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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

“The Power of Joined Opinons” by Amogha Patwari

Submitted to Contest #50

I had thought that this was what I wanted, a moment to finally prove myself to all who didn't believe in me, but now I see the consequences of what happens if I go that stage and mess it all up. "Hello, earth to Emily", my friend Chloe said, "Do you ever listen to me". "Huh?", I hastily reply as we walk through the hallways to our last class of the day. Chloe and I have been friends since I can remember, though our friendship differs from others. Most people don't really know why we're friends, frankly, I don't either. You see, I'm the s...

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“Firebird” by Erika Flores

Submitted to Contest #50

FADE IN INT. COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC HALLWAY – DAY Various close-up shots of musicians in practice rooms: wooden mallets banging on a vibraphone, an embouchure wrapping around an oboe mouthpiece, the horse hairs of a bow striking downward over a faded violin. College girl REI shyly walks down the lively hall, carrying a modest folder. She enters an empty room. A single upright Clavinova piano rests in the corner. She sits and places her right foot on a pedal. Perfect reach. She places sheet music on the music stand and sits tall, inh...

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“Siblings-a special bond by A.W.” by A W

Submitted to Contest #50

Pre -performance jitters being quite common is not given much of a thought. But you wish to have someone motivate, encourage and support you during those times. This is a story about two sisters-Their special bonding motivates me to be a better humanbeing. Like every other siblings Megha and Jessy have disagreements on almost all topics. They are quite opposite in nature. Megha started her hobby of dance at very young age and now at the age of 18 , she seems to be confident. But for Jessy , this was her first stage performance. A Day Be...

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“The Big Dance.” by Korede Ojelade

Submitted to Contest #50

You'd have thought it would be easier this time around. On the contrary! The butterflies are back with renewed vengeance. They have signaled each other, alert to the fact that the residence permit in your gut has been reactivated. You wonder what the big deal is. It's just an hour under the lights, after all. The reddened stumps that were once your digits belie this notion. Chewed to near extinction, they are an eyesore, proof of severely frayed nerves. Erin shakes her head and tapes them together. You shrug helplessly and look for other pre...

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“A Bird of My Tongue is Better Than a Beast of Yours” by Essy Dean

Submitted to Contest #50

Kelly felt the panic rising in her chest. She leaned again the wall and tried to push it down, push it out of her head. She was not going to have a panic attack where everyone would be able to see it and make fun of her. She refused to let it happen or have it be a consideration. She refused that she was going to have something like this defeat her. She thought about the fear Beatrice felt for Benedick in the first scene, that she hid behind jabs and casual talk. She tried to force all her fear into that spot. She felt her breath quicken and...

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“Strength of Mind” by Ramore991 Amore

Submitted to Contest #50

He looked at his phone. Eighteen minutes. “You’ll be fine. You were fantastic at the rehearsal.” he flashed a nervous smile, “Thanks, Joe”. He’s an idiot, you know that. He’s been around forever and says that to everyone before showtime. Look at yourself, you know you’re not ready. You’re a total stiff. The crowd will see right through you. You’re almost drowning in your own sweat right now. Pathetic. Enough. There’s a reason I’m here. He started to pace around the little dressing room. At the far side of the table, a small lamp. He ...

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“Stage Fright” by Valerie Kaufman

Submitted to Contest #50

I look good for my age, which is 50. The same age as my stand-up comedy teacher, Peter. But Peter, who I’m crazy about—says his 30-ish student Clarissa, who he’s crazy about—looks like she’ll never be my age. Peter texted me that he thought Clarissa was “pretty” in the beginning, but then she became “hugely, fantastically pretty!” Which is men’s language for really liking a woman. So I joke, “Your high forehead suggests intelligence, but first impressions can be wrong.” Peter and I have not outgrown the childish practice of making f...

