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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

“The Treehouse” by Carille Durbin

Submitted to Contest #50

Three of the Carlson siblings were standing in the afternoon sunshine in their mother's backyard. "It's hard to believe that Mom is going to move." Chloe, the oldest, was talking to her two brothers. "Mom's been talking about it ever since Dad died. She said the winters in Ohio are too cold," Cooper replied. Cooper was just one year younger than Chloe. "I thought she was just talking about moving, that she would live here forever." Caleb ...

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“Where the Birds Come to Nest” by Spencer Pinkus

Submitted to Contest #50

How did I end up here? Literally, how did I end up here? A fully grown man hiding in his grandparents’ treehouse like a naughty school boy in the middle of a heatwave. It’s ridiculous. Up here, where the birds come to nest, the branches are thick and tangled, and the towering trunk reaches high into the sky. *We arrived at Grandmother Stevenson’s Hertfordshire house at ten o’clock this morning. It was my wife’s idea. She had decided that after all the troubles of the past few months what we really needed was to...

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“Sunflowers and Ashes” by Olivia Kuziel

Submitted to Contest #50

Monday, July 13th 2:07 AM The entire treehouse was ablaze. And all I could do was watch in silence as tendrils of flames poked through the windows, hungrily licking up the the roof with the peeling red paint and the creaky plywood floor that we used to stomp around on just to hear the resounding echoes. Most importantly, I thought back to the picture of Sara in the corner, along with the sunflowers we’d so carefully arranged around it. My entire childhood was up in flames. The grass was damp on my bare feet as I made my...

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“Lemonade” by Jess Wood

Submitted to Contest #50

He had been enclosed in the wooden hideout so long, he could barely even remember how he got there. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a clouded memory lingered, like a storm cloud. He tried to ignore it but the more he fought to avoid it, the larger it grew, looping in his mind like some eternal nightmare. He had run through the grass and kicked at flowers. He had jumped around, flattening leaves and cracking branches beneath the soles of his trainers. When his friends arrived, they filled water guns until they spilled all over the floor a...

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“Lily” by Dylan Thayer

Submitted to Contest #50

Through the car window, I see the home my mother and I had made that one summer, up in the biggest tree in our backyard. My father laughed when he first heard our plan, confident that we would fail or quit, that the treehouse we wanted would never be assembled. “Where are you going to put it?” he asked. “None of our trees have branches to support it. Where will you get the wood? Hell, how are you possibly going to build it?” Through the questions, mom kept quiet, determined to prove her husband wrong. ...

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“Finding Safety” by Nico Grace

Submitted to Contest #50

It was the last place he should have gone. But it was the first, the only one he thought of. Safety was a feeling, not a location. And for him, there was no other place that came close. As he climbed the wooden ladder and pushed open the trap door, that feeling settled over him, a warm weight even through the chill of rain-drenched clothing. The darkness inside the tree-house was soft. Welcomed him. Like coming home in a way he never felt in his own haunted residence. A fragrance of used books and fresh paint filled the space, note...

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“Eyes Closed” by Talitha Schroth

Submitted to Contest #50

Your eyes close and your breathing picks up. The cold nips at your nose and you automatically turn your face into your scarf, burying it into the folds of fabric to protect it from the chill. The arm through yours tightens, and he speaks up. "You okay?" you look up into those eyes that have been your entire world for the last four years. They've been with you through every bad day and every good day. Through every celebration and disappointment. Through every fight and every makeup. You smile. "I'm fine. I jus...

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“Love you baby” by Sunira Pradhan

Submitted to Contest #50

A couple on their way to the supermarket. He starts a conversation with his girlfriend. He: Baby let’s get married. What about tomorrow? Or we can go today and start working on what we need to do to get married. Hmmm, what do you think baby? She: Hahahaha, seriously you want to get married like tomorrow. Don’t you think its too early? What’s so rush baby? He: Well does that mean you don’t want to be with me. She: LOL. Baby, why would you even think like that. Just saying that it feels kind of early. I have already made up my mind to...

