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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

“Twenty-four Years” by Gerard Watson

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been twenty-four years since she’d last seen it, but the place looked exactly the same. There wasn’t a need or desire to return to her hometown, but Jessica’s curiosity to see what a town looked like when it was dying. She wondered if this was a town worth saving. As her limousine drove down Main Street, the dark tinted windows allowed her to reacquaint the area without being recognized. Jessica watched her transition team jotted down notes while exchanging information. The account looked up from her notes and asked, “Empy...

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“Found In November ” by Mackenzie Hebner

Submitted to Contest #68

Found In NovemberBy: Mackenzie M. Hebner Their names with Noah and Kayla. Nayla as some people referred to them. They were the perfect couple in the sense that even in their imperfections they meshed. It was their three year anniversary and their one year of living together. Ever since she had moved in three-hundred and sixty-five days ago they had accumulated several heartwarming traditions. Just a few to note: every morning, including this one, they would trek up the little hill in the communal neighborhood backyard to wat...

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“A Little Reflection” by Haylee Way

Submitted to Contest #68

How someone’s hand could be so warm was still a mystery to August. Elias’ hand in hers was ever the most comforting thing she’d ever felt, and the sunrise in front of them could barely compare to it’s warmth. She hid her smile behind the sleeve of her hoodie—well, his hoodie. For someone so unkind, he sure treated her like she was the only woman on Earth. “Elias?” August murmured, finally speaking up and interrupting the peace...

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“Trading the moon for a sunrise” by Allyson Hutcheson

Submitted to Contest #68

It was our eighteenth birthday, and like every year since we were fifteen, my best friend Alex and I woke up and took the two minute walk to the beach to watch the sunrise. I have to admit that it felt a little surreal to not have to sneak out, or at least not have to climb down the tree outside my upstairs window. We sat in the sand, thermos of coffee waiting for us to drink it as colors started to fill the sky. The night was quiet, with only the sound of the waves to keep us company. I remember pushing the sand around with my feet, and Al...

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“An Ordered Life” by Danise Weed

Submitted to Contest #68

It was so hard to see in the dark. Peter and Janet kept bumping into each other in their bedroom as they hurriedly got dressed. "Do you think we'll get there in time?" asked Janet. Peter snorted and replied, "I suppose so if you shake a leg". "Might help if you had turned on the light." Peter answered that he never turnef on the light in the morning so as not to wake her. It was a hard habit to change since he retired a few years ago. They quickly finished dressing, grabbed the hamper full of breakfast food and a thick, soft blanket and got...

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“Liquidated feelings” by Amillia Padgett

Submitted to Contest #68

This was the very last sunrise that Laura and I would watch together, the contrast of beauty between my two favorite things was almost unbearable as we lay watching the sky morph above the lake, the reflective colors are vibrant. In my mind I can see her dancing to that silly song at last week's party. She sways her hips and calls for me to join her, I do, of course. She pulls me in towards her and I wrap my arms around her waist. I tell her that I love her and that she is everything I could ever want. The memory slowly dissipates, and t...

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“The village.” by Kirstain Leeanne

Submitted to Contest #68

A sunrise is the most beautiful thing you could watch coming over mountains in the fall. The way the lights coming over the mountain hits the colorful trees down below is a work of art. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now, Kara.” I took a deep breathe. “This is my thinking place. My go to spot where I love to admire the reflections in the water and tell stories about the trees across the way.” “Can you tell me a story Michael?” She said quietly. “Yes.” “How about we watch this sunrise together and we can spend the day here whi...

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“Stale Chips” by Ryan M

Submitted to Contest #68

I didn’t realize how long we’d been talking until the sunlight started creeping in through the kitchen window. One by one, everyone had left. The last to meander off were the animals. First her dog, then my dog. Our cat nestled under my armpit as I laid on the kitchen floor occasionally lifting my head to take sips from a bottle of Dunkel. After a while, even the cat walked off and up the stairs to bed, his collar jingling up the steps. She sat on a black stool with her feet resting on a smaller wooden stool. Her wife told her she’d nev...

