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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

“In the tree house” by Amberly Strickland

Submitted to Contest #50

My name is Miranda Whitley. I am 8 years old and I love spending time in my backyard tree house everyday. Today is a great summer day June 3rd 2020. Today started just like any other until my friend Jenny came over. The book she brought with her was no ordinary book. As soon as we read the first page I knew this day in my tree house was going to be something speacial. As we read into the third chapter I noticed bright sparkling lights started to surround the tree house and us. I got nervous but Jenny kept reading as if she didn't norice. So ...

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“The Battle of the Treehouse ” by Shelbie Writes

Submitted to Contest #50

“Are you sure it’s safe up here?” Hazel asked. The four of them were standing in the dusty, leaf-infested treehouse, glancing around and shifting awkwardly. It had been quite a while since the older siblings had visited their playhouse and Hazel had never visited at all. She was only twelve, the baby of the family by nearly eight years. Olivia, Liam, and Aron had all went off to college and left her behind with only her imagination to play with. The kids down the block were good for bike riding or the occasional game of street basketball...

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“Curtains of Torn Dresses and Hearts of Broken Homes” by Poppy Gillespie

Submitted to Contest #50

I softly shut my eyes, breathing deeply. The scent of lemonade, freshly mown grass, and old timber relaxes my muscles. The sunlight feels hot against my blushed cheeks, reminding me of the warmth of my mother’s kisses, and my eyelashes flutter slightly as I open my now glazed eyes to be met with the roof of the bright, homely treehouse which has been a resident of my backyard for almost 7 years now. Ruby Rossdale sits before me. Her legs are crossed daintily and her smooth skin glows beneath the delicate touch of the sun. The edges of her li...

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“Eloise, Lady of the manor ” by Josephine Ballinger

Submitted to Contest #50

That was it. The cherry on top, the crème de la crème, the piece de resistance was finally up on the wall. Joy looked around her little treehouse, hammer in hand and a few small nails tight between her lips. She had pearls of sweat on her forehead from the summer heat, which she quickly wiped off her face with her free hand. The pride that filled her was new, it was the first time she felt she had accomplished anything. The posters, newspaper clippings and frames she had diligently been collecting over the winter months, so she was ready to ...

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“The Treehouse of Memories” by Elizabeth Conrad

Submitted to Contest #50

The sun was scorching my back as I scrambled up the rusty ladder leading to the treehouse. It was not yet July but already hot enough to cook an egg on your driveway. My black hoodie was probably not the most practical thing to wear but it was all I ever wore anymore. I wore my hoodie on rainy days, sunny days, chilly days, and pretty much every day.I had been avoiding the treehouse and the memories brought with it, for as long as I could manage but I finally gave in, I wanted to visit it one last time. The treehouse used to be a source...

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“The Last Time” by Ava Lasater

Submitted to Contest #50

The aging wood beneath me causes my muscles to ache, screaming for me to stand up, to move. But I am too happy here, just like this, to move. I can hear the soft chirping of birds just outside these walls; I can feel the sun setting, taking the heat with it. The combination of sensations effectively blocking out the sound of my parents fighting. Not that I care anymore. It has just become part of my life; it has become uncomfortable, inherently wrong when they aren’t at each other’s throats. But I think this is a good thing, because, so long...

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“Amelia's Treehouse” by Arianne Grant

Submitted to Contest #50

The young woman with the red hair opened her silver laptop, and began quickly skimming through the emails of her colleagues. She stared at the screen as her professor’s email read: Your paper on biotechnology is top notch. I would like to invite you to the Chancellor’s award dinner held at the Prescott two weeks from now…’ The email went on, enticing her to go with free meals and drinks provided by stellar breweries, but she was stuck. Being noticed for being knowledgeable in the subject she loved the most was something she wanted her ...

