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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

“THOSE WIDE ARID PLAINS” by Claire Tennant

Submitted to Contest #50

I stood on the veranda surveying the scene before me. I confess my emotions were mixed, but grief has that effect on you sometimes, even when practical solutions to what could be conundrums appear. It seemed very practical to sell the home I had known for most of my life, certainly, a widow did not need an enormous place to live, but my mind had to adjust to the options. I was not ready. Forty years of living in what Harry and I called an idyllic area, not quite country, but not city living either, would be hard to leave. Dotted ...

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“A CAFFEINE LOVE STORY [une histoire d'amour à la caféine]” by S_a R__n

Submitted to Contest #50

Ryan was a barista at Cuppa Joe. he was a coffeeholic in his late childhood and eventually got into being a barista. He really enjoyed the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans,and the smell of brewing coffee, and he believed that the aroma triggers memories more than any other senses.So he usually spent most of his hours in his coffee shop.He had some regular customers,among most of which where highschoolers. He loved to see those people spending happy hours at his shop. One day he was so busy with preparing 4 lattes for the Highschoolers.It...

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“SHIMANI BREAKS HIS GIRL” by RADIUS HAVWAALA

Submitted to Contest #50

“Who is this brown, tall, ample bosomed girl, who dances as if she has no bones? Shimani wondered to himself.The girl had a pale, copper-colored skin and a curvy bounce step that seemed to connive to compel men into thinking dangerous thoughts. She, predictably, got Shimani doing that, wanting her so desperately that he forgot that he was a newcomer, a stranger in a strange land.When the song ended, the girl stood in the glare of the bonfire to spread her beauty for all to see. In a melodious tone that matched her features atom by atom,...

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“First Love” by Usha 412

Submitted to Contest #50

Walking out of the shower with a towel around his waist, droplets of water dripped from his hair all the way down to his abs. Chad admired his handsome reflection in the mirror. One might say he was narcissistic, but Chad just loved beautiful things—and that included himself. After pondering for quite a while, he pulled out a set of outfits from the wardrobe and placed them on the bed. The rays of the morning sun penetrated through the glass windows, falling on the neatly folded bed covers. A teacup stood next to a newspaper on the beds...

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“They called it a near miss” by Jennifer Geer

Submitted to Contest #50

They called it a near miss, but I called it a direct hit as years of pent-up anger surged through my veins. The porcelain coffee cup sailed through the air and smashed directly where I was aiming it; just next to my husband's head. He had been quietly reading the Desert Sun Newspaper while he sat on the bar-stool in our breakfast nook. It shattered with a loud bang against the wall. I had made my point. He recoiled in shock and disbelief as he looked at the pieces of the white cup scattered on the floor beneath his bare feet. The...

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“Again” by Lilith Minnis

Submitted to Contest #50

"I should have known." As tears fell to her cheeks, he felt nothing. "I should have known you cheated. Was I just another victim, then?" more words. no emotion. "Alden!" He snapped his head toward her, Silver Eyes darting across her facial expression. It was becoming difficult to ignore her and the situation at hand, considering the snowy blank canvas in front of them. Nothing could really be seen besides that flat surface dusted in white. There was nowhere for him to look except for at the ground in front of him. So he responded. "It was ne...

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“Me, him and Him” by Nan Bogue

Submitted to Contest #50

I had won the grand prize: a weekend at one of the most beautiful hotels in the world. All I had done was fill out a little “enter the sweepstakes” card at a garden show. When I arrived at the “property”, I was greeted with a bottle of Perrier water. The man who handed it to me in the lobby had on white gloves. It occurred to me that the Super 8 Chain should copy- cat this inexpensive, elegant idea. A Lamborghini sat in the grand, circular entry way; its wings open as it emptied itself of its coiffed driver. The view from the top of D...

