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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

“Writers Group Pre-jitters” by Jane Ruth

Submitted to Contest #50

Writers Club Pre-jitters Jane Ruth &nbs...

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“Stage Fright” by Brianna Griffin

Submitted to Contest #50

His blood began to warm as he stepped out of the car and onto the concrete of the wide, almost empty parking lot. An unusually hot day, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his hand dry. He decided to contribute his warming blood to the heat. As he approached the heavy door in the side of the large concrete building his heart skipped a beat, he shrugged it off as nothing significant, he had to convince himself that his nerves were not on the fritz.Inside, a cacophony of voices came from throughout the building. As he listened to ot...

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“The Singer” by Ariana Tibi

Submitted to Contest #50

Your head spins, there’s darkness everywhere. You can feel the heat of ten thousand eyes just behind the curtain, and your heart pounds to the beat of the song in your head. Kneading your anxious hands together, you stare sharply into the void of backstage, waiting to illuminate some hidden courage. Suddenly, a producer calls you out of your self-imposed black hole. “Good! Now, pace back and forth, take a few deep breaths.” You do as he says. “Turn toward the camera, good. All right, let’s go again.” When I auditio...

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“Cycle Chase Number One” by Spencer Rubin

Submitted to Contest #50

The last aid station wasn’t worth stopping. Jackson wanted to podium, that’s all that mattered to him. He was chugging along, spinning his wheels as fast as was functional, with only ten kilometers left in the course. Breathing heavily with calculated precision and matching each rotation of his pedals with an inhale or an exhale. His calves were tight, tingling, and uncomfortably from the past two hours of hard, relentless motion - up and down over and over - moving his bicycle precisely at the rate he’d practiced during the previous months ...

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“Danny’s in a Hole” by Russell Waterman

Submitted to Contest #50

You’ve really done it this time, Danny. Just look at the hole you’ve dug for yourself, or should I say fallen into? Trapped like the bug you are. Mama tried to warn you about those who mean to harm you. “They’d just as soon as have you for dinner then look at you—literally,” She’d say. But you had to play the rebellious youth, didn’t you, Danny? Acting tough and forging your own way. You wanted to see what all the hullabaloo was about regarding conical pits. It turns out you’re just another punk kid who tempted fate and lost, getting too clo...

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“chasing death” by Binyamin Jackman

Submitted to Contest #50

First jobs always make me nervous. But this specific one made me more nervous than most. I was asked, on the first day of my career as a flying fighter, to stop a bunch of gangsters from escaping the police. For some reason, they chose the hardest criminals to stop on my first day. Very nice of them. But I really had no right to complain. I understand why they would not want me to succeed. Flying over the city, I looked down, trying to spot a Toyota, in which the criminals, at least according to the report I was given, escaped. Of course, th...

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“Geminus ” by Rachel Ryan

Submitted to Contest #50

I cannot hear anything save the furious pounding of my heart, perfectly in sync with every footfall upon the muddied path. The trees flash by me in a blur of greens and moss-covered trunks; my lungs struggle to inhale the wet, musty air as I push them far beyond their limit. If I were to think too hard on it, the pain would be overwhelming; the fire in my muscles and chest, the damp seeping into my bones. Yet the blur of my panic is overridden by instinct, and my adrenaline, and I somehow find the strength to press on, to keep moving, becaus...

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“Milo and Nate” by Charlie Murphy

Submitted to Contest #50

“Why did you have to go and piss off Kate’s dad?” I asked.“I was hungry!” Nate replied.“So, you ate his cheesecake and called him a fat cheapskate?”“Hey, it's not my fault he buys from Walmart.”“Yeah, but you didn't have to insult him!”“It was worth it.”“You're such a jerk! I don’t know why I hang out with you.”“Cuz you love me.”I sighed. “Come back here, you bastards!” Mr. Cunningham exclaimed.“Kiss our asses, fatty!”“Did your parents drop you on your head when you were a baby?”“No.” Nate paused. “I mean I don’t think they ...

