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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#259: The Elephant in the Room

Once in a while, we all have to calculate what is and isn't worth saying. Whether it's admitting our feelings to a crush, acknowledging the brewing tension in a friendship, or speaking up in the face of injustice, we sometimes have to carefully decide what to speak up about, and what is better left unsaid.

This week's prompts are about moments just like these, when the metaphorical "elephant in the room" becomes unbearably large, and we must choose whether to speak our minds, or to leave well enough alone...

This week's prompts

Write a story about two people who aren't admitting their true feelings for one another, despite it being obvious to outsiders.

Romance – 57 stories

Place your characters in a tough situation, where nobody wants to acknowledge the reality of what's happening.

Angst – 83 stories

Write a story that includes the line, "Is nobody going to say it?".

Dialogue – 83 stories

In a small town, a powerful family have a dark secret that nobody wants to discuss. One day, an outsider arrives, who's not happy to simply drop it.

Mystery – 47 stories

Set your story in a world where conversation about one particular topic is banned — but there are ways to get around the rule.

Dystopian – 25 stories

Stories

“Who You Gonna Call? Not Us, Please” by Natalie Vicari

Submitted to Contest #259

(The asylum mentioned in this story, Larundel, was a real asylum in Melbourne, Australia. The story of the main character's mum visiting is a true story of my mum, aunty, cousin and myself going to Larundel in 1997 when I was a year old) My best friends have come up with some absolutely ridiculous activities and pranks in the past, but this might just be the dumbest one yet.Our friendship group has been a steady constant in my life since we were all 10 years old. In Grade 4, my parents separated and as a result, my mum, older brother and mys...

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“The Empathetic Prism” by Tapo Behera

Submitted to Contest #259

The three of them lingered around the dinner table, savoring the last bites of dessert. "Peter, this tiramisu is incredible!" Mary exclaimed. "You truly outdid yourself with dinner tonight." "Thanks, Mom," Peter replied with a warm smile. "I've been learning how to make it for a while now. I actually wanted to take you both to that new Italian restaurant, but—" "True," Mary interjected, "but there's something magical about celebrating at home, wouldn't you agree, David?" David grinned. "Absolutely. I've been missing this homey vibe ever sinc...

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“The Intervention” by Victor Lloyd

Submitted to Contest #259

The InterventionBy T. Victor Lloyd Kenyon Parker was doing what he usually did right after dinner – talking to Brandon – when his mother called him from downstairs. “Kenyon, can you come down to the den for a few minutes? I need to talk to you.” That was suspicious, he thought. “She never wants to talk with me in the den,” he relayed to Brandon. “Uh oh,” he said, now a bit nervous. “Unless I’m in trouble. “Hold on...

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“Сaressing with eyes” by Юлiя Прис

Submitted to Contest #259

He looked at her in such a way that the world became brighter and warmer in her eyes! She loved herself in his eyes! She felt like a Queen! A star! Eyes know how to speak! "I love you! I want you! You are beautiful! I'm so happy to see you! Thank you for being you! Have a good day! It's such a shame you're leaving! I miss you already!" But he won't say all that out loud to her, because he's married! And he fell in love with her without wanting to! He didn't want it, but life gave him her! The Empress! A lioness! A lioness! A lioness wit...

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“Anxiety Party ” by Beau Danner

Submitted to Contest #259

The pot on the stove was now boiling over onto the stovetop as the heat had finally overcome the cold of the frozen dumplings. The sound of another guest was knocking on the door to be let in and the buzzer was going off requesting to let yet another person in the front door downstairs. “Good God,” Dexter thought as he rushed to put out literal and figurative fires. He darted out of the kitchen and then noticed that the foam container holding all of the non-alcoholic drinks was already leaking on the floor and half of the 20 people invited h...

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“The Niche In The Bathroom Wall” by David Lim

Submitted to Contest #259

Trigger warning: voyeurism, body shaming “…what on earth are all of you doing?” There were six of them, crowded against each other in a sea of pulsating, twitching black and brown, craning their heads to peer out of the narrow niche in the corners onto the sight below. And then there were two of us, the “scouts” as the colony would call us, emerging from our nest to look for these six runaways. Life was hard for all of us. We had to look out for each other. If any of us ran away, he might emerge dead in the form of a flattened co...

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“A Taste Of Deceit ” by Steve Krysak

Submitted to Contest #259

Pictures scattered across the desk had captured scenes from the Salem Witch Trials. Not paintings or charcoal sketches, but high-resolution photos taken with a professional camera. The 50-megapixels revealed, with exquisite clarity, the fear-laced intensity in the accused’s eyes. The woman's gaze remained downcast as judges and clergy, dressed in elaborate outfits, pointed at her with palpable anger.“This is some of your best work Tobias,” said a woman behind the desk. “I envision the next issue of the Chrono-Chronicle featuring this picture...

