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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

“Tell The Truth ” by Julia Janus

Submitted to Contest #68

“Ok… Paul,” I said to my husband. I was nervous. Hell, of course, I was nervous, “You may want to sit down for this.” Paul doesn’t deserve this he is so kind and caring. He would do anything for anyone. “Ok?” He sat down at the kitchen table. “I am pregnant.” He looked like he was filled with joy. I’m relieved he thought it was his, but I al...

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“The Secret” by Zonash Butt

Submitted to Contest #68

"What are you doing here, at this odd time?", Sarah squeaked, looking at her husband's blood ridden hands and clothes. Salem stood in the middle of their backyard petrified, the shovel in his hands dropped. Nearby the pile of soil looked like a freshly dug grave. Sarah came near him baffled... horrified. What she had just witnessed was scary enough to bring hell out of anyone, "Were you digging a grave?" "Sara, please go back inside. I'll come, too, in a couple of minutes and explain it all to you but right now go inside. I beg yo...

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“The Art of Reading Minds” by Ry G

Submitted to Contest #68

I took a deep breath. My palms were sweating. Fear raced through my veins. Why am I so nervous? It’s just Annie. We’ve been friends for so long, and I know that she will always be there for me. “I’m bisexual,” I finally said. She looked at me, trying to suppress her smile. She gave up quickly and pulled me in for a hug. “I’m glad you told me,” she said. “I will always support you. You are my best friend, no matter what.” “Thanks,” I replied, glad to finally get my secret out in the open. After a few seconds, we pulled...

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“Neglected ” by Michelle Medina

Submitted to Contest #68

"Gigi...""Gigi...""GIGI!" The woman with the beautiful orange hair snapped back into reality. Staring at Jocylen who stood in the middle of the platform, wearing an expensive white brides dress. Looking at her in complete confusion. "What do you think?" Jocelyn spoke, her spanish accent being visible to anyone in the room with them. Gigi smiled at her, giving her a slight nod. "I am jealous, you are beautiful, and is getting married in a week, I could never" Gigi chuckled, sighing. "For all I know, I still haven't found Maryland, everyo...

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“You Brought This On Yourself” by Alex Rami

Submitted to Contest #68

The plan included five. One to make a diversion. Two to keep the people at gunpoint. One to shove the money into the bag. One parked outside as the getaway. I was one of the five who held a gun against a group of people. Some in their evening dresses, others in their black suits. I noticed a small child pressed against its mother. The mother held on tightly to her child as soon as we pulled out our guns. “Nobody move.” said Carter. He was the brains, our leader, in this operation. He aimed the gun with a steady hand, towards a man. The...

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“Two More For The Road ” by Robert Blevins

Submitted to Contest #68

Lieutenant Ackerman was already exhausted when he walked into the Ready Room at the California Highway Patrol office in Eureka. It was just after 8 a.m. More than fifty police officers, some of them not even assigned to the Eureka office, were already waiting. It was standing room only and the room buzzed with talk. Ackerman held up a hand for silence and faced them from the front of the room.“I want to thank you all for coming in this morning,” he said. “You all know the basics here. We’ve got two perps out there who are out of control and ...

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“On The Job ” by Simone Myricks

Submitted to Contest #68

It’s my first day on the job and I am so excited to get there. “ Oh man this job don’t know what I have in stored for them. Today they will be getting a rude awaking”. As I walked into Citi Bank I see a few of my colleagues that were in training with me. Looking at their face I can see so much excitement. One of them happen to be a close friend of mine that I grew up with. I approached my friend Adam and said “ What’s up man, you ready for this wild day?”. Adam responded nervously “ Yeah, I’ve been waiting for this all week”. Dave responded ...

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“Bait” by Ryan Haynes

Submitted to Contest #68

"You really have a way to pull this off Willy?" "Of course." Willy replied to his nervous friend Jobe, as they stood outside a bank that was closed for the night. "We're gonna slip in, grab whatever amount you owe that scamming loan company, and no one will be able to trace it back to us. Although, I could take care of those fishing cheats from the loan company for you instead." "No, I just want my obligation paid and done with!" Jobe responded. Jobe had previously vis...

