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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

“Let Sleeping Dogs Lie!” by P. Jean

Submitted to Contest #57

(Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.)He didn’t know this before, or at least he never consciously thought about it, but there are things better left alone. In other words don’t dig too deep or you may not like what you discover. He now thinks “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie” is a good phrase to remember.As long as Harvey could remember, someone in his family was always dragging up the fact that his great grandfather or maybe it was his great great grandfather was the founding father of this town.&...

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“Voices” by JASON PARKER

Submitted to Contest #57

Light the damned thing! Why can't you just do as you're told? A breeze met with the streams of perspiration descending Ed's lower back and he shivered--as did the trees at the forest's fringe. He looked back at the house worn by time and circumstance. It creaked. It groaned. It sounded uncomfortable and not without good reason. The house's bleached wood stood out against the verdant hills behind; it looked to Ed like a skull atop a green velvet plinth. The landscape was a perverse museum and the home Ed had been born in--grew up in--was ...

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“Lady bug🐞” by Ari Berri

Submitted to Contest #57

"Hey, bug.I don't look up. I'm not dealing with this today."Hey, ladybug."Ok, let me get something straight.I'm a boy. Eighth graders just have small imaginations. Also, just because my dad got into the newspaper for finding a huge fly, doesn't mean I care about bugs. Newspapers are seriously slacking on reporting interesting news."CJ, take your head of your desk." Mr. Dellow commands.I roll my eyes, and sit up.Class is almost over. Just five more minutes, and I can go see Will.Who is Will? My boyfriend for over a year.Well, first you should...

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“Bloodline” by Aqsa Malik

Submitted to Contest #57

“My children will think I left them with nothing. On the surface, this will be one of the hardest things their ignorant hearts will have to go through. But later...much later, they’ll understand that I actually left them everything. I gave them everything.”“Are you sure about this?” Marcus trusts Abel. He knows the man that’s been through hell and back, and is nothing less of a sage. But he’s not too sure Abel is on his toes today.“Marcus, always much more than my lawyer, but my friend. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my miserabl...

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“The Day My Dreams Died” by Kris 🖤

Submitted to Contest #57

Where… am I?The world swirls around me. Am I seated? Standing? Outside? Inside? When my head finally clears, I’m able to answer at least a couple of those questions. I seem to be in an unfamiliar apartment. A cheap one, at that, based on the decor. The couch I’m seated on is too firm and clashes with the chair in one corner. Dingy vertical blinds cover a door to my right. The only items in this room that seem to have any sort of value are a TV across from me and what appears to be a computer screen on a desk to my left. The owner’s clot...

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“Gleba- a not so successful technology created by Aiden Roca” by Anshika Goyal

Submitted to Contest #57

How many of us want to travel in time? That’s something almost everyone dreams of. However, what would happen if we manage to travel in time, say about 50 years in the future? How would we see ourselves? Well, first and foremost, imagining it isn’t childish, predicting what we would have 50 or more years in the future is something many scientists do for a living. As for what we would see, we can see anything, our predictions might not turn out to be true. But here is what would probably happen.3rd September 2020,Aiden Roca took a stroll outs...

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“The Young Prince” by Fall Write

Submitted to Contest #57

Kix keeps running from the drunkard men chasing him. He wins their money for three rounds of "dice and doodles" gambling game. They called him a cheat and wanted their money back."It's not even one round how could you call me a cheat?" He said bragging his awesomeness in gambling. The drunk men riles up and get him but his instinct is always right as it is always happening each time he gambles.He enters a narrow alley and slips out. "Hahaha! I guess those men got a lot more money to lose at me. I think I'm going back," he said playing toss w...

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“Stains of Shame” by S. Closson

Submitted to Contest #57

As the morning sun began spreading its light along the quiet, cobblestone streets, a chorus of songbirds began their morning serenade. The blanket of fog that had accumulated over the course of the night had settled overtop the gently sloping lands surrounding the ancient town of Cing, giving the area a pervasively ethereal ambiance.Thomas pulled the brim of his dark hat further over his eyes, shielding them from the growing intensity of the orange rays. His pace remained steady as he followed the stone pathway leading to the towering main g...

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“Edutainment” by Tariq Saeed

Submitted to Contest #57

Howard Bill, popularly known as Dr HB, was a man of high vision. He founded an institution especially for Severely disturbed emotional children.It was a private institution. Miss Nancy was a Resident physician. Fred was a special attendant. Boys were ranging from age 9 to 12..Mostly hailed from broken homes . whole day , boys busy making different things . Danny and Tony always busy drawing dInosaurs..Kim considered himself a builder .When his buildings reached to the completion of...

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“Flight from Red Mountain” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #57

You may have heard of me. If you’re a cat lover, you most certainly will have heard of me, though you will not necessarily wholly approve of me. I split opinion. Or more to the point, though it doesn’t always feel that way, the Monty Ross cats split opinion. I am credited with introducing the breed to this country. Which is, in a sense, true. It is generally believed they are called after a descendant of mine. This is wholly false. My surname is “Ross”, which is handy, but...

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“Where There's a Will...” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #57

Where there’s a will, there’s a way to get your way at last. Say that five times fast. No, seriously, I am here to share my last will and testament with you. I have taken a back seat to folks far too often, especially in my later years. Now it’s my turn to talk (so to speak, since technically if you’re reading this I am underground and will not be actually talking any time soon). Don’t worry, I will spare you all the legal language and just cut to the chase. Besides, I don’t really have a lot, so my will is going to be short and sweet. ...

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“The Legacy of the Second Daughter” by Tori Routsong

Submitted to Contest #57

Cleopatra tapped her earpiece awkwardly and fidgeted with the microphone in her collar. “And you’re sure that this will translate the… English, you said?” She looked at the markings in the pod nervously. None of the six languages she spoke came in handy here.Maline looked down at her tablet. “It should. English is a bit… strange, so I can’t be quite sure, but you’re understanding me just fine with your translator on and I’m speaking modern Greek now, so it should work for English. I wish I had more time to test it out, but I was just so exci...

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“Bubbles” by LeighAnne Ferreol

Submitted to Contest #57

“Hey, Bubbles!” Dave shouted to the guy across campus. The guy looked towards us and raised his hand in acknowledgment before continuing on his way. I looked at Dave, confused. “Bubbles?” I said. “What? You don’t know Bubbles?” He asked. I shook my head. “You should talk to him. He’s a great guy. Makes one hell of a snowcone.” “Okay, but why is he called ‘Bubbles’ exactly?” Dave smirked. “Go ask him. Trust me, it’s a good story.” It didn’t seem like he was going to give me any more information, so I didn’t bother asking. I glanced at t...

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“In Memorial, Bushington” by James Offenha

Submitted to Contest #57

We don’t know whether or not he’s dead, but we all miss Bushington, so we, after a family meeting in the basement, decide to have a memorial service in the backyard. We go to the supermarket (around the corner) to buy flowers and bring them to the backyard. Then, Mommy and Daddy light a memorial candle and we take a moment of silence for Bushington. Daddy says a short prayer. Then, we talk about all the memor...

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“The Snake Among Men” by AISHWARYA MURALIDHAR

Submitted to Contest #57

“ The Nuclear Plant has accidentally released a large amount of Radioactive energy. However , the energy has been released in the form of a strong beam and is estimated to have hit right in the middle of the uninhabited forest, no effects and deaths have been reported. The experts suggest that, as all the energy has been shot out in the form of a beam, only a limited area is affected but the effect is extreme.” Announced the news reporter of a local news channel as a part of the breaking news.Sameer, a man in his late twenties, was walk...

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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.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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