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“Sunrise to Sunset: All that May Change in One Day” by Azalea Clickenger

Submitted to Contest #68

A peachy, pastel pink reached out across the sky, fading from the hazardous orange of the sun. It rose from the deep blue, calm waters below it. The coast gave off a faint breeze that felt great against my skin, but smelled even better. I gently grazed my thumb against Serena’s hand. She rested her head on my right shoulder as she yawned. While exhaling deeply, I felt all of my past concerns leave myself, both emotionally and physically. “I love you.” I never imagined hearing those words coming out of my mouth ever again, yet here th...

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“House of Whispering Pines” by Kayla Mosley

Submitted to Contest #68

The sky lit up with vivid shades of oranges and yellows as the sun said good morning while the moon kissed the world goodnight. The moon left its starlit throne as it sunk behind the mountains. Jim and Anna sipped their coffee in awe; captivated by the bright colors overtaking the dark night. They arrived at House of Whispering Pines Bed and Breakfast late last night after they both finished a long day of work. They hoped a weekend in the woods at a quaint bed and breakfast along Lake Luna would bring back the magic they once felt in their m...

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“Best Dad” by Imani Teasley

Submitted to Contest #68

My dad sits next to me on the bed, his hands twisting in time with the rising sun outside my bedroom window. As it rises higher, his hands become almost unnoticeably more frantic in their dance. Twitch, bend, hand over hand, repeat. I sit as still as the sky, unmoving as the sun rays reach to the heavens above. My breath is frozen by the sound of my phone alarm and I reach under my pillow to shut it off. My dad sighs, stretches his arms and stands. The sun hits his back casting his shadow, it fills the whole room and I could almost imagine...

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“Friendship; the True Treasure of Life” by Jenna Khorshed

Submitted to Contest #68

This is a story, of course. What else would it be? The difference between this story and all the others, is that this one is unique. It is not just any story. This story is one of a special friendship. One of sacrifice. One of love. And it starts with two special people who became friends, and over time, they became the best of friends. When one was sad, the other would cheer them up in no time, when one needed help, the other was there for them to lean on, always. Their friendship was so special to them and it made sense. They completed eac...

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“One of a Kind” by Keith Edwin

Submitted to Contest #68

“She was one of a kind, I’m going to miss her.”******************************************************David and Laura had spent the weekend together at his family’s lakehouse on account of it being a long holiday weekend. She didn’t know it, but he had something special planned, it was going to be a big day.“David? I really like how the sun comes up over the horizon today, the fog really makes it seem peaceful.”“I agree honey, it’s the quiet mornings like this that really make me appreciate the little things.”“Me too!” She exclaimed, “it’s a ...

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“Right Beside You” by Ashley Postnikoff

Submitted to Contest #68

The horizon shone with the golden glow of the sun bobbing its head above the waves breaking below. He turned to her, seeing her ignite in the morning sun; in that moment he knew how Icarus felt in his winged sprint towards the sun. the way the beams illuminated her auburn ringlets, ran its golden fingers over her freckled skin… the way he deeply wished he could. Every day he spent gazing out over the waves dancing on the rays of the rising sun, he would think of her. Tracing over her memory like a route drawn down a roadmap. She...

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“Till death do us part” by Ananya Sinha

Submitted to Contest #68

Qetiyah and Silas had been in love since the beginning of time, and this had been no secret. They sat atop the old branch of the sycamore tree that stood in solitude at the edge of the rolling hills covered in emerald grass. The horizon had almost gulped the entire sun down and the essence of love in the air made the sky blush itself crimson. Silas would be gone before the sun appeared again; it was their last night together. Yet, Qetiyah took hold of herself and reassured her heart, they’d meet again. They’d been there for hours talking abo...

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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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