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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

“Treehouse Escape” by Ajay B

Submitted to Contest #50

Mothering. Adulting. Caring. Cleaning. I was over it. All of it. At least for an afternoon. I hadn’t been in my old treehouse in years. Much of it looked the same, but my dad and uncles fixed it up for the next generation of kids to enjoy. My old tire swing got new chains. My old rope ladder was traded in for a wooden one. The roof was raised and shingled. Window panes were installed, and they added a deck and a telescope. The old bucket pulley got an upgrade as well. A brand new, shiny silver bucket and a new pulley system replaced wh...

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“The comedian” by Bianca Hails

Submitted to Contest #50

The carpet lightly crunched when she nervously paced up and down the room in her heels. She had done this so many times, had been on that stage every week for years, but tonight - tonight was different! It was the first time ever that someone she really cared about was in the audience. Up until tonight, her comedy had only been for strangers. Occasionally she would try some of her jokes out on her students, but they only laughed because they had to. Most of her material wasn’t suitable for teenagers anyway. They didn’t need to know about her...

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“Who Would want to Meet Them?” by Sarah Phillips

Submitted to Contest #50

"I'm just nervous Terry, is that OK for you? Everything fine and dandy?" "Well yeah, but there's no need to be a dick about... jesus." "I have to be a dick though, cos' otherwise nothing gets through to you Terry, that's the fucking problem, you can be so anal about shit." "Sorry John, you know I only do it to try and help you out, I don't mean anything by it, I just know you can do better, you were made for this Tel." "Ok, well yeah, but sometimes you just need to chill out a bit." "So going forward, I just...shut up or...?" "No, well, you ...

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“Another Day Alive” by Tiffany Hua

Submitted to Contest #50

Step. Step. Squeak. On the very streets of Opheli Lane was a murder hunt, me being the very first target. Before I knew it, a group of men standing near their matte black cars, with dark black coats and slick back hair-- the same men I had caught on video the other day, fixed their eyes on me and headed straight toward my direction.My trembling hands closed the door shut, and I began to run as fast as I could handle-- in zigzags, just in case they had guns or some freaky weapon that they could throw at me.I couldn't risk any chances.The...

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“The Show Must Go On” by Trisha Chapman

Submitted to Contest #50

Shuffling through loose papers that are strewn about the room. Can you even read your own writing? Barely. Should really type this stuff out, but where’s the romance in that? Again, looking for that paper, THE paper, the one, the one you need for open mic. Your hands are sweaty, mustn’t soil the paper, that would be…undesired, unprofessional at best. You find the paper; of course, it was the last one you came across…so much wasted time. You really should be more organized. Into the envelope it goes and under your arm. You...

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“A call from the woods” by Ankita Tripathi

Submitted to Contest #50

Sam had been driving for two hours. Another hour and he would be standing in his hometown; where he grew up.After his parents joined better firms and relocated to a better place; returning to this place became even more difficult.Ashley was the reason for this unplanned journey after three years.He was twenty-two when he had to leave his childhood home behind, but leaving Ashley was the most painful decision.'I'm not in a healthy state of mind. I can't handle myself, forget about a relationship. I might hurt you, Ashley. I think it would be ...

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“Gold Dust! ” by Sheryl Reddy

Submitted to Contest #50

I woke up to the Sun shining in my eyes. I squinted and moved my head from the direction of the Sun, before I opened my eyes with a big smile on my face. The only way to wake up for me is with a big smile on my face. I made my way out of bed and walked over to the doorway of my twenty year old daughter's room. As I watched her gathering her things to go off to the beach with her friends. She looked up and saw me smiling at her. "Morning Mom", she ran over and planted a big kiss on my cheek. "Morning Boo," I said stretching out my arms to g...

