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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

“Apple picking with Ernie and June” by Shifat Shikto

Submitted to Contest #63

Ernie is impatiently waiting. He stomps his foot on the wooden floor of the old house his grandparents live in. "I am waiting here..." says Ernie; he gets more and more angry by each passing second. "I am here, Ernie. But I don't wanna go apple picking with you" says June. June remembers how Ernie made her carry all the apples back home the other day while he pranced around the farm playing hide and seek making her look for him with all the apples entrusted upon her. "I want to hide today" says June still not confident about her stand agai...

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“The Apple That Fell Farthest From The Tree” by Nancy Beckley

Submitted to Contest #63

“Come on, Ruby!” Jack yells in a playful tone. His eyes were wide open as he runs up the hill. Almost tripping over every blade of grass. The five-year-old finally made it to the top. “Ruby, come on! Come on!” Jack continued to scream. Ruby, his older sister was walking up the hill. He could see the top of her brown, curly braided hair bobbing up and down. Once she got into view he saw that her hands were holding onto two pales. Jack quickly tidied himself by brushing his hand through his short brown hair and straightening his vest. Ruby mak...

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“From Apples to Family ” by Charles Wasilausky

Submitted to Contest #63

Russ and Alex woke up early one Saturday morning. They were excited because Alex's parents were taking the two of them to a nearby orchard to pick apples for the day. Russ, excited, was dripping milk down his chin from his morning cheerios, said "What do you and your parents do with the apples you pick?" Alex, also enjoying his cheerios, finished his bite and said, "We make all kinds of things for the bakery. Apple pies, apple cobbler, apple crisp, and we even make our own apple juice and cider to sell. We stay busy picking apples every Satu...

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“How do you like them apples” by Julie Adamson

Submitted to Contest #63

She said it would be an adventure and a fun one at that. If you thought climbing an unsteady ladder to pick an apple was a fun adventure. Sure the apples were delicious and crisp. It’s just I almost fell three times. My friend Lucy had different ideas sometimes on what would be fun. However I did make her go to that new bar and she hated bars. Michelle seemed to be having fun, she was the type of person who could make anything fun. Edith was sitting under a tree on her iPhone. I knew this real...

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“Orchard of Delusion” by James Morris

Submitted to Contest #63

Tony and Jen were on their first fall outing as a couple. They had been seeing each other for three months and Jen was the one that suggested apple picking in the local orchard. Tony was more of the city guy that liked concrete under his feet and not dirt and mud. Jen was finally able to convince him when she promised to bake an apple pie with the ones they picked. They agreed that this Saturday would be their adventure out. "Wear something comfortable," Jen said. She knew if she did not tell Tony that, he would arrive in one of his urban ...

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“Appleslice Sunrise” by Hannah Sobczak

Submitted to Contest #63

I stared out the window of the taxi at the turning trees flashing by. The trip from New York to Albany last night had been exhausting, and now I was on her way to The Orchard at Fallen Leaves in Woodstock, Vermont to meet up with my boyfriend, Roger. Actually, he wasn’t my boyfriend. I didn’t know what he was. We had decided to take a break for a week or two while Roger moved to Boston to become an environmental scientist and I worked on a fashion show for a new Celia York line. That had been five months ago. The driver pulled...

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“Watchdog of the Orchard” by M Nieto

Submitted to Contest #63

“How many of these are good?” Rosie asked, standing on her tiptoes to read the topmost row of apple… flavors? Breeds? “Uh,” Max said, bending down to scan the list. There were about twenty different apples, all with their own seasons and “Sweet-Tang Rating,” marked by little pictures and graphs so small that it did not seem possible that the bulk of apple-pickers could read them with any amount of ease. In all, Max knew about five of them. “Honeycrisp is good,” he said, pointing. Rosie’s dark eyes followed his fingertip to the appl...

