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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#246: All Fun and Games

We all know the saying “it’s all fun and games” — and the perhaps less-used ending, “...until someone loses an eye.” There are many variations of this saying, but they all boil down to a similar idea: play has its time and place, but things may take a turn for the worse if you’re not mindful.

This week’s prompts are inspired by games and play, and especially that strange territory when something lighthearted suddenly turns more serious than intended, asking you to find the golden balance between the pursuit of fun and its consequences.

🥇 Winner

“Hearts Are Trump” by Sarah Coury

🏆 Winner of Contest #246

Uncle Abe and Uncle Will haven’t played cards together in years. If you want to get real technical about it, Uncle Abe and Uncle Will haven’t even shared the same room in years, but that ain’t news to anyone east of Livernois. By now, the entire city of Detroit knows about Abraham and William Haddad—at least those who regularly stop into the family party store for their weekly supply of meats, spirits, and fresh-baked pita. It’s old news. Two bitter brothers broken up over a girl who left town anyway. It’s been ages and the aunties need fres...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Unintended Masterpiece” by Jim LaFleur

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

Once, in the recesses of Josh’s cluttered study—a space so densely populated with crumpled papers and half-finished manuscripts it could have been mistaken for the lair of a particularly literary breed of dragon—a plot of exquisite pettiness took root. Josh, an author whose disposition was as sunny as a thundercloud, and whose success in the literary world was comparable to a lead balloon in an origami competition, harbored a grudge. This was no ordinary grudge; it was an epic, monumental, could-be-the-subject-of-a-Greek-tragedy kind of grud...

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“Swingset Blues” by Heather Eldridge

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

The bright sun in my face, the flowers bordering the sidewalk, the birds chittering at me, all fall in stark contrast to the morbid thoughts chasing each other through my mind. It’s been less than an hour since my life, my future, came to a crashing halt, and I am struggling to understand how the world around me seems to still be carrying on like nothing has changed. It’s a six-minute walk from where I sat inside on the paper-covered table to the playground outside where my husband is waiting for me. Six minutes to think of any way at all to...

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“Coming Home” by Natalie Portera-Sickler

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

Dusk was setting in, and everyone had gone home except for Johnny. It was the last place he wanted to be right now. Instead, he gazed at the stars that began to emerge in the indigo twilight for their debut now that the sun was taking its exit from the stage, leaving nothing but a burnished glow on the horizon.He clenched the chains of the swing as if it were a lifeline, tilting his head back further until he was looking directly up into the center of the universe, where the blue had deepened to black, and the stars all peered at him like a ...

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“Mike Buford's Last Life” by AR R

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

I’m standing on the corner of 48th and 8th outside of Duffy’s Ale House, waiting for Buford to light a cigarette, knowing that, like most things he attempts, eventually he’ll succeed. But it won’t be easy. Not because it’s complicated, but because Buford complicates the uncomplicated. He creates pitfalls and snags and obstacles if only because Buford won’t attempt anything unless it’s handled like one exhaustive, endless, mind-numbing game.“You have to fuck them to win, Muck,” Buford says, cigarette dangling from his rubbery lips. And they a...

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This week's prompts

Write a story that includes the phrase “It’s all fun and games…”

Dialogue – 56 stories

Set your story in a playground: two characters are having a serious conversation while on the seesaw/in the jungle gym/on the swings.

Angst – 82 stories

Write a story about someone participating in a seemingly innocent game that suddenly takes a turn.

Dark – 62 stories

Write a story about someone who takes a joke way too far.

Character – 26 stories

Write about a character who treats everything like a game and struggles to be serious when they most need to, or vice versa.

