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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#57: Legacies

Everybody hopes they’ll be remembered. It’s a big part of why writers write, artists paint, and singers sing. It drives some to rise to great heights in politics or business. It’s part of why people have children.

But whether you hope to build a legacy through words, kind deeds, grand ambition, or a strong familial line, the truth is, we don’t always know how history will look back on us. All we can do is put our best selves forward, and hope that our integrity and values will resonate long after we’re gone.

This week’s prompts invite you to delve into people’s hopes for the future — and the legacies that may or may not be what they dreamed of.

This week's prompts

Write a humorous story about the descendant of someone remembered for an insignificant act.

Funny – 73 stories

Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Character – 119 stories

Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Angst – 170 stories

Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Science Fiction – 131 stories

Write a story that starts with someone writing their will — one they know people won’t like.

Dramatic – 183 stories

Stories

“life's a roller coaster” by Amber Hartung

Submitted to Contest #57

Life’s a roller coaster Why does it have to become a roller coaster? With all the ups and downs, I am starting to get sick so like many other I will have to stop the ride to get off so...

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“Dear Olive, Sincerely Future Peggy” by Jessica Drennan

Submitted to Contest #57

Olive, I know you’re having the time of your life in Corfu right now, and you’re not thinking about anything except where the best bars are and which streets in Santorini have the coolest cafes, and that’s good--I’m glad you got to get away before college, freshman year is always hectic. You probably haven’t been expecting to get a letter from your busy sister who’s off at her dream internship in D.C because as I’ve said time and again, who even writes letters anymore? But this is really important and you never answer your phone because you...

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“The Slip Up” by Reed Peterson

Submitted to Contest #57

Time travel wasn’t exactly what Damien expected; no flashing lights, huge noises, crazy hallucinations. In fact, it was relatively boring. The capsule went dark, save for the overhead light that came on once the safety belts were connected. Over a speaker, he heard: “Sequence initiated. Forward travel destination, 35 years. Scheduled arrival date: July 17, 2055”. His capsule moved slightly, like the feeling of a vehicle accelerating, and seconds later, the opposite, a slight pull forward of braking. “Sequence successful. Current date: ...

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“Time travel regrets. ” by Kristen Cloney

Submitted to Contest #57

I had always wanted to know what I would grow up to be or what I would Be leaving behind i of course always had high hopes, i had never actually thought that I would get to know until now. scientists finally invented a time machine of sorts only showing small glimpses into the past or present its Still being worked on, still in its early testing fazes, hopefully one day we could actually interact with the people or stay there longer then 8 minutes But for now it is awesome. even though it’s not at its finest they still started renting th...

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“The Voice that He fell in Love with. ” by HBR Patel

Submitted to Contest #57

“What’s the delay, Trina?” asked Ron “One moment, sir. There was a resurge. Fixing it in a few seconds.” replied Trina, the AI Bot instantly. “We are ready to go, Ron. Which date you would like to visit?” asked the Trina “Wait a minute. Let me refer to it one more time.” saying that Ron continued reading the manual. He was going through it for one more time, in case something went wrong in the future and he had to act on his own without Trina. He dropped the book on the table and adjusted his backpack. That backpack contained all th...

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“Sweet-Bitter taste fruits” by Rodica Niculescu

Submitted to Contest #57

On a scorching summer day, Stefan leaves his life on this Earth. He goes to a better world. He leaves at the sunset as if following the path of the golden globe beyond the horizon. Yes, he is or... he was being in the autumn of life, but he would have had much to say on the furrows of the dearly worked land, in the Transylvanian village where he was a man of honor.I'm looking at my brother with my eyes open and I don't find him at all in that soulless body whose lips will never again be calling me, ”Grigore, my bro'.” I lean with my elbows o...

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“The Famous Singer” by Megan Maguire

Submitted to Contest #57

"Carlos, I can't believe that you wrote another award-winning album," my mom told me as she walked into my house. "I know, it's so crazy to think about!" I replied taking a bag from her hands and putting it on the counter. "I bought dinner and we're going to have a party for you tomorrow to celebrate." "Alright, but please don't invite too many people." "I promise." After we ate dinner, my mom left and I started to think of new song ideas. I don't know how long I had been writing but I woke up to my mom's dog jumping on me. "You fe...

