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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#68: Meet in the Middle

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that the internet loves to argue. Perhaps one of the stranger fights I’ve seen is what constitutes a “sandwich” — you’d think the definition would be universal… and you’d be very wrong.

But whether you classify hot dogs, pitas, and burritos as sandwiches or not, one thing we can agree on is this: no matter how similar the components, there’s endless variety to be found when you combine the ingredients in different ways.

With that in mind, this week we’re celebrating the infinite diversity of fillings. To do so, we’re going to provide you with the beginning and ending of your story — and it will be up to you to fill these two slices of literary bread with whatever you can imagine!

This week's prompts

Start your story with two characters watching a sunrise and end it with one of them seeing the moon reflecting off a lake.

Adults – 301 stories

Start your story with someone admitting a secret and end it with someone telling a lie.

Dramatic – 180 stories

Start your story with someone robbing a bank and end it with two people driving on an interstate.

Dramatic – 86 stories

Start your story with the line, “This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives,” and end it with, “By then it was too late.”

Sad – 132 stories

Start your story with the line, “It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same,” and end it with, “[…] and that was all that mattered.”

Adults – 178 stories

Stories

“Sweet, Sweet Arizona” by 𝙰𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚝 ~

Submitted to Contest #68

The glowing ball of a sun began to creep up the sky. The top of the sky was a medium lavender, and the bottom was orange with the sun’s light. The warming rays washed over the red rocks of Arizona, brightening the land, and striking a conversation with my best friend, Alexa. We were sitting on a rocky ledge, looking out to the vastness of the rocks, with the bustling city of Phoenix in the distance. We had been sitting there for a good 2 hours, just thinking. I was mindlessly gazing at the city that seemed so far away when Alexa tu...

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“The Forest of Memories” by . .

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. Still, the same hollow groans, echoing through the forest. The same twisted branches waving and reaching. She never thought that she would come back here, especially after what it did to her. Because of this place, she hadn't been able to sleep for twenty-four years. Hadn't been able to trust anyone. The horrors of the contest had echoed through her eyes and ears for most of her life, and ghosts never stopped coming for her. Chanting, "Mira, Mira, ...

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“The Equals (Part 1 of the Flawless Imperfection series)” by Kate Reynolds

Submitted to Contest #68

I’m Different. And in the Union, being Different is bad. Deadly, even.All the females had straight, brown, shoulder length hair that had a difference margin of less than 0.01 millimeters, brown eyes, and olive skin. The males also had the same features, except their hair was shorter. But the thing that really kept everyone the same was a small, metallic device, called the Chip, that was implanted inside every person’s mind at birth, controlling their thoughts.But it doesn’t have an affect on me.Even before I learned to talk, to wal...

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“Helpless” by . .

Submitted to Contest #68

"Everybody get down on the ground! Put your hands on your head don't make a move." I remember that day clear as blue sky, that day that condemned me to a life of incarceration. I had gotten out of my van with two assault rifles, thinking that nothing could go wrong, and then it did. As soon as I made a move on the vault, the police burst in to shut it down. It was as if my entire life flashed before my eyes, as they handcuffed me, and I knew at that moment that I had made a mistake. The next few weeks went by in a blur, from the trial to the...

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“Never Alone” by Amiable Sorceress

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been 24 years since she had seen it, but the place looked the same. She, my mother, would’ve been happy to see me here, outside in the fresh air. I walked against the rough pavement, running my long fingertips against the cold marble siding of a fountain, a large statue towering over my small frame. Rubbing my hands together to keep warm, I pulled a bag of chips from the shopping bag I’d been carrying and bit into a chip silently. The cold embrace of the wind eventually guided me to a waste bin, the chip bag still half-full. It had be...

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“That Won't Happen... Right?” by . .

Submitted to Contest #68

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I could hear her murmur, as we nestled into each other. The sunset, reflecting on the water, blazing down on us with motherly warmth. I loved the sunset. It was beautiful and entrancing, but I knew I wouldn't be able to be here with her again. Soon, I would have to leave. We would all have to leave, to never see each other again. I hated the thought of being away from her, but I hated the thought of dying at the hands of the Green Plague even more. I caressed her hair, wrapping my arms around her as if I would nev...

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“Surprise Birthday... or not?” by ✯𝐋𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫✯

Submitted to Contest #68

Title: Surprise Birthday... or not? Author: Haripriya Authors Note: Hello everyone!! I hope you all are having a safe and happy Saturday! This story is about three sisters. The eldest and the youngest are planning a birthday party for the middle sister...or are they? Read to find out! I hope you enjoy it! "Can I tell you a secret?" asked Isabelle looking excited towards her elder sister, Mirabelle. "Sure!" she replied curiously. "But you have to promise to not tell Annabelle about this," Isabelle warned, looking serious. "Umm.....

