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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#256: Going for Gold

We're entering into a major summer of sports. From the Euros and the Copa America, through Grand Prix and grand slams, to the Olympics and Paralympics, you can barely switch on the TV without catching something. Even those of us who aren't usually sports fans seem to be finding ourselves caught up in the fever-pitch of excitement.

And there's a reason for this: sports bring us together. Whether we're viewing for the spectacle, for tales of heroism and tragedy, or for a feeling of community, there's just something about it. This week's prompts invite you to channel the experience of athletes and fans, and to capture that atmosphere in writing. We look forward to seeing who takes gold!

This week's prompts

Set your story in the stands at a major sporting event.

Fiction – 40 stories

Write about someone who has trained all their life for one moment.

Character – 45 stories

Write a story about an underdog, or somebody making a comeback.

Character – 42 stories

Write about a moment of defeat.

Angst – 54 stories

Write a story about two sporting rivals having to work together.

Funny – 23 stories

Stories

“Ballpark Estimate” by Peter Wallace

Submitted to Contest #256

“So, this is baseball.” Bill was thinking that perhaps it was a mistake to persuade his new girlfriend to come to the Milwaukee Brewers baseball game that evening. It appeared that she had dug in her heels about the sport and was committed to not having a good time. “Yes, Ellen, this is baseball. Isn’t the field beautiful?” &n...

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“The Last Arena” by Matt Craig

Submitted to Contest #256

The stench of blood and sweat mingled with the clamor of the arena as I sat silent amidst the commotion. My gaze was fixed on Silas who stood chained in the pit below. His eyes were as sharp as ever as they darted across the enclosure. The air hung heavy, saturated with the anticipation of violence. "Fight or die! Fight or die!" the crowd chanted, their voices a relentless, thunderous wave. "Fight and die," I whispered to myself. A shiver coursed through me. A memory clawed its way to the surface, dragging me back to that night. The alley ha...

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“Iris” by Jocelyn Ni

Submitted to Contest #256

289/?: The Angels’ middle blocker, number 01, soaring through the air. She has one arm drawn back like an archangel about to swing their fiery sword. The sound of the landing spike boomed across the court. Eve rolled her shoulders, briefly examining the photo of number 01 as she lowered her camera. The weight of it introduced a new crick in her neck upon every hour, but the cheers rumbling over her shoulders shook off the ache, leaving behind the shower of an odd thrill that thrummed the rest of the way down her body. “They’re unstoppable!” ...

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“Just Another Reason” by Angela Wicke

Submitted to Contest #256

“On your mark.” He took a deep breath as he crouched down at the ready, fingertips lightly grazing the lip of the block. He shut out the sounds of the crowd, the creak of the block under his weight, and even the hum of the lights overhead. All that was left was the thunder in his ears, and the anticipation of what was to come. A flash of light, muted by his goggles, followed by the sharp beep signaling the start of the race. He hated the sound, dreaded it in the hours before a m...

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“Running for my Life” by A S

Submitted to Contest #256

Trigger warning: There are several sensitive themes within this tale. Sexual violence on a child. Gun violence is also mentioned. Closing my eyes I know I saw the truth clearer than people who meander through congested crowds searching for silver seats in stands and cheer for a person here and there. I am the lone soldier on that line impatiently waiting on the crack of a rifle to begin my defeat. Bone white lines that fence in losers and winners and those pretending to be something they’re not. “Boom.”First steps seemed too easy...

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“Hot dogs or legs?” by Masha Kurbatova

Submitted to Contest #256

I was only 13, so no one believed me about the bats. Mom said, “Sara, bats don't live in trees. Don't be silly.” I knew she was objectively wrong. Wikipedia said so. And a whole colony nested in the crepe myrtle outside my window. At night, skeletal branches tapped the glass, bending under the bats’ weight. Their green eyes glowed through the bug screen. They watched me. I couldn’t sleep. I was in ninth grade, much too old to recruit parents in the fight against night terrors. So for a week, no sleep, just me tucked stiff, sore, unmovi...

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“The Old Man at the Entrance” by Rajesh Jha

Submitted to Contest #256

As soon as he reached foyer, which was relatively empty and properly lighted, Harris recognized the entrance of the apartment that he has come to visit; a faint smile returned to the old man’s freckled face. The apartment was on the fifth floor, had three bedrooms and other important facilities as expected in a modern, chic place for living. He was slightly upset after getting no response from inside, despite his ringing the bell two times in the past fifteen minutes; he has clearly heard the piercing sound of the bell. He pressed a...

