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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#241: Et Tu, Brute?

“Beware the Ides of March!” In Shakespeare’s play, these fateful words are thrown at Julius Caesar during a procession through Rome, warning him of the day his compatriots will betray him. In the play, and in reality, this warning came to fruition. On March 15, he was stabbed thirty times by his fellow Roman senators, including Brutus, someone he thought he could trust. As that date is just around the corner, I find myself thinking a lot about Caesar’s story, and about other stories of betrayal.

It’s the ultimate breaking of trust. You thought they were a friend, a mentor, a close confidant, a person you could trust through thick and thin — only to find yourself stabbed in the back at the most inopportune moment. What leads people to make such a drastic decision, and sever a once unshakeable bond? How do you move on when your faith in the people around you is shaken? These are just a few of the questions to consider as we look towards the fateful Ides this week.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who is convinced they’re going to be betrayed.

Dramatic – 55 stories

Write about someone who is stuck between two opposing sides and can’t decide which one to choose.

Fiction – 49 stories

Set your story at a tense event where everyone is unsure whose side they’re on.

Thriller and Suspense – 27 stories

Start your story with an unexpected betrayal.

Adventure – 81 stories

Write about a backstabbing (literal or metaphorical) gone wrong.

Horror – 43 stories

Stories

“Morbid Holidays” by Ev Datsyk

Submitted to Contest #241

Content warning: Implied murder, dismemberment, and misogyny.My family celebrates morbid holidays. We gather on dead men’s birthdays and gruesome anniversaries. If I am ever caught, I hope a trial of public opinion shames them. I hope they say I am the way I am because I was forced to attend a brunch commemorating Auntie Tanya’s skiing accident. Because we fought about the turkey on the day Joseph was diagnosed. Because I had to remember someone it hurts to remember.So many deathday flowers will ruin you. Today is the third anniver...

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“Class Act” by Esther Andrews

Submitted to Contest #241

Being hastily excised from both my mother’s life and her will cut deep. It was the most unfathomable betrayal. I didn’t see it coming. I probably should have. But I didn’t. For sisterhood is a sacred bond. At least that’s what I had always believed.When I was a toddler, before I could walk, my sister would grab me by the arm and yank me up off the floor. She wanted a playmate and I was just the person to fill that role. Meanwhile, she shoved my twin brother down to the floor every time he attempted to stand or walk. It was me, and only me, s...

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“BETRAYED BY THE WIND: A JOURNEY OF HOPE AND DESPAIR” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #241

Input 1:Betrayed by the wind's shifting whispers, I find myself marooned in this vast expanse of ocean. Time has become an abstract concept, blurred by the relentless cycle of haunting memories since the storm cast me adrift from safety. With nothing but determination and the debris of this forsaken island, I fashioned a frail vessel, clinging to hope amidst the desolation.With only my bare hands and the scant resources scattered across the island, I've labored day and night to construct a crude raft. Using driftwood and salvaged materials, ...

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“Same Time Next Week? ” by Tee Farewell

Submitted to Contest #241

I think he is going to kill me. Something about the way he glares at me sometimes, like he's searching for vulnerabilities to exploit. His eyes resemble an abyss, swallowing the light and casting a shadow over his entire being. They hold a depth of darkness managing to penetrate my soul, sending an icy chill coursing through my veins. This coldness, this palpable aura of dread, wraps around me, leaving me paralyzed with fear. His words slither from his lips like venomous serpents, their hiss carrying an underlying threat coiling around my ...

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“The Train Ride” by Donald Haddix

Submitted to Contest #241

Ok this story contains adult references and is meant to be viewed with such knowledge. If you choose to proceed be expecting to be entertained, laughing, curious and if I had more room and ability to go further some other adult emotions;)Your guide to an enjoyable read: Donald Haddix The plot So this is a story of the hot potato… ok… hot dead corpse? So this little...

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“THE BETRAYAL THAT BACKFIRED” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #241

Dear Journal,In the desolation of this solitary cell, where shadows waltz with the flickering candlelight, I find myself grappling with the weight of my isolation. Each passing moment seems to stretch into eternity as I navigate the labyrinth of my thoughts and emotions.Today, like every other day, I awaken to the dim light filtering through the barred window, casting elongated shadows across the cold stone floor. The monotony of my existence suffocates me as I struggle to find meaning in this endless cycle of confinement.Whether literal or ...

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“Spider and Moth” by Jem Gray

Submitted to Contest #241

Trgger warning: this story contains references to war and the trauma of war.Made up of the thinnest of protein fiber threads, the spider’s web prompts a cautious reflection about how nature can trick light. The silk is an invisible cloak splayed out with mathematical accuracy on a branch, or across the corner of a doorway, or between two rails.The subject is a particular web on your television. It’s not on the frame, but rather drawing you in from within - the many moving shades of a pixelated scene unfolding. A spider is weaving its silk de...

