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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#44: Just the Beginning

Two weeks ago, our theme was story endings. This week, we're circling back to the starting line and focusing on story beginnings.

From Zora Neale Hurston's "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board." To Jane Austen's "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." And George Orwell's "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." Memorable lines stick with us because they're what propel us into the world of the story in the first place.

For more inspiration, check out our tips for crafting intriguing opening lines, and then dive into our beginning-themed prompts below!

This week's prompts

Write a story that starts with two characters saying goodbye.

Character – 248 stories

Write a story that starts with a life-changing event.

Novel – 175 stories

Write a story that starts with someone returning from a trip.

Character – 111 stories

Write a story that starts with a character-revealing something unusual about themselves.

Character – 142 stories

Write a story that starts by establishing its setting in a different time period — without explicitly stating what that period is.

Historical Fiction – 114 stories

Stories

“Monster Death” by Marian Reiley

Submitted to Contest #44

Hannah's mom, Prudence, had died two weeks ago. They had found the body lying in bed with the blankets shreded and bloody on top of her. The police had been summoned. Evidence on the scene was baffling.There was nothing to suggest either a struggle or forced entry. Yet Prudence's corpse had obvious wounds. Her entestines looked like they had ruptured and there were deep gouges and slashes on her abdomen. There was of course blood but CSI said it all appeared to be arterial spray and smeared transfer marks. More confusing was the lack of an...

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“Amaranthine” by Sara Catherine Andrade

Submitted to Contest #44

Getting hit by a truck hurt like hell.What started out as a typical day turned into something inconceivable. The moment I woke up, my body felt heavy and almost alien to me. As I looked in the mirror I found dark circles underneath my eyes and my skin was sickly pale. My copper-colored hair was dull but it was more unruly than usual. I tried my best to tame it with my brush before entering the bathroom.I was debating on going back to bed but I had to get to the university and submit my term paper before the professor failed me. I quickly sho...

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“Goodbye.” by Vaishnavi Venu

Submitted to Contest #44

She looks up at me her black hair dripping wet, cascading like waterfalls down her shoulder. Her eyes brim with tears as she asks pouting, “Why would you do that?” “Uh,” I start, a jug of water in my hand, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “ It was just a prank,” I say. I hear the door slam open, revealing a very crossed mom. “Priya, you’re the big sister! How could you this to your sister?!” she yells, yanking the water jug from me. “But it was just a prank-“ I start, but the door closes. “Look at that,” I say, plopping down on the ...

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“Forever” by Rachel Hudson

Submitted to Contest #44

“We can’t stay like this forever.” Ada blinked, jolted from her reverie. She gazed up into the man’s kind blue eyes as a small smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. The wind ruffled his chocolate-colored hair as he held the door of the tailor’s shop open for Ada to step through. Her cheeks grew warm and her heart skipped a beat. Unaware of how long she’d kept him there, Ada smiled sheepishly as her cheeks grew warm. “I… suppose you’re right. Thank you.” She slipped through the doorway and ducked behind a shelf, watching the man through...

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“In the Closet” by Sharlene Thomas

Submitted to Contest #44

Seven…eight…nine, yes, that’s right, nine steps, forty years ago; nine heavy footsteps echo on the tiled floor approaching the other side of the door. I see the knob begin to turn, then stop, as several voices enter the kitchen, and the footsteps retreat to attend the new arrivals. At first subdued and then growing louder with the confidence of people unaware they are being heard, introductions are made and acknowledged without a name being spoken. I’m sorry; that’s wrong. Forgive me. Not all the voices were loud and confident. There was one...

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“Dogs and Clowns” by Faith Chrayon

Submitted to Contest #44

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains a scene of sexual assault and a panic attack. “I will eradicate all crime in three to six months!” the dog shouted. The clowns raise their fists and shouts of hurrah echo across the streets. Millions of people surround the circus, most of them wearing makeup and clothes wide enough for two people to wear them at once. Their shoes are uniform: wide, big, getting in the way, yet refusing to acknowledge those it stepped on. The clowns continue to scream and praise the dog that gave them the daunting p...

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“A Husband's Scorn” by Daisy Alexander

Submitted to Contest #44

Anthony drove through the sub urban parts of the country and sighed at least a thousand times.'It can't be' he muttered.'I followed her, up till the hotel, how did i lose her? Did she notice i was tailing her? How come i didn't see the man?' He rubbed his temples in fraustration. 'Call Gloria' he instructed his car audio, after two rings, his secretary picked up. 'Good morning sir, How was your trip?''Good morning Gloria. Is my visitor there yet?'She informed him that the man he was expecting was waiting patiently for him, he promised to be ...

