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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

“Sweet Revenge” by Sophie P

Submitted to Contest #259

When she found the invitation for the college reunion under her door, Sarah had crossed the kitchen and frisbeed it directly into the trash. She’d never gone to one before, why start now? However, there were two reasons that, not long after, she found herself digging the invitation out, wiping coffee grounds off the surface so she could read the details. First, her life was going really well; she was living in a nice apartment in the city, had just landed her dream job, and even had enough time left over to do the hobbies that made it look l...

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“A Long Walk to Red Ridge” by Keba Ghardt

Submitted to Contest #259

"Wait!" cried Big Bill Oarman. "I can make you rich, fast, but not if I'm dead!"Slim Kasance, called "Jerky" by anyone on his bad side, kept the revolver pointed at Big Bill, and added to it a suspicious squint. "Buster, you're slipperier than an eel in axel grease. Ol' Slim hates a card shark, and you ain't nothing but a poker-faced thief!""Exactly!" insisted Big Bill. "Look, you shoot me now, you ain't never seeing that cash again. It's paying for the room, a bladder full of beers, and, well, Becky, here." He nodded to the terrified lump o...

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“The Things We Cannot Say” by Amanda Clark

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #259

Is nobody going to say it? But I’m not brave enough to let the words pounding in my head cross my lips. My mom puffs on her cigarette, oxygen cannulas shoved upher nose, while her brand-new concentrator hums along with the cicadas. A monthin the hospital—four long touch and go weeks, one emergency surgery and thewords “stage four lung cancer.” Yet, here she sits, as if nothing has changed. Old habits die hard, I guess. Her nightgown hangs loose around her from the weight she lost during her hospital stay. She blames it on the quality o...

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“Rooster in the Hen House. ” by Julie Grenness

Submitted to Contest #259

Henny and Penny came to the world as eggs to be hatched in the usual way. Sapphire, who used to be ordinary Jenny, nurtured her baby chickens in their hen house in the back yard. Henny and Penny soon firmly believed they ran the hen house, which consisted of a sisterly journey. Sapphire had been divorced some time before by her ex. His name was Blake. Unfortunately for all concerned, his dominating mother from Hell was still washing his underwear. No other woman he had craved would touch him with a 1000 foot barge pole. Sapphire spent her sp...

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“Elephant Party” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #259

Dylan loved baby elephants. I try to keep this in mind as I picture my old roommate Miles bursting through the door, then making everything about him. I’ll focus on the elephants. We’ve all had that friend–the one we were inseparable from in school, but as the years go past, find ourselves drifting away from, until one day, we wonder why we were ever friends in the first place. For me, that friend is Miles. I feel a gentle squeeze on my arm and turn to see Clara, my wife. “It’s Dylan's day today,” she murmurs. Her eyes sparkle...

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“Blink and You’ll Miss It” by Eric E

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #259

Keith Mitchell awakes to the sound of a ringing bell. As it has been since the accident, there is a second of confusion at waking up somewhere that is not his mother’s house. It doesn’t take long for him to remember where he is - the Haxton Regional Rehabilitation Centre. He repeats the words to himself and that helps to clear the fog of sleep. Then, he turns to sit at the side of the bed, winces at the pain in his head and lifts the leg that is still in a cast to join his other uninjured leg. He’s become used to the dull, itchy feeling belo...

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“Anything but Evident” by Kate Winchester

Submitted to Contest #259

Author’s note: This story is a sequel to Anything but Elementary.***Trigger Warning*** contains discussion about eating disorders Rhett watched as Tricia pushed her food around on her plate. Every now and then she would bring a minuscule bite to her mouth. “Tricia, stop playing with your food and eat it.” He nudged her. His lightheartedness masked his concern. “I am eating.” Tricia said rolling her eyes. She took a forkful of food and shoved it into her mouth. In contrast to Tricia, Rhett cou...