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“Change in a Box” by Oli <3

Submitted to Contest #50

It was not a pleasant summer morning when Molly first called. The sun was blocked by stale clouds. The sky itself was a pale shade of gray. Gusts of uneven wind were weaving in and out of leaves. To make the morning a little more ill, Molly, the same Molly who she hadn’t talked to since high school had called her out of context. Elizabeth had nothing against Molly, but engaging herself with anyone of her former high school friends made her feel uneased. Naturally, Elizabeth let her phone ring, before deciding to send Molly to voicemail. El...

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“Elaborate Plans ” by Robyn Jipp

Submitted to Contest #50

Alex stood by the cut-out door of Shane's treehouse with his arms folded across his chest, staring out across the yard at nothing. It had been several months since the boys had gone up there. The treehouse, which had been everything from a pirate ship to an old west fort, had over the past year or so taken a backseat to more athletic albeit less imaginative pastimes such as bicycle races and Frisbee games. But today the treehouse was just a treehouse, a quiet place where the two of them could be alone. "Maybe your mom'll change her mind," Sh...

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“Reprieve in a Reverie” by Cool Kiddo

Submitted to Contest #50

I always loved our treehouse. As a child, the day Dad announced that he had finished the treehouse coursed adrenaline through my all too small veins, not wilting despite the exasperated although somewhat exhilarated face as she attempted to hide the pride that she had for her husband shone through. He had been working on it for so long and to see it completed was a dream that came true. Today, I feel no different. I still feel the comfort and privacy of the young birch tree that embraces my presence in its hollowed our trunk whilst I lay...

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“Instinct” by Monika Chiplunkar

Submitted to Contest #50

The projector flickered between slides, each depicting the very worst of human nature, in a non-poetic ode to Criminal Psychology. “Trust your instincts. The inbuilt radar of the human body is attuned to react to danger and evil of any sort. Pay attention when the hair on the back of your neck rises, when your stomach quivers or your internal system asks you to run away. Your instincts are probably correct, so step away from the situation and take yourself to a safe zone. In case your instincts are wrong, you can apologize to the perso...

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“Treehouse” by Adrian Tan

Submitted to Contest #50

It was a balmy afternoon. The occasional wind caused the leaves to rustle. Marty walked across the field, away from his farmhouse towards a towering hundred-year-old tree. A ladder rested on its thick, dark brown trunk that led upwards to a little treehouse. It was built by Marty’s grandfather for his twin daughter and son. Marty’s father and aunt used to spend their afternoons up there to do their school work followed by leisurely hours of fun with boyish and girly projects. They would hang around until their mother called them down for din...

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“Summer vacation ” by Stacey Mitchell

Submitted to Contest #50

The sun beat down, as we lazily led on the already hot wood. I loved laying here with her, we could talk for hours and chill. It made the whole summer vacation so much better, but soon summer vacation would be over... Soon they would try and separate us. I refused to think about it, are tree house was a sacred place for us both. A place to relax and chat without worry of criticism, the outside world or bullies. I sighed contently as I feel the warm sun, everything is so quiet and peaceful. I wish we could stay this way forever.This old ...

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“Family Tree” by Alyanna Marie Poquiz

Submitted to Contest #50

“Mom, where are we going?” Louie stopped walking and gave me an exhausted look.“Somewhere.” I answered.“We’ve been walking for ages!” he sat down beside an oak tree and rested his head on it. “Im tired, mom.”“But we’re close now.” I clapped my hands excitedly, trying to convince my son to keep on going.“You’ve said that thrice already!” Louie exclaimed.I sighed and took a glance at my watch. It’s almost lunch time and I could already feel the sweat at my back. I should’ve thought about this. Why would I wear a sweater in the middle of a hot ...

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“Successfully evading responsibility” by Millie Spence

Submitted to Contest #50

It had been a long case for Fleur. She didn’t expect it to be this hectic. Not only did she have to solve probably the hardest case in her career in just over two weeks, she also had to deal with the stresses of making new friends and moving from England to France. She knew she needed to relax but she didn’t know the area well enough so she had no idea where there was to find said relaxation. She wandered around the city for hours trying to clear her head. She had her headphones on and she was in her own world. As if in a trance, she continu...

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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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