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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

“Narcisse” by Alexandra Noir

Submitted to Contest #255

"I adore you, under these myrtles, oh uncertain Flesh sadly bloomed for solitudeWhich mirrors itself in the mirror of the sleeping woods.I can't free myself from your sweet presence,The lying hour is soft on the limbs on the mossAnd a dark delight swells the deep wind." Paul Valéry's "Le Cantique de Narcisse" *** The kisses of the mind began to fade, and you started dreaming of your forest, dreaming of your freedom! And you began to run towards a mirage, an illusion of lost time! You began to become grand, hoping that your greatness wo...

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“Shedding Your Past” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #255

The zombie staggered down an alleyway, disappearing into the gloom of the night. Viola Rodriguez frowned. That woman had been dead, all right: the eyes, the shamble, the stench, the groan. She would have run off screaming if she’d spied the creature a week ago. But it wasn’t a week ago; it was now, and Viola was a changed woman, unfortunately. And what did she have to lose? You couldn’t become both, could you? Besides, this was the first time she’d seen another monster – besides the one that haunted her dreams. She needed to know if there we...

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“Night Shift” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #255

.Night ShiftJack is two minutes late for work. Nothing unusual about that. He’s actually ahead of his own schedule, just not his boss’ schedule. He would have been on time, maybe even a minute or so early, if he hadn’t knocked Mrs. Compton off her feet in his rush to leave home. Apologizing profusely, hauling her clumsily upright, chasing and returning DeeDee, her toy poodle, had taken what little extra time he had allowed himself and then some.Catching all the red lights is as normal as his toast landing peanut butter-side down.With a grunt...

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“Liora; An Ugly Duckling Tale” by Rob Taylor

Submitted to Contest #255

In a quiet glade where the willows weep and the river whispers secrets, there once lived a duckling named Liora. Liora, with her patchy feathers and awkward waddle, endured the jeers of the pond creatures every day. "Ugly," the sleek mallards quacked, their voices dripping with scorn. "Freak," echoed the frogs from their lily pads, their croaks harsh and mocking. Liora bore these taunts in silence, her heart heavy yet hopeful. She often sought solace under a grand willow tree by the riverbank, its drooping branches creating a hidden sanctuar...

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“The Good Dancer” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #255

“I understand”, I say as I watch my boyfriend get up from the table where we’ve just shared our favorite Italian take out. “I know you have a lot of work to do.” He blows a kiss before disappearing into his office. When we signed the lease on this apartment 17 months ago, it was supposed to be our office, but Will is the one who sits there just about every night, usually while I watch TV or scroll mindlessly on my phone. I know being a lawyer is a lot of work, but if you already work 12 hours a day, how much more work can there be? I l...

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“Metamorphosis” by Kay Smith

Submitted to Contest #255

{TRIGGER WARNING: emotional, physical, abuse, serious illness, mental health}Across the hallway, at the Nurse’s Station, I hear the frenzied murmuring of voices. Something really must have stirred the hive to get them buzzing like that. Over the barely moving air, snatches of conversation; like little scraps of paper wafted across the sanitized hallway.“I’m not gonna be the one…”“….The Dragon Lady…”“…it’s not our fault the Rehab Unit doesn’t have their shit together …”“…I’m working today of all days! No fucking way; they don’t pay me enough…...

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“Casual Cruelty ” by Sarah Baker

Submitted to Contest #255

A hand rests against my chest but I wish that it would punch me instead.No… I need something more effective than that. Knocking me out might be a good alternative.Anything to get me out of this situation.“This?” Jesse wags a finger in between our faces. “What are you talking about? We’re not dating.”Forget me getting punched. I might just kill this girl.“What?” I laugh, looking around the car with a shocked smile I can’t hold back. What is she even saying…? She must be joking. She’s talking as if she hasn’t been holding me in ...

