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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

“The Lighthouse” by John Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #240

(Note: There is a mention of an AK-47 in the story, and a rocket launcher) It was a hot summer’s day at the Meringo Lighthouse in downtown Chicago. This had been hailed as the world’s first landlocked lighthouse. Built right in the center of State and Madison over the Red Line Subway station, this was an accomplishment that was both useless and vital simultaneously. Chicago’s mayor, Brandon Lightfoot, had hailed it as a new step forward in technological progress. “You can’t think of any reason to have a landlocked lighthouse? I can think of...

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“Echoes of Discovery” by Cynthia Hansford

Submitted to Contest #240

Alice tucked a windswept strand of hair behind her ear as she strolled down the bustling streets of New Haven. Crisp autumn air nipped at her cheeks, carrying the lofty scent of roasted chestnuts. She clutched her vintage satchel, eyes darting between cobblestone streets and historic buildings, drinking in the city’s nostalgic charm. She arrived at her favorite antique shop, Memories Unveiled, by turning down a quiet side street. Alice paused, noticing a crumpled piece of paper wedged under the door. She retrieved it with delicate fing...

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“Whispers in the Breeze” by Naziya Memon

Submitted to Contest #240

In the quaint town of Willow Creek, a gentle breeze carried a crumpled piece of paper through the bustling streets. The townsfolk paused in curiosity as the paper danced in the wind, its mysterious message hidden from view. The paper had originated from the desk of a reclusive writer named Amelia Blackwood. Amelia, known for her enigmatic novels, had penned a secret message intended for a lost love, never to be sent. In a moment of reflection, the paper slipped from her grasp and was whisked away by the wind before she could retrieve it. As ...

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“Funayūrei” by Sofia Fleming

Submitted to Contest #240

Orders are shouted forth from the helm and echo across the deck. The ship’s anchor is dragged up, the ropes are cast off, and the boat’s large sails fall and quickly fill with soft winds. Soon enough, the open waters engulf us and the coast of steady land is left behind. We sail for hours, setting off flares to light up the night. Sometimes, I hear the shouts of gulls and albatrosses, but the seas that surround us are empty. It’s just an endless void of water, but there’s always a nagging feeling that there’s something lurking just out of si...

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“Cold Pizza” by Shinga Shinga

Submitted to Contest #240

The wind whispers ripples on the skin of an otherwise placid body of water; it sows goosebumps on mine and my lover's. My hairs dance in concert, her melanin's shade deepens. The sky bleeds, crimson melts on the treetops and flows into the dam. Monkeys chirp, birds flap their eager wings as they soar towards the wound of the horizon. Twigs snap and plummet into the shallower peripheral parts of the water. Where they collide with the various sized ripples, the offspring of the haphazard and intensifying breeze, and are washed back on land. Th...

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“House of wolves” by Milena SK

Submitted to Contest #240

Lashing winds raged around the lighthouse and the monsters' eyes glowed in the darkness. The howls and growls were deafening. Their traces were everywhere: on the walls, on the floors, on their bodies. Some ran as if the devil himself was chasing them; some fought with each other, so fast that their silhouettes blurred, a single, tangled ball of fur and teeth, ready to tear each other to pieces; others lay in a dark corner, whimpering, twitching, ignored. Camilla backed away until her back hit the door. Although she knew it was futile, her ...

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“Riptide” by Natasha Mackenzie

Submitted to Contest #240

The lighthouse plunges into darkness. Nell’s hands shake as she lights up a match, the better to see the gun with. A clap of thunder. She watches as the flame falls to the ground before that, too, goes out. A bolt of lightning ignites the night sky, and she uses that, along with her hands and her minds’ eye to light another match. She lights the emergency candles that are available for this very occasion. It is not unusual for a particularly bad storm to cause blackouts out here by the South China Sea. The wind makes a terrible howling wail ...

