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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#43: Kidding Around

Want a quick way to lift your spirits? Revisit the books you loved as a child.

This week, we got a chance to do exactly that while writing a blog post on 100 Classic Children's Books, and we quickly found our minds swirling with imagined places and whimsical characters.

While our prompts this week are inspired by those same children's books, whether you write a children's story or not is up to you. Pick up your pen and let your imagination do the rest!

p.s. – Are you interested in coming behind the scenes of the Reedsy Prompts contest as a judge? Head here for more information!

🥇 Winner

“Reunion” by Guilherme Copati

Here's something I can tell you: he never really knew how to talk to me. Sometimes I picture him, back when I was the kid he couldn’t muster the guts to comprehend. I would sit very focused and important, surrounded by an assortment of odd, lifeless objects, and I would proceed to talk to them about serious business. I was their professor, at five years old, and I was teaching them how to read a book, and eventually I would slap them with a plastic ruler and scold them for being such terrible students and tell the...

163 comments 163

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“The Red Apple Tree” by Sayujyaraj Ghimire

Babu moshai!That’s what my Baba used to call me. As far as I can reminisce, I was called upon by numerous nicknames, but somehow I always knew those slew of names didn’t have a robust meaning. Babu moshai was meticulous, a two-syllable word that adumbrated a complex Sanskrit phonetic. Baba wasn’t much into the Vedic literature, but his prosaic artistry was unfathomable. Contrarily, Aama loathed the name babu moshai. She was coc...

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“Peace Be With You” by Vj Hamilton

Morning shuffled over the city, the clouds like discarded tissues on a floor changing from deep blue to azure. A few cars and trucks ventured into the streets. Far away sirens wailed. Grocery stores and pharmacies here and there began to roll up their shutters while reluctant shoppers in facemasks began to queue, six feet apart, watchful and silent. The shop doors whooshed open and one person at a time moved carefully inside.Olive, lying on a sofa, under an old wool blanket, saw only the clouds passing from the sky, as if an invisi...

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“Dear Mom” by Deborah Landers

Deer mommai am riting to say i luv u.luv Alice (age 4)Dear mommaToday the teacher said we haf to rite a leter to r heros. Yur my hero becuz u reed to me and tell me stuf evin when yur bizy.Love yur dotter Alice (age 5)P.s. I drawed u a flowr.Dear mama,I know your always busy, so I wrote a letter to tell you about my day. You can read it at lunch. They let you not work at lunch, right? Mrs. Lenard is reading us a book called flat stanly. It ...

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“Dark” by Jason Dean

You can’t just trip over a table every once in a while and convince people that you can’t see. So, I reach out to touch her hand and grab closer to the wrist then slowly move my hand down, so she notices.‘Don’t forget that table in the hall has moved a little bit, the rug is the same but its like six inches further out now’She doesn’t move things around much and when she does, she draws me a little mind map which is so sweet of her. Of course I can see every fucking thing as clearly as you would but fro...

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“Her Child” by Abigail Chinta

The first time Divija held the child in her hands, she wept. The tears she cried were of many different colors. They were of relief, of the child being born safely, without complications. They were also of love, of the instant, fearsomely strong bond that was formed between her and the precious child she held, the child she had carried and looked after and thought of for so, so long. But mostly, they were of grief. This was the first time she held the child. She knew it would also be one of the last. Their story be...

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This week's prompts:

Write a story about transformation.

General – 194 stories

Write a story about the relationship between a parent and a child that spans several years.

General – 134 stories

Write a story about someone who discovers a mysterious object in their home.

For Kids – 127 stories

Write a story about an average day turned upside down by an unexpected visitor.

For Kids – 119 stories

Write a story about an unlikely friendship.

For Kids – 123 stories

Stories

“Reunion” by Guilherme Copati

Here's something I can tell you: he never really knew how to talk to me. Sometimes I picture him, back when I was the kid he couldn’t muster the guts to comprehend. I would sit very focused and important, surrounded by an assortment of odd, lifeless objects, and I would proceed to talk to them about serious business. I was their professor, at five years old, and I was teaching them how to read a book, and eventually I would slap them with a plastic ruler and scold them for being such terrible students and tell the...

163 comments 163

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“The Things We Don't Realize” by Ai Jiang

It was coolest on Mondays because that was when you had to leave for school again.I watched my daughter as she bounded up the steps of the school bus, the pompon of her red hat bobbed up and down as she moved down the bus. Then, it would suddenly dip and disappear and suddenly her face was pressed against the third last window of the bus, her stubby fingers would wiggle frantically. Her nose always made an oil stain on the glass. I laughed as I waved back. Although she was now in middle school, I often became teary-eyed ...

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“Olivia's secret.” by Blessing Eke

It was their 7th year anniversary living in 2 lake Chad crescent, Maitama, Abuja and obviously their last because they were moving to their new apartment around summer next year.It was the Winterbell family's big day and it was just like the whole city graced their occasion. The Winterbells were a little family of four, Andreo and Katie and their two kids Arianne and Dothan. The kids sure had a lot of fun that day especially with the games they played. Dothan, 11 was with the other boys organising a barbecue party. Arianne...

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“Song of the Storm” by A. y. R

The storm engulfed the valley. It unsheathed its wrath on the Glen below; mercilessly. Arrochar, the valley of the two lochs, hidden among the Trossachs mountains. The village bared the angriest malice of the Scottish weather. The young boy stood at the bank of Loch Lomond, his gaze fixed on the towering mountain that pierced into the clouds. His breath held, listening to the melody of the storm. The roaring skies that bellowed thunder from its belly, the wind’s howl echoed through the Munros, and the waves crashed ...

