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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

“A lifeline in the wind” by Sarah Fraser

Submitted to Contest #240

As the wind teased my hair up and out like ferocious flames leaping off my scalp, I stared in astonishment. The beach. It was completely transformed. Where once there was a pale golden stretch of sand, there were trenches built of dark, wet pebbles. I stomped down the grassy verge towards the bay, feeling the familiarity beneath my running shoes. I knew by now to keep my ankles loose and move with the ups and downs, to avoid going over my ankle and spraining it again. It brought back visions of two years ago, when Nick had to practically car...

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“The Wind of Change” by Tammy Green

Submitted to Contest #240

I don’t dislike my job. I love my job. I hate getting up to an alarm. Yes, I have tried everything I can think of and even more. I have read articles like “10 Ways to Wake Up Earlier in the Morning” and other similar web posts and blogs.I used to think that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I probably don’t, but I manage to get through the ten-hour day, plus an hour commute each way, and do at least an hour workout after dinner, do the dishes, make my lunch, practice a foreign language, and read a book for an hour or two. Roughly translated, I ...

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“Roy's Monster Buck” by Roger Skrypczak

Submitted to Contest #240

Roy’s Monster Buck The soft breeze on the back of Roy’s neck sent a chill through his entire body. It signaled the end of his hunt and an opportunity to harvest the whitetail buck of a lifetime. Roy was an avid hunter; his weapon of choice was a compound bow and arrow. He hunted the annual Wisconsin gun deer season since he was old enough to purchase a hunting license with his dad. Roy and his dad hunted with a group of local farmers known as the Brown gang, who were famous for filling all their tags.&nbsp...

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“Where the Wind Blows” by Kaitlyn Wadsworth

Submitted to Contest #240

A warm breeze brushed over my exposed skin one balmy evening as I lay in my spa. As the air heats up due to the sun, the air and evaporated moisture rise, leaving a deficit. This needs to be filled, and colder air rushes in as wind. On this occasion, I had no complaints.I luxuriated in my spa, overlooking my beautifully landscaped back garden. My mind wandered back to when we decided to sell our house. After a couple of years of hard work and expense, we had finally refurbished it into a saleable state. My name is Katrina. We wante...

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“Fast, Like the Wind” by Jason Basaraba

Submitted to Contest #240

The drive home seemed long, longer than it should have been, considering the distance hadn’t changed. With a hand stretched out the window I surf the wind, the hairs on my arm tingle as the cool air slips through my fingers, like faded memories we can no longer hold.I rolled the window down because she always loved sticking her head out. Mouth open, tongue out enjoying the invisible force as it tussles her fur in a frenzied playful way. I’m just guessing, in truth I do not know why she enjoys it so much. Today she didn’t lift her head, but I...

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“Woollen Suits and Face Cream” by Ananya Voss

Submitted to Contest #240

He was always there, in the sounds of his suggestions, in the unspoken glances when she acted out of turn, the cheeky winks he gave when he made a joke about her Mother, in the breeze when she closed her eyes and smelt his woollen suits and face cream.He passed on the Saturday night, after obediently taking the last, tender cup of tea to his wife, invalid in bed - he sat on the chair in the bedroom, relaxed, cradled his head in the cups of his hands, and fell forward into that beautiful, peaceful, slumber of the unbroken. The carer alwa...

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“Sleep in the storm” by Amy Smith

Submitted to Contest #240

4am and all I can think of is you. Not sleep. Not work 4 hours from now. My thoughts won’t let me. I feel the wind on my face. The window is open next to the bed. Next to your side of the bed, which is empty now. Open even on the stormiest nights and open wider since you left. I’ve been listening to the wind calling me through the open window. I wear one of your shirts to keep warm in the storm in our room, now my room, in our bed, now my bed. I get up and walk carefully in the dark through the clutter of clothing and books on the ...

