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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 road home” by Turner Powers

Submitted to Contest #255

I came to in the car. Unsure of how I got there or what time it was, I looked towards my husband. His face said it all. The rage, the disappointment, the tears. My head splitting, my cracked lips crusted together with the dried sugar of wine. I ran my tongue over my teeth, a viscous film coating them making my already tender stomach roll. Shifting my gritty eyes and oily face towards him, I managed to croak, “What time is it?”“1PM. It’s 1 fucking o’clock in the afternoon,” he didn’t even make a motion to look at me. As if meeting eyes w...

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“A Small Relief” by Sophie Goldstein

Submitted to Contest #255

Lalo woke with an overwhelming throbbing in his head.He pushed the tequila bottle lying next to him off the bed and proceeded to cut his feet on the broken glass below.Limping to the bathroom, he waded through more tequila bottles on the floor, bags of chips, remnants of fast food, donuts.He cleaned his bloody feet, wishing it hurt more.So, he could feel something else than what he felt now.He stared at his reflection.She wouldn’t like this, he thought.“She wouldn’t like this at all,” he said aloud.“No, I wouldn’t,” came the imagined reply.“...

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“Keep Your Enemies Close” by Bekah Wren

Submitted to Contest #255

Trigger Warnings: Grief, physical violence, blood- It is said that the screams that filled the air that September night still echo through the city’s streets. Many people whispered about the source of the noise. Was it a bloody stand-off between gangs? Had vengeful spirits taken to haunting the streets? Was it simply a stray cat yowling under the light of the full moon? No one would ever guess that the screams came from one of the most feared criminals the city had seen in decades. “Why? Why did you come here?” Gideon held Casey in his arms....

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“Rootbound” by Mike Rancourt

Submitted to Contest #255

“Today, I take Texas!” Antoine said, deepening his voice to adopt the bravado of a confident athlete predicting victory.Carolina laughed and watched his dread locks swing side to side as he hopped on his shitty, fifty-pound mountain bike and worked the pedals in that exaggerated, jumping-up-and-down, grunting way he always did to get a chuckle out of her.“No pain no gain!” he called back over his shoulder.He could pass as a jock with his broad shoulders and muscular frame—and those calves—but Carolina knew that was only a millimeter deep.“St...

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“The Stages” by Allyson Jannotta

Submitted to Contest #255

CHAPTER 1: “Oh come on! What are you, scared?” “I’m not scared,” says the teen girl reluctantly. “It’s just that, we are so far from home and it’s – it’s dark.” The boy flirtatiously grabs her hands and pulls her closer. “But you have a big strong man here to protect you.” "Big. Strong. Man. Hmmmm," she says checking out his smaller physique. Embarassed, he realizes a man, big or strong may be a poor choice in words. He is a young teen barely out of puberty. He is more young and fearless, or an adult might say reckless. He leans in for thei...

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“Heartflame” by Oliver Rolandson

Submitted to Contest #255

Bjor stared at his daughter, who lay unconscious next to the ice witch on the frozen stone floor. Her long red hair covered the wounds on her face, and only the slow rise and fall of her breathing let him know that she was still alive.In stark contrast to him. His chest heaved frantically as if his lungs were being constricted by an invisible band. His insides felt like they were freezing solid. Broken and bloody, he knelt in the snow and dirt, unable to look away from her. She looked so fragile lying there in the snow. He knew wha...

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“The Accident” by Roxanne-Lou AMINIAN

Submitted to Contest #255

The road twisted wildly between his headlights, the tortured tires echoing their painful cries through the valley with each curve. He drove nervously, which was understandable. It wasn’t just that he wanted to—it was that he needed to. He had argued on the phone with Sophie again, and now, instead of meeting her as planned, he was heading home at four in the morning after dropping off a client in the countryside. He accelerated further. The BMW, indifferent to its tires, growled and played along. He vaguely knew that he associated his car wi...