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“A Delicate Balance” by Martin Maynard

Submitted to Contest #241

In the softly lit room that served as Dr. Leslie Harper's office, a space adorned with calming artwork and shelves filled with psychology texts, the first meeting was about to commence. Dr. Harper observed the young girl across from her. Emma, a sixteen-year-old child, with her carefully poised demeanor that seemed almost out of place in the youthful casualness of her jeans and sweater."Emma," Dr. Harper began, her voice imbued with the warmth that had comforted countless others before, "I understand this is a challenging time for you. Would...

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“Human Apocalypse” by McKade Kerr

Submitted to Contest #241

Ugh, not again. I hate it when this happens. I could feel the knife penetrate deep in my back. It was sharp, most likely well maintained and cared for. It easily sliced through my flesh, stopping as it rammed into my spine, causing several fractures. And on the day I was wearing one of my nicest shirts too. How annoying. “Die, you horrible, ugly monster! Die die die!” yelled the man behind me. I turned around and faced him. “You don’t have to yell, I’m standing right here.” I reached around my back, removing the blade slowly, trying no...

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“Dear Katrina” by Jim Gray

Submitted to Contest #241

Dear Katrina,Still the black waters. Let the moon set, and the sun rise with you once more. This small barren island holds only three of us now. Three lost souls, caught between warring titans. But on which bank of the Dnieper river does my fate wait, and hate.Sorry that it has been too long since my last letter. This war has brought many shortages and while food and bandages we lack most, the absence of paper and pencil has added to the eternal distance between us. And never has distance been so cruel. For though the void that keeps us...

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“Anniversary from Hell” by Lynette J.

Submitted to Contest #241

The tables were beautifully decorated. The smell of fresh flowers filled the air. Waiters walked around gracefully to each guest attending to their every need. This party was surely the event of the season. Ted and Marcy were known for their great parties. Everyone who was anyone was there. Rich classical sounds coming from the band made everyone want to dance. Champagne flowed like liquid gold. Kelly was thrilled to be apart of such an event as this. After all, it was Ted and Marcy’s fifteenth wedding anniversary. Kelly made her way around ...

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“To Hell & Back” by Martha Kowalski

Submitted to Contest #241

The angels are at war. Some angels protect; others demolish. Wings of doves and wings of crows flutter and fight across the heavens as the fallen angels once cast out of the heavens have returned. Against the eerie red glow of the sun, a flock of black wings cuts through the sky, descending onto the Higher Realms. Dark magic – forbidden in the pearly and golden Higher Realms – crackles through the air like a live wire, snapping and singeing all that touches it. Each angel is particularly careful to avoid the licking flames that gre...

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“Assassin's (Cursed) Creed” by Dr. Stephen A Salaka

Submitted to Contest #241

The scent of freshly cut grass tickled her nose as Kaira touched down, the damp earth yielding slightly beneath her boots. A soft breeze danced across her skin, carrying whispers of honeysuckle from a flowering bush nearby. Kaira felt a familiar twinge of envy. The targets always got the nicest houses — quaint little affairs with sprawling yards and cozy nooks screaming of domestic tranquility. It was enough to make an eternally nomadic assassin crave roots... roots she was unlikely to ever have. Drawing on skills honed through many bot...

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“Thoughts and Reality ” by Chen-el Brill

Submitted to Contest #241

It was a beautiful evening and the light breeze carried the fragrant scent of a woman to her boyfriend.“So we are meeting Mark and his sister Jenny at the theater?” she said sweetly as she looked back at the man slightly trailing behind her.“Right” he answered. An uneasy feeling creeping into his chest at the mention of his best friend.It has been half a year since they started dating and he was still completely enamored. In fact, he often found it hard to believe she was going out with him in the first place. That evening, as he glanced at ...

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“Just When You Think You Know Her” by Jeremy Stevens

Submitted to Contest #241

I was always the first to bed. I would ask if she’d like to join, but she’d always have late night things to take care of, things she couldn’t get done during her busy day. Tabitha had a tough job, and I often commended her on how well she was able to balance work and home. I knew she loved me. It was our mutual respect for each other’s space that had kept us so close, for so many years.Or, so I thought.We met at the fundraiser. She was part of the production, and I was, well, a benefactor. Don’t get me wrong here: it wasn’t a black-tie affa...

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$250

Prize money

255

Contest entries

116

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 15, 2024 EST

Won by Liz Grosul 🏆

Title: When I Read Beckett

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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