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#260 A Twist in the Tale

Has a friend ever recommended a book or a movie with the line, "The twist is amazing"? I usually hate when they do that. Even if they don't spill the beans on what the plot twist is, just knowing there is one can spoil the fun. I won't be able to resist trying to pre-empt the plot, and guess what that it might be — but a truly great twist is always rewarding, whether you expect it or not.

Here's a twist I'm sure you saw coming: this week's contest is all about them. Your readers will know there's one on the horizon. Can you still manage to surprise us?

This week's prompts

Write a story with a big twist.

Dramatic – 184 stories

Write a story in which a character learns something unexpected about someone they thought they knew well.

Mystery – 62 stories

Write a story about someone who realises the story of their life has been pre-determined — until they decide to divert from the expected path.

Character – 30 stories

Write a story that includes the line, "I didn't see that one coming."

Dialogue – 39 stories

Write a story using the most clichéd twist of all; it was all a dream.

Narrative – 103 stories

Stories

The Lesson

Submitted to Contest #260

Teacher: It is time. Are you ready to begin? Student: Yes, Master.Teacher: And are you prepared?Student: Yes, Master.Teacher: Very good. Today we will continue our lesson covering the history of the 21st century under the ancient calendar of pre-modern civilization.Student: Yes, Master. Further discussion of The Children of Madness!Teacher: That is not an accepted scholarly term. And please remove that facsimile of a smile from your face. You are here to learn. There will be time for play later.Student: Yes, Master.Teacher. Very go...

17 likes

Well, Sh*t. I'm Dead

Beau Danner

Submitted to Contest #260

So, I died today. Yeah, shitty I know. I was pissed. Wear a helmet they say, it’s the law they say, it’ll save your life in a crash they say. Yeah, but what they don’t say is that it’s not going to do diddly shit if you have an undiagnosed brain aneurysm during your morning commute and it goes Mount Vesuvius right when you’re coming up to a stop light behind a bus. I didn’t try to hold in a sneeze or anything! Just “pop” lights out. Okay, it wasn’t instant lights out. Honestly, it was kinda cool. First, I felt real tingly. My limbs went numb...

17 likes

Locket

Submitted to Contest #260

Unofficial Report Document:I did what I had to do.Okay, I am writing this to cover my own ass if any of this comes out. I was engaged by Captain K_____________ on a mission to retrieve an object on a post-apocalyptic Tier-4 planet and the mission went very badly. This is how I am interpreting it. This document will be stored with my other papers, so I do not expect to have this timestamped beyond the safe where it is kept and the lodging where I awaited my instructions. Again, I was taken onto a mission by a senior officer. I followed orders...

17 likes

Easy Money

Shortlisted for Contest #260 ⭐️

Easy MoneyPart I: Steve Debbie said that it was lucky for us, that the weather would make for fewer people on the roads, less chance we’d be seen. Twenty-five freaking degrees? I do not like the cold. This will be the first time I’ve ever done anything with Randy. This thing was his idea, I think, but it was Debbie that brought me into it. There’s six thousand dollars to be had and it sounds like no problem having it – if you don’t mind robbing some old lady, which I don’t. This weather is awful, though. They’re always predicting snow, but w...

17 likes

Night Watchers of the Rain

Submitted to Contest #260

It was that kind of rain; rebound romantic, film-noir. Stars rising up from the concrete, playing strobe to the night, a ricochet of orbs under the streetlight. Silver-screen, cinematic black and white, like Bogart had never been buried and Marlowe was out there somewhere casting shadows. Collar turned up on his trench coat, one foot against the wall, fedora tipped… Here’s looking at you kid… She waited. Sheltered in her doorway, one curved flight above the street, the sultry Bacall. One last draw on her cigarette, firefly orange, flicked ov...

17 likes

I'm Broken

Submitted to Contest #260

"Daddy, I'm broken." A phone call at two in the morning, and those words crying out in the dark are the reason I am on this flight. I went to find my daughter, my little girl.It wasn't easy, but she was coherent enough to give me directions, and from her history I can now go to any city and know where to find her. It's usually where they all hang out.That was five days ago, I am now on another flight, returning home.Sitting in silence, there is only one other person in the row, and he isn't much of a talker. Leaning back in my chair I stare ...

17 likes

Awake

Submitted to Contest #260

Beep! Beep! Beep! Symone turned and slapped at the alarm clock, stretching and staring at the ceiling in the grey morning light, shaking off sleep. The dream plagued her again: being trapped in her old office, stuck in the musty, dingy brown walls. Nothing like a dream job turned into a nightmare to smash the visions of your youth. Then again, it was just a nightmare. She left that job fifteen years ago. She sat up and gently pulled the covers over Galen’s shoulders, mussing his short, dark blonde hair. He was still on medical leave, recove...

