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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

“Fight For The One” by Erza Imanda

Submitted to Contest #50

No one doubts the fame of Dave on campus, he is very famous. Thanks to his achievements in the field of football, he managed to become a campus idol, even lecturers to gardeners know the traces of his achievement. It's also certain, Dave gets a lot of female fans, despite his achievements that always bring champions to his campus, he's also academically savvy, which makes him even more popular and loved by many women. One sad thing about him, his fame among women did not make him able to open his heart again after Stefi, his ex-girlfriend, c...

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“The Woman behind Her” by Al Johnson

Submitted to Contest #50

The ambience of the restaurant struck Jack as rather somber and dreary as he pushed open the door and went in. The light was a bit bright, too. His eyes were stung by the brightness and he blinked twice. There was always too much light when he was not bright himself. An irony indeed. “You’re early,” he remarked as he sat down across from Alexandra. Her hair was wiry, her countenance emotionless and plain, yet she had nevertheless a brilliant smile that bespoke of her unawareness of her pitiable look. “Oh, I didn't know,” she said and drank...

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“Flight of My Beloved” by Juliet Martin

Submitted to Contest #50

It's such a pretty evening. I’ll put Masterchef on, shall I? Our favourite. You're so fluffy and peaceful after you've just eaten. So calm and benign. We get along. Actually, I might open a window before we sit down. There we go.No, no, Princess. Come and sit with me. Look. It’s starting. No, there’s nothing out there. What are you looking at? What are you – don’t jump out! Oh, my God, she’s gone! Princess! Don’t move, I’ll come round out the front door.Where are you? Oh, thank God. What are you doing out here? It’s sofa time, right? The bes...

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“Treehouse Confessions ” by Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #50

It is a warm August afternoon in California, so Candace and I are hanging out together. My hands are behind me, and my legs are hanging over the edge of the somewhat clean wooden boards that I call the floor. Candace's curly blond hair is on my shoulder, and her little hand is enclosed in mine. We're staring at the sky together, and since our parents aren't home, we've planned to stay up until at least two in the morning.Candace turns her head to glance at me, her eyes, as blue as a cloudless sky, crinkle up around the bottom, and ...

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“The Karma of Paris” by Christina Steele

Submitted to Contest #50

Esmeralda hurried her steps as the chimes from Notre Dame rang out. Late, again! The stone bridge, Pont Neuf, created a beautiful backdrop to her city of love. She waved both her arms spotting the one man in the world who held her attention captive every day. “Hey, Beautiful! You’re late,” Adam called out from the center of the bridge. “Surely, that doesn’t surprise you,” Esmeralda quipped. “No, but you owe me a twirl.” It was their way. Whenever she caused his ire to rise, he made her twirl, so she would unwind the behav...

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“The Wish Flowers” by Leya Newi

Submitted to Contest #50

Once upon a time, there was a flower. It was tiny and delicate, with a hundred golden petals. The fuzzy green stem was filled with milk, and the leaves were broad and barb-shaped.Overnight, a miracle happened. The flower had shedded its yellow plumage for a silver-lined ball of fluff. And to each bit of fuzz, a small, caramel-colored seed was attached. One day, a gust of wind came along and blew off all the seeds, leaving only a bare head.This might have been the end of the story, except each seed sprouted into a new flower. Someone, sm...

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“A Dangerous Hunt” by Raquel Rodriguez

Submitted to Contest #50

"Alright." A short, bald man with a thick Chinese accent said. His thin brown eyes were narrowed and he was holding a piece of paper. The paper was a wanted poster, and it had a picture of a girl and boy - they looked about 12 or 13. They were both smiling, but their lips were tightly shut as if they were scared that something was going to slip out. They were twins, and they both had green eyes, greener than grass, but the girl's eyes were outlined with black, heart-shaped glasses and dark brown beach waves. The boy's eyes were outlined...

