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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#277: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ReedsyWicked to share your stories (and potentially get featured on our social accounts)!

If you’re a musical lover like me, you’ve probably marked your calendar for the release date of the upcoming Wicked film adaptation. With gorgeous costumes, a superstar cast, and new renditions of beloved songs like “Defying Gravity,” the movie is sure to be a treat for Wicked fans around the world.

I first saw the Wicked musical in my late teens, and although more than a decade has passed since then, I’ll never forget how much it moved me. In addition to its breathtaking special effects and impressive performances, the musical also has heart. It shows the origin story of a notorious fictional character, the Wicked Witch of the West, and explores relatable, resonant themes — from identity and self-acceptance to the notion of “good” versus “evil.”

This week, let’s conjure up some stories inspired by Wicked. Set your story in a fairy tale land, write about a misunderstood, overlooked character, or do something completely unexpected with the prompts… it’s up to you!

🥇 Winner

“The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s Report” by Troy Phillips

🏆 Winner of Contest #277

The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s ReportBy B.B. Wolf, Senior Building Inspector, Woodland District Code Enforcement DivisionLet me set the record straight. After twenty-seven years with the Woodland Building Department (WBD), I’ve seen every construction shortcut and code violation imaginable. But nothing—and I mean nothing—compares to the infamous Three Pigs incident of 2023. The media had a field day with it, of course. “Big Bad Wolf Terrorizes Innocent Homeowners!” Please. I enforced the International Building Code, 2...

115 comments 115

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Longing for Youth Lost” by Ghost Writer

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #277

Kurt looks down on his newborn great-great-grandson. He’s swaddled tightly in a blue blanket. On his head is a little beanie with blue, yellow, and green rocking horses. A Beatrix Potter mobile spins above him. Peter Cottontail and Benjiman Bunny had danced him to sleep with a sweet lullaby. The boy’s face looks peaceful, free of the daily stressors that the adult mind must sort through while slumbering. The baby is still, relaxed, cozy – the perfect sleep. It has been a long time since Kurt has had a sleep even half as good. His bladder isn...

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“The Moral of the Story” by Ian Gonzales

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #277

The guard leading me into the room gives a hard yank on the chain. Pain lances through my neck, and I snarl, baring my impressive fangs for full effect. He shies away, naked fear on his face, before remembering which of us is supposed to be the prisoner.“Watch it, mutt, or you’ll be drinking out of the toilet through a wired jaw,” he says, his tough-guy tone betrayed by the quaver in his voice and the stink of fear in his scent.I snort in contempt. “Oh, please, CO. We both know who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.”His expression hardens, mouth ...

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“A Tale of the Rose” by Caroline Hope

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #277

There’s always a story before the once upon a time. Either people don’t care to hear, or they simply don’t know it exists, but what a foolish and diminutive mind they must possess to never think of what occurred before, to never ponder the flawless entanglement of events that leads to the moment where the princess becomes the heroine and the Queen is left to be the majesty of nothing. The tale I speak of is about a princess similar to the one you are acquainted with, but in actuality, they share no resemblance except for their indisputable b...

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“The Rehabilitation of Professor Greymane” by Manning Bridges

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #277

The fluorescent lights in Dr. Lamb's office stripped away all shadows, leaving nowhere to hide. Her wool caught their sterile glare like fresh snow, while my grey fur appeared dull, institutional—the same color as the tweed jacket I'd worn for twenty years of faculty meetings. A copy of my latest academic paper, "Predator Narratives in Post-Integration Literature," lay untouched on her desk beside a more recent document: "Incident Report #2847: Unauthorized Pursuit of Content Creator."I shifted in the human-sized chair, my frame too lar...

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This week's prompts

Write a story about an outsider or social outcast who will do anything to fit in.

Angst – 42 stories

Start or end your story with two friends who become enemies/rivals, or vice versa.

Dramatic – 22 stories

Write from the POV of a fairy tale character sharing their side of the story.

Short Story – 110 stories

Center your story around a character who longs for something they’ve lost.

Dramatic – 88 stories

Write a story with the word “wicked” in the title.

