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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#263: Heroes and Villains

If you’re an avid cinemagoer, you’ve probably seen trailers or posters for the recently released superhero comedy film Deadpool & Wolverine. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing two beloved characters set aside their differences to save the world — and potentially start an unlikely friendship along the way.

Inspired by Deadpool & Wolverine, this week's prompts center around protagonists and antagonists. Create a new kind of hero or villain, parody a character who already exists, or go totally off script and interpret the prompts in a creative, unexpected way… the choice is yours!

This week's prompts

Write a story from the antagonist’s point of view.

Character – 84 stories

Start or end your story with a hero losing their powers.

Character – 41 stories

Write about two mortal enemies who must work together.

Character – 29 stories

Center your story around someone facing their biggest fear or enemy.

Character – 71 stories

Write the origin story of a notorious villain.

Character – 89 stories

Stories

“Call It Her Final Payment” by Chris Sage

Submitted to Contest #263

Morganna never wanted to be evil. Not as such. Just to give a few pompous so-and-so’s a bit of a fright. Maybe have a little chuckle at their misfortune while she was at it. The problem with the sort of raw power she had, was that aiming was tricky. She might just want to make a rat appear in someone's hair, get a few screams, take them down a peg. Unfortunately, if she was feeling grumpy, it'd manifest in her spell, and a red-eyed hell-rat would bite off half an ear and there'd be all sorts of unnecessary fuss. Never mind that she could fix...

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“One Book Wonder” by Jack Kimball

Submitted to Contest #263

New York City: 1955Lonnie White pulled up his collar at a Fifth Avenue bookstore window against the cold. Black patches from lack of sleep lay under his eyes. Snowflakes, each an unkindly tiny angel to his mind, descended in the night. But it wasn’t the crystals scurrying down his back that gave him the shudders. Nor was it the ice melting in the hollow of his back. It was the overwhelming thought the snow crystals gathered together purposely, of one mind, a sentient being. This is not possible, he told himself. But it feels, all the same, l...

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“The Jew in the Brambles (based on the tale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm)” by Tamar Shapiro-Tamir

Submitted to Contest #263

Content warnings: physical violence, anti-Semitism Long ago, when my grandfather’s grandfather was a boy, in a shtetl in Lithuania there lived a merchant named Eliezer. He was a kind man and a hard worker, and if he was proud of the money he made and his ability to support his family, why should he not be? Plenty of people have liked the taste of money for worse reasons. One day, Eliezer was going to make a trip to sell his wares at the great market in the next town over. As he kissed his three daughters goodbye, he said to them, “My g...

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“Lead a Normal Life ” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #263

It’s nice here with a view of trees.Eating with a spoon?They don’t give you knives?‘Spect you watch those trees.Blowing in the breeze,We want to see you lead a normal life.-“Lead A Normal Life” (Peter Gabriel)And with that, I lowered my arms and waited for the cheers to stop as I rested.When you are a superhero, you know that there are going to be moments when you have to make decisions that will affect a lot of people. You will have to do things that no one else will have to choose. That was my fate.I had to choose.And now, it was all over....

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“Bush Smart” by James Scott

Submitted to Contest #263

Trigger warning: Sexual violence, horrendous language, physical violence and some gore. Honestly a little ashamed at how depraved this is - but the content was a situation my partner was warned against as a teenage girl growing up in Australia. Unfortunately, a very scary reality.Ryan blinked over his contracting pupils against the bright lights that signaled closing time. The heavy drinks he’d had earlier in the night, although keeping him happily inhibition free, were not enough to guard against the sinking feeling in his chest brought on ...

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“The Hidden Life of Captain Alfonse on the Ship Destiny's Dreams ” by Kristi Gott

Submitted to Contest #263

The seafaring students in front of Captain Alfonse were not aware of the depths and layers, the secrets and hidden history inside of him.Contradictions had fought inside him on many sleepless nights. One side had won, with a little outside help.In 1898 Captain Alfonse stood smiling on the deck of the hybrid clipper ship and steamer Destiny’s Dreams. They were sailing off the coasts of Argentina and Brazil. He was so happy at the way things had turned out. Life was so full of unexpected twists.His was full of ocean waves, endless skies, ...

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“Superhero” by Lily Finch

Submitted to Contest #263

It was April 24, 2024, when my mother arrived at her doctor's office and heard that her mortal enemy and most significant fear was back, and she was going to have to face it all again.The shock carried her home, and she drove her car on automatic pilot. She exited the porch, entered the house, and collapsed onto the couch.She called my older sister, whom she lived with during the week.She said, "I have some bad news. I have lung cancer.""You have what? What do you mean?" My sister said that numbness took over her extremities.The two ladies s...

