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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 tallest tower” by Charlotte Daly

Submitted to Contest #255

I thought this was love.Oh, I was foolish. I trusted him with my heart, with my whole being. When he whispered in my ear, his promises slipped into my dreams, colouring another world, a world made by the two of us, made bright by our future. We always said that once we escaped, the world would be ours. We were going to conquer the seas together, create calm where once was havoc. And now, I am left alone amidst an unforgiving ocean, waves taller than anything I have faced, ocean spray plummeting against me, pushing me deeper in...

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“Cacophonous Despair, Hopeful Silence” by Robert Scott

Submitted to Contest #255

“Thank you for speaking with us, but we would like to find a candidate with more experience.” The words hung in the air as Carson quietly thanked the interviewer for his time. There was little else said as he was shown out; just a “Good Luck.” “Why bother responding?” Carson thought to himself. He walked in silence to his car, but the outward silence was inaudible to Carson as the rejection sat in his ears. The sounds of the ...

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“Ivy and Chuck” by Ann-Marie Everitt

Submitted to Contest #255

The coffee hissed inside the styrofoam cup, as Ivy stirred the artificial sweetener, she wished it was a faster acting poison. A bent snowflake swayed behind her husband's shoulder, and beyond that the diner’s nativity scene perched precariously on a rotten shelf, threatening to toss the Baby Jesus into the grimy abyss. Perhaps canceling this Christianity movement before it began would have been better for common folks like her. She startled herself, where do thoughts like this come from? Dementia, early stage dementia the social worker had ...

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“Parchment Embers” by Alyssa Krestal

Submitted to Contest #255

I stare at Victor. My breath hitches, my body tingles, I feel my head getting heavy. An invisible force is pushing on me; down into my seat, back against the chair. For a moment I want to run, another moment I want to cry, but I will not back down. I will not let him win. I cannot let him win. I breathe deeply through my nose, sit straight and place my hands on the desk. My eyes do not waver from his. I keep my voice calm, polite, and docile. I need him to trust me. “I do not know what you are accusing me of.” Victor stands in front of...

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“As long as I can” by Jessie Mavery

Submitted to Contest #255

Tears sting my eyes as I stare vacantly at the red streetlight above my head. The sky is already a dark shade of gray as the night approaches. The light turns green and a wave of people pushes me forward. It would annoy me, normally, but today I’m glad someone else is propping me forward, as my legs can barely function at this point.I've been walking for over an hour, heading nowhere, and this part of town is not familiar to me. Most shops are closed for the day, and the few restaurants and cafes are eerily empty.A sudden wave of exhaustion ...

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“All That's Left” by Jesse Glover

Submitted to Contest #255

What makes a house a home?It’s the little things. The keepsakes, the mementos, the kitschy things we bought from your favourite antique stores – that lampstand in the shape of a swan you laughed at me for loving, the old watercolour of lilies on a pond you insisted on hanging. It’s the photos we put on the fridge. Matching sweaters at Christmas, the summer at that resort near the beach. The Polaroid of you in a Freddy Krueger costume at our first Halloween party we hosted. Red cups scatted, half full, Joe and Zoey kissing in the backgro...

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“A Story of Courage and Acceptance: Greta's Journey” by Greta Dickerson

Submitted to Contest #255

IntroductionIn the heart of Virginia, nestled within a rural community, the year 1965 marked a transformative period of change and turmoil. For Greta Epps, a brave and outspoken young girl, this experience would test her strength, courage, and resilience. As one of the 33 students who chose to integrate into the previously all-white schools of her county, Greta was not just any student—she was an athlete, a daughter of Civil Rights activists, and a rebel with a cause. She and 32 other Black students were trailblazers who sacrificed much to o...

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“Fading” by Amelie Vickery

Submitted to Contest #255

Sensitive Content warning: This story addresses Anorexia. I sigh. I lift a piece of cucumber to my lips; some watery fluid runs down my lips. I try not to lick, not wanting any of it in my mouth. I look in the mirror, slowly pulling up my tights. My eyes look shiny and huge. I have big eyes and I like them. My mum just said yesterday that they now look bigger than my face. I disagree. My cheeks remind me of chipmunks. They look round and filled. My hand touches over one side. I squeeze gently to see, where they are too big. Oh, I almost lo...

