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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

“IN THE LINE OF DUTY” by Sharon Achieng

Submitted to Contest #63

IN THE LINE OF DUTY ©️Sharon.A. By the time I stepped outside the leaves were on fire,the pungent smell of smoke choked me holding my throat I coughed hard trying to clear my airway,my eyes were already teary,everything seemed to be spinning round and round to infinity.I badly needed water,it would be just a little time before I pass out from the suffocation, stumbling towards the tap in the yard I heard "Detective Lana come in,detective Lana? Can you hear me? Detective Lana is everything alrigh...

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“This is the End” by Justyne Vasquez-Mora

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire...like literally. The town of Thomasville, Georgia was like it was in the devil's cage. The town's sirens were shouting as loud as a whale. It was five minutes past midnight and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Everyone in the neighborhood was running wild all over the streets like loose baboons. I decided to step further into my driveway to see what everyone was freaking out about. “Hey you. What’s going on,” I asked as some man that ran by. “Out of nowhere something hug...

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“The Glowing City” by Alice Rookhuyzen [STUDENT]

Submitted to Contest #63

"By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire" .... everything was, burning. I looked around. The entire city was burning. I ran, to my house. It was gone my home, my belongings, ...my life gone burned to ashes and dust. I screamed tearing through the burnt walls and door ... searching frantically!!! "MOMMY" a voice behind me shouted. I turned and ran to my three year old daughter and scooped her up. "Why are you here by yourself, where is your nanny?!!!" " I not know mommy" Buildings everywhere in sight were encased in a thick lay...

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“A red brandishing Sword” by Marjorie Kabwe

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. Well, not literally. But still it was a beautiful thought. They were as crimson red, dry and brittle like my fragile heart. The sunset was a gorgeous golden yellow melting into the horizon. Everything the light touched turned into bright gold, including the shop where I had just had my favourite tea and strawberry swirl cheese cake. There was a new line of drinks the shop had introduced. I fell in love with their limited edition Pumpkin Pie latte in a heartbeat. It was warm, spicy ...

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“Brothers and Sisters of Flame” by Michael Crone

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. The greens were fading to beautiful reds and yellows, signaling Autumn was on the way. As a kid, it was always my favorite time of year. Cool evenings spent around the firepit, horror movie marathons, everything and anything pumpkin flavored. It reminded me of home and it brought me comfort. I grew up on a farm. The springs were busy and the summers were long and hot. Fall always brought with it a nice respite. When I was little I would ride the tractors to the pumpkin patches and help...

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“Flashbacks” by Julia Burrow

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the leaves were on fire. I stopped at the short iron gate in front of my house and gazed up at the blazing trees wondering why autumn had decided to sneak up on us this year. I swear the leaves were still emerald a week ago, but then again, that’s how long I had exiled myself from the rest of the world. During that week of isolation, my mornings had been spent with coffee that contained only honey and oat milk and poetry books filled with other people’s miseries. I thought that maybe if I read someone else’s fe...

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“The Pyro Who Denied His Nature.” by Maya Curtis

Submitted to Contest #63

By the time I stepped outside, the were on fire, because someone had set the tree that was on my lawn on fire. At the moment I was pray that the fire, which was spreading to the grass on my lawn, wouldn't make it to my house before they put it out. Currently I was standing on my neighbor's lawn waiting for the fire men to put the fire out. While they were working on putting the tree out the fire continued to spread across the lawn, but surprisingly not toward the house it was going parallel to the house. God does hear prayers. By the ...

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“Mourning Dove” by Cheryl Fulks

Submitted to Contest #63

Mourning DoveEmily sat on the steps of the funeral home kicking up rocks. She didn’t want to be there, her mother never expected her to attend. She did out of love for her mother and to say one last goodbye. She had done everything in her power to keep her mother alive but she was too frail. She made sure her mother took her medicine every few hours, and tried to get her to eat but the past few days she refused. Emily was now left with extreme sadness and guilt that she was having difficulty shaking. Had she don...