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“Flyer's Remorse” by Mollie Rodgers

Submitted to Contest #50

Across three lanes of slow-moving traffic, yellow flowers undulate in the gentle breeze. Evelyn tries to light them on fire with her stare. Her eyes water but she is rationing her blinks. Any movement is weakness. She is a stone pillar of concentrated rage. To her right, she can hear Robbie on the phone. “Yeah, I know. It sucks. Yeah. You’re telling me.” Two cars in the middle lane are trying to merge right to deposit their passengers by the “DEPARTURES” sign. Their blinkers are synced up perfectly. Normally, Evelyn would delight in ...

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“The Invitation” by Daniel Kamau Njambi

Submitted to Contest #50

Ben could feel his heart racing as he walked to the small window. His knees trembled with excitement. Though usually clearheaded, his mind at the moment was a jumble, every thought, idea, and unexpressed feeling jostling for expression. He felt he wanted to cry with joy, laugh with pleasure, yell with disbelief; and his face reflected this inner struggle of emotion uninhibited. That is why he avoided turning around. It didn’t matter though, whether he turned around or not; she had come. And she had entered. Elizabeth, the most beautiful girl...

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“The Trap” by Chris Bent

Submitted to Contest #50

Crying came from the treehouse. It was not a child’s crying or a simple sob. It was a sorrow-filled, painful plea; a disturbing moan that raises your hackles and activates rescue mode in a person. It was one pm. The sun was out, but gauzy clouds filtered its shine, hiding any detail of the treehouse. It was late April and a fresh canopy of leaves gave even more shade to the area. From my perspective, there was no rope or ladder dangling from the underside of the shadowed alcove. I left the road cautiou...

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“THE PROPOSAL” by Umeh Queendaline Frank

Submitted to Contest #50

Edward and I, can be said to be twins, born on the same day, almost the same hour don’t really know who came first but who cares, age is just a number! Obviously same hospital, same maternity ward, but yes different mothers! We grew up sharing everything wore same designer clothing’s, drove our different bicycle together had our bed time stories read to us before we sleep, all this happened because our mothers where single parent and friends, that did spice up everything and indeed working for my good, as kids I was the possessive one a...

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“Preserved In Your Amber Eyes” by 𝔸. Triangle

Submitted to Contest #50

It was last summer Sitting there The green leaves of the canopy above Cast over a face more beautiful than sunlight Hands so gentle they weave moonlight Into dreams Lips softer than ferns and dew In morning sunlight As your angelic face Stares into The plainness of my own Honey-colored eyes Forever lost Preserved In the amber that surrounds your own My eyes trace the fineness of your features Each one unique Like the points on a star Casting halos On even the most malevolent of creatures The summer sun washes over us Like the war...

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“Stalked” by Catherine Stevens

Submitted to Contest #50

“Virginia! I’m going to kill you!” the man’s shriek reverberated through the still forest. “You can’t hide from me!”Startled Virginia froze, her eyes darted back and forth searching her surroundings, she had been making breakfast at her camp fire when she heard the man. She didn’t know who he was or why he’d be screaming at her, but it filled her with apprehension.“Virginia!”She jumped and spilled the hot water of her cooking pot on her leg and feet, she swallowed the cry of pain and she strained to hear where the man’s ...

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“The Chase” by Sayujyaraj Ghimire

Submitted to Contest #50

Tick tock!Tick tock!The clock ticks inaudibly as the sky of the frigid December night paints itself with a peculiar greyish color of the moonlight. You take out your cellphone and gape at the message that pops up on your mobile screen.Ting, ting! You click on it. Tap!The message crops up briskly, covering the screen from the topmost notch to the bottommost circular home-button of your mobile.Swoop!You read the text message in silence. It says‘Hotel Hyatt Regency, Room 404. Meet...

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“The Monsters He Couldn't Outrun” by K. M. Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #50

The doors acted as a barricade against the monsters. Six inches of solid, silver steel that glinted in the bunker's harsh lighting. Seven feet tall, ten feet across. They took up almost an entire wall in the small, square space. Impossible to look away from. To ignore. An ever-constant, ever-pressing reminder of Damen's surroundings. Of his trapped state, alongside the other thirteen who cowered in the dusty crevices of the bunker. Priamos had known of the monsters and had built the small, steel space deep underground. He'd been th...

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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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