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“black MAIDS OF PEACE AND POWER.” by Joanna Pixie Dust

Submitted to Contest #50

Colette ran her skinny fingers on the luxurious carvings of a giant coffin, her hand melting in the dark shades of fine wood, she gazed down at the mirrored face on its surface. Soft brown skin, long coal-colored hair, high cheek bones and dazzling olive eyes with a hint of brighter seaweed-green flecks drowned inside them. At age fourteen, she was indeed very young for a servant. Despite the fact that she now worked at one of the largest, most luxurious palaces in France, still, she was treated to hard bread and leftover food every day...

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“Until Next Time” by Christina Napier

Submitted to Contest #50

The summer sun warmed Olivia's smooth tan legs. She stretched out on a beach towel in her backyard with her eyes closed beneath her large black sunglasses. Olivia listened to the sound of the pool water splashing in and out of the filter beside her. Her torso lay under a large white umbrella, shielded from the bright rays overhead. Olivia was trying to enjoy the last seven days before school started again. Exactly one week from today she would officially be a high school junior. Over this next year her future would be decided. Career choices...

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“Light Into the Nations” by Ella Bartal

Submitted to Contest #50

David Levi sat on the edge of the couch in woe and distress. Next to him was his girlfriend Emma, who he have known since middle school, and had a crush on her since the moment they met. Emma wrapped her arms around David's still body. "So", she said in the high pitched voice she does when she's excited, "we are going to be parents! A mommy and daddy! What do you think?" Her eyes were glowing from excitement, but David's face showed signs of fear and anger. David turned to Emma, placed his right hand on her thigh and said: "Emma… W...

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“Look to the Trees” by Ella Kinnett

Submitted to Contest #50

It was a blistering hot Florida summer day. I was starving and thirsty. There were no resources and the odds of me coming out alive was very slim. Something was going to eat me or I was going to die of starvation if I did not find shelter and something to eat soon. “Look to the trees,” were my mother's last words before she was killed. Her and I lived out here alone for as long as I can remember though she never told me why. We moved through the woods never making a home in one spot and so that's what I intended to do because now she ...

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“NOW PRAISE WE WEAK TALE-BEARERS” by Scott Smock

Submitted to Contest #50

The crowd was there, as had been promised by the Entertainment Council, and this was both exciting, and nerve wracking, to Harry Prescott. He was a Tale-Bearer and had found his way to Shiloh to read his books to these entertainment starved people in exchange for room and board. He was joined by Andre Johnson, who was the Historian of the pair. Earlier that day he'd gone through Shiloh, talking with the elders and watching with amazement as their eyes lit up while speaking of their past. Now it was Harry's turn to help the people forget abou...

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“The Talent Show” by Jessica Mills

Submitted to Contest #50

The lights from the theater are so intense that I can feel the heat coming through the heavy curtain as I walk across the stage to the waiting area. On the other side of the curtain I know there is a young girl, with beautiful curly brown hair tied tight behind her neck in a long ponytail, captivating the crowd with the lost art of baton twirling. As I hear the crowd verbalize “ooh” and “aah”, I imagine the baton leaving her small hands and flying straight up into the air, returning silently to her hands a moment later. I am sure that she di...

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“Don’t Leave Me!” by Elizabeth Burrows

Submitted to Contest #50

“I HATE YOU!” The words were still ringing in the air even as everything around them came to a complete halt. The only sound was the deep breaths coming from the offending mouth. They were just three words. Only three and yet they were like a bullet. A bullet that pierced the strings of their already tattered relationship. Only three words yet they were full of meaning. The implication of the words were tremendous. A tension filled the room weighing heavily on the hearts of all who heard those three words. ...

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“The Girl in my Tree House” by Alex Pilgrim

Submitted to Contest #50

Her legs were dangling above my head, as if she was dipping her feet in the rays of sun.My dad had never condoned tardiness, and as a result, I was always on time to any appointment. I was never late to school, I never overslept, never let my friends wait for me. Except, of course, Jane. Jane and I had known each other forever, and even after her mom moved the two of them to the outskirts of the town after her dad had died, we’d still meet up in our tree house. And I’d always arrive after her. You see, I was hoping to see her undies one of t...

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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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