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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#50: A Moment Like This

Throughout this contest, we’ve read wonderful entries that provide sweeping overviews of characters' lives (such as "The Tree"), as well as submissions that offer glimpses into distinct life-phases (like "Time Bomb"). We’ve also been captured by stories book-ended by the start and end of one particular moment in time: such as "The Price of a Nice Guy" (a woman gets a flat tire and parks on the side of the road), "Who Speaks to Death" (a story told through a single text conversation), and "To You" (a 50th birthday party).

In the spirit of those last three examples, this week's prompts challenge you to embrace the short story's ability to really dive into and explore one single scene.

This week's prompts

Write a story about a proposal.

Valentine's Day – 211 stories

Write a story about an argument that seems to be about one thing, but is actually about another.

Dialogue – 121 stories

Write a story about a person experiencing pre-performance jitters.

High School – 162 stories

Write a story told entirely through one chase scene.

Thriller and Suspense – 143 stories

Write a story about a summer afternoon spent in a treehouse.

Summer – 303 stories

Stories

“A Blast from the Past” by Melissa Hassan

Submitted to Contest #50

Kanthi stood in front of the full length mirror of her armoire and adjusted her beautiful powder blue saree which had a thin silver border. She wore a pair of dull silver colour slippers and silver jewellery to match.Her make up was light, with a hint of blush and a light shade of pink lipstick to accentuate her simple features. She decided to wear her hair in a bun complete with a fresh fragrant Araliya flower which she had picked that morning from the garden.She smiled at herself through the mirror pleased with her effort. She wa...

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“Tangerines” by Mushroom (flammulina Velutipes)

Submitted to Contest #50

The scent of tangerines delicately perfumes the air as I run. Branches caress my face, before snapping back at me, leaving angry red welts. Air rushes through my hair, making it fly behind me like the ribbons of a kite, rippling in the summer air. I can hear him behind me, his breaths heavy and ragged - we have been running for a long time, nearly half an hour. I have been running my whole life. There are thorns in the soles of my shoe, thorns from the meadow I ran through when I was ten, my dog in front of me, tail wagging furiously, my bro...

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“Confidence” by Quill Porter

Submitted to Contest #50

The crowd's cheer was deafening. So was Zanaya's heartbeat. She really couldn't help it. Her curly chocolate hair was neatly placed as a bun on top of her head. Her purple dress was gripped by her trembling ebony hands. Her feet shaking inside her silver sandals. Her palms sweating more than it should. Was she nervous? Another cheer erupted from the other side of the large red curtain. A shiver ran up her spine. So, it seems like she's nervous. She hears the rush of footsteps of the make-up artists rushing towards their clien...

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“Epitome of Love” by Veda Keda

Submitted to Contest #50

Leo was the epitome of happiness that morning. It was his fifth anniversary with the girl of his dreams. He didn’t regret the first thing he ever said to her; it was the reason they were so far into this relationship. “I love you,” he recalled himself saying this as she could only stare and gawk at him. She was a fan at the time, and now she was his lover. Leo swore he could feel his heart skip a beat as he tied his shoelaces while thinking about her. Kelly, his one and only; he was excited for the day he planned out with her. Naturally,...

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“When Two Became One” by Deanna West

Submitted to Contest #50

The day started off like any other day, like a normal Saturday … Although it wasn’t. I, Michael Benjamin Washington jr. is preparing to ask my girlfriend, Rayna Elizabeth Roger of nearly two years to be my wife and spend forever with me. I’m not gonna lie and say I’m not nervous; well I guess you can say that it’s a bit of mixed emotions; ecstatic, anxious, nervous… And really making sure that this special moment goes to planned well as much as possible anyway. All in all I just can’t wait to hear her say “Yes”! Or something in that field (s...

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“Hola, ¿qué tal?” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #50

Oh Dios mío, no! I said to the walls of the bedroom. It was pitch black, but the curtains were fluttering. I immediately took that as a bad omen. The Pit and the Pendulum came to mind all of a sudden. What have I done? What have I done? The last four words would have been out-squeaked by the tiniest mouse. I was in so much trouble. I knew it would be impossible to survive what was waiting for me the next day. My heart was going to give out. This was suicide. The worst part was that I had done it to myself. There was nobody else to blame....

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“lovers rock” by Masha Kurbatova

Submitted to Contest #50

It was one of those rare mornings when everything was perfect. Morning light, cold and white, shone through the blinds, casting bright and wide strips on his skin and mine. I didn’t usually wake up before him. I didn’t see the point - I wasn’t a person who knew what to do with an early morning. That day too, I decided to stay in bed. Just look around. There wasn’t much in the bedroom, white walls, a dresser, no decor. Still, I hardly ever go to look at it all in such detail. Usually I was rushing out of bed, stumbling on one foot as I tried ...