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“The Lost Boy” by Azalea Young

Submitted to Contest #63

“How about this one?” Mary holds up a ruby red apple, the skin covered in golden speckles and small patches of green.“No,” I place the apples in my hands into our basket, the wood catching on my gloves as I do so. “It’s not red enough yet.”Mary rolls her eyes and chucks it into the basket anyways. “You said that about the last ten I picked. There’s nothing wrong with them!” She turns away from me, her short curls bobbing in the breeze. “Not everything can be perfect you know, Alice.”“Apple’s can.” I turn back to the stout tree in front of me...

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“Autumn ” by Brittany Shinault

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire ". Or so it seemed that way because of the autumn sun shining on them. The sun would always shine on the leafs a certain way giving them a look as if they were on fire. The entire street block on both sides had trees that looked like they were on fire. I think I would be completely devastated if I had to move from this place. This was the most beautiful part of Maine in my opinion, and all the tourist that came thought so as well. I always loved walking to my best friend Naythans house ...

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“Into the Dark” by Olivia B

Submitted to Contest #63

A cool afternoon breeze washes through the leaves of the rows and rows of trees as shiny red fruits dangle from the branches. The two girls take their time strolling up the mile-long row of trees, swaying their baskets back and forth as they walk in the fading sunlight. ”Tiana, over here,” Faye calls, her wavy, light brown hair blowing in the gentle wind. Tiana quickly rushes over to her friends’ side, both of them picking the few ruby red apples from the tree. Looking up at the orange and pink sky, Faye frowns as she glances d...

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“A Year in Past and a Year in Future” by Shiri G

Submitted to Contest #63

Stacy was cooking pasta when she had a call. She usually didn't receive much calls but that day she was expecting one. Last year on 10th of October both her parents died. Her aunt asked her to stay with her but she wanted to stay close to her parents by living in her parents home. Stacy was already an adult by then so she could not be forced. "I will be there by 11." Stacy's Aunt, Florence, said. Florence was Stacy's only living relative who lived two stations away in Danes. Florence loved her niece but her relations with her brother were ...

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“The Rotten Apple” by Anahy Aguirre

Submitted to Contest #63

One day, in the afternoon on October 28th, there was a class known to be obnoxiously loud. It was the third grade class. The teacher sent two students, Tachi and Bridgette to go apple picking to make some apple pie. The two students headed outside to the school’s apple tree garden. ¨So, should we get red apples or green apples?¨said Bridgette. ¨Let’s get the rotten apples, because they describe my soul,¨ said Tachi ¨Ummm, no. I feel like we should get half and half,¨ replied Bridgette. ¨Guys, Ms. Holmes said to hurry up...

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“Two Different Apples” by Georgia Anstey

Submitted to Contest #63

Sunday, the best day to go apple picking in my opinion, quiet with the sun shining on the autumn leaves. First job of the day though is to pick up a new recruit or volunteer I should say, we have them come to the orchard every few weeks however its gone down to a few months, this is the first I’ve heard of in 7 weeks. ‘’So Samantha, whats the name of this volunteer you have to pick up?’’ my mum asks. ‘’I’m not sure, they never really say much about the person just where to pick them up’’ I reply ‘’well anyway they have a great teacher’’ she...

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“Rules of the Harvest” by Tagan Dodds

Submitted to Contest #63

Reaching for an apple-picking basket, Davyn did as he was told that morning (and every other) and inspected the rules on the tool shed wall. His younger brother Kersil stood silently beside him, reading the rules also. It was dark, as it always was in the shed, but the reaper behind them commanded regardless that they read the rules aloud. Such was protocol by now. "Rule 1. The apple trees are dead, but grow apples regardless. There will never be a ripe apple, but we will pick them regardless." The brothers spoke in unison, the reaper sile...

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“Trestle Bridge Orchard” by Ramore991 Amore

Submitted to Contest #63

Jesse DuPont sat upright in his cell cot. His vision was still hazy after waking up so suddenly. He could hear his cellmate Frank arguing with one of the prison guards. Officer Shumpert, he had a deep, resonating voice, and at well over six feet tall he was equally intimidating in stature. Shumpert grabbed Frank by the collar and dragged him out of the cell. Thwack, thwack, thwack, the sickening sound of a club against flesh. Each successive blow sounding more hideous than the last. Jesse could only sit there helplessly quivering. Shumpert s...

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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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