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“Ciggy and a coke” by Humza Karim

Submitted to Contest #50

The burning sensation moves its way down my throat and proceeds to settle in my stomach, I gingerly place the glass back down onto the coaster. “AJ I really don’t think we should be here, this is going to end horribly, someone is gonna record it and we won’t be able show our faces here ever again”. AJ takes a break from trying to chat up the clearly uninterested pixie cut bartender about his art and lets out a shallow breath. “I thought we talked about this Khalil, you told me you were going to be fine.” I can see his unibrow furrowing in di...

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“A Performance of Destiny” by Ethan Carlson

Submitted to Contest #50

A low wind howled against the bare trees outside, rattling the knotted branches in the starlit sky. Similar excitement arched from person to person, electrifying the building. William waded through the chaotic tension as he paced back and forth in the wings. His gear had been perfectly fitted for him, it hardly felt like he was wearing a costume at all. So much time had gone into making the intricate designs look divinely crafted. As he looked at a small mirror backstage, his headpiece felt transcendental with its brilliant polish. Rings of ...

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“Destruction of the Desert Table” by ALICE NGUYEN

Submitted to Contest #50

“Up next is Kevin Park with Meditation by Jules Massenet ”. Mother Trucker. Holly Fudge Sticks. Why do I always do this to myself? Alice,you wanted to do something out of the box, but this is like out of the box.This is way out of the box. Silently having a major meltdown, I paced left and right of the waiting room and absent mindedly knocked into the desert table,which knocked down the pyramid of small cups. Shaking myself out of my trance, I watched in horror as the glass flew into the punch bowl, splashing punch ev...

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“Here we Go” by Eric M

Submitted to Contest #50

It was hard to comprehend the path he took to get to this point. He lived life much akin to a log coasting down a river. Wherever it went, there he would go. As long as he could live life in comfort and his conscious was clear, it was all good. “Competitor #5, please come to the check-in table,” blared the PTA system. His number call shocked him out of his revelry. He half ran, half walked in his sandals. The large gym hosting the tournament was filled with dozens of competitors, supporters, and spectators. ...

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“Motivated Thrills” by Ezequiel Taleno

Submitted to Contest #50

Entering the arena I felt a surge of pain course through my body. This was the moment I had been waiting for for so long. I would finally graduate from Shermont’s High School while giving a speech to the class of 2019 but I couldn’t resist my various emotions from piling inside my head. As the ceremony began with my family anxiously waiting for me to speak I started to feel very nervous. My palms began to sweat and a tight knot formed in the pit of my stomach. I tried to calm my nerves by shifting around in the foldable chair and fidgeting w...

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“Eyes on Me” by Julia K

Submitted to Contest #50

I was already late. And now I was shoveling the miles of snow off my car. It would have been warmer to walk the 10 miles to this stupid performance. Everything was frigid and frosty. Frozen in perpetual amalgamation, the whole world was stuck as one. And thus everything felt tense. I felt tense. The snow fell in lumps beside my car, scattering across my driveway and into my boots and socks. I shuddered. I was starting off my day with a prophetic kind of nauseous. I had woken up that morning with a bad dream still fermenting in the abysses of...

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“Why do you cry?” by LaTisha Brown

Submitted to Contest #50

Sitting on the plush, lavender duvet, her hands trembled as tears streamed down her face, staining the flyer that read... The 39th Annual Debutante Cotillion Talent Showcase participation is required by each young woman on the Cotillion court. The performances will take place at the art museum’s concert hall in front of family, friends & community leaders. The top three best performances will receive a trophy, scholarship and be featured on the front page of the local newspaper. If a young woman decides not to participate in the compet...

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“Artemis” by Bruce Charles

Submitted to Contest #50

In the dark forest at night, Hunter was by himself. He and his dad were on a camping trip, and Hunter was hating every second of it. Not that Hunter had an issue with camping itself. Usually he looked forward to the annual trips, but this was the summer where he hit puberty and discovered new things about his body.It’s not like Hunter could have explained to his dad why he didn’t want to go, so he begrudgingly left home, telling himself he would wait to do that when he got back. He tried to fall asleep in the tent, but it turned out he could...

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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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