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“The End” by Brian Haddad

Submitted to Contest #263

A lead slug slams into the rocky ground by Hobart's feet and he recoils into the air. Stone shards spray up into his exposed shins, leaving them stinging and raw. Hobart takes frantic, clumsy steps back, his eyes fixed firmly on the gun in Haley's hands."Give me one good reason not to kill you," Haley yells.The gun's concussive report still echoes in Hobart's ears, so the yelling is more than justified. "Because that's not what you do," he calls out, stumbling back and glancing over his shoulder to check his surroundings. A lone tree stands ...

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“The Thorns of '69” by Carol Stewart

Submitted to Contest #263

When Barbara left for Universe City, Dad said she went with a rocket up her ass. 'Not a by-your-leave' according to Mum who still couldn’t quite believe she'd 'just flounced right on out of the door'. I think she really meant 'bounced' for I could see how my sister would have done that if she’d been sat on a rocket. Don’t know where she did blast-off. Maybe the carpark.Mum was so mad at her going like that as she’d wanted to see her off, and she’d made all those sandwiches too, went out and bought that special coffee. Wouldn’t get anything n...

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“Thyme to Give Back” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #263

Chase came in from the evening, arms overladen with shopping bags. Jolon Dugal relaxed. He’d been half expecting the boy to refuse his requests because of insanity. He couldn’t hold it against Chase; the kid was only doing his job. But Jolon had to do this, no matter Chase’s discomfort. He opened his arms and smiled. ‘Chase, my boy! Good morning. How was the shopping excursion?’ Chase frowned for a fraction of a second but then erased it from his face. He paused, seeming to consider his words. He stared down at the many bags from many differ...

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“The path you set ablaze” by M.D. Adler

Submitted to Contest #263

TW: Mentions of physical violence. Some stories shouldn't be told by me, especially stories such as this one. Regrettably, you will find this story bruised by my thoughts, my bias, my voice, all things of mine that shouldn't belong here. I bruised it while trying to hold on tight, as it twisted, turned, and writhed in my hands, trying to escape. “I don't belong to you.” It shrieked. I felt guilty digging my nails deeper into these stories, knowing none of these memories were mine to exhibit. Yet, all of them are true. There's a reason why yo...

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“Guess who? ” by Chiro Roussette

Submitted to Contest #263

Guess who I am if you dare? I am famous, famous for how efficiently I managed to bar the entrance to a coveted historical place. I am, in other words, The Bouncer of Greek mythology. No, I am not Cerberus… Cerberus, bless his brawny shoulders, wasn’t really a bouncer… Cerberus stood by Hades’ side, he growled and looked scary, and helped his master herd unruly souls into hell. Cerberus was a glorified sheep dog who unlike me never had any brains… just muscle. He obeyed orders efficiently and swiftly, but he never thought any strate...

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“Heart of the Dragon” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #263

When I took the assignment to interview Rico Mendoza, I didn’t have a clue that the interview would take place on the last day of his life. I have been a reporter for the Charlotte Observer for over ten years. Recently, I was promoted to the main source of legal matters including capital punishment cases. While this may sound exciting and engaging, the reality of sitting in a courtroom day after day isn’t really a picnic, if you ask me. Rico was sitting on Death Row in the Central Federal Prison in Raleigh for multipl...

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“The Deep Dive” by Karen Hope

Submitted to Contest #263

Sarah wasn’t sure when she had become such a big worrier. She had always been cautious, but as she approached 30 she had to push herself harder to do anything outside of her comfort zone. It was much easier to stay home and work in the small backyard garden of her townhouse or delve into one of her many crochet projects than to put to herself out there. Sure, she went to parties and events, but not without a million doubts and hesitations running through her head first. She was usually emotionally exhausted before she even left the hous...

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“Strange Bedfellows on Fravert Avenue” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #263

Strange Bedfellows on Fravert Avenue“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”- Ancient proverb.Throughout the course of human history, bitter rivalries have always piqued the interest of the masses. The Hatfield and McCoys, the Greeks and the Persians, Godzilla and King Kong quickly come to mind. But on Fravert Avenue in this small Colorado town, the unsettling hostilities between Herb Farnsworth and Scottie Shlep will forever reign supreme over the topic of guys who just couldn’t ...

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$250

Prize money

314

Contest entries

109

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 16, 2024 EST

Won by Eliza Entwistle 🏆

Title: Petrified

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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