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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

“ Grounded in Reality” by Charles Stucker

Submitted to Contest #50

My dreams burn. Flights of fancy. Rockets rising on a cloud of steam and flame. It's always the same thing. I go in, explain the data, then tell them why it works like that. And they never want to understand. Because it goes against their dogma. I've waited three weeks for this appointment. They have the experiment, so they should have confirmed the data. But they still won't believe. The secretary, a type two middle-age woman, meaning obese rather than simply heavy, motions for me to go into the office of her boss, the engineer in cha...

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“Status: Illegal” by Sjan Evardsson

Submitted to Contest #50

My left eye glitched out, again, somewhere around 17th Street. It took a couple sharp raps to my temple to get the sight back on that side, but my night vision was down. Not like that was going to stop me.The glitch wasn’t a new problem, or even the only one, but I hadn’t had the time or money to update any of my gear. My only real chance for either was now safely ensconced in the lining of my ratty old windbreaker. Two more hours, maybe three, tops.I was glad for the soft-soled shoes I’d picked up the previous day. Expensive, but absolutely...

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“The Arrival” by Kaysie Davis

Submitted to Contest #50

Note- 4th in the South Wood series “Lexie, it itches!” Barrie was scratching at the collar of his shirt, “Why do I have to wear these? Why can’t I wear my usual clothes?” “You only need to wear them for a little while,” I told him as I fought to finish tying up Maki’s dress, she was squirming and trying to get away from me. “We need to look nice for the prince’s speech.” Though I couldn’t show it for the twin’s sake, In all honesty, I was just as miserable. As soon as I’d gotten back from gathering the berries f...

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“Cup of Love” by Whitney Trang

Submitted to Contest #50

I hate winter. But she loved it, so I tolerated it for her. She was my fire in such a cold environment. She made everything warm and sparkly. I would do anything for her, even brave snowy bitter weather, because she was worth it. I watched her as she exited the bathroom, her hair still damp from her hot shower. “Looks like you really enjoyed the slopes today,” I said to her. “I did!” She beamed. “Even you seemed to enjoy yourself out there.” “I gotta admit, skiing’s not so bad,” I shru...

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“Maid For You” by Rayhan Hidayat

Submitted to Contest #50

I am busy watering the orchids when the Young Mistress’ wails reach my ears.I turn off the water—a special blend containing plant food, because even the flowers in this household get to eat like royalty—and replace the hose. The garden is loved by the family, but their precious daughter moreso. A few orchids can wait.I am well aware of the child’s source of distress before I reach her, because it is the same every time. It is you. It is always you.The glowing red streaks on the Young Mistress’ arm tug at my attention, and that is when I...

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“Run Shila Run” by Arvi Krish

Submitted to Contest #50

Runnnn! Run Shila Run! Shila could hear Shailo screaming at her. She could hear the revving from motorbikes behind her back. She could hear gunshot here and there. She could hear lots of sounds coming to her ears. She has no idea what she should do. At one moment she was stunned without knowing what to do. Vroom! Vroom! The sounds from motorbike started to haunt her. Will she be able to escape? Why was she even at the scene in the first place? She tried to run but her legs were not moving at all. She was standing still looki...

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“Jitters” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #50

There is a nightmare I have even though it has been nearly twenty years since I graced the stage, but it's always the same. I am waiting for the curtain to rise and the director announces, "Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are changing tonight's opening night from Hamlet to King Lear." The cast does not seem to be bothered by this last minute change except me, because I do not know my first line in the play and with the curtain seconds from rising, I pull out a script and start to cram. As the lights come up and I see the gh...

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“Facing Eviction” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #50

“We might as well just give in,” says Bernard. And that makes me stop to think. Because nobody would call Bernard a quitter. His quiet stubbornness and determined to get a task done and not be deflected counts for more than any amount of flailing and fuss-making. “We can move. It wouldn’t be the end of the world.” The fact that he could well be right makes me angry. Whether at myself or him, I don’t know. Neither. Both. “There will be other v...

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“The Performance.” by Marsha Webb

Submitted to Contest #50

Backstage Gillian tried to calm her shaking hands enough to put on her make up. She took some deep breaths. None of the others seemed as nervous as her, what was the matter with her? Gillian studied her reflection in the mirror; she looked terrified, almost tearful. Who was she trying to fool? She could not do this. She slipped off to the toilets unnoticed. The others were busily putting on their makeup and chattering happily. The atmosphere was bright and bubbly, there was a certain amount of tension in the air yes, but everyone was handlin...

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“TREEHOUSE STORIES,” by P. Jean

Submitted to Contest #50

( Write a story about a day spent in a treehouse)If you can imagine, and I suspect most of you can, being a teenage girl just old enough to be considered responsible, but not old enough to get a proper job. I am that girl and I have a whole summer ahead of me. A whole boring summer! Circumstances have created this place where I am in life, that while not horrible, it certainly is not what I would wish for! “What would I wish for?” , you ask, even rhetorically. And I would smile slightly,&...

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“The Comment Section” by Gip Roberts

Submitted to Contest #50

"Yo momma shaves and wears army boots!" "Fkk you!" "Learn how to spell, idiot!" "Learn how to think, idiot! If you'd read the terms and conditions of this web site, you'd know certain language is not allowed here." "What would you know about reading? You probably never made it past Dick and Jane in elementary." "Careful, buddy! There was a swear word in what you just said...Oh yeah! That's right, you have to think in order to be careful. My bad." "Yes, you are! Bad at everything. You SSSUCK!!" "No, YOU suck!" "Learn from the Ma...

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“Even if you're not the one” by Adah M.M

Submitted to Contest #50

There are so many things wrong with the world, from the government, to the economy, to the pandemic that was currently trying to eliminate half of the world's population, to his neighbor; the sixty nine year old woman who always nagged him when he threw his thrash in her bin, he doesn't get her problem. All in all, nothing was okay, he hadn't been working for almost three months, it was by grace that he hadn't been kicked out of his house, he doesn't even know how he was going to feed the next month, he had bills pilling up, whenever he saw ...

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“The Proposal” by UJJWAL DUTTA

Submitted to Contest #50

Trilochan, aged 55, is a highly respected school teacher in his village. His knowledge and his commitment to his service earned him a position of authority among the educated section of the village. He derives the greatest pleasure out of teaching. The future of the students is his first priority. Yet, it would be wrong to say that he neglects his family. Rather, it would be more proper to say that he manages both his profession and his family competently. He believes in the principles of hard work and hone...

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“Marriage Fever.” by Peace Nakiyemba

Submitted to Contest #50

Today is the day! I know it is. I also know that I’ve said this every two weeks when it’s his turn to plan our date night but there is something different about today. It doesn’t matter that there are no roses littered around our table when we walk up to it, his cologne is intoxicating enough and I’m sure the two of us add enough colour to the scenery. There are no candles on the table either but again, that doesn’t matter since the view of the city lights do the twinkling just fine. No minstrel to serenade us but that’s just me looking...

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“What a Proposal!” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #50

A Story in 3 Chapters, plus ProloguePrologueSome professors couldn’t care less, but others will do almost anything to encourage their students to learn. Feel free to decide for yourself which type this story is about. If you do not think the method of instruction works, please also feel free to modify it or suggest alternatives. Just please be prepared to explain your reasoning.Note that this method has been employed in advanced Spanish language classes at the college level. There is no guarantee it will work with another language or another...

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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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