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“The Ice Cream Vendor” by Debra Williams

Submitted to Contest #255

THE ICE-CREAM VENDOR “Mum, where’s that music coming from?” Stephanie Pearson paused. Desperate for a shower, her fingers plucked at the clammy t-shirt embracing her body. Unpacking nearly done; a cool drink would be heavenly. Faint strains of tinny music sailed the air: haunting, then strangely familiar. Suddenly, she was ten years old again.“Ha! Beat ya!” shouted Peter.Stephanie poked her brother in the ribs. “Next time. Just you wait.”Childhood Sundays. Sunday School was first, where Peter always belted out his favourite song, ...

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“The Ghosts of Dax Dufort” by William Siebold

Submitted to Contest #255

Absolute stillness. Silence. The predawn hour was the time that fear and loss and guilt played cruelly with his mind. Regret ruled, easy and seductive. He had reached too far. Expected too much. Friends died because of it, families torn apart because the job was more important. Today was the end of it. Dax Dufort breathed deeply, shook the mood off.Dax wrapped his hands around his favorite coffee mug. He took pleasure in the shape and weight and warmth. This was real. He could touch it. He savored the morning’s first sip of fresh brewed hot ...

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“A practice in despair” by N.F. Moran

Submitted to Contest #255

I lay on the sofa and watched the mornings light creep across the wall, its warmth and brightness in stark contrast to the cold darkness that crept across my soul.How long had I been lying here? The TV screen had gone dark and silence lay heavy in the air. Two bottles of red wine stood empty and proud on the edge of the coffee table.I thought about all the Tupperware holding casseroles in the fridge. When did I last eat? I still wasn’t hungry, would I ever feel hungry again? The emptiness I felt ran deeper; like someone had reached inside me...

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“I Want Home” by Philip Dmitriev

Submitted to Contest #255

This text contains the horrors of war and may affect your mood. [Line censored], 9 October 1917, France.Born: 25 July 1890.Regiment: 2/10 Middlesex regiment.Regiment number: 2857Rank: Private This letter is being delivered in an 'Honour Envelope' and shall be read and censored only in London, avoiding all the other checks. Hello, my sunflower. I am sorrY I don't have the time to write you more letters (I would like though). It's been quite a tough time here, since the end of September my division went to Passchendaele. The whOLe Augus...

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“The Darlington Ball” by Franny Behrman

Submitted to Contest #255

The Darlington ball was the event of the season. It was all Mama had talked about for weeks, the only topic that seemed to break down some of the distance between us and take the wary uncertainty out of her eyes. She positively glowed with pride as we set off in the carriage---me in the new dress that Mama said brought out the green flecks in my eyes and my stiff new slippers with just the slightest heel. I felt scared and stiff and strange, but I was determined to please Mama, to make such a success of the evening that I would erase the bit...

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“ Planet in Despair” by Roneta Davis

Submitted to Contest #255

This story contains triggering content related to mental health, suicide, or self-harm. I parked the car on the gravel path that led to the house. The color had faded into varying hues of grey, emphasizing the years my family abandoned it. Grabbing my camera as I opened the door to the car, a light scent of lavender traveled through my nose, unlocking forgotten memories hidden in the back of my mind. I pushed the car door shut and began my journey to the past filled with nostalgia. I never asked Dr. Redding if this visit could do more harm...

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“Clarity” by Kira Paul

Submitted to Contest #255

“I don’t want to see you anymore.” I should have known. Curse my unrelenting optimism. The signs were glaringly obvious, now that I look back. We had been seeing each other casually for five months with nothing to show for it. I’d asked him multiple times if we were exclusive, and each time he’d changed the subject. I felt like such an idiot. The morning sun shone brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the chipped sunflower-patterned coffee mug steaming where it sat in front of me. My fingernails tapped the mahogany table delic...

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“Faded colours” by Dunja Inajetovic

Submitted to Contest #255

“We have to go, Fatima. After what happened, we both know we can’t stay here! It isn’t safe anymore.” He whispered, barely breathing.“No, we can’t go. We built our lives here. Kenan, Bosna je naš dom. We can’t leave our families behind. We can’t leave our home behind. We can’t leave our country in a state like this!” She whisper-shouted in the dark kitchen.For once, I didn’t wake up to the bombing, the cries of nightmares. It was majka’s and babo’s arguing in the kitchen next to my room that woke me up in the middle of the night. “It’s not o...

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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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