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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

“He & She” by Joy L.

Submitted to Contest #50

It was cloudy, the way that she loved. Though she liked sunny days and blue skies and cumulus clouds, there was just something about the way that gray skies looked that mesmerized her. The way that the charcoal-colored clouds stood out against the light gray background that the sky provided, threatening to release what some despise, threatening to rain down all the water it had stored up over time. She never understood why most people look up at storm clouds with frowns on their faces. She’d always gaze at the beauty of them, at the beauty t...

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“More than Meant to Be” by Jazz Minnelli

Submitted to Contest #50

I kept looking at the door expectantly, watching the people come in and go out of the restaurant. I could feel butterflies in my stomach, and I wondered if I’d even eat tonight. I was nervous — not even the light instrumental music playing in the background or the bright little candles dotting every table could make me calm down — but it was a good sort of nervousness. Looking around, I noticed that there were a few families, but most of them seemed to be couples, all of which were busy chatting or clinking their glasses together and cutlery...

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“I Got A Proposition For You” by Connor Andrei

Submitted to Contest #50

An unassuming car is parked beneath a street light on an empty street. Two men sit inside, their fedoras pulled down low, the collars of their trench coats popped up high. Their faces are almost entirely obscure, but one can vaguely tell that the man behind the wheel is wearing a mustache. A neat mustache, trimmed short with just a hint of a waxed uptick on either side of his lips. The other man is presumably clean shaven, but perhaps has some stubble as though he hasn’t shaved in a few days. But that might be a shadow. They sit in relative...

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“The Start and the Finish are the Same” by Jessica Buford

Submitted to Contest #50

It’s 7:48 in the morning, and it is already hard to breathe. Why anyone in southern Texas would run a 5K in any month except January is beyond me. Actually, running is kind of beyond me. And yet here I am, for her. She is beaming despite the thick humidity. There is no sign of sweat on her gray racerback tank yet. It makes me conscious of the sweat beads forming on the small of my back. Jamie has always been into running. She has a Brooks shoe box full of medals in the back of her closet, and she always keeps the most current medal hanging o...

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“Little Rose” by KAUSTABH KASHYAP

Submitted to Contest #50

'The shepherd's pot of gold was back at home.'Your boss, a dapper young-man, can pull off a tidy look even in scruffy casuals. Though he sits beside you in his snug, mauve tank-top and deceptively clean chinos, who is to say he won't change into a well-ironed suit in a minute or two. But more than anyone else, he alone has taught you never to size up a book by its covers. That includes him and his cutting, cryptic remarks.You'd think you had given up heeding his wry humor, pouting each time he micromanaged the errands he doled out to you, ju...

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“Pavel and Winnie, September 1939” by J Acheson

Submitted to Contest #50

“Imagine,” Winnie says looking out at the gloom that evening near Bleecker Street. “Imagine that there are two kinds of time.”I sigh, not really able to imagine time in any form, waiting for him to go on.“You’re seated on a large stone in the middle of a mountain brook.” Outside the streets are slick with fog that had rolled in late in the day. A sheen of wet grim on the black road, a few damp huddled figures leaning into the wind walking southeast. The wind is kicking up debri...

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“The Ceramic Shards of Family” by M M

Submitted to Contest #50

I could tell that my mother was going to pick a fight the moment she walked into the kitchen. Her body seemed to bristle with anger, like an animal who’s searching for a victim of prey. Her eyes scan the countertops. Nothing is out of place. I made sure of that, I always do. I don’t like giving her more reasons for unreasonable arguments. She moves away from the doorway and deeper into the kitchen. Searching, searching, searching. Opening the fridge, shutting it. Opening the drawer, slamming it shut. Opening the cabinet- “The mug is chippe...