Character – 17 stories

Stories

“Hearts Are Trump” by Sarah Coury

🏆 Winner of Contest #246

Uncle Abe and Uncle Will haven’t played cards together in years. If you want to get real technical about it, Uncle Abe and Uncle Will haven’t even shared the same room in years, but that ain’t news to anyone east of Livernois. By now, the entire city of Detroit knows about Abraham and William Haddad—at least those who regularly stop into the family party store for their weekly supply of meats, spirits, and fresh-baked pita. It’s old news. Two bitter brothers broken up over a girl who left town anyway. It’s been ages and the aunties need fres...

Read story

“The Unintended Masterpiece” by Jim LaFleur

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

Once, in the recesses of Josh’s cluttered study—a space so densely populated with crumpled papers and half-finished manuscripts it could have been mistaken for the lair of a particularly literary breed of dragon—a plot of exquisite pettiness took root. Josh, an author whose disposition was as sunny as a thundercloud, and whose success in the literary world was comparable to a lead balloon in an origami competition, harbored a grudge. This was no ordinary grudge; it was an epic, monumental, could-be-the-subject-of-a-Greek-tragedy kind of grud...

Read story

“When Love Swings Back” by Alexis Araneta

Submitted to Contest #246

When I sat down on a golden-stained wood park bench, my once-usual one with the backing of wrought iron ivy branches intertwined like amorous bodies in the throes of passion, I never expected a single sight to sucker-punch me in the heart. No, I had no idea that settled down by this cheery playground, I'd observe the convex blooms of daffodil the colour of lemons in clumps on the grass suddenly leaving an acrid burn on my parched tongue, that I'd be powerless as a moment of relaxation in my hometown's pocket park transformed into my own soul...

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“...Blow Your Head Off ” by Mary Bendickson

Submitted to Contest #246

...Blow Your Head Off Caution: Based on true story. Contains gore.It's all fun and games...until you blow your head off! Before the nineteen sixties, before I made this my home, our lovely town was known for stately elm trees canopying the main street north of the river. But a deadly elm tree disease raged through infecting them all. The ones not killed quickly succumbed to progress as the street was widened to four lanes instead of two for the thoroughfare through town. The men's garden club decided to beautify the landscape by planting a f...

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“The Stickler” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #246

“Damn it! That’s all we need.” I braced my arms and swerved over to the side of the road, pulling up with a sharp tyre squeal. “Ooh, oooh.” Sam groaned, cradling her distended belly. “Jesus! Roddy.” “Sorry, love.” I said, turning to face her. “Are you all right?” “Uh huh,” Sam said, closing her eyelids.Sam’s face was clammy with perspiration as she clenched her jaw and inhaled through gritted teeth. I reached out to stroke her pale cheek, steadying my trembling hand as I did so. She winced i...

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“Dancers of the Sea on the Mystical Coast ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #246

The flow of the watery world on the Mystical Coast brought a sense of wonder to those who lived there. It was a sunny day in June of 1898 along the rainforest wilderness coast.Near the river bar at the ocean the black and white whales leaped and splashed, joyfully singing and dancing in the waves with squeals, whistles and hums in their fun ocean playground. The games stopped when short, sharp, quick distress calls came from the six month old whale calf. In the dialect of whale language the calf cried for her mama.Nuzzling the calf...

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“THE JOKE THAT MADE THE WORLD CRY” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #246

In the bleak solitude of World War, in a hospital ward, I lay, my body battered and broken by the merciless hand of war. Each breath felt like a struggle against an unseen foe, my spirit teetering on the brink of despair. In the oppressive silence, whispers danced like specters in the shadows, their words a tantalizing refrain in the cacophony of suffering."What is the point of all my efforts?" I started to ask myself regularly. After almost dying from a British gas attack, which left me temporarily blind, I began to realize that this war wa...

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“Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are” by Hannah Lynn

Submitted to Contest #246

“Ready or not, here I come!” Beth tapped out her text, hit send, and tucked her phone into her back pocket. She glanced around, making sure that Elisa had enough time to hide before she began the weekly ritual of searching for her. The Saturday routine was getting on her nerves, but she only had a few weeks left before graduation and the start of her internship. Whatever. At least she would finish babysitting in time to meet up with Greg for dinner and drinks in the city. She could get through another mindless g...

