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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

“What are we arguing about” by Moist Ma

Submitted to Contest #50

Drake and Sandra we're driving to the party.Sandra protested "I don't want to go, I don't like big groups of people. I don't go to parties, what am I going to say? What do drunk people talk about?""You'll be fine, just try to be yourself and relax" said Drake"That's horrible advice, it's a paradox. I think I seen it on tv. 'have you ever tried to relax it's a paradox.' Do you know what ironic reversal is? you don't try to be yourself, you'd be acting then" Sandra said"Well then don't just act, BE" said DrakeSandra forced a smile. Drake could...

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“Red lips, Cups and Break ups.” by Loluu Cabie

Submitted to Contest #50

It was a one slow Thursday evening, around 7 pm. I just woke up from the dreamy slumber I've had, the touch of the wind was getting chillier. I was still feeling a little hazy and baked from the marijuana brownies I ate before dwelling on the quest of lonesome unconsciousness. I woke up with the deathly cravings for something sweet and cold sitting on a cup with the famous "S" word. It was so fucked up for me to be drinking a strawberry smoothie when it's a 5°C I know but you gotta do what you gotta do when you are high and hungry and cravin...

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“Dim Sims” by Hugh Marlow

Submitted to Contest #50

It was 11:24 PM when we left the Chinese restaurant. I remember, because Eliza was upset that we were heading home so late – she had a morning shift. She would always tell me about how hard it was to wake up at 3am, how god awful the commute was, how dreadful the job was, how she was tired of everything. She had also found the dim sims subpar. I thought they were okay, but they had scalded my mouth, and I had spilt some of the juice on my shirt. “This is going to stain,” I said. “Jesus Christ, Brandon,” Eliza said. “It’s just a shirt.” ...

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“Betrayal” by Grace Akin

Submitted to Contest #50

We sat in silence, not knowing how to address the elephant in the room. He seems oblivious to why I no longer embrace him, why I sleep on the couch. Why I don't eat his meals. I want to scream, shout, kick, yell, but instead I just stay silent. He looked a bit exhausted, as though he really didn't know what he did. The evidence goes against him, but I don't know how to bring it up. What am I going to do next? How far was he willing to go with Rachel? To my own horror, I not only heard everything, but I saw it too. I should've confronted them...

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“The Danger of Dirty Dishes ” by Sydney Little

Submitted to Contest #50

The bowl already looks clean. I’m pretty sure that if I held it up in the right light I could see my reflection in it. But that would require taking the bowl out of Katie’s hands and she seems to have a lethal grip on it, so I let her keep scrubbing. There’s really nothing else to do when she gets like this. She used to say that cleaning calms her but it doesn’t seem like that to me. Even now she’s grunting as if the bowl is physically fighting back against the sponge. I picked the wrong time to refill my glass of water. I think abou...

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“The Picture Frame ” by Beatrix Weber

Submitted to Contest #50

WOMAN- Stop. Just Stop. MAN- What do you mean? “Just Stop”? Stop what? MAN tosses a hammer to the ground. It lands with a loud thud. He looks over his shoulder at WOMAN, her hands are on her hips. Her lips are pursed tightly. Her spine is rigid. MAN- I’m hanging it up just like you asked. What could I possibly be doing wrong now? WOMAN- The way you’re hitting the nail… I know you’re going to leave a permanent mark in the wall. Not to mention the frame is completely off center. MAN- Alright then, if you know how to hang it better tha...

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“Consequences” by Chloe Francis

Submitted to Contest #50

I stare at the washing up in the sink, listening to her laugh fade into silence. She was sat at the table, still nursing a mug of cold coffee she won’t drink. I wonder if it’s like a security blanket, and if it would be cruel to find out. ‘So, have you heard back from the university?’ She asks, her voice piercing through my train of thought. I sigh as I finish washing up my used mug and turn to face her, my back leaning against the edge of the sink. A wet patch sinks through my thin shirt, but I prefer to keep a distance.&nbs...