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“The Broken Promise ” by Masha Flom

Submitted to Contest #240

The wind calmly blows through my light brown hair, sending goosebumps down my spine as I stand outside my apartment, next to the wispy willow tree waiting for Manni. I lightly tap my finger on my thigh as I anxiously wait for him, letting the sharp cool wind kiss my face leaving it numb and pink. He lived a few minutes away, so he usually walked to my place when we wanted to hang out. The weather was starting to get cool as its early Autumn. I observed how the grass became duller. The cool air from the trees let some of the leaves that were...

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“Facing the Fireflies” by JP G

Submitted to Contest #240

How long had I dozed off? The encroaching darkness suggested it was nearly 8 or 9 in the evening. A sense of guilt hit me for snoozing on the job, but the relentless work of the past few days justified my need for rest. Leaning against the truck, I noticed Chris peacefully resting by the driver's side door. He had worked tirelessly to fix the truck, yet with two flat tires and a smoking engine, our stay here was inevitable. Slowly I wiped my face in an attempt to shake off the drowsiness. Instead of revitalizing me, it left me feeling groggy...

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“A Crumpled Piece of Paper” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #240

From the partially open, third floor window of a hospital a crumpled piece of paper fluttered and fell, landing on the ground and then rolling and bouncing away, driven by the wind across the parking lot to a busy city street. At that point it was primarily propelled by the passing of car after car down the road, without any of the drivers or passengers taking any notice of its presence. It reached the end of its journey getting stuck in a bush in front of a building almost as big as the hospital, and in some ways serving the same ...

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“The Sea Beneath the Stars” by Chloe Gutjahr

Submitted to Contest #240

Orion was ten years old the first time he went sailing. For years, he had asked his father to take him with him, and for years, his father had said no. It was too dangerous for a little boy. Even the day-long fishing excursions weren’t suitable. It wasn’t until the tenth anniversary of his birth that his father finally said yes. It would be a simple overnight of fishing and leisure on the ocean with his father’s friends, but to Orion, it felt like the dawn of a new world. He was finally enough of a man to learn to sail. That was more than en...

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“The Shootaround” by Gregg Voss

Submitted to Contest #240

The fire sun overhead warmed the intermittent breeze, which brushed against Jimmy’s cheek in a sultry way that sparked mortal desire, and in turn, his need to be desired. There she was, at the free throw line, knees slightly bent, the basketball balanced perfectly in her right palm. Her shooting form was…eloquent. Better than his, i...

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“The Best Dinghy In the World” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #240

It started with buying a boat that was sunk. I had saved up the money to buy a boat and was wandering around a boat sales place when I saw the upturned stern of a small sloop. I could tell is was a sloop by the mast partially angled out of the water. The cabin was completely submerged but the rounded stern was beautiful with the rudder giving little jerks with the falling tide movements. I ran back to the office and told them about the sloop. They hadn’t been out on the dock that morning and hadn’t seen that the boat had sunk.That’s how it s...

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“What the Heart Carries” by Susmita Ramani

Submitted to Contest #240

The summer before we left our hometown of Santa Cruz, California for different colleges on the East coast, my best friend Mila and I went on frequent morning beach walks to enjoy each other’s company and the sight of the sea glistening to the horizon.“I’ll miss this view,” I said to Mila. “I’ve told you this before. Sometimes I want to cry when I look at the sea. I’m trying to stop it from happening now.”“Then cry!” she exclaimed. “Silly girl. Trust me. I’m going to major in psychology, remember? Let yourself feel.” She paused. “Ivy, I’m gon...

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“Horsetooth” by Edd Baker

Submitted to Contest #240

CW: Language and drinking throughoutThe breeze had picked up just moments ago, brushing Rachel's face and tickling her nose with the smell of water, the aroma intertwined like lovers with the rock and dirt of the Fort Collins Mountains. Even though cars passed by like city people, to and fro down the winding mountain road, the air had a certain calm to it. Reassuring, and warm."It's nice", Dan said, his window rolled down fully and the wind blowing his dusky hair back. "The weather, I mean."Rachel rolled her head from the window to Dan, a sm...

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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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