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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#63: Autumnal

It’s finally fall in the Northern Hemisphere. While the leaves are being slow to change out my window this year, the air is crisp and the pumpkin spice products are out in full force. Time to break out the sweaters!

Beyond all the colorful trappings, though, fall is by definition a season of change. So as you craft your stories this week, try to think about how the events you’re writing will change your characters' lives, whether fundamentally or just a little. After all, even a seemingly mundane afternoon can be the turning point of your entire life…

And if you want to drink some apple cider or a pumpkin spice latte while you write, more power to you!

This week's prompts

Set your story in a coffee shop that’s just introduced a new line of autumnal drinks.

Fall – 161 stories

Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)

Teens – 324 stories

Write about a character making fall decorations out of construction paper.

Kids – 45 stories

Write a story from the perspective of a bird migrating for the winter.

Winter – 128 stories

Write about two characters going apple picking.

Fall – 249 stories

Stories

“Embers and Cinders” by Lindsey Owen

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire-and I was terrified. Panic spread through me as flames hungrily consumed the living and the dead; devouring nerve and flesh like paper. As I stood at its mercy, one thought struck me as a physical blow. No one cared. Not of me, not that I stood helpless against the vibrancy, but that they too burned. Everyone did. Couples, families, children-heavens the children!-they burned the brightest and fastest. 'Save them-Save the poor children!' I wanted to cry, but my voice-like my courage-had b...

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“Phoenix Trees” by Aobakwe J. L. Diteko

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I turned back into the house and rushed to get something, anything, to try and kill the flames with. My mind was on auto-pilot as I reached for a pale by the kitchen door. I filled it up quickly and hurled the water at the raging tongues of fire. My mom’s favorite trees – which she had spent so much of her time, love and care on – had become ablaze. The family centerpiece that had been the spot for so many family gatherings filled with love and laughter was now gone, it was as if a...

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“Deja Vu” by M.Zubair Alam

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The sight put an instant halt in my advance. The fiery scene first held me stupefied for a few seconds. The whole grassy area in the lawn was covered with the dry and yellow autumn leaves. Now, all of them making yellow and red flames. After the grip of sudden exposure to the scene had eroded, I began to enjoy the unanimity with which all the leaves were leaving their present form giving life to the fire. The ethereal burnt particles of the leaves bl...

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“Autumn of Life” by Valerie Preston

Submitted to Contest #63

Autumn of Life By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The paper would already be ash and once the leaves had burnt completely the rest underneath would go up in smoke. There would be no trace of anything and I would be safe. ‘Oh no’….”Hello Linda, Linda, where are you darling? Are you ok? I could smell smoke and got worried. I did call out but you obviously didn’t hear me. Where are you? What are you burning so early in the morning?” My helpful but sometimes nosey neighbour Mrs. Morcombe had walked through my house and out t...

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“OUR COUNTRY HOME ON FIRE” by SIMON VIANNEY LUBEGA

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire." My wife Doreen said! We had gone for a holiday with my wife at our country home. It was a summer holiday and this time we preferred having it away from the noisy town. Our country home was sorounded by a small beautiful forest that we planted before building there a house, during summer, some trees would have their leaves dried up and some even shaded off.One morning we had 4 unexpected visitors who introduced themselves as college students on a holiday camp, they all had back packs a...

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“The Border ” by Rosheedat Akindele

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Subhanallahi, I muttered silently as I rushed to the well which was close to my tent. Worse, the drawer's rope had loosened and there was no way I could draw water from the deep well. Except, of course, if I could climb down the steep and slippery ridges that paved the corners of the well rings which, so deep, seemed like a dark abyss. There had been scarcity of water in our locality. The water I had left was just a bowl which wouldn't extinguish the fire that had then started ravaging ...

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“payback” by Hope Torres

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I know what you're thinking they all think it but maybe you're just as sick and wacky as the rest of em probably privileged to. Listen it might sound crazy but I'm not like how they tell you I am and quite frankly you don't know where I came from pushed away like some piece of trash, I bleed too but they still fail to believe that. I'm just like them pushed aw...

