with joy that Albert was ok, Duncan could hardly contain his excitement and went to lick Albert’s face again. This time, Albert smil...

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$250

Prize money

331

Contest entries

134

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 08, 2024 EST

Won by Jonathan Page 🏆

Title: Lost and Found

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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