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“Time Capsule: A Love Story” by Jenna Melancon

Submitted to Contest #50

Connor Lobell and his wife, Loretta Smith-Lobell, drove down the deserted highway, cornstalks waving on either side of them in the afternoon breeze. “You’re going too fast, Loretta,” Connor said. Loretta gritted her teeth, but remained silent. “I know it looks like there’s no one around, but there could be a cop hidden around any corner,” Conner went on. “There are no corners. There hasn’t been a corner in a hundred miles,” Loretta replied, cursing herself for getting sucked into another argument. They’d done nothing but argue since leaving...

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“Le Chapeau” by Dylan Heath

Submitted to Contest #50

“I will not stop harping on this. I told you I didn’t want the escargot, but you got it anyway.” “Yeah and I ate it. You didn’t have any of it. So what’s the problem?” “Of course I didn’t have any of it. It’s disgusting. They’re fucking snails, what’s wrong with you?” Sara leaned over at her waist to level her eyes with Avi. She waved her index finger in her face. Her left hand held tight on her hip and her long blond hair spilled out of her neat bun and hung over her glasses. “I like them. I wanted them. I ordered them so I could e...

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“The Magnificent Marcus Desuzer” by Emma Cooper

Submitted to Contest #50

Chapter 1 Marcus Desuza had just finished his final year at Miller’s Music Academy, one of the best music schools in the country. He had passed his final exam with a distinction and had huge aspirations to one day be a famous singer. He recalled how his singing tutor had once told him that he had a voice that could make angels cry and how he was destined to achieve great things, musically of course. The Old Oak theatre in Manchester was one of the most prestigious in the country. It was only small as theatres go and could only sea...

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“Before The Show” by Olivia Stratford

Submitted to Contest #50

It was the audition day and Ella was excited she had been in many plays but was most exited of this one. She had never audition for the lead role and had practised her pronunciation for weeks and remembered all of her lines. She was really looking forward to getting on the stage. She had always had a passion for performance every since she was young she used to do puppet shows and loved dressing up. Her name was called from the list and she excitedly walked on the stage like she couldn't get on there fast enough. She was very confident with ...

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“THE PODIUM” by Andy Bradley

Submitted to Contest #50

It was during the session, SDA1 [social development administration] first semester in a university, one of African top universities, there was going to be a presentation for the class, everybody knew what a presentation is- you have to come out in front of the class well dressed like a social worker and talk, everybody knew what it is, even wilshere. Wilshere was young man in his 20's who had spent seven years of his life trying and failing to secure an admission into the university, life has taken a toll on him, you could see it in his face...

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“Showstopper” by Stephu Sunny

Submitted to Contest #50

Music blasted through the speakers in the convention center. Photographers were adjusting their cameras and testing the lighting. The announcer seated herself at the judges’ table, going through each program and checking people in. Judges got ready at the table, rustling through their papers, and setting up their computers. The refreshment stand had a long line of ravenous customers who did not prepare food for the event. Families bustled in the audience, getting ready to cheer on the competitors. Parents, siblings, and grandparents all sitt...

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“Lady of all Universes” by Karen L

Submitted to Contest #50

I've made a huge mistake. But it was too late to back out now. I took few steps forward and approached the table I’d been eyeing for ten minutes. “Hi, I’m here to check in for the Lady Universe pageant.” “You’re competing?” the man sitting behind the table asked, raising an eyebrow. I blushed. I could never get used to the way people grimaced at my appearance, as if they couldn’t stand to look at me for more than a few seconds. “What’s your name?” he asked, bemused. “Tara Morris,” I said. He rifled through the passes on the...

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“Magnum Opus” by Stephanie Correa

Submitted to Contest #50

It was almost go time. He could feel his heart beating a little faster than before. It wasn't that this was the first time he had done this, he had been before a audience before. This was different though, more personal. He mentally sifted through his notes. Football, check, fishing, check, wedding, check check. Everything had to be in synchrony, in order. In speeches before his business associates in the past, he may have skipped over a word here and there, or changed a few specifics, but not this time, not this speech. This speech would be...

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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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