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“MAN IN THE MIDDLE” by Otieno Onyando

Submitted to Contest #259

“Listen to me Benji, this…I really don’t even have the words to describe it. You just have to see for yourself. I’m sending the location.”“Okaaa...” His voice lulls off.“Benji! Don’t tell me you’re fucking sleeping while I’m trying to tell you something important.” His voice is firm but bereft of any malice. Like a lightning bolt, it spurs Benji’s seemingly drugged mind to life.“No no, I’m not sleeping.” He quickly rebuts, rubbing his face effusively and letting out a deep yawn. He could hear the shower running. Marianne’s mellifluous voice ...

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“Ghostly Image” by Radmila Djurica

Submitted to Contest #259

When the photographer captures the unexplainable image, it is his duty to be initially puzzled. A small, picturesque town nestled among rolling hills, where locals are content with their simple lives and familiar routines. But, beneath the surface of this idyllic community lies a chilling secret guarded by the town's most influential family. The outsiders, a journalist and his photographer with a reputation for uncovering hidden truths, arrived in the town, hoping to get a story about the oldest wine basement in the county. They both’ve hear...

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“You Can't Run from Karma” by Kim Dyas

Submitted to Contest #259

When opportunity knocks, you have to be ready to take advantage of that opportunity. That’s what Dad drilled into us, and in a small town, you grab any opportunity that comes your way with both hands.Our family have been living out on the land for the last 3 generations. It’s tough. Drought, floods, bushfires, we see it all out here. It can be soul destroying, especially when a natural disaster comes along and wipes out everything you have worked for. It brings you to your knees let me tell you. I’ve seen my Dad, the toughest man in existenc...

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“A Candle Burns” by Hannah Simpson

Submitted to Contest #259

The tiles had discoloured since Meryl had last set eyes on her uncle’s cottage. As the bus puffed out black smoke along the country road, she felt for the handle of her heavy rucksack and grunted as she put it on her back. Gravel crunched underfoot and a thin layer of dust settled on her already battered trainers. She could see the building at the crest of the small hill, just beyond The Carpenter’s Arms. Meryl stifled a yawn and began to walk, the events of recent weeks weighing on her as much as her belongings.She could feel the querying g...

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“Castle Colossus” by Dana Orr

Submitted to Contest #259

Stalking down the stone path rapidly, I take a moment to gather my spiraling thoughts and emotions. They shouldn’t cloud my judgment and force my hand. Justice should alone. Hood up, weapons tucked. I hear faintly in the mess of thoughts in my head. My thoughts swirl around once again. Feelings of anger not so foreign to my history flood them, pushing what control I did have, down until it almost doesn’t exist. With my cloak flapping in the wind, pants hugging every curve, and knee high leather boots concealing a knife or two; I ...

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“On The Road to Shambala” by Shelley Dawn Siddall

Submitted to Contest #259

On the road to Shambala“I was wrong,” I said to my friend Candance. “This is not a one horse town. If it was, that’s one productive horse.” I could hear her chuckle then the sudden lilt at the end of her laughter.“What do you mean by productive?”I looked around the gas station where I was sitting on the wild grass covered curb. “As far as the eye can see is poop. Horse manure everywhere. If one horse did all this, then it must have exploded.”“Gross. Why do you tell me these things Heidi? You know I have the weakest stomach in the world ...

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“Prosperity's costs” by Neena Albarus

Submitted to Contest #259

"Rica, you've been cocooned in luxury your entire life, blind to anything beyond your own gilded existence!” The enigmatic woman had the gall to sneer at me with chilling familiarity. Indeed, my existence had been steeped in material opulence. My lineage traced back to the illustrious founders of Syphon – visionaries who had transformed a wild expanse of trees into a bustling town of prosperity, complete with well-kept homes, sleek vehicles, and a skyline punctuated by lofty buildings. My family’s wealth and influence were interwoven into th...

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“Twin Adventures: The Secret, A Curse, A Monster” by Claudine Bailey

Submitted to Contest #259

The Richardson, the wealthiest family in Linstead, Jamaica, had decided to host a barbecue. Twins, Sean and Sadie were arguing over which juice to take from a cooler when a car swerved into the driveway.A woman came out of the old station wagon, with rollers in her hair and yard slippers on her feet. "Trevor! Trevor!"“Let’s go to the back,” Sean said. The back was where the other kids were, playing water sports.Sadie wanted to get in on the action. She pushed through the throng of people that had now encircled the woman. “Trevor, what d...

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$250

Prize money

295

Contest entries

143

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 19, 2024 EST

Won by Christine Foy Jackson 🏆

Title: Getting Better

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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