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“Jingles” by Nicholas Thomas

Submitted to Contest #246

I moved the knife quickly, slicing with apt purpose. The bell of the cat’s collar fell to the floor. Jingle jingle. This was the third time I’ve done this since we first got this cat; I just can’t stand the jingling of the collar, and I wanted it to look like the cat had somehow clawed it off, or had rubbed it against something outside causing it to scrape off. Hopefully, my family will stop insisting that the cat have a bell on her collar af...

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“Before” by K.A. Murray

Submitted to Contest #246

*This story contains mention of various forms of trauma, violence, and loss.*Where we exist is a playful and play-filled place, and we like it that way. Well, I guess we like it. None of us really knew what it was to not like something. The world we knew was satisfying and joyful, and we knew nothing but contentment.There are several hundred of us, and the place where we live is breathtaking - rivers, mountains, trees, beaches, all beneath a sky that is always sparkling. Everything we need is provided for; our only purpose is to play.Each of...

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“Best It Can Be” by Jack Kimball

Submitted to Contest #246

The eight of us gathered, lost souls one and all, at the recruiting station. We were waiting in a light rain. Every Sunday morning at 10:00 am our district had a drawing, but rumor said the number of groups to cover all the days, and even the hours of every day, were growing more and more.This morning, Adam had come down with me. He tilted his head back like he does, his eyes a little too wide open, so I could tell he was scared. The last time we'd both gotten notice our numbers came up '1' and '2'. Can you believe it, our numbers '1' and '2...

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“Swingset Blues” by Heather Eldridge

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

The bright sun in my face, the flowers bordering the sidewalk, the birds chittering at me, all fall in stark contrast to the morbid thoughts chasing each other through my mind. It’s been less than an hour since my life, my future, came to a crashing halt, and I am struggling to understand how the world around me seems to still be carrying on like nothing has changed. It’s a six-minute walk from where I sat inside on the paper-covered table to the playground outside where my husband is waiting for me. Six minutes to think of any way at all to...

Read story

“Orphan Clown” by E.L. Lallak

Submitted to Contest #246

The fire truck's siren shattered the chaos with its ear-piercing wail, cutting through the air like a sharp blade. Felix's instinct was to flee, eager to escape the looming specter of consequence that seemed to haunt his every step. He covered his ears to block out the screams. Well aware, he was hurtling towards an inevitable collision with his wrongdoing. His heart skittered. The notorious freckles disappeared into his red cheeks. Each swirling shrill made his face redder. Felix slouched, hiding behind his classmate Henry in the assem...

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“Look Left” by Hazel Ide

Submitted to Contest #246

“You heard about the asteroid, right?”“Hmm…?” It takes a second for my wife's words to register, but when they sink in, I drag my attention up from my mindless scrolling on my phone. “What asteroid?”“It’s supposedly three times the size of Mount Everest.” She slumps onto the couch, her glass of wine filled to the brim, sloshing precariously.“And? Is it going to hit Earth and kill us all?” I muse.She rolls her eyes, pulling up her phone. "Most of the comments are people saying things like, 'Let it come.'”"That's stupid."She shrugs, and we go ...

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“Coming Home” by Natalie Portera-Sickler

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #246

Dusk was setting in, and everyone had gone home except for Johnny. It was the last place he wanted to be right now. Instead, he gazed at the stars that began to emerge in the indigo twilight for their debut now that the sun was taking its exit from the stage, leaving nothing but a burnished glow on the horizon.He clenched the chains of the swing as if it were a lifeline, tilting his head back further until he was looking directly up into the center of the universe, where the blue had deepened to black, and the stars all peered at him like a ...

Read story

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$250

Prize money

242

Contest entries

99

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Apr 19, 2024 EST

Won by Sarah Coury 🏆

Title: Hearts Are Trump

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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