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“I Doubt It” by Gray Mediocratic

Submitted to Contest #240

I DOUBT IT. I walk down up the busy city streets. The wind tosses my hair over my shoulders. The wind plays with fallen leaves, pushing them gently until they leap in all directions, flailing in a frantic yet delicate manner. The morning sun dances with the windows, casting bright reflections amongst the bricked walkways. Pedestrians stream through the streets like pools of water, all following a path towards their distinct and separate destinations. I have always wondered how everyone is able to have such the same environment yet entirely d...

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“The Odyssey” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #240

As the sea tosses the Odyssey between its mountainous waves like a ping-pong ball, it's all I can do to keep one hand on the rudder. She's in bad shape, and I'm not much better. Ugly purple-blue bruises stain my arms and sides from the amount of times I've been thrown against the edge of the boat. With wind stinging my face in its spiteful embrace, and rain blurring my vision like tears, I can hardly see a foot in front of me. Although it wouldn't be much if I could; the whole ocean from the waves in front of the Odyssey to the horizon is fr...

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“Twister” by Denise Glickler

Submitted to Contest #240

In a little farmhouse in Kansas, a young girl named Ella lived with her loving parents. Ella was unlike any other girl; she had an insatiable desire for movement and energy. Every day, after completing her chores, she would run into the vast fields, her arms flung wide as she spun in circles, her laughter carried by the wind. One afternoon, as the winds picked up and the clouds darkened, Ella felt an irresistible urge to spin. The air was electric, the looming storm an irresistible invitation. She ran outside into the open field, the wind ...

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“The Ocean Breeze” by Kylene Stewart

Submitted to Contest #240

*Warning this story contains triggering topics related to mental health and physical violence.* The Ocean Breeze It’s been years since I’ve felt the sea breeze on my skin, tangling my long wavy hair into knots. It was nice to feel the sand underneath my bare feet. Hearing the crash of the waves and the squawk of the seagulls as they fly above me. The smell was a mixture of the salty sea and sunscreen. It felt good to be at the beach again. I spent a lot of my childhood here and felt like the perfect place to clear my mind now tha...

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“The Winds and The Rain” by Mariana Alexe

Submitted to Contest #240

A cold breeze brushed her skin causing a million goose bumps to appear on her arms. She ran so much into the depths of the forest that she was definitely lost now. Mayra looked up to the sky and prayed to the ancient Gods to find her way back to her father's house. She was sure HE followed her here; there was only a mere second until he would pop out of a bush. The beast was sure taking its time while Mayra found a place to hide, keeping her breath and trying desperately to be quiet. She exhaled quietly one more time at the sound of silence,...

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“A Lesson Learned” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #240

Nancy laid aside her knitting and picked up her book, which was sitting beside her on the sofa. She’d been saving it for bed-time but couldn’t wait; her hero was about to meet the love interest of this particular novel. She knew it because at the end of the previous chapter, he’d caught sight of a woman, and… Nancy went back and read that part again.Mason looked up from his coffee. There, gliding across the piazza towards him, came a dream-like vision of loveliness, her diaphanous dress billowing seductively in the warm Tuscan breeze — the s...

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“Rough Sailing ” by David Ader

Submitted to Contest #240

Nan looked toward the west again, where the clouds seemed to be growing an even darker shade of grey. The waves had picked up too, hitting the side of the small sailboat and splashing over the coaming as it slid down into the waves. “Don’t you think?” she asked. “No, I don’t think, and I wish to hell you’d let me handle this. Unless you want to be the captain!” Harrison pushed the tiller towards her, hard in...

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“Thinkburger!” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #240

Chilly winter breezes blew on Kai, as winter in the classrooms still meant ventilation. But Kai did not really care. "Yessss!" Kai gave a big thumbs up to his Advanced IT teacher. He did feel like a tiny midget, mixing it with such overgrown Year 12 teenagers. Never mind, he held his own. Kai was the first to complete their task. He had designed and built a mini-robot. Kai held his breath as he switched it on. Lights blinked, its eyes opened. Thrilling. Kai had invented his own homework helper. He had made a girl robot, because Kai liked gir...

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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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