16 likes

Meow

Submitted to Contest #260

Meow High above the city, Pastor Paul Morse of The Church of The Believers sat in his leather backed chair in his penthouse office and surveyed the view. He ran his fingers through his middle aged, oily hair and smiled to himself at the view from his office. He had just spent a week in the Bahamas as part of his ministry and after he had returned, he checked the financial reports and found that the ministry had raised double the amount from the previous month.  Membership rolls indicated an increase in numbers but, it was down from the...

16 likes

At His Will

Nina H

Submitted to Contest #260

     One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Breathe.      My chest tightens as it fills with air, breathing in the nauseating combination of odors filling the room. The unmistakable smell of blood. Whose blood was it? The smell of alcohol, burning in my nostrils. The dank smell of some kind of chalky smoke. That smell makes me sick, and my stomach turns.      I need a window. Fresh air. But of course this room has no opening to the outside.    &nbs...

15 likes

Fields of Red

W. H. Goodwater

Submitted to Contest #260

Persephonus looked up at his mother. Her dark, curly hair was shining with a red ochre halo from the window’s light, framing her in glory. The light was sharp and illuminated only her, with all else cast into shadowy, unknowable darkness. His home was familiar, a soft feeling, but it felt fuzzier than usual. He longed for the sunlight ringing his mother’s hair to kiss his skin, and then he remembered the back garden, and all the flowers in bloom outside.  “Can I go out back and pick a bouquet? There’s someone special in my life that I ...

14 likes

The Woolybugger

Submitted to Contest #260

   You know the old expression, raining cats and dogs? Well, I saw neither cats nor dogs, but it was raining too hard for any living creature to be walking the streets of Cincinnati. I had taken the bus to the emergency room for ex rays on my fractured arm. My experience with emergency rooms is to anticipate a lengthy wait. Nothing happens there at the speed of light. It was late by the time I saw the doctor, and a heavy storm struck before I could start for home. I wasn't prepared for the rain. On a side street down from the ...

14 likes

The Farm

Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #260

The CIA never confirmed it, but Daria Ahmadi knew her ability to speak fluent Farsi is what led to her recruitment. Six months out of Ohio State, having sent hundreds of unanswered job applications, she had been working at her parents' Subway sandwich shop in Minneapolis when the US government flew her to Washington DC for an interview.Three weeks later, she was at ‘The Farm’, deep in the Virginia woods, training on how to be an intelligence officer. She learned how to tail targets without being seen, how to collect dead drops, mastered all ...

14 likes

A Fish Tale

John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #260

“Now I know how a pinball feels.” Joel shot his hands out this way and that.“You do?”“Yeah, no personal autonomy. Always reacting to this flipper, that bumper… and don’t forget gravity.”“Gravity’s a bitch.” Keith laughed.Joel Fitzhugh was talking to his father.“And why do you feel this way, Joel?”“Everything in my life. You and Silvana always nudging me in opposite directions… Work is demanding…”“Work does that...” Amused, Keith had heard this before. “How is Silvana? Haven’t seen her.”“Oh, we broke up. She left.”“What! The wedding’s off? Wh...

14 likes

Everything

Page Jenkins

Submitted to Contest #260

In the distance sat an immense forest. A woman, beautiful as can be, walked by the old stone entrance to the path into the woods. Thick greenery covered the old stone entrance and beckoned the woman daily. Everyday she made the conscious decision to stay on track. She had materials to care for and felt there was no time to focus on her individually. In fact, that is utter nonsense and she is not important enough to think she could take any time for it. The only way to stay within societal expectations is to numb yourself to the what ifs. Act...

14 likes

Love Goes Through the Stomach

Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #260

The scream bit into the night, tearing through the peace like teeth through flesh.Travis Wells lurched awake; silk sheets pooled around him, revealing his well-toned abs. His heart – strong and resilient – throbbed inside his chest, but it did not gallop. Even when he woke up to a damsel in distress calling out for help, he woke up calm and collected. And that had been a damsel in distress – or, rather, the damsel in distress. It was Winona Chavez who rented the apartment two doors down the corridor. Travis wasted no time. He was out of bed ...

14 likes

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Contest #260

This contest has ended. Thank you for your submissions.

$250

Prize money

418

Entries

129

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 26, 2024 EST

Won by Elizabeth Hoban 🏆

Title: You

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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