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“The Real Reason” by S. M. Lewis

Submitted to Contest #255

As the wax dripped down her ‘21’ candle, Hope contemplated this day marking four years of her captivity. Well, it hasn’t been that bad. Sort of. It’s hard to explain. No one expected my parents to be hit by that drunk driver. And Aunt Judy and Uncle Max stepped up. They’ve been great… in their own way. They’re doing their best. They love me. Maybe too much. Wow, am I really that selfish?Her gaze shifted towards the kitchen window, admiring the sapphire water gently rolling into the harbour. She adored Halifax’s breezy boardwalks and tre...

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“Cal's Date” by WRL Battle

Submitted to Contest #255

There are only so many ways I can tell Cal that his date is a no-show. His date was supposed to be here by seven-thirty. According to my phone, it’s nine o’clock and the server informed us that the restaurant will be closing in an hour. Poor guy. I kind of feel sorry for him. He returns to the dating game after fifteen years since his break up, and he’s ghosted on his first date. This guy stressed over which clothes to wear, spent at least an hour in the shower, and spent another ten minutes shaving the stubble off his chin. I a...

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“Business As Usual” by Abigail Gittins

Submitted to Contest #255

Henry woke at 7:05am, on the dot, and reached out to the bedside table for his glasses. He got up, stuffing his feet into his old, worn slippers, brushed his teeth, and headed downstairs.The sun was just starting to rise, and the air was still chilly, but his flannel pajamas kept him warm. He put the kettle on to boil, and set about making pancakes.By the time he was done, his wife had appeared at the kitchen table. She gave him a warm smile as he set the steaming plate in front of her, taking his seat on the opposite side. This had been the...

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“It’s okay” by Alonae Phillips

Submitted to Contest #255

Her phone is ringing. Again. She’s sitting next to her mother in the living room of her childhood home. The vibrations are somehow louder than the sitcom reruns playing on the T.V. She knows who is calling, the subject of the call is sitting next to her. Staring at the screen blankly, the same way she has been for weeks. “Mom. Mom? Mom!” Her mother slowly turns her head, not all the way facing her but in her general direction. “I’m going on the porch to take a call.” Her mother nods just as slowly as she turns her head but still ...

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“Samuel Took My Freedom” by Daniel Daisi

Submitted to Contest #255

[This story contains violence, improper language, and sensitive subject matters.] GOD placed man above the beasts of the Earth and imparted into him a sense of beauty. While the animals can only hunger, fear, and thirst, man has been blessed, or cursed, to also yearn. So it must have been the smell, or the sense, of something sweet that prompted a pure white rabbit, or rather the purest and finest rabbit this side of the Mason-Dixon (if you are to believe his owner), to ungratefully run away from the comforts of his abode. Adorned with all t...

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“When Hell Hath Fury” by Isaac Olakanmi

Submitted to Contest #255

Marco was no stranger to anger. He’d been angry when his classmates picked on him at school for being the smallest kid in his class. He’d been angry whenever he saw his drunk, deadbeat dad beat on his mom, angry when she would stand there helplessly, hopelessly, taking the abuse. He’d been angry when his father, the man who was supposed to protect him, would hit him until he couldn’t move. Anger was what he felt when his poor, failed excuse for parents let their friends do unspeakable things to him for some meager sums. Anger when his dad fi...

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“CONWAY WINSTON PERKINS BY PHILIP CONNELL” by Philip Connell

Submitted to Contest #255

A strange man moved into the house next door, and life was never the same again. For whatever reason, I can’t explain, I, Mary Wittington, instantly despised my new neighbour – Conway Winston Perkins. There are no words in the English dictionary to describe how I felt about him. Even the mere mention of his name, Conway Winston Perkins, filled me with angry bitterness that was worse than the wrath of Achilles. When I first laid eyes on Conway Winston Perkins, there was a massive swing in my personality. I could tell instantly that he was a...

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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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