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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

“Harriet and the Haunted Swing” by Bailey Primus

Submitted to Contest #240

A slight breeze grazed Harriet’s face and made her hair dance in the warm sunlight that shone through the cover of trees surrounding the park. It was a clear, spring day, and birds chirped their happy songs as she walked her bike across a footbridge at the lake. The water was full of geese floating along the shore and the grass was booming with families having picnics under the freshly blossoming trees. As she made her way along the bridge, a strange mist rose from the lake and crept along the shoreline. The bird songs seemed further aw...

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“Marshmallow Monster” by Laura McManaman

Submitted to Contest #240

One should always carry marshmallows when walking in the woods. The peculiar advice popped into my head unbidden. I paid it little mind. My grandfather had often doled out such nonsensical tidbits. My feet moved along the narrow path, taking time to launch every rock and twig they encountered. My nose tickled as a friendly wind introduced itself to my face. The incorrigible breeze swirled around my shoulders, tugging my hair in a playful dance.It was a beautiful day in the forest. The kind poets tend to ramble on about. Writing paragraph aft...

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“Blowing in the Wind” by Natalie Laharnar

Submitted to Contest #240

Every day just before sunrise I walked down to the beach to await the first light. I wanted to feel the stillness and get into a quiet state of meditation. On this day, I needed the answer to a question. Not just any question. A big one. What was I meant to be doing with my life? I left my job as a sales manager in a car dealership because it felt hollow. The excitement of someone picking up a new car with a bow from the showroom was satisfying the first few times, but it lost its appeal after a few hundred. There had to be something more f...

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“The Lighthouse Murders” by Paul Simpkin

Submitted to Contest #240

“You mean we are trapped here?” “I’m sorry inspector. I have tried. I just haven’t been able to get through to the mainland. I can’t get a signal.” “Aye, sergeant, I feared as much. So that means we are trapped in this lighthouse, miles from the mainland in the middle of Storm Florence with six scout leaders, one of whom is almost certainly a murderer.” “Almost certainly, inspector?” “Aye, I think we can rule out suicide as the dead lighthouse-keeper was shot through the back and then had his head chopped off with a ceremonial sword before b...

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“SHIFT OF FATE” by Kelly Grabovac

Submitted to Contest #240

The crisp autumn breeze caressed her cheeks. The hair that had fallen over her eyes swept back, along with the loose leaves of the tree in which she was residing. The lit torches on the stone wall flickered at the sudden gust. She felt her heart stop, her stomach drop to her aching feet. “No,” she whispered, horror crashing through her. The wind gusted again, harder, the scant clouds above beginning to move faster across the night sky. Panic crashing into her, she watched the guards on the wall. They did not seem to notice the shift in t...

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“Penn's Landing” by Karla S. Bryant

Submitted to Contest #240

A breeze brushes against my face and it’s not until now that I realize my cheek is wet. Strands of hair stick to my hand as I wipe the tears away. Now my fingertips are cold. I predicted the meeting would be filled with emotion but hadn’t thought I’d actually cry. Especially not at this point. I wasn’t even at Penn’s Landing yet.The toe of my shoe catches on a loose Belgian block in the street and a young man rushes to hold my elbow.“Are you okay?” His expression is kind and I try not to be distracted by his pierced cheeks. “Yes, thanks, jus...

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“Rainbow Cove” by Leonard Jeffrey

Submitted to Contest #240

RAINBOW COVE It has stood for over two hundred and fifty years atop a hillside at Rainbow Cove. Over the many years it proudly lit the way for countless ships and their seamen. Sadly, the old gas-lit lighthouse has been vacant since the late 1930’s, succumbing to the more modern electric lighthouse a few miles down the coastline. Alone it stands, dark and empty for over seventy years. Along with the old lighthouse countless stories have been handed down throughout those years. Some people claim that, on one particular night, the old li...

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“Stop the Storm” by Faith Packer

Submitted to Contest #240

The girl squinted at the dust devil coming toward her from the west. It was December 22nd and Bing Crosby was playing in the kitchen on Echo. Typical Phoenix Christmas. You dream about snow, and you get nothing but dirt. But she would much rather get a face full of dirt than stay inside and think about what had happened exactly four years ago. No, better to keep away, away from that carpet in the living room she'd stared at for what seemed like eternity, away from anything that reminded her; because if she thought about that then she'd thin...

