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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 – 138 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 – 31 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

“Gone With the Wind” by Laurie Bodin

Submitted to Contest #240

Gone with the Wind “C’mon, boys, let’s go out for our walk,” Maggie called to her two large yellow labs as she grabbed the leashes hanging from hooks on the wall of the garage. Libby and Tucker came bounding at her eagerly, grunting and snorting, anticipating the freedom of exploring beyond the confines of their yard; glorious new smells, snow drifts to conquer, dead grass mounds and shrubbery on which to lift a leg or squat, thereby marking the territory as their own. The articulation of the simple four-letter word, ...

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“Paper Trail” by N,A,F .

Submitted to Contest #240

Chapter one A piece of paper danced on the wind like a ballerina on the stage. It went down the sidewalk, its movement swaying and flowing narrowly missing pedestrians. One man shooed it away as if it was a bug; however, this only changed its trajectory towards the new cul-de-sac being constructed. A man named Robert Evans is on top of one of the forms pouring concrete down between them from the pump truck; all his concentration on his current task as the sweet musky smell of wet concrete fills his nose. The wind changes, And the piece of p...

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“Whispers of the Wind's Regret” by Athene Elliott

Submitted to Contest #240

The wind carried the soft melody, devoid of any song, down the corridor. On the windowsill, behind an intricate family painting, was a vase of sunflowers. Looking out the window, one could see the same flowers in the meadows behind a tiny cottage. The scene was serene, calm, and peaceful, as was the elderly woman in a cosy chair gazing out of the window. A cat lay curled up in her lap, purring softly at every stroke of her hand. The clouds hadn’t blocked out the sun since the early hours of the morning, and the woman enjoyed the soft strokes...

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“INRI” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #240

A single iron nail holds a fluttering piece of thick, stiff parchment to an upright wooden beam. The parchment shows pale in the darkness of oncoming evening.Cold wind blows suddenly, and the parchment is torn from its anchor like a desiccated autumn leaf from its tree. The parchment drifts to the ground, but is whisked along over earth and stones dark with drying blood. Some of the substance stains the parchment. This place is empty of the living. Few living persons want to linger in this place of death. Skidding down an incl...

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“The Saltwater Note” by Yvonne Lohman

Submitted to Contest #240

Kayliegh was jogging down the beach, her long strawberry blonde ponytail was dancing in the wind, somehow glowing, even more beautiful than usual in the sunrise’s bright orange and red hues. Her tan skin, dotted with brown freckles, not too many, but just the perfect ratio of tan to brown was warm to the touch. She slowed to a stroll and smiled, looking down at her arm remembering how her gram would always trace her freckles and connect them with an imaginary line, drawing hearts, animals or writing words. She would belly laugh from the tick...

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“Any Port in a Storm” by Albert Bergman

Submitted to Contest #240

Any Port in a Storm Sunlight slowly crept around the edge of the boat’s canopy to awaken me from a dreamless sleep. At first I thought I had crashed on my patio at home from a night of drinking but then recognized the gentle rocking of the boat I was in, gently rocking due to the wind being calmed. I was, in fact, in my boat not at dock in San Diego but adrift. My boat, a thirty three foot sailboat that had been tested on the Pacific waters many times and a seaworthy vessel that I was proud to own, but what the hell had happened last night ...

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“The Voyage of the Siren and Mermaid” by Lydia Chase

Submitted to Contest #240

I fastened the final rope to the sail of our glorious boat. “See, Maia, I told you I could figure out how the human vessels work!” I gazed at my creation. From the bones of an abandoned vessel, I constructed a new boat with a tall sail, a net to the side for Maia to sit in, and the prettiest rocks I found decorating the hull. A proud squawk burst from my lips. “It’s perfect!” “It’s garbage.” Maia’s tail swished through the waves. “Petra, you did your best, but this thing won’...