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“My Proposal” by Estelle Westley

Submitted to Contest #50

Lacy looked much older than what she was. In fact, she felt much older than what she was. What had happened these eighteen years for everything to be so drastically different now. When Robert had asked to marry me all those years ago, I was on cloud nine. There were great expectations of the life ahead with wonderful dreams. A house where Robert would come home to each evening. Two rosy cheeked kids - one girl and one boy of course - laughing and running to their Daddy who embraced them and showered them with kisses. The aroma of a fine di...

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“A Summer Afternoon in the Treehouse ” by Rebecca Lee

Submitted to Contest #50

Write a story about a summer afternoon spent in a treehouse. Summers in Texas are like no other … it starts with the overbearing heat, the bipolar weather – afternoon rainstorms that last maybe five to 10 minutes at a time, and then, there are the dust storms in some areas. Yet, in Madisonville, Texas, on North Madison Street, in the backyard of a red brick home across from the Catholic church, the summer afternoon was quiet, and there was a breeze that seemed to stir up the leaves on the four pecan trees in the yard. In the middle of ...

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“Our Treehouse” by Jewels 🌊🐅

Submitted to Contest #50

As I was climbing up the wooden ladder that my father made, I thought to myself, “How many times have I climbed up this ladder?” It was 3:00 in the afternoon, and I was a bit early for my daily treehouse hangout with my best friends, Leo, Danielle, and Max. They have been my best friends since kindergarten. I’m Lily, By the way. I'm just a regular 12 year old, 6th grade girl. I live in Portland, OR, a pretty boring town made up of a bunch of mountains, trees, and wood. Literally. Anywa-“Hello! How's my favorite person in the entire uni...

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“A never proposed proposal” by Sohini Roy

Submitted to Contest #50

Sam's luck in love was never with him.. it won't be wrong to say that timings have always been against him.. he was a not too handsome- not too charming guy , that always restrained him to express his feelings easily to the opposite side.. Also his first love experience was also terrible.. he had his first love when he was in his 10th standard.. before that fantisizing was the only thing that he was upto... But that was may be the first time he was actually wanting to be his fantasys to be real... May be teenage is that time when you had tho...

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“I Am So Sorry” by Janelle Curtis

Submitted to Contest #50

When she beat me this morning, I was prepared. I felt no pain. Well...not physically. I dressed myself in somber fashion, allowing the red leotard to slip onto my form easily. Ballet...oh, Mother, how you live through me. I am 12. Twelve. Yes, I compare the numbers and the letters. I like to play with puppies. Cats are fun, too. I once had two hermit crabs. 2. They weren't hard for you to kill. I watched you. You told me the next morning that hermit crabs don't live long. Usually, you see me. I guess I am getting better at hiding.&...

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“Whatever Works” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #50

The heat escalated between them and shirts flew off. Jenny lay back on the bed while Hugo leaned over her, their lips locked and tongues intertwined. The wet smooches of their passion mixed with the sound of their delightful sighs and the soft rustling of bedsheets. Then, the sound of a zipper cut in, loud and sharp. Hugo’s pants fell. Jenny looked him in the eyes with naughty playfulness, and he stared at her with a poker face. She frowned. “What?” “What if I can’t get it up?” he whispered. Jenny rolled her eyes. “Now’s not the time t...

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“Chase of Death” by Zahra Daya

Submitted to Contest #50

Thump! Thump! The gravel beneath my feet crunched as I sprinted across it. My heartbeat rang in my ears, my breathing becoming heavier by the second. I embraced the aching in my body, the pain of the past, knowing it would all be over soon. I closed my eyes as I ran, the gift of vision unneeded on a path I knew all too well. I felt the cool air on my cheeks, whipping my short, uncombed hair back. I felt the gravel underfoot give way to rocky terrain and I opened my eyes, coming to a halt. A mass of scintillating water lay beneath the high cl...

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“Blank Template ” by Lily Rebecca 🐰🐾

Submitted to Contest #50

Chapter 1 The sweat dripping down my face, my clothes clinging to my exhausted body. How much longer? How much further do I have to go? The pace of my heart getting faster by the second. It isn’t long now. They’ll find me, I just know it, any second, I’ll be gone, just like that, just like every other person who was ever in my position. Just like everyone else who spoke and still speak out about the government and their decisions. Apparently we don’t have a right of speech. All I did was suggest a simple solution to a complex subject and nex...

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$50

Prize money

940

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jul 17, 2020 EST

Won by Emily Hemmings 🏆

Title: Life in the Trees

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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