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“Open House” by Ingrid Barclay

Submitted to Contest #240

‘We’re leaving this house over my dead body without a contract in hand,’ Ruby said. She turned to face the Australian westerly zephyr head-on. Though stifling, the result was still cooling and therapeutic against her flushed sweaty cheeks. She ran her palms over her ginger hair in a less effective attempt to fight the rising humidity, which usually peaked around midday in the sugar cane district. ‘At this price you won’t be the only willing human sacrifice today,’ Nate replied and winked beneath dripping brow. He laced his clammy fingers thr...

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“"Unfolding Destiny" : A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment ” by Kelechi Duru

Submitted to Contest #240

Adanna's journey began in the vibrant tapestry of an African setting, in a rural Community called 'Nwokenwe' meaning 'Males Own'. The name implies that males own properties, Lands,including the Women whom they married.It was a Community where unfortunately, societal expectations wove a restrictive narrative for women. Raised in an environment where prevailing beliefs dictated that a woman's destiny and certificates inevitably led to the confines of the kitchen, Adanna faced the headwinds of stereotypes from a young age of 19. Growing...

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“ The Wind on the Plain” by Glenda Toews

Submitted to Contest #240

If the wind would have whispered, ‘Give it to me’- and had whipped that page of my life from my hand and carried it to the clouds, I would not have chased after it. Invisible enmity, created by ill-spoken words, affixed themselves deep into my mind from that day forward. It become apparent that one, whose only sin was to be born beautiful, and the other, who would one day write about it, were loved differently by the world. The sharp tang of those blunt words, snapped against my skin. Its icy breeze bent me backward, and shackled who I was b...

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“The Worlds on Fire ” by Avery Clark

Submitted to Contest #240

I sat there feeling the cold breeze rush down my back, as the faint cries of the wind howled in the distance. I sat there thinking."Why did I leave home?""Why did my mother and father hate me?"I sat there pondering over my thoughts for awhile longer, until I got up and walked towards the harrowing forest in the distance. I proceeded to walk towards the forest until I walked deeper and deeper into the thick woods as I walked farther in. The wind howled as I turned to see before my eyes. The forest collapsing into nothing, lit before me. As my...

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“Whispering Secrets to the Wind” by Russell Mickler

Submitted to Contest #240

Beyond the window, a blur of drifting pink cherry blossoms obscures the afternoon sun. Its radiance backlights Cordelia, who kindly takes my hand, while my son, David, is to my right. “Mom?” David’s tone is filled with worry. I cringe, gulping down my words. The guilt of my lifelong deception weighs on me. An electrocardiogram issues constant, rhythmic pulses. Cordelia leans in and whispers, “Go on.” I resist, shaking my head; the cannula tugs at my nostrils. Cordelia smiles. “We went everywhere together.” She wears a knee-length, floral dre...

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“The Search for Gold” by Mona Jean

Submitted to Contest #240

The misty ocean breeze gently sweeps over the tiny hairs on my forearms. My cream striped linen button-down taps loosely against my chest and tummy while I lean back onto my elbows that hold my towel against the sand. The shorter pieces of hair near my face dance in delight, however the longer hair is safe from the flirtation of the breeze as it stays gathered in a low, messy bun below my handwoven brown paper sunhat. The quiet warm exhales of Mother Nature intimately welcome me at the beach. As I await the sunset, the soft cr...

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“A Letter to Daniel” by David McCahan

Submitted to Contest #240

She didn’t recognize it. The language. The handwriting was feminine. Fluid. The penmanship flawless. The words unrecognizable.It was a letter. Of that much she was certain. A two word salutation and a name. Daniel.That was the name. The only thing she was certain of. There was no signature. That part had been torn off. Burned off by the looks of it. Violent. The remaining part of the note, what was left of it, was crumpled, stained. Perhaps by the circumstances. Perhaps something else. Whether by accident or purposefully she c...

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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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