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“The Island” by HBR Patel

Submitted to Contest #63

'Common Emma, we are almost there,' said John. 'But, the wind is severe. I can't lead you all anymore. Take my place,' said Emma. 'Lead us till the Sun is out from the horizon. You can endure that, can't you?' 'It is not about endurance. It is about the pack I am leading. With my slow performance, we won't be able to make it there in time.' 'But...' 'No, but. Take my place and lead us until the sunrise,' ordered Emma with a disgruntled voice. John was reluctant to switch the place with his wife, Emma. It looked like Jo...

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“Migration ” by Sharron Grodzinsky

Submitted to Contest #63

The days are growing shorter, and I can feel the chill in the wind. It is the unrelenting turn of nature that comes at the same time every year and brings the cold airstream of seasonal change. Soon I’ll ascend to the sky and make my way across the earth to the safety and warmth of Panama. It is a dangerous trip, but I’ve made it before, and my unerring instincts will take me back to my winter home, where I’ll dip into the nectar of abundant flowers. But first, I must increase my weight. Three grams will not get me from my home in my southe...

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“Pretty Bird” by Vivian Rouse

Submitted to Contest #63

Venus perched in the morning sun and admired her reflection. Since this year’s molt, she was brighter and gleaming with sharp contrasting colors. Crisp cyan, black, ivory…Oh Mammacita! Tres belle! What a fabulously fluffy bird! Magnifique! That’s right, pretty passerine… “You sweeeetie sweet sweet.” A whisper song rose softly to her own shining corvid face. Venus enjoyed her own company and was not often publicly vain but there was nothing wrong with being a big beautiful Blue Jay, wa...

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“Solo Migration” by Genipher Y

Submitted to Contest #63

I felt a chill in the air. It would be time to go soon, I knew. It’d be too cold to stay outside much longer. Plus, it would be super easy for something to spot me against the white snow. Time to fly down south again. Just after I said goodbye to my mom. She always happily stayed put year-round with Jerry. I unfurled my wings and flew across the street. No point in getting run over if I didn’t have to. I flew over house after house, looking for Jerry’s familiar rooftop. I flew through an open window. “Hey, Mom.” “Darling! How many times h...

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“The Migration of Grey the Greylag Goose” by Lolita Lostinoste

Submitted to Contest #63

Grey could tell by the drop of temperature that migration was near. He was currently waddling through the Parc Bordelais, looking for any crumbs of bread. Insects had already vanished and the usually delicious grass of the parc had died off. It had rained in the morning, and the heavy clouds in the sky indicated another shower soon. The trees who had been green just a couple months ago had already shed their leaves. All the children had gone back to school, and the animosity of the summer had truly been replaced by a dead silence. The greyl...

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“A Bird's Eye View” by Isa Mendez

Submitted to Contest #63

'Has anyone seen the Colonel?!', says the right hand man. Everyone looks around and nods their heads no. Wondering who they were waiting on in the first place before. No one has ever actually met the Colonel, except for, of course, the one asking all the questions and ordering others to do certain things in their group. "Here he is now", says the man. The Colonel came flying in and just landed upon his crew saying, "Sorry about being late. Is there still enough time to get to the other side? I don't expect that we are expecting any bad we...

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“Colombian Blue Wings” by Corbin O'Skinny

Submitted to Contest #63

“This year, we’re goin through Michigan!” Pappy, in his 17th year, proudly announced to his family of 28 blue-winged teals. Cheers of “yay, hooray, quack-quack-quack” erupted from the youngsters. Others near middle-age weren’t so excited. One fledgling couldn’t contain itself and kicked furiously under the water. She looked calm above the surface except that her smile was from ear to ear across her pretty dark bill. “It was so boring last year going through North Dakota.” She swam out of the circles she was making over to her...

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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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