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“What Can I Do For You” by Joe Swanson

Submitted to Contest #68

What Can I Do For You “What is this?” “What does it look like?” It looks like a note, because, it is a note, written on what looks to be the back of an advertisement proclaiming the double decker to be the juiciest burger ever, “Subliminal.” I look from the paper into his steely black eyes, bulbous face, and habitually worn stocking cap, adorned with the remnants of dead leaves. I am not a believer in fate, destiny, or really any insinuation that infers a Deja vu fog covers any situation in life, but I was considering changin...

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“Banking on a Road Trip” by Alexändria Aegus

Submitted to Contest #68

It was the largest bank on the outskirts of Nashville, TN, a man was standing just inside the men’s room; he was thinking about what he had to do in the next few hours as he took a deep breath and stepped out into the wide hallway. He needed to get in and out as quickly as possible, and thought to himself, this was one town he certainly was not going to miss! The past decade had not been kind to him, he had been unemployed for years and was still in mourning, even though it had happened seven and a half years ago, it felt like he had lost th...

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“The helpful Robber” by Madisson James

Submitted to Contest #68

“Hold on Cherry. It won’t be much longer now.” Nan gripped her six year old daughter’s hand. The weather had been unusually warm today. Nan was glad that she and Cherry had a moment to soak up the intense air conditioning in the West Pavillion Sanctuary Bank. “I’m hungry mommy.” Cherry looked up at Nan with huge eyes and a sad mouth. They were both hungry. They had not eaten anything in almost 36 hours. Nan had called every friend or family member that would still talk to her, and begged them again for even twenty dollars. She spoke to n...

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“Lazy Boy” by Lavinia Hughes

Submitted to Contest #68

LAZY BOY By Lavinia M. Hughes BOSTON SEACOAST MAGAZINE, Nov. 20, 2020 An Analysis of A Wasted Life Vincent McNulty never did like to work. When he was in grade school, he figured out that he could pay his younger brother to do his homework for him. Vincent was cagey about copying off of his classmates’ papers and passed tests regularly. Somehow, despite his lack of scholarly ability, Vincent developed excellent verbal skills, and his dark good looks and gray-blue eyes charmed and mesmerized everyon...

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“Without a trace” by Vameerah Darren

Submitted to Contest #68

“Oi, Cass, you ready to go?” I looked up from tying my shoe, “Almost, do you have the getaway car set up?” Glen smiled, “Had it set up last night.” I stood and crossed the room to him, “What’s in your pocket?” He tilted his head, feigning innocence. He was a good liar, but I knew my best friend and my ears were acute. “Glen, there’s something making a rustling sound in your pocket, maybe paper, a flyer, or something, what is it?” He didn’t budge so I slipped my hand into his coat pocket, pulling out, as I had guessed, a flyer...

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“Fatal Fate” by Navneeth N

Submitted to Contest #68

“Go, go, go!” Clad black figures started trying to work faster, but their energy was wearing thin. Luckily, there wasn’t much left to unload. They threw stacks and stacks at a time, letting them strew everywhere on the back of the van. At last, it was done. They stood back and admired their handiwork while alarms blared inside the building a few blocks away. They didn’t have much time, but they couldn’t help but ogle at the 5 million dollars they had just stolen. The mound was just impressive, and it filled the back of the ...

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“A Perfect Life” by Bill Willoughby

Submitted to Contest #68

This was supposed to the happiest day of their lives, up to that point, at least. The entire family had been there for their wedding. The vows were exchanged, the people clapped and cheered, the cake was cut, the dances were danced, the music and champagne flowed, the guests laughed, and the couple ran through a shower of rice.The car was decorated by the best man, the groomsmen, and the bride’s cousin. They pulled out of the church parking lot and drove away from the city they had grown up in.It had all started way back in third grade; they...

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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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