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“Banished” by Maya -

Submitted to Contest #68

The sunlight streamed in the translucent windows, flooding the small office with light. No matter how much the world has changed, the sun has always been there. Never failing to rise every morning and look out for them. “The island is full, sir,” reported an officer standing in the doorway. He wore a solemn look on his face, already mourning those who wouldn’t be saved. The elderly man he was addressing sat behind a wooden desk covered with maps and charts full of information about Earth’s population. He continued to study them, even thoug...

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“Things Do Get Better” by BRoOkE HAs A COwBoY HAt

Submitted to Contest #68

"I got all of the money! If anyone says anything to the cops, you won't be able to say anything after!" Adam cackled. My arms were raised above my head, and my eyes were wide in play-fear."O-okay, sir. We-we won't t-t-tell. I promise," I stuttered. Adam laughed one more time, then he ran out of the room with the briefcase. A minute later, Adam came dashing back in, giggling."That was awesome, Nikki. I-"Adam was cut off short when we heard a shout from downstairs."Nicole! Adam! Dinner!" Adam's mom yelled. I grinned at Adam as we both ran down...

211 comments 211

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“♠ Trials of the Damned ♠” by ~ Rookiewriting ~

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she`d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. Saila`s eyes watered, she sighted, reminiscing the day he became a champion. Remembering him. The craggy arena stood in the middle of an array of old, blushing oaks, surrounded by shedding. Scattered leaves, dancing in the wind covered the three shaman pillars, each for one of the trials. The arena stood on the edge of a ridge where a soft breeze of wind brushed over the crowd. They nestled around the pillars on tender dried out the moss. The...

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“Sunrises and Sunsets” by Yolanda Wu

Submitted to Contest #68

Did I ever tell you that I love writing sunsets? Ever since I started dabbling in writing, I was ever so intrigued with the way the sky turned from blue to orange, rolling through with red – I loved to add the description ‘specked with gold’. My best friend wrote a poem called ‘Sunsets With Apollo and Artemis’ because we are obsessed with Greek mythology. It is an entail of the beauty of sunsets. concerning sunsets. apollo dipped beneath the mountains and artemis rose in the night. their meeting seemed to cause some magic that wove co...

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“The Shiny Seashell” by 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕖 𝕎.

Submitted to Contest #68

I am a planner. I try to plan for every and all possibilities. Saved in the pictures app of my phone, I had exactly 37 schedules and lists of what to do when something goes wrong, or just what I should do on a normal day. It was a foolproof system. Every single possibility that could happen was somewhere in the lists, I promise you. But even I, Madi Anderson, a great planner, could not prepare for what happened this camping trip. ------------- “I wish we could do this every day,” my best friend, M...

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“Light Yearning” by Rayhan Hidayat

Submitted to Contest #68

13/06/2096--Hey, sweet pea. Just got your message.Not sure if you’re being genuine about what a sunrise looks like from space or trying to make me jealous (if you were, you’ll be pleased to know it wasn’t in vain), but it almost makes me want to get enlisted as well. So, the sun’s white up there but yellow down here because the Earth’s atmosphere filters out the other colors? Yes, I know that’s a shameless regurgitation of what you said, but I’m not the one with a degree, or on a military base orbiting the planet.Anyway, I’ve been keeping ou...

164 comments 164

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“The Lake” by ✧ 𝕊𝕒𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕣𝕒 𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 ✧

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. The lake glimmered in the moonlight and reflected the night sky, making everything look surreal. Her childhood home stood hauntingly behind her. Claire had always been pulled towards this place as a child, and she felt the same tug now. She drifted towards the lake and couldn’t help feeling excited as she drew closer. Was she finally going to solve the mystery of her sister’s death? When she was younger, her sister would always come down to the l...

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“In Remembrance” by Akshaya Sutrave

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she'd last seen it, but the place looked the same. She couldn't believe it had been that long since she had visited it. That thought made her contrite. Was it that she had been too busy? Or that she had avoided going there all these years? Nadia stood in front of her old neighborhood. The one where she had been raised. She was only eleven when she had been sent to a boarding school, and she hadn't returned ever since. Thoughts and memories floated in front of her eyes, refusing to leave, but she did not te...

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$50

Prize money

877

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Nov 20, 2020 EST

Won by FJC Montenegro 🏆

Title: Silence

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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