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“Not again” by Amy Hunter

Submitted to Contest #50

The small toaster pops as the old kettle whistles. It's morning time in San Francisco, exactly 9 o’clock. I hum loudly to myself as my husband quietly scrolls on his phone. Things have been going well between us lately, we’ve been more connected than ever since the last incident. I stir a wad of honey into my daily cup of tea as I join my husband at our table. “Lovely day today isn’t it?" I ask him while gazing at his handsome face. He grins at his phone then looks up to me “Yeah I guess so”. My smile droops a bit. What was that? Why is he s...

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“Miranda” by Benny Njuguna

Submitted to Contest #50

"You want to beat me because I told you it's your fault, it would not have occurred," he says. "Ok, go ahead. Just remember before you throw your first blow, I'm not afraid of you." John looks at him in amazement while working his mind to control the anger that is rising in him. "Are you insane?" asks James in deep-angry voice. "Do you think I will do something as stupid as that?" "Yes. If it's not the case, why is your fist being pointed in my direction?" John doesn't respond. He continues staring at James in awe. "You have an an...

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“The First Performance” by Ryan Hunter

Submitted to Contest #50

James sat on a low wooden stool, trying to look confident. If he looked nervous, William - or worse yet, Father - would think less of him. Mother, before she died, told him that that the best thing for nerves was a smile. Smiling could trick the heart into believing what the head would not. Father’s suggestion was to guzzle the largest flagon of mead one could find. None of these tricks seemed to be working now though. The smile felt forced and the mead sat heavy in his gut. His leather gherkin felt too tight. His gloves felt too loose and h...

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“Go there and smash that shit.” by Kelechi Okereke

Submitted to Contest #50

"Kevin, could you recite the 36 states and their capitals?" Mama-T demanded as she reclined into her arm chair. That was about the twentieth question she had asked me that cold Saturday morning, and I was about to give her the same response I gave the preceding nineteen questions: a loud, deafening silence. I was seated opposite her, my eyes wet, streams of tears rolling down my red cheeks, catarrh flowing down my nosehole like the Niger and Benue Rivers, my trembling hands fumbling with the empty wrap of biscuits I'd tearfully eaten while M...

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“A first performance” by Flora Viggo

Submitted to Contest #50

Everything is going to run smoothly. People are settling down. I just need to breathe. Deeply and slowly. Evacuate my fears. How do I do that? I should have paid more attention to the yoga classes my mother made me listen to during the past few months. She always knows what is best for me.Wait. What is happening on the other side? People are running. Someone is shouting. It is so loud out there. I can feel the crowd. I changed my mind. I do not want to go. I will just stay here. Why do we always need to get out of our comfort zone? When...

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“Espirit” by Sara Blanch

Submitted to Contest #50

Her heartbeat thundered loudly enough that she could feel it reverberate through her chest as she fiddled with the earpiece hidden behind her carefully styled hair. Focusing on the intricate pattern of the thick curtain, the only thing separating her from the cacophony of the crowd beyond the stage...she gently reminded herself to breathe. Behind her, her backup singers and dancers chatted with ease as if all of them had been raised for the stage and this was just another mundane day for them...although come to think of it, they had ...

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“Among the crowd...” by Misswriter 978

Submitted to Contest #50

Deep breath in, deep breath out, deep breath in, deep breath out.My ears felt clogged as the noise surrounding me dissolved. My heart pounded like a drum in my ears, of who’s beat seemed to be getting louder by the second. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to ease the throb in my head. The air felt heavy and smelled a bit like paint. Collage was enough of a torture for me, did they have to make the talent show mandatory?My name is Haru Aki. Currently attending my sophomore year at STANFORD UNIVERSITY in California. I am originally from Tokyo, ...

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“A bundle of Nerves” by Book Worm

Submitted to Contest #50

At her age, it was absolutely unpardonable. After standing on the stage and facing nearly two hundred eyes boring into her day after day, Kala was not expected to have pre-performance jitters. But she did before every important event she had to preside over and something invariably went wrong. It didn’t help to watch ‘How to Fight your Nerves’ manuals or to listen to narratives of professional performers who confessed to pre-performance anxiety even after having become stars. Kala would begin her day with deep breathing, yoga and meditation ...

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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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