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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#255: The Five Stages

It's a commonly held belief that, when we grieve a loss, we go through five emotional phases: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Science tends to disagree; there's no actual evidence that we go through these stages, or at least not in a neat, linear fashion. But despite this, the model remains a part of our popular consciousness, and is frequently referenced in art, literature, and day-to-day conversation — perhaps because the idea of having a map to our grief, a way to organize and compartmentalize our most complicated feelings, is so alluring.

This week's contest is inspired by the model, and by the feelings described within it. Your characters don't have to be grieving a loss of some kind; they may simply be navigating the challenges of life in general. Whichever route you choose, begin with one of the five stages.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a someone who's in denial.

Character – 68 stories

Write a story about anger.

Angst – 64 stories

Center your story around a character bargaining for something that's important to them.

Dramatic – 43 stories

Start your story with a character in despair.

Dark – 91 stories

Write a story about someone finding acceptance.

Character – 99 stories

Stories

“The Chief's Revenge” by David Shotwell

Submitted to Contest #255

The Chief’s Revenge D.E. Shotwell I woke up with a start and looked over to see the clock. 13:05. Rolled off the bed in a hurry, muttering, “Oh shit, shit, shit, I did it again." The fifth time in eight weeks. The last time I got thirty hours extra duty; this time, it meant a Captain's Mast for sure. Only a week and a half of ET-A School to go, and now my deployment would be delayed by at least a few weeks while I waited on the Commander’s decision. I quickly dusted off my shoes with a dirty sock to make sure they still shone and adjusted ...

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“Not goodbye” by Hannah Wall

Submitted to Contest #255

I’m supposed to be focusing on here and now, respecting dear Benjamin, my father-in-law at his funeral. Yet, I can’t help but be remembering all the moments that proved his death wasn’t just a dream up until now. Ben died three nearly four weeks ago, he’d been in bad shape for a few months, but we still thought we had more time. Then, at three in the morning, my husband got the call. His mum, Jenny video called to reveal the news that Ben, age sixty-seven died. I’ll never forget the look of pure despair on Jenny’s face. Her face crumpling up...

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“Tears and Crashes” by Charlie Byrne

Submitted to Contest #255

“I hate all of you!” Sasha shouts, her voice cracking. Salt starts to stain her cheeks.“Oh Sasha, what’s wrong darling?” Margie asks sweetly.“Drama, drama, drama” Quinnie whispers for everyone to hear.“Argh!” Sasha shouts and she storms out, back down the hall and slams her door. Billy pushes food around his plate, his eyes fixed on the peas wiggling in gravy, getting cold. Sasha couldn’t get a word in sideways and looked to Billy for help more than once. He tried to intercept, find a break in the chaos: “Did anyone notice- ” wait… wa...

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“Missing” by LeeAnne Edwards

Submitted to Contest #255

The silence is deafening. Tears stream down Maggie’s face, her breath shallow and ragged. She knows she needs to move but the fear is paralyzing. Her thoughts scatter and drift. Quietly cursing herself. It didn’t have to be this way. Why had she been so determined about this trip begging her friends to come? # Maggie rushes around her room throwing bug spray, sweats, and earplugs into her duffel bag when her mom yells “They are here”. This camping trip with her three best...

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“Born Again” by Colleen DuVall

Submitted to Contest #255

Lois Scratched at the sore spot on her scalp, unable to help herself. She was reading the Leviticus 13 section of her Bible where Christ heals the leper. She thought to herself that her scalp must look like a leper’s underneath her thick, long mane of hair. This pandemic had made her psoriasis act up something awful. She had terrible nightmares every night. Lois couldn’t stand not being able to attend her beloved local parish during quarantine. That church had been her life; her onl...

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“Last Train To Hope” by Stefan Sofiski

Submitted to Contest #255

Screams echoed through the carriage. Most passengers suffered stoically. A few exchanged silent judgments. A desperate mother was trying to soothe the crying baby. She stood up from her seat with the infant in her arms. Walking along the aisle, she shook and hushed the child. George looked discreetly at the woman. She avoided eye contact with other passengers. Small drops of sweat shone on her forehead. “She misses the chugging”, George’s companion said. “Chugging soothes them. She started crying when we got held up here.” George followed Bo...

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“Rumination” by Habit Theory

Submitted to Contest #255

Disclaimer - this will have content surrounding substance abuse, depression and hints at suicide. Please feel free to skip if this offends you in anyway. Everyone is happy to read what they are comfortable with and avoid what they don't like.----------------------------------------------------------------Driving down the 401 N.C highway is a nightly ritual at this point. Racing thoughts usually plagued my mind, leaving me with restless sleep. But over the past year I've become a borderline insomniac, waiting for a contender to cross the fini...