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“Is It a Wonderful Life?” by Maureen Horst

Submitted to Contest #57

Shards of light filtered into Henry’s eyes splitting his brain like a chainsaw through glass. Attempting to sit up brought the pain clear through his skull and he lay back down gingerly. As the chainsaw calmed a bit, he once again tried opening his eyes except this time with added care. He was lying on his back, his head awkwardly angled at the base of a very big oak tree. Painstakingly, he examined himself before rising again. His normally impeccable hair was now matted and felt slightly damp interwoven with a few twigs and leaves. He wince...

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“To Decide” by Cornerstone Hyacinth

Submitted to Contest #57

My heart thumped heavily with anxiety, as I waited and listened. Rolling for the umpteenth time on my bed, I glanced at the time in the alarm device; 2:17 am. If I hadn't known my father well, I'd have thought him completely rid of sleep. But I knew more, all the same. Daybreak, mom wakes me up to clear off the flask of cold coffee with the mugs.. But that has been the everyday routine, even before dad took on this one project. The Ultimate Project, he had called it. One that could change our family's status forever. Though the machine had b...

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“Mother” by Amaris Moran

Submitted to Contest #57

Once upon a time, there is a young girl who dreams to have a beautiful family. She dreams of having a good husband and perfect family. She told herself while looking at the stars at night that she will have it no matter what. She is laying at her bed and then, her daydream broke by calling her name. “Mirai! Come down here!” her mother shout at her name. “Wait! Mother! I am coming!” she said in a little voice. When she down from her bedroom, her mother hit her by a broom then shout at her. “Why are you in your bedroom!? Yo...

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“Petals of Periods ” by Mriganka Bhattacharjee

Submitted to Contest #57

Trigger warning: suicide “Our every action opens a loop that can lead to several results depending on the continuum of our further connected actions” Theories travel open in the minds and the works of people who devoted their whole life finding the secrets of space and time seeking only new inventions and ways. However in my life remained another reason for living – my beloved wife. Tanaka held my hand every time as my wife and as my colleague. Both of us devoted our life to each other and to my insane invent...

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“Dead and Not-So-Gone” by Megan Snyder

Submitted to Contest #57

...And I’m back! Yes, I know you buried me over 15 years ago and have made peace with my passing, but I was bored. Death is dull. You just roam around haunting those who’ve wronged you. And those people died years ago. The past few years have been unbearably dreary. So, I took the first chance I found to come back to you, my children. If only you were easier to find… But first, to my dear Bill: I loved you for so long. You and I have shared so many things; I’m surprised you’re not here with me, haunting the world. I see, as I gaze at...

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“Dressed To Rule” by Jovan Ivančević

Submitted to Contest #57

Caesar was furious. Others around this magnificent, large and exceptional table tried to calm him down. Without any success, as usual. “Giving my name, my name of divine origin, sharing my dignitas[1], my dignitas of Roman origin to dogs, four-legged little silly shit-whenever-I-can dogs. This is disgrace, this is blasphemy, this is… I have no words for it.” Like always during the meeting of significant historical figures, an annual event, although time isn’t any category in their current dimension. Annually, it meant this could be next mil...

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“The Return of Will” by Mariam Mansuryan

Submitted to Contest #57

Shakespeare has written plays not only as a legacy to England, but tales that have stirred up souls all across the world. We know of his Hamlet, chasing the ghost of his father and seeking the death of his uncle. We know of Lady Macbeth desperately trying to wash blood off her criminal hands. We know of Romeo screaming - "Juliet, my Juliet!" But what we don't know is of one fine miracle which occurred in a public London school, when the teacher did not weigh the potential impact of his words upon looked at his class from behind a pair of...

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“H.G. Wells by the help of the Time Machine travels into the future and was unhappy about the way and manner in which they have been remembered. by Mr. Prince De-Grant Brempong.” by Prince Brempong

Submitted to Contest #57

My story is entitled H.G. Wells by the help of the Time Machine travels into the future and was unhappy about how they have been remembered.Also in this story H.G. Wells travels into by the help of the Time Machine. The Time Machine also helped H.G. Wells to travel forward or backward through time.The term Time Machine is universally used all over the world . In this story it was noted that H.G. Wells travels into the future and was not happy about how they have been remembered . In this story also it was noted that time travels through diff...

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$50

Prize money

676

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 04, 2020 EST

Won by Iona Cottle 🏆

Title: Et Tu?

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.

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