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“Dark Waters, Darker Secrets” by W. H. Goodwater

Submitted to Contest #259

The Scottish Highlands greeted me with a misty embrace as I got out of the car. I was unsure of what to expect upon arrival, but I could feel the chill, the dampness, the entire landscape whispering secrets I was eager to uncover. My cottage was little more than an old bothy, and while I appreciated the historical authenticity of the space, it did feel a bit cramped. I've rented it out for the next six months while I gather data. It was in the perfect place, nestled up close to the vast, somewhat foreboding (now that I take it in), bog.From ...

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“The Road From Cabazon” by Thomas Wetzel

Submitted to Contest #259

The trail leading into Los Rios Ranchos was dry and dusty, it being August and not a drop of rain had fallen in over five months. The temperature was high even for this time of year and Diego’s horse, Alejandro, was moving slowly, in need of water and shade and more. Diego himself was well aware that his own body felt much the same way. He was encouraged to see the village not far up ahead and even more so when he reached the stables behind the saloon. Alejandro was well-lathered and clearly worn out by then, in need of rest. It had been a l...

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“Moon Mad” by Bryan Kish

Submitted to Contest #259

Vivian Caninus stomped forward. Her eyes were ravenous. Jamie trembled in her chair, dropped the iPhone on the table, and raised her hands above her head. She did this because that’s what she saw people in Netflix shows do. She’d also seen actors put their phones on silent and hit the emergency button, calling out to 911. “Think you can just waltz into my home and make a fool of me and my boy?!” Vivian yelled at Jamie, who was eyeing her iPhone on the table. “Is nobody going say it?” Jamie asked, seeing that Vivian was sta...

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“AMBER AND THE SECRETS OF CEDAR HOLLOW” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #259

A young and adventurous fox arrived in Cedar Hollow on a chilly autumn day. Amber had a sleek, agile frame with vibrant reddish-orange fur glistening in the autumn sun. Her sharp, curious eyes had a deep amber color, matching her name, and they sparkled with intelligence and determination. Bushy tail, tipped with white, swayed as she moved, and her pointed ears were always alert, twitching at the slightest sound. She wore a small satchel over her shoulder, filled with notes and small trinkets she had collected on her journey. The air around...

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“When The World Began To Wilt” by Josiah Mporampora

Submitted to Contest #259

“It’s like…the world is slowly dying.” My friend's eyes stared into mine. I could feel--even see the fear that they shared--that we all shared. Something strange was happening to Earth. It was as if everyone at the same time began to give up on life. The fire that burns in us to prosper, thrive--to simply live…it would dwindle in all humans no matter their background. My friends were just talking about how great it is that crime, especially violent, is at an all time low. What they didn’t know before I op...

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“Naked Angel ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #259

“If you take your own life that God gave you then you will suffer greatly with the eternal flames of Hell.” Sister Dominique said soberly to the sixth grade class in front of her during Religious Instruction which was scheduled after lunch. What I heard as these words came from her lips was, “You mother is suffering right now in those eternal flames of Hell.” We never talk about it at home. There is guilt and shame and I am told not to mention it. It would upset my father is what I am told by Marsha. Marsha is h...

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“Faith Amidst the Storm” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #259

Life had a knack for turning on a dime in the quaint, sleepy coastal town of Willow Creek. Sarah, a girl of deep faith and unwavering devotion to her Lord and Savior, found her world turned upside down the day she met Alex. A tall, brooding man with fiery, rebellious eyes, Alex was the antithesis of everything Sarah believed in. Yet, as fate would have it, the moment she first set eyes on him, her heart found something in his stormy gaze it simply couldn't resist. Sarah's faith had wavered before, but this time, it felt different. Her once-s...

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“Salad Days” by Paul Hellyer

Submitted to Contest #259

At last, Alphonse arrived, fashionably late in the usual conspicuous manner that he had come to be known for. The sleek Bentley pulled up slowly in front of the house, and even the servants couldn’t help but raise their eyebrows, as he cavorted out of the back, his impeccable cream suit offset by an outrageous looking pink dyed fur. If PETA had anything to say about that, he had clearly not gotten the memo. The front doors to the foyer swung wide open with a great crash, and he strode in elegantly and confidently.‘Smashing party.&n...

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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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