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“What is love?” by Maria-Ioana Andrei

Submitted to Contest #50

What is love? Love is this bold, genuine, and pure feeling that I will never be able to express through words. Love is what keeps us going, it represents our motivation to pursue our dreams and to follow our hearts. To have the propensity to love is one of the most valuable powers you can be gifted with because ultimately, love is what brings us together as human beings. Love is when your happiness becomes your significant other's happiness or when you're never to busy for your other half. It is that unspeakable feeling you encounter ...

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“The Boozy Love Affair” by Amulya Cherukumudi

Submitted to Contest #50

"Finish my drink, would you?" he said as he settled in for the night. He could tolerate his alcohol very well, but not after a meal. I made sure my man had the best meal, against his wishes, just to see him satiated. He is not the most expressive, but he certainly is a good man. Sometimes I just see myself looking at him, wondering how I got so lucky. "What are you doing?" he bellows, as he walks towards me, bringing me swiftly back to reality. I cannot help but smile, as this rugged and handsome man holds me close to him. It then struck me ...

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“Never volunteer to clean wells.” by Jane Syphert

Submitted to Contest #50

Erik was sitting at the edge of the well, looking into its waters. He had followed the voice to a small town, even though it had killed most of his party. He stared at the statue adorned on the top of the well. She was beautiful. He wished he could trade places with her."Excuse me, young man, do you mind helping me?" An elderly woman stood near the edge of the well with a bucket of sudsy water and a grim expression. "Princess Christina is coming to help in a while, but I don't know what I can do in that time.""Uh, sure. Always happy to help....

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“The Proposal:Acapello Style” by Avie Carolyn

Submitted to Contest #50

On July 14,2019 at the Kings Domain Baptist Church a meeting was taking place with only 3 people. The purpose of the conference would change the trajectory of the life of Brach Musoleil,a 10 year member. What kind of situation would require the presence of the Pastor Ryan Clarkson and the Minister of Music Chris Tompkins? Mr. Musoleil's Childhood Brach Musolei was the oldest of three children born to William& Angela. His younger brother was Bryan & Yolanda was the youngest sibli...

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“New Beginnings” by Deanna Black

Submitted to Contest #50

The silly animal ruined Mom's asparagus, scratching away at its' hind parts gleefully. "Please, take that thing with you!" Mom pleaded with me. I was not swayed. "I'm only here for a couple more hours and you're still complaining about this? Taco never hurt a fly!" "Well, I'm sick of it!" All it does is make messes." She said this while shooing him away again. "I'm so glad I'll never have to clean up after this thing again." She rolled her eyes. "You don't even eat asparagus. I don't understand why you toil so?!" "You know I hate animals....

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“Come again ?!” by Nessrine Boukhari

Submitted to Contest #50

_so you admit to it !Unnerved by her unnecessary shouting and inconsiderate behaviour, mark was tempted to just say yes, to annoy her and enjoy the show that might infold if she feels mad enough to start throwing a tantrum here and now . Luckily , he wasn't in a bad mood today so making Carla mad will wait, especially that he has his hands full with his latest project.Instead of lashing out and letting all his pent up energy explode , he decided to play it safe by inquiring about the subject that seems important enough that Carla prioritized...

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“Nothing and Everything” by Patricia Francis

Submitted to Contest #50

The day started out the same as any other. She rolled back and forth in bed trying to force herself to get out of bed. "It's 1:30 pm", she muttered to herself while checking her social media notifications. Every night she set multiple alarms with self promises to wake up early, but would end up snoozing each one. She sat up reluctantly and lifted her eyes to see him holding a cup of green tea. "Good morning, sleepyhead!", he said cheerfully well into the day. "Ugh...", she groaned. The morning had bid farewell as usual. She thanked him, gulp...

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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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