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“A Visit From the Wood Sprites” by K Lengling

Submitted to Contest #50

Lady Mum and her dog Dexter are walking through the woods, as they do each day.This day was different though, as they walked deeper into the woods, Lady Mum notices a treehouse. “I’ve never seen that there before Dexter, have you?”Dexter looks up and says “It’s a little house Lady Mum! How come it’s up there in a tree?”Lady Mum walks closer to the tree, “There’s no way to get up there, maybe we can get a ladder from the house. What do you think?”“Umm, Lady Mum, I don’t know what a ladder is, but what is that over there?”Lady Mum turns to whe...

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“My Bleak Summer” by Noelle Ashcraft

Submitted to Contest #50

Today I got word that would shatter my hopes and dreams. They canceled my summer camp. How could they do that? I was watching the news and something grizzly had happened that would probably shut down the camp for good. I was curious, but remembered that saying “Curiosity killed the cat.” I was never the sort to run towards the sound of gunfire. I came to the conclusion that it was for the best the camp was closed. It wasn't the greatest of places. The food was no better than a festering bowl of dog snot. Lake Negar was full of leaches. The c...

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“Tree house memories” by Alisha Mcneely

Submitted to Contest #50

That last weekend i had a discussion with my boyfriend and started talking about saving up money for the future. He kept telling me he didnt see the need to since we both had jobs and could get things as we needed. He kept trying to drop the conversation when it became a hugh fight. Then me and my boyfriend ended up breaking up and he left the house. I had called my mom and told her I didn't feel like coming this year. When she asked why i just kept telling her i was tired and had been working late hours. But she kept pushing and I didn't wa...

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“Young Forever” by S Smith

Submitted to Contest #50

It was the summer of ‘68. Just a hot, breezy day. Abigail and her best friend, Sarah, were sitting in her treehouse, watching the day go by just like they did every day that summer. As she looked out the window, the wind swept up her strawberry blonde curls and tossed them in front of her face. She only smiled. “Hey, Abigail,” she heard quietly from behind her, “whatcha looking at out there?” Abigail plopped onto the ground next to Sarah, wincing as she felt the wood underneath her and the sharp pain that went through her. I should kno...

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“Tree House of Justice” by Ice Bag

Submitted to Contest #50

It’s almost 4 o’clock on the afternoon, Mom's cooking our favorite snack and also preparing a lemon juice that we love, brother’s playing his guitar and here I am push pinned on my own business, I can hear the stunning song of chirping birds suspiciously fading out and I can feel the humid air being replaced by the well know summer breeze. It’s confirmed, vacation is on. No more studying and focused on our sweet treasurable time playing. As I soared out of bed I’ve seen my friends, I wave my small hand and scream so they’ll see me, apparentl...

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“The tree house by Jack He” by Jack He

Submitted to Contest #50

I loved that treehouse. It was carved in wood and had been here for me every step of the way. The treehouse brought me so much memories than I could barely count. Some people say that you could never have attachments to objects. However, this treehouse was the last gift she gave to me and I really do hope that no matter what she is now, she will remember how much I love her. We were so happy in the treehouse. In the hot summer afternoons, we would climb up into the treehouse and stay there until when the stars come out. We would laugh at th...

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“Until He's Gone” by Wency Villaseñor

Submitted to Contest #50

Anna is a ready to go in the Alumina Park, two blocks away from her house. She’s so excited. Anna was wearing a white turtle neck, covered with a caramel coat, one pair of black skinny jeans and 2 inch white winter boots. Today is the start of summer, her favourite season. Even though it’s summer but it’s still cold. It's already 1 o'clock in the afternoon, when she arrived in Alumina Park. Anna is still waiting for her boyfriend-- Jessy. They've been in a 7 years in relationship and I’m glad to say that we’re going strong and strong and s...

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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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