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“Sunshowers” by Bella Fox

Submitted to Contest #240

The rocking of the boat made it difficult to focus, as I had never been on a boat before and felt a little woozy. I heard the captain of the ship speaking in the background but couldn’t quite make out what he was saying over the sound of the wind assaulting my ears. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a member of the ship crew waving his arms around slightly, as though gesturing for the wind and the waves to follow him, but when I glanced over, I didn’t see anybody on that area of the deck. That’s odd… the salty sea air must be gett...

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“Veils of Illusion” by Q. Baxter

Submitted to Contest #240

Julian had always been a creature of habit, living his life according to a strict daily routine. He woke up every morning at the same time, ate the same breakfast, and took the same route to work. His life was monotonous, and he found comfort in the predictability of his days. However, Julian was unaware of the strong forces brewing beneath the surface of his consciousness. Whispers danced at the edge of his mind, hinting at a deeper reality that he couldn't yet perceive. Julian was oblivious to the storm gathering around him, threatening ...

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“Great Heights” by Ron Davidson

Submitted to Contest #240

(T/W Death and gore)I stood atop a wind turbine with my safety rope disconnected, arms outstretched, and my face tilted toward the heavens. Fueled by the mighty breath that continuously sculpted the red soil of the Oklahoma plains, the circling blades made a cyclical motion that built anticipation within me as each great giant climbed from the earth to rise upright one hundred feet above me, praising the midday sun, only to genuflect and repeat the act. The generator’s gentle song hummed through the nacelle I was standing upon. My ...

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“From Lighthouse To Laughter” by Jay DeBurgh

Submitted to Contest #240

A glint of light in a broken glass reminded Carrie of the thrashing that the lighthouse continued to receive as though the sea were angry at being starved of rotting corpses as forever guests at Neptunes’ table.Thick smoky clouds rolled in like the seven plagues of the apocalypse, ready to pound anything in their way. Warning all to hide from its impending promising crush. Rising up and pausing to suck in air, the oceans’ rage came gushing down, throwing itself onto the gagged curved rocks to hone them into knife-like edges ready to splice v...

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“Within the Wind” by Samuel Bowen

Submitted to Contest #240

At the brink of the world, thunderbolts lit up the horizon as they struck the dark waves. An eternal maelstrom racked the sea, churning currents into a monstrous tide. The star riddled sky watched the waters dash themselves upon islands of black stone. Jagged edges turned to polished smoothness as the water spilled further onto solid ground. It pooled at the base of a marble tower as a moat of raindrops. The tower stood in defiance of the chaos. A simple beacon of light amidst the vengeance of the sea. White light shone like a star from the ...

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“A Breath of Life” by Jocalyn Imbody

Submitted to Contest #240

TW: slight mentions of death and bloodThe woman had placed a bowl of milk at the edge of the slope near her home a day after slaying the lion. The lion’s skin hung tanning in a space near the fire to tan, and she had sliced the meat into portions, small slabs she stored in her cupboard and salted them, a slab of meat she was soaking for a meal later in the day, and the rest safely packaged away in a small shrine like spot in the corner of her abode.The woman held in her hand a twig covered in char, as she scrapped it against a slab of f...

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“Lunch” by Emily Rogers

Submitted to Contest #240

As I walked outside, I could feel the wind as it brushed my cheek. It blew my hair across my eyes, briefly obscuring the courtyard. Which was good. I really did not want to see the the other students as I walked the solitary path to my usual spot, a table in the far back corner, away from prying eyes. The breeze was a welcome feeling after the stale warmth of the classroom. The light too was welcome, it was not the false light of the fluorescent bulb, that would occasionally hum, but the warm light of the sun, bringing a welcoming relief. Ye...

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“Queen of the Damned” by Kellie Krevosky

Submitted to Contest #240

The cicadas were louder than usual. Cassie could hear them through double-paned window glass as well as the closed door of The Crossroads Bar. She was used to it though, having dealt with this for the last ten years. Standing behind the counter, cleaning out the last beer mugs, a breeze trickled past her, scouring her skin like sandpaper. She could suddenly see her breath as if someone had found a way to turn off the oppressive Miami heat. That’s when she felt it again. A breeze so cold it felt like icy tendrils were wrapping around her arms...

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$250

Prize money

329

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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