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“From Future Past” by A. Tahsin

Submitted to Contest #44

Fingernails dug into the bedsheets and a sigh raked through her body as her eyes flung open. She watched her chest heaving and her wonderous wide eyes sparkled with remembrance. Her pale cheeks slowly turned pink and a soft smile was carved onto her face. Susan, what a dream that was! The apparition of herself spoke from above. But I do not believe that was a dream at all, she spoke to herself when her soul returned to her body.At that moment her young maid walked in, completely unaware that her lady was awake, she hummed a soft tune putting...

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“Cyberdrive” by Jason Heiser

Submitted to Contest #44

It was Sunday afternoon around four pm when the alarm on my phone went off; it was time to return to reality. I had been having fun as the time that had passed very quickly I had just spent about eight hours indulging in some of my favorite fantasies. I had been experimenting with Cyberdrive a virtual reality device designed to let the user experience various computer games, movies or custom scenarios in a three dimensional setting. This was my first time using the software after...

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“Sabbatical Leave” by Jhumki R Vincent

Submitted to Contest #44

Donna observed the Sabbath Day in a stringent way, allowing no room for work. The weekdays were sufficiently hectic to keep her away from her own little time and space. Like every other Sunday, Donna stepped out of her bed a little later than usual. She moved to her balcony garden to water the plants and checked to see if they needed a trimming, when she heard the doorbell. It was not the beginning of the month to expect the newspaper man to collect the monthly subscription, perhaps the milkman who had not collected his dues last month. With...

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“The War” by Sharath Sriram

Submitted to Contest #44

My life turned upside down the day I returned from my long trip. Interrogator: "Trip? What trip? Where did you go?"Heh, I like to call it a trip. The general public calls it "the war". Anyways, like I said, it all started the day I returned from my trip. I was weary and the wounds of the war burned through my body. I walked patiently towards my home. The moment I turned to enter my street, I caught the familiar smell of my childhood. You are probably thinking that the street was crowded with people waiting to welcome their hero from the...

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“My Secret” by Konstandina Batsakis

Submitted to Contest #44

I have always hated lies. I have always believed keeping secrets is the same as lying, but what if some secrets are necessary. Right now, I am standing outside my house, returning from my trip to Spain, wishing I never went. I shake my head to rid those thoughts because what happened can never be undone. As I open my front door, I hear the faint sound of whispers. I open the light and “surprise” my two best friends, Tom and Sarah, call out. “Wow, you guys really didn’t have to do this,” I said. “Are you kidding me? What kind o...

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“The Lost Oasis” by Amber Beach

Submitted to Contest #44

Diary entry 366 October 2019,It's been a year and one day, she finally returned. I tried to be understanding of why she needed to go on that mission, but I was also angry. Going on the trip was last minute and random and could have destroyed our marriage, but I tried to be understanding. A year of feeling worried, lost, enraged, and distant from the world. Her leaving changed me, but I knew I had to talk to her eventually. She showed up at our doorstep last night, and I couldn't believe my eyes. She had a scratch on her left cheek, and a scr...

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“You're Back” by Janie Cruz

Submitted to Contest #44

Ann went in her office and looked around. It had been a whole year. It was nice to be back. She sat at her desk, turned on her computer, and looked at the schedule for today. She went down the list of photoshoots and stopped when she saw his name. Damn. She was hoping to avoid him at least a couple more days. He didn't even know she was back. This was going to be an awkward way for him to find out.******"Okay Niall, before we go to the studio, you've got an interview with a radio show and a photoshoot with Annalina Mikaelson." Jones, Nialls ...

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“Me or You?” by Sakthipriya Shanmugam

Submitted to Contest #44

“Mom, the trip was awesome. But I don’t like to be here. I just don’t like to be here. Please get me back to the same place” cried the daughter with loud noise.Mom smiled “This is the new place dear. You can’t be there even if you wish or cry”“Nope. It was pretty good. All covered. I felt like I was protected. I got all the things I want. Even though its dark, I liked it so much. No matter wat, I am going there. Please get me out of here” daughter cried loudly again.Mom told “you can get all the things that you want here. I am here to take c...

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$50

Prize money

790

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 05, 2020 EST

Won by D. Holmes 🏆

Title: A Gamble

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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