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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#67: The Great Escape

There are times when the world feels so chaotic and out of our control that a break from reality is called for. And what better way to leave everything behind than jumping headfirst into the escapism of stories?

Whether it’s a larger-than-life situation, a comforting old trope, or a genre that’s literally out of this world, stories have been providing people with a way to retreat from their troubles ever since humanity first started telling them around a fire.

To truly keep in the spirit of escapism, make sure you fully immerse both yourself and the reader in the world you’re creating. Use sensory details to really pull us in — make us see, smell, and taste every detail of your story, so that we fully believe we’re standing alongside the characters. After all, the real world will still be here when the story’s over.

This week's prompts

Write about a pirate captain obsessed with finding a mythical treasure.

Adventure – 144 stories

Write a thriller about someone who witnesses a murder… except there’s no evidence that a murder took place.

Thriller and Suspense – 218 stories

Write a romance where the characters pretend to be dating each other in order to win a reality show.

Romance – 70 stories

Write a story where one character needs to betray the other, but isn’t sure if they can.

Dark – 170 stories

Write a space adventure story that features a visit to an alien marketplace.

Science Fiction – 123 stories

Stories

“Hardcore Dating Arena” by Harken Void

Submitted to Contest #67

In the not-so-distant future, America’s society crumbles and deteriorates further, bringing to your home TV screens the world’s greatest reality show, Hardcore Dating Arena! Grab your assorted snacks, bubbly drinks, and scented tissues, as we join our live audience in evaluating and judging 100 contestants, 50 men, and 50 women, all competing to win a staggering prize of one million dollars! Who will win? Who is the sexiest of them all? See what will triumph - love for another person, or lust for a bag of cash - in the Hardcore Dat...

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“Love Hearts” by Louise Legrand

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #67

“Young man, please tell me you're not serious?” May looked across at Tom, who was busy pouring their tea.“I certainly am,” he replied, sitting down and helping himself to a ginger biscuit. “And why not?”“Why not? Well, it's not for the likes of me for starters,” laughed May. “It's for youngsters like you an...

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“The Human” by Kendall Defoe

Submitted to Contest #67

Gork and Slarb were not the ones who usually received these types of missions, but the council decided that they had no choice this time. At the general meeting of the Gitfangula council, the war was the only issue that they wanted to discuss in their psychic talk; too many on the council knew that their jobs were in jeopardy and could not hid their fear; too many on the council knew that they had to do something very quickly. After a quick discussion on food yields and birth readings, they brought out both Gork and Slarb forward and gesture...

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“With the Best of Economic Intentions.” by Len Mooring

Submitted to Contest #67

Reedsy hasn’t deemed it necessary to give us a ‘Satire’ category yet. I guess satire mainly appeals to the disillusioned that have had the scales fall from their eyes to rain down to their feet like Autumn leaves. This little effort below is crass and uncouth, and I had fun writing it. ************************************************************ I think I should be able to put one over this prick. He’s not a prick really, - he’s my friend. He says he is a businessman, yet spends half his time coaching kids. He must have some ulte...

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“Right Under Your Nose” by Rexy Rexy

Submitted to Contest #67

It’s cold, so cold, ah, ah, aaaaah…. And dark, so dark that I can’t see a thing. What time is it? Where am I? Wait, I, I can’t move! Why can’t I move? I’m scared. What’s happening to me? What... Suddenly I heard a heavy thud and pull followed by a screeching sound then more scratchy sound. It sounded like someone just lifted up a hefty lid of a freezer that hadn’t been opened for some time, the frost clammed to the thick rubber seal and someone was trying to remove it in order to open the lid more. Luckily there was light, very dim though,...

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“Xegigar” by Humphrey The Camel 🐫

Submitted to Contest #67

Honxpen had red clay skin, and glazed milky eyes undoubtedly made it obvious that he was a native of Xegigar. Processed by the intergalactic flight academy and named amongst the sheer best of his sector, before he was expelled. He had flown hundreds, maybe even thousands of simulations with ease and no sign of hesitation.With nowhere else to go, Honxpen inevitably turned to the crooked streets.&nbsp...

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“That’s not how I remember it. ” by ℂ𝕁 𝕄.

Submitted to Contest #67

Author’s note: I’m dedicating this book to a boy named Aiden, his birthday is on Saturday, November 7th! He was my best guy friend back in kindergarten, but then moved away at the beginning of 1st grade, after five years, he moved back and we were recently reunited! Though we aren’t as good of friends as we were back then I still remember all the fun murder mystery games we used to play with our other friends. Happy birthday Aiden!Two years ago today my best friend died during a so called “shooting” so many people are still muring about what...