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“Euthanasia” by Pragya Rathore

What felt worse, how normal things used to be, or how terrible they became?I laughed when they came. I did your job, I told them. Laughter was the best medicine, but it wouldn’t cure the gaping hole in their chests, which appeared to be true agony, from where blood oozed like the toothpastes they gave us. Just a little pressure, and it all came rushing out. How could you laugh when you might break at any moment?How could you laugh when you weren't human anymore?

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“Blue Moon” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

Men with angry-looking mustache make their way into the small garden. Each sits a chair apart, obscured slightly by the darkness of the other's hate. Before too long the garden is filled with four odd-looking men in grey and black suits. A woman in a fur coat comes in and settles in a chair that smells foreign. Three waitresses crowd the space with delicious-looking food and one of them brings out a wine so refined and expensive that despite the hate, the men all gasp in awe.They do not raise their glasses up, do not try...

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“Talking to Death.” by Avery Mason 🍍😇🤩

I was playing hide and seek with Shane when I found it. I hid in that dark closet in the corner of the room. Crouching down on the floor, hiding under luggage. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, that sent shivers down my spine. I screamed, but no noise came out. There wasn’t the familiar sound of the echo of the scream. It is like I didn’t even make a sound. A huge dark cloud exploded out in front of my eyes, and darkness enveloped the room. A huge figure in dark robes appeared right in front of my eyes. It was a skeleton-like c...

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“Forever is Tomorrow ” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

There will be a time I'll look back at the past and not feel a slight shock at all the wasted years and the drunken nights. Maybe under a camouflage of starlight I'll conjure up her face and not feel flattered by her smile or feel cornered by the guilt layered up in her eyes. I might even whisper her name to the doctors who restrain me with pills and rushed fantasies. I might love her freely or hate her deeply depending on the year and the number of empty bottles nestled under my arm.I'm still in my car with sunlight str...

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“My Father” by Abigail Airuedomwinya

The man and the child, frozen with inexplicable delight huddle together under the strain of a bent tree. The man says, "We still need more wood."And the child replies, "Yes, father."Inside the house, the fire in the grate has sparkled and burnt into smoke and ash and the kettle in the kitchen is black with soot. In the two rooms that mark two different territories, one thing remains constant: the old curtains flapping free. There was a woman before, beautiful with grace and kindness but when the cold came and the ...

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“What changed between then and now...” by Roshna Rusiniya

She is here! The tall woman in the long form fitting black dress, standing at the back of the crowd, several meters away from everyone else– that’s definitely her, Sarah. It’s been thirteen years since I last set eyes on her, but that’s one face I would never forget. The years had taken a toll on her– her cheeks look hollow, her eyes lifeless and the thick black hair that once framed her face is mostly silvery white now. She didn’t come alone. A man with long grey hair pulled back in...

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“Overtime Loss” by Emily Nghiem

I'll always treasure the letter my Mom wrote me when I turned thirty, telling me how proud she was of me, the grown man who was still her perfect baby boy. She even credited me for why she brought Matthew into the world, so I'd have a younger brother to play with, since Aaron was several years older. To her, Aaron, Matt and I were her pride and joy. To everyone else we were the Bailey boys, who played and fought with each other like a pack of wild puppies, never knowing when to quit. In the open fields near our house, we shot arrows up in...

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“Change Starts In My Thoughts” by Sadia Faisal

My hometown is Yamanouchi in Nagano Prefecture in Japan. As the site of the Shiga Highland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, our town aims to be a place where human beings and nature can coexist in abundance. We also concentrate on achieving human rights, peace, and social welfare. Maybe for that reason, I felt that I wanted to do something for the good of my town. The year I entered junior high school, Yamanouchi Junior High was accepted into the UNESCO Associated Schools Network. In school we work on ESD (Education for Sustainable Development),...

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“Equals” by Daryl Gravesande

Hanna:I was in the school bathroom, sitting on the floor; crying. Curled up in a ball, sobbing quietly. I really hated being treated like a child; but I’m so much more than that. If only people could see who I am, beyond my age. I heard footsteps approaching. I could tell the footsteps, They were Kelly’s. She stood before me.“Hey, are you alright?” She asked softly. “(sniffs) Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Kelly was my mom. We'd known each other ...

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“Foolish Wisdom ” by Vrishni Maharaj

The weather went out of its way to mock me that Sunday. I scowled at the sun, hating how it revelled in its unmitigated brilliance while I mourned the lack of my own. It was in times like this that I wished for snow in our tropical isle— perhaps, its iciness would temper the burn of rejection that I felt. The journey back home from Augustine University felt like a walk of shame, with each heavy footstep taking me further away from my dreams of becoming a successful writer. Professor Rawlings s...

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“Red Polish” by Lata B

Imagine your worst enemy ringing your doorbell. Don't tell me you don’t have a worst enemy. We all do. Have you ever been jealous of them? Have they ever made you feel small? Have they ever hurt you? Have you ever just gotten bad vibes from this person? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. The pain and heartache she makes me feel is unbelievable. It feels as if a sword has been pushed into my heart. She makes me want to slide into a corner and stop trying.

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$50

Prize money

730

Submissions

Ended on 23:59 - May 29, 2020 EST

Won by Guilherme Copati 🏆

Title: Reunion

Winning stories will be featured on our website and in our weekly newsletter. For more information, please consult our terms of use.

Submissions will be approved and published within 7 days of the contest closing.

Please keep your submission between 1,000 - 3,000 words.

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