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“The Crumbling Farmhouse” by W. H. Goodwater

Submitted to Contest #256

(TW: story deals with mental health and aftermath of abuse) Penelope broke her unfocused gaze and looked up from the littered earthen floor of her small farmhouse, her eyes flitting past the hearth in the corner. She didn’t need to look at it to feel it there. Or, rather, not feel it there. Warmth, gone. Cold ash in its place. It bore marks from countless fires that had kept her family safe and sound even on the coldest nights. She shifted her focus from the crumbling bricks around the small window in her dilapidated home to their mode...

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“Silver Linings” by Melvin Writes

Submitted to Contest #256

Chloe stood on the edge of the badminton court, her racket trembling in her hand. The crowd's roar echoed around her, but it felt distant, almost muted. The championship match was over, and she had lost. Her opponent's shuttlecock had landed just inside the line, securing the final point. Chloe had fought hard, poured her heart into every swing, every leap, but it wasn’t enough. She had come so close, but in the end, it was the silver medal that hung around her neck, not the gold.The final moments of the match replayed in Chloe's mind like a...

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“Dancing with Destiny ” by Marley Monroe

Submitted to Contest #256

She never wanted to be a mother, not in any of the ways that could sustain her through the first eighteen years of a life, that is. She wanted to be a mother in the way that some want to learn to play an instrument or wish to discover a hidden talent. The wish is genuine, but the dedication to following through is flighty at best. The older the child grew, the less they held her attention. Every day they grew more independent and less a living doll, the more her interest in them seemed to evaporate. After all, what good is a living doll if i...

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“Paul” by Jess Davis

Submitted to Contest #256

October 31, 1915 Somme, France Nurse Clara's Private Writings I took down the crucifix that hung above my bed today. What a meaningless little trinket it seems in this foreign land, in this strange and hideous hall of hell. I felt guilty when I did it. Please understand that. I did it anyway, but I nearly felt I would cry. Yet, why today? Of all the days there are, marching before the last like tiny toy soldiers, why did I take it off the wall today? What was the fateful straw that broke the camel's back? It was this: I watched a f...

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“It's All About the Game” by Pete Gautchier

Submitted to Contest #256

Prompt: Write a story about a moment of defeat. (with two rivals coming together) It’s All About the GameThe summer of 1969 came alive for many of us. The popular song “Summer of 69” by Bryan Adams became our mantra although we never understood what it really meant. Events like the moon landing by the Apollo astronauts and the throngs of thousands gathering at the Woodstock Music Festival riveted our attention. Some people soared at supersonic speeds on the Concorde jet. Despite these positive thing...

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“Withering Courage” by Shadow TheHedgehog

Submitted to Contest #256

I knew all people won and lost, but I couldn’t recall a moment where I had truly won.The night was cold, but no colder than the look in the Nazi’s eye. Silver rays of moonlight through the clouds glinted on his Mauser. The streets were deserted and utterly quiet, but the gunshot shattered the silence as easily as it would have a window pane.It was over for Marysia. Within seconds, it was just… over. …I’d been heading to Old Town, a district of Warsaw, Poland to deliver illegal newspapers in the dead of night. These newspapers were produ...

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“That Body Was Mine” by Allie Mae Sakry

Submitted to Contest #256

And just like that, I am dead. I have been defeated. With a few quick shots to the chest, and my final breath, I am done. There is no more of me. Where I once was, I am no longer. The brick behind me will forever be stained with my blood and a few bullet holes from that powerful tommy gun. Red on red, with the lake at my side. Yes, that body was indeed mine. Allow me to explain. I was young, approximately 12 years old, when I came into the life I lived until my dying breath. My owner, Paul, had ordered me many customers. I hated them all. Th...

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“The King's Man” by 𝔊𝔲𝔞𝔡𝔞𝔩𝔲𝔭𝔢 𝔗𝔢𝔩𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔯

Submitted to Contest #256

Watch fires blazed in the darkness of night. Stars glittered overhead in the heavens. The smell of water and mud hung in the air, wafting from the scattered pools that surrounded Rabba, the city of waters. Frog calls nearly drowned out the crackle and pop of flaming wood and the snoring of an army of Israelite warriors camped in the fields outside the city. Footsteps approached, and the walker was challenged by sentries. When he identified himself as a messenger from King David, who had sent him to General Joab, he was taken to the tent...

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$250

Prize money

204

Contest entries

102

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 28, 2024 EST

Won by Melissa Van Rensburg 🏆

Title: Injury Time

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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