Short Story – 66 stories

Stories

“The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s Report” by Troy Phillips

🏆 Winner of Contest #277

The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s ReportBy B.B. Wolf, Senior Building Inspector, Woodland District Code Enforcement DivisionLet me set the record straight. After twenty-seven years with the Woodland Building Department (WBD), I’ve seen every construction shortcut and code violation imaginable. But nothing—and I mean nothing—compares to the infamous Three Pigs incident of 2023. The media had a field day with it, of course. “Big Bad Wolf Terrorizes Innocent Homeowners!” Please. I enforced the International Building Code, 2...

115 comments 115

Read story

“Wicked Musings” by Harry Stuart

Submitted to Contest #277

The secrets of the universe are locked up in some fantastical equation or algorithm, a cadence of numbering yet discovered, while the wiles of man are purest in word form. The careful articulations, yes, those subtle utterances are the spaces between heaven and hell.“I’m afraid.”“What are you afraid of?”“I’m afraid of falling for you.”And I kick you in the gut with a hard dissonance, because the words don’t align. There is a cosmic discord between the syllables sprung to life and the daily actions. You know this isn’t truth-telling, but you ...

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“Tears For A Lost Love” by Shirley Medhurst

Submitted to Contest #277

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, right at the tippy top of the Misty Mountains, there lived a big bad ogre in a castle guarded by gargoyles and topped off with turrets, towers and all that scary stuff that ogres usually have on their castles. ’Orrible Oswald, as he was known, was so-named as he happened to be a most ’orrible ogre who was just about as ’orrible as ’orrible could be. In fact, he was so ’orrible that none of the other ogres would have anything at all to do with him and he had to live alone. Well, not completely a...

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“A Wicked Walk” by Brynn Helena

Submitted to Contest #277

Safety starts to feel like a myth when you’re selling your body like it’s a hanger for a clothing rack. This is me, am I good enough for you? Are my legs thin enough, or do they rub together too much when I walk? Do you like my eyes, my chin? Should I swing my hips or not? Do I have a boring face, an average body? I’ve even been told I was too pretty before. A pat on the hand, the way a child gets a bandage for a wound that nobody can see. Sorry, we’re looking for uglier girls; you understand. No, I don’t. The music is pumping in ...

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“The Pod and the Purpose” by Tom Skye

Submitted to Contest #277

There are moments when one must question the course of their life. Did one make a misstep, demonstrate poor judgment, or was one simply subjected to a sobering dose of bad luck? And if one truly has a purpose, was it met? For me, this period of introspection began eight hours ago when I heard the girl start to moan. True, the bedroom was dark and the two of us were alone, but I promise I never touched her, not once. I was completely trapped and paralyzed, and endured her moans the whole night. As no one came running to her aid, at least...

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“Roar” by Beth Jackson

Submitted to Contest #277

Rain lashes the windscreen as the old Ford jostles the curb into the driveway, and we arrive, wipers thumping, suspension groaning and intentions looming. I curl my fingers around the door handle and push myself against the seat, sucking in a deep breath.It’s been a big weekend.I have an unpleasant task ahead of me.Vic pulls up the handbrake, and the car comes to a rest, the headlights casting a cone of illumination to the front door, catching the rain in their light.“Night, Madeline Beare. It’s been a fun retreat,” he says, doffing an imagi...

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“Longing for Youth Lost” by Ghost Writer

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #277

Kurt looks down on his newborn great-great-grandson. He’s swaddled tightly in a blue blanket. On his head is a little beanie with blue, yellow, and green rocking horses. A Beatrix Potter mobile spins above him. Peter Cottontail and Benjiman Bunny had danced him to sleep with a sweet lullaby. The boy’s face looks peaceful, free of the daily stressors that the adult mind must sort through while slumbering. The baby is still, relaxed, cozy – the perfect sleep. It has been a long time since Kurt has had a sleep even half as good. His bladder isn...

Read story

“Wicked theft. A cautionary tale.” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #277

A conversation with my computer. Computer voice expertly supplied by Derrick M. Domican. Thank you, Derrick for your time, thoughts and words. Couldn't have done it without you.Here we go, new week, new story. I need characters, and a plot with a beginning, middle and end. Who'll be my main character, what about a side character, point of view. Shall I go with close narrative? First person narrative? Oh, how about second person, always a challenge. But what about the plot, plot, plot, plot.I can help.Sh. I’m thinking. Plot, plot …Theft.Huh?...