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“A Smaller Step” by Robert Blevins

Submitted to Contest #50

The two astronauts waited patiently in the main corridor on the west side of the station, dressed in pressure suits and carrying helmets. One of them sat on a metal bench; the other stood at the door to the Ready Room and peered through the glass porthole, watching the activity inside. “What are they doing?” asked Matthews. “They’ve got a lunar map spread out on the table. They’re studying it and talking about something.” &nb...

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“Johnny & Mary” by Savannah Campbell

Submitted to Contest #50

The click and snap of a ballpoint pen brings Johnny’s attention forward and away from the window. "How has today been so far?” The older man asks, hand hovering his papers, ready to write. “Did they tell you to ask me first?” Johnny’s voice has a touch of edge to it, “The people planning the end of the world know I’m on to them. They want me gone. I knew I was right when I said I wouldn’t make it through the day...

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“Belated” by Thomas Auen

Submitted to Contest #50

A sudden flick of the switch amid the darkness brought immediate illumination to the kitchen. Morning sun had yet to emerge as Mary glanced through the opposite window across the room. She walked toward the outdated Mr. Coffee and rummaged through the cabinets for two mugs. Such was the beginning to her morning ritual. After thirty years, she could practically perform the act unconsciously. “Mary!” came a shout from the hall. “Where’re my socks? I left them right by the bed, so I’m sure you moved them. I need them. And it’s freezing ...

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“Barking Up the Wrong Tree” by Calvin Fong

Submitted to Contest #50

“I’ve wanted this since I was 5!” Noah exclaimed, slamming his book shut. He couldn’t believe they were having this argument again. Cassie and he had been married for 3 years now. They didn’t fight often, but there was one issue they vehemently disagreed on. Early in marriage, she had heartlessly crushed his childhood dream. She refused to let him have a dog. Noah didn’t want to give up. He was almost optimistic when Cassie had walked into the bedroom that night saying she needed to talk. At least she was thinking about it. “You ...

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“Playing with Toys” by M Moon

Submitted to Contest #50

As Russel Bushman, a highly-respected judge, opened the door to his son’s playroom, he instantly saw his wife trying to convince their son that he’s already tired and needs some sleep when in reality she was one who’s exhausted. “John, your playtime is over. Come with mommy, let’s sleep. Look at you! Your eyes are dropping.” “Honey, you’re the one with sleepy eyes.” Russel butted. “Daddy!” John said happily and ran to his father to hug him. Russel picked him up and walked towards where Magie, his wife, was sitting and sat beside her. “Russ,...

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“Jasmine coffee” by Chahinez Haddad

Submitted to Contest #50

One scoop. Two scoops. Three scoops. Four scoops of coffee. No, that’s too much. One scoop. Two scoops. Three? Maybe two are enough. The woman filled the Italian coffee press. She had the water up to the level of the little screw on the side, just like her mother and grandmother taught her when she was little. That was a long time ago, though. Now, she’s lucky if she gets to fill her to-go cup with some instant Nescafe. She always picks up the Gold label, as if it makes a difference, just to pretend she’s still the same coffee a...

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“Message to the young” by Tony Sandy

Submitted to Contest #50

If you survive your impetuous youth, to reach my age, you'll have all of the following to look forward to and more (Old age doesn't come empty handed as they say in Scotland): Indigestion, heartburn, piles and a bladder that controls you - not you, it. You'll cut and bruise easily too. Your teeth will be sensitive to both hot and cold things equally. Chewing hard stuff? Just a memory of stamina you've no longer got. Your eyes will run at the least sign of cold weather, until you drown in your tears and your...

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“These Are My Feelings” by Rutvi Dhruva

Submitted to Contest #50

“You’re fired”, as soon as I hear these words spill out of my boss’ mouth like caramel, I freeze. I knew I had made a huge mistake, but I also knew that I had worked good enough to not hear these words. I collected all my things in a crate and took a glance at my cabin for the one last time. All these years and this is what I get! I slowly walked towards the elevator with my crate, full of memories. There was no one who could look me in the eye. They just held their heads down with fake sympathy. There was nobody to stop this...

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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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