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“Odessa” by Michael J. Conroy

Submitted to Contest #67

At nine-pm on a cold Wednesday night in Odessa, the small Alaskan city thirteen miles North of the city of Fairbanks, Liz Sanford bid her last customer of the night a merry Christmas and advised him on the treacherous last step to avoid spending the holidays in the hospital. While Matt Lojewski – Odessa’s resident Santa Claus – climbed into his Subaru Outback, Liz killed the front lights and cast a shadow on the Skyline Diner’s chrome exterior. A moment later, she was the other side of the counter, massaging her...

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“The Apartment” by Carrie O'Keefe

Submitted to Contest #67

The Apartment by Carrie O’Keefe Staring through the darkness of the room out the window waiting to get a glimpse of the night sky through the smog and clouds. Mark sat down his empty glass on the window sill that still had the lingering sent of whiskey. A chill ran through him when he noticed that a window apartment building across from him had flashes of light and went dark. He stared at the now dark window in a trance. Hairs stood up on the back of his neck as he noticed that the apartment was lowly lit. Just enough to where he could m...

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“Beyond the Storm” by A. S.

Submitted to Contest #67

Iain’s throbbing pulse thunders into his swollen fingertips; tightening the swollen mass of tissue where flesh connected with bone. Ears ring with the shouts of the figures around him. They gather together, moving in perfect synchronization until there is no escape. The largest one brushes his fingers against his lip, baring rat-like teeth in a menacing grin when it comes away bloody. Lightning flashes and illuminates the dark alleyway, the sharp contrast highlighting the sobbing rain that drips through Iain’s clothes. Next to his ear a ras...

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“Miss Fitzhugh’s Dilemma” by Melanie Emm.

Submitted to Contest #67

As was her custom of the last two weeks, Miss Fitzhugh knocked at the door of the ship’s captain after she’d partaken of her evening meal, and as was his custom, he’d grunted, “Enter.” Letting herself in, she saw him there at his table, studying laboriously over maps, and papers, and a well-worn journal, and not noticing her at all. Hadn’t she put on her pearl pink dress just for him? Hadn’t she neatly arranged her copper tresses, added a little color to corner of her jade green eyes, and dabbed extra scent at her neck, just so he’d like h...

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“Vampire in Hell” by Nandan Prasad

Submitted to Contest #67

Clang. Thirteen. Clang. Fourteen. Clang. Fifteen. Fifteen. I sighed and drew back to inspect my work. It was not up to my usual standard. My fatigued arms screamed for a break, and against my better judgment, I dropped the axe and soon followed it to the ground. I sat dejectedly, flicking pebbles just to see how far I could. It was not very far. “How many have you done?” I turned. It was 1260. 1260 was the closest thing I had to a friend down here, but we really didn’t know anything about each other. “Fifteen.” 1260 laughed. “Fifteen’s good...

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“A Death in Still Creek” by Claire Lindsey

Submitted to Contest #67

It was a lovely day in the woods just outside of Still Creek. The towering trees and dense foliage muted the sound of traffic coming in and out of the little town. Apart from that distant roar of tires on asphalt, the forest was silent. The birds and insects and animals sat hushed, waiting. It was there, in quiet beneath the trees, that 9-year-old Sean found the body while taking a shortcut home from a friend’s house.The lazy, small-town Saturday soon filled with commotion. Police sirens, the lights of an ambulance, and the grumble of the to...

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“Am I A Pyscho?” by A J

Submitted to Contest #67

It is the type of coldness that reaches into my bones, as if my heart were a door left wide open to the icy wind, slamming only to open again. The only thing to do is keep moving, keep heading toward home if I only remembered. The sky is a rolling blanket of cloud, the color of wet ash, and the ground its dank reflection. Each step becomes a prayer for someplace safe as I walk, seeing the light from a faraway doorway in my flickering daydreams, letting it become more real than the stormy night. My vision clouded and dull, as if a gray film...

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“Love from fire” by Oyediran Esther

Submitted to Contest #67

"There's still someone in there Nathan, but she said she's not coming out until she find what she's looking for". "Shit I'll go in now, take that woman to the ambulance so that they can take care of her". After watching James pulling the wounded woman towards the ambulance, I started running back into the building. As I got into the building, I started shouting in case she might hear me. As I got into an office, I saw a woman in her early twenties choking as she was trying to grab hold of the table in front of her so she could st...

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$50

Prize money

725

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 13, 2020 EST

Won by Deidra Whitt Lovegren 🏆

Title: Your Poor Rick

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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