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“Wicked Heart” by Donald Haddix

Submitted to Contest #277

Wicked Heart This story is one we all know. It is a depiction of the Toy Soldier. Let’s not waste anymore of the 3000 words. It was a bloody battlefield at the North Pole. Blood in the form of silver and gold glitter littered the bodies of Jack, the tin soldier, and the gingerbread men and was seeping everywhere. As Jack lie there injured, he saw his fallen comrades. It was a scene that would live in infamy in his mind forever. As the medics lifted him to safety, he began to fade. We begin this story in the land of Jimmy Vanderpool. Jimmy wa...

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“Piped to Freedom” by Corey Melin

Submitted to Contest #277

I lay back in my relaxing chair as I watched the flames grow higher and higher. There have been so many occasions I have sat in the chair reading one of numerous books I owned until I grew weary. I put the book down, closed my eyes, and went off into dreamland. But today will not be the case, as I have a piece of parchment on my lap and a quill ready to write to the ones I love. How should I start my letter to the ones I regard as my children? &nb...

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“The Mirror’s Lament” by Darvico Ulmeli

Submitted to Contest #277

They call me “Magic.” They call me “Wise.” They call me the voice of truth. But they never ask what I am or what I want. For centuries, I have been nothing more than a cursed pane of silver, bound to reflect what the world demands of me. I have no name, no face of my own — only the echoes of a hundred queens who stood before me, whispering their fears into the void. Each one sought the same answer. Am I beautiful? Am I worthy? Am I the fairest of them all? The answer is never mine to give. I am a mirror, not a judge. The truth I speak comes ...

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“You Don't Like Me?” by Alex V. Mortis

Submitted to Contest #277

CW: This story contains graphic violence, including mutilation, abduction, and murder."When you look in your mirror, surely you tell yourself you are beautiful. Oh, I am very sure you often tell yourself that. Do you admire your fit body after the gym and tell yourself you are perfect? Or at least think you are?* * *The feeling of rejection followed him throughout his life. It was there when school children pushed him and laughed at his looks. His face wasn't horrific, but it had imperfections—a slightly crooked nose, uneven skin tone, eyes ...

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“He's Pointing a Cookie at Me” by Daniel Rogers

Submitted to Contest #277

"Knock it off! Fleabags!" Another acorn hit me in the ear. I picked it up and hurled it at the nearest squirrel. It missed."Just what I expected from a baker," the squirrel said. "Go back to the kitchen and bake cookies. It's all you're good for." The squirrel clan laughed.I picked up another acorn and hit the rodent between the eyes. That put an end to his laughter."How's that for a baker?"The squirrel clan redoubled their missile attack. Acorns pelted me on all sides. Squeakings rang out for reinforcements. I just had to poke the bear. I'm...

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“Johnny's Quest” by Trudy Jas

Submitted to Contest #277

Once upon a time, there was a little boy. We’ll call him Johnny. He was a beautiful little fellow, with big chocolate eyes and a head full of dark curls. Such a happy little boy with a winning smile. As soon as little Johnny could walk, he went out and made friends, lots of friends. Little Johnny was popular and fit in everywhere he went.Until …Johnny had never spent a minute thinking about IT, what IT was or why he would need IT. But gradually he felt as if he had lost something. Didn’t his classmates laughed at him when he couldn’t cl...

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“Letting Go” by Ty Warmbrodt

Submitted to Contest #277

Allen Moore takes a seat on the couch. He’s wearing the #1 dad t-shirt his kids gave to him six years ago. It has shrunk and he has grown around the middle. He wears it with the worn-out pair of black & blue plaid pajama bottoms his wife has always threatened to throw away. She never did because she knew they were his favorite. An off-white terrycloth robe and moccasin slippers top off the ensemble that compliments his unkempt hair and a week’s worth of stubble. He pours bourbon into a tumbler piled to the top with ice. He stares at the ...

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$250

Prize money

328

Contest entries

121

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 22, 2024 EST

Won by Troy Phillips 🏆

Title: The Three Little Pigs Incident: A Building Inspector’s Report

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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