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“Leaves like fire ” by Sidra Malik

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire . Those reds, oranges and yellows. All cascading through the sky, dancing with the wind in their intricate dresses. Autumn was here. The season of colour. I stepped out of my dad's car ready to say goodbye for the rest of the week. His rusty blue door shut with a squeak and I waved as he rode off into the distance with the dancing leaves. Mums house was cosy, the outside white with orange framed windows, it fits perfectly with the season of autumn. The...

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“Autumn Break” by Ma Ra

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Red and orangey fallen mess are eclectically scattered across the ground, making a picture of small wildfires in a crazy cold season. My eyes interpret the trees as flaring logs the moment I gaze at them from the distance. Neighbors’ houses are decorated with grinning pumpkins ranging from small to big ones which I personally do not prefer. Fortunately, only a few people are out. Girls who just passed by talked about what to wear to the upcoming Halloween party at nobody’s shack and no ...

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“That's why I love fall” by Emily :3

Submitted to Contest #63

“Start your story with the line, “By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire.” (Whether this is a literal fire is up to you.)” By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I don’t like fall, actually. The memories of the just-finished summer start to get blurry, confused, just a picture of happier and carefree times. Every day that goes by it gets colder, the leaves on the trees start to fall, the sky darkens earlier than before. But there’s something about fall that makes me like it, just a little: before falli...

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“UNKNOWN” by Kiryn Bell

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I had wanted to come out just before sunrise, but I was a little late as the sun was already shining across the bright leaves. It made the forest look radiant and alive. Just staring at the beauty, I couldn’t help but feel at peace. This is why I came up here with Amy and Lillian. The beautiful fall reds and oranges and the fresh crisp air helped clear my mind of the stress of the semester. Amy’s family was amazing for letting us use their log cabin to get away from everything. I...

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“Autumn's Flash” by Korede Ojelade

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. It was a surreal sight, quite staggering in fact. Everything seemed to be aglow, the varying degrees of red and orange struggling for dominance all across the backdrop of what was just over 5 acres of wine country. I stood unbelieving, overwhelmed, a motionless figure in the midst of the confusion swirling round about. A slap on the back took care of matters soon enough. ‘Get the hose!’ Jack cried. I was jolted into the melee, joining other hands darting about haphazardly, battling...

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“Autumn Folly” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The setting sun picked out the brilliant autumn colors, which rapidly dimmed as the light faded. Despite the illusion of fiery radiance from the oranges, reds and yellows of the leaves, the air was crisp and cold. I cautiously opened the glass doors which led onto the terrace. I could say I was watching the sunset if anyone asked. As the night crept closer, the trees became lacy black silhouettes against the sapphire blue sky, punctuated by glittering specks of s...

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“Fireside Tombs” by Starla Taylor

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Great, just another day at Fireside Tombs Cemetery. I give Gus a withering look, then extinguish the flames. In all his 6 "1" translucent glory, he ducks his head and scuffs his shoes across the leaf-covered walkway. "Gus, I don't have a permit to burn leaves. It's detrimental to the headstones. Besides, these leaves are to be bagged up with the rest so I can deliver them to Let's Talk Dirty Compost Company." "Sorry, Lottie." My name is Charlotte, but he insists on calli...

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“History” by Chris Jones

Submitted to Contest #63

“By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Whether this is literal or not is up to you. I spent months under the gun, and all I could think about was getting out on the streets again. I knew it was dangerous, and I was afraid, but it didn’t seem real. I wanted to go and see my favorite stops, have a drink at the cafe. As soon as I got outside that just vanished. It was chaos, and I ran for it as quick as I could. All I could think about that whole time was being out in the city, and as soon as I was in the city all I could thin...

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$50

Prize money

907

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Oct 16, 2020 EST

Won by Masha Kurbatova 🏆

Title: come to atlanta!

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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