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“I Don't Remember” by M D Smith

Submitted to Contest #255

Amidst the steady beep of the machines in his hospital room, “John! John, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?” Nurse Ratcliff squeezed the patient’s hand and watched the eye movement from beneath his closed lids. Then a fluttering, and finally his lids opened, and he tried to focus on the uniformed nurse in front of him. “Uhhh… yuhh…yeah,” he mumbled. “Wh…where…” “Where are you?” the Nurse said. “You’re at Memorial Hospital downtown. You were hit by a car and brought here unconscious two days ago. You had a bad blow to your head from no...

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“She's Going To Be Okay, Right?” by Ellie Northrop

Submitted to Contest #255

'She's going to be okay, right?' That question has been echoing in my mind as I stared numbly into the hospital room. Doctors and nurses are hovering over my mother as she struggles to breathe. They unbutton her blouse and stick adhesive pads to see her heartbeat. The ambient noise is drowning in my ears as I struggle to comprehend what is happening. 'She was fine just an hour ago.' I thought as I pressed my back against the wall. Slowly, I slide down the wall and sit on the hard linoleum floor. My lower lip quivers as tears peak at the corn...

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“Despair to Success” by Nadhira Dinesh

Submitted to Contest #255

Crash! There right before Iman’s very own eyes a delivery truck rammed into the car’s side sending it flying…with Arthur, his father, in it. He raced to the car while a ring of people gathered around the car. The truck driver smirked and drove away speedily. Haruko, his friend, dashed to the nearest telephone booth and called an ambulance. Iman threw the car door open and dragged his father out. All noise was muffled, tears were falling from his eyes. Iman’s mother with Lily, his little sister, raced out to see what all the commotion wa...

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“Memento Mori” by Joseph Cillo Jr

Submitted to Contest #255

So, this was death. Not far from the nothingness I anticipated—no bliss of heaven, which I had no right to expect, no fires of hell which I, perhaps, deserved. But to be conscious of the nothingness? Who knew? All that was, was no more, except me. I was, in the nothingness. There were no others. There were no other things. Nothing lived in the nothingness, but me. But was I actually alive?And yet, I remembered all that I used to be. Those I imagined I loved, those I hated, those I ignored, all that was evil, all the evil I had done and what ...

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“A Celebration of Life” by Matt Ward

Submitted to Contest #255

Contains the sadness of death of a loved one. A Celebration of Life A Celebration of Life. That’s what they call it nowadays. Funeral service, Memorial, Wake, Requiem Mass, there’s lots of names for it. But, for the widow or widower who truly loved the spouse, they all mean the same thing . . . separation, loneliness, despair. Such was the case for Mrs. Anna Kestler. She and Samuel had been married sixty years. Two daughters and six grandchildren had come from this union. It had been a b...

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“Shadow” by Daniel Kleba

Submitted to Contest #255

There once was a very old creature called Sun. Sun was ancient, and kind, and spread warmth wherever they went. Everyone loved Sun and Sun loved all of them. The flowers and trees would open their arms wide and praise Sun as it went by. Sun, in return, smiled brightly at their beauty and gave them food to eat. Cats loved Sun because it never judged them for sleeping all day and so, no matter where they slept, Sun could reach down and rub their bellies as much as it liked without worry of being clawed or bitten. The creatures of the sea swam ...

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“Money Can't Buy Happiness” by Lily Lloyd

Submitted to Contest #255

I wanted a pony when I was nine like every other imaginative little kid. The difference is that I only had to ask once before she showed up in our backyard with a baby pink saddle draped over her back. Her name was Buttercup, a golden American Shetland, and I loved her more than my own parents. She had never disappointed me by neglecting to read me bedtime stories or hired a caretaker to fulfill all of her parental duties the way my mom and dad had. Now that I’m older, I realize all those lavish gifts they gave me were just apologies wrapped...

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“Dachau for Queers” by Jeremy Stevens

Submitted to Contest #255

This story, including the derogatory title, is based on true events. ****There are James and Mary, all cuddly by his locker, she looking up to him, dotingly subservient. They are everything you would expect in the male/female archetype: he, tri-sport athlete —football, wrestling, track— and lettering in all three; studious; congenial; probably helps his old man till the land. Ruggedly handsome, chiseled features. Strong hands. Mary is, of course, a cheerleader. Her posture is ballet perfect. She is secretary for student government and has bi...

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$250

Prize money

365

Contest entries

142

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 21, 2024 EST

Won by Phoebe Barr 🏆

Title: Some Peace and Quiet

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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