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“The Beethoven Goodbye ” by Christopher De La Rosa

Submitted to Contest #255

I was 15 when I had my first drink, a few days after February 28th, 2006. It was a morose day in which hundreds filled in the Greek Amphitheater that Santa Monica High School is so known for. The masses gathered to grieve the loss of the eternally missed Eddie Lopez, a friend to all, who on the night of February 28th was gunned down less than a mile from where I sit currently with the many memories shared rolling down my cheek. An improvement I’d say from the weeping and wailing on the day of my first drop. I learned early on that death wil...

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“A Painful Awakening” by Beverly Goldberg

Submitted to Contest #255

I'd always prided myself on my ability to remain calm, to assess situations, to look for solutions instead of letting things get to me. I can’t remember the last time I cried in public, the last time I raised my voice in response to an event or the words uttered by someone I classified as a fool. When my ex-husband said I was “robotic,” and it was driving him crazy, I was sad but accepting. And so, after five years of what I thought was a nice marriage, we divorced when he said it was either couples counseling or giving up. I thought about i...

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“Five Stages In Hong Kong” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #255

DenialJune 1997 Raymond Mok’s parents believed the world was ending when the Chinese flag was raised over Hong Kong in 1997. Friends had fled to Vancouver, but the possibility of leaving the city hadn’t even occurred to them. They owned a noodle shop in a public housing estate, and with 14-hour workdays, and the constant bustle of customers, there was little room left to contemplate such a drastic move.In the following weeks and months after the handover, things turned out to be not as bad as they had expected. Tanks didn’t roll through...

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“The Pretty Little Italian Girl” by Luca King Greek

Submitted to Contest #255

“Kill him, kill him. He is a worm”, the voice in Josefina’s head was louder.“Josefina, why don’t you sit down? Why don’t you drink this water?”, said Margherita, placing a glass on the kitchen table in front of the girl, “maybe it will help you calm down.” Margherita placed a hand on the Josefina’s shoulder and was shocked at how thin she was, just skin and bone beneath the woolen jacket. It only made the message more difficult to deliver.Josefina gulped at the water, spilling as much as she consumed, then held the glass ...

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“Simply Because I Could...” by Glenda Toews

Submitted to Contest #255

What I might have done yesterday, and who I might have been may be different today as I sit in my leather chair in the trailer I call home thinking on these things, but those decisions are gone. They are made like the bed I lay in. I must let them go or for sure they will strangle me in the sheets my mind rolls around in. I don’t want to think of him, but I can’t help it, and sometimes my brain beats so fast I need to drink beer or wine or something to deaden the thoughts that will otherwise rip right out of my mind if not pushed into a...

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“Shadows of What We Were” by Alexandra Noir

Submitted to Contest #255

***I painted you as a monster through thousands of words, only to later idolize you as a god. Gradually, you became a man, and now you are just a stranger.*** Dear you... The one who often told me how important I am and how lucky he is that I exist and that I am his. His... such beautiful words that slowly turned into tears. I was no longer his, and everything fell apart, taking us back to what we were at the beginning. Simple people with open wounds that turned into scars over time, like blades of grass s...

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“I am Perfectly Healthy” by Leah Billings

Submitted to Contest #255

Sensitive Content: The story could contain graphic descriptions of burns, injuries, or death.----------------------------------------------------------------I am perfectly healthy.I don’t understand why my family seems to think otherwise. Despite my age, I still lead an active life. Every day, I cook, make my bed, and run errands without any assistance. I am fully capable of taking care of myself, but this didn’t stop her.The strong smell of disinfectant and stale air filled my nostrils as I entered this dreary place. My daughter had insiste...

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“The Struggling Artist” by Marshall Gothage

Submitted to Contest #255

My forehead started to numb as it pressed against the cool, laminate bar top. I looked down at my weathered jeans, staring into the spots where my tears had soaked into the fabric. They created dark blue circles beside the colorful blots of oil paint my work clothes had collected, creating an unintentional abstract design. The tears finally completed the struggling artist's look I was going for. I was alone in the bar, aside from an older gentleman who sat at the end of the cane-shaped bar and paid me no attention. He was nursing a sco...

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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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