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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

“The day of dilemma ” by Sivaprakash .

Submitted to Contest #68

“It was me,” Su broke the silence.Annie froze in the spot.“I am sorry, I didn’t mean to...”Annie went in to the bedroom and slammed the door. She didn’t want to hear anything.Su knew he couldn’t live a life as a liar. He would die of guilt if he didn’t keep his promise.Annie hugged her blanket and began to cry, she couldn't accept that he was leaving her. Su gave a silent knock to the door.In the inside he knew that he wouldn’t get a response, so he left the house and started walking away.The sky was black with huge clouds covering the sun.H...

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“A Cup of Coffee by Dawn” by Lucienne Aednat

Submitted to Contest #68

Here I am sitting by myself in the middle of the night. Thankful that the café owner gladly let me stay for a while, the truth is I’ve been running away from home for a week now. Sitting alone in this city is so safe that my parents might have thought that I was playing at my friend’s house. Isn’t it amazing? How they didn’t file any report to the police just yet and didn’t even make an effort to find their one and only daughter. I look around at the crowded place. Everything was covered in black and brown, everyone to me looking dead and ...

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“Trials of doctor bello” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #68

“You mean he was not a student in this institution?” “Yes. He was just awarded Doctorate degree for his philanthropies donation to the department. “And were you the HOD of exams and record of this institution then?” “Yes, I was in this position then?” “These sixteen pictures he is in telling different story to yours Mr. H. O. D.” “I am surprise why he posed in those manners”. “what about the man sitting on the chair in those pictures?” “He was a lecturer in that public administration department then". “Where will we see the ...

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“Pedigree” by Althaia Lana

Submitted to Contest #68

“I was molested.” “What?!” It was a Thursday evening; but when your friend had had a fight with his secret boyfriend, you now had an excuse to declare it a long weekend. First, ask your seatmates to cover for you in classes you can’t fuck, and just fuck the rest. But because you’re a roguish student and a good seatmate, they probably got your back in everything until graduation. Second, drop by your apartment to change because someone from school might see you buying booze with ...

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“My Brother's Keeper” by Imani Teasley

Submitted to Contest #68

"SHE'S NOT HERE DAMMIT! SHE HASN'T BEEN HERE FOR A YEAR!" - taking a shuddering breath in I pull my car over to the side as my eyesight blurs. "Do you want to know why she isn't here mom?" I say more quietly, looking at my hands I grip the steering wheel wishing for once I can crush something other than myself. 13 months ago my little brother Chance flew out to live with me, we were as close as siblings can be. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday, this round pink looking thing in my mom's arms was so fascinating to me. Th...

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“I Am Not A Criminal” by Sam Thornock

Submitted to Contest #68

Moral authority is only recognized by those who share those same morals. By that same reasoning, moral authority can only be taken away by those who feel it right. Standing there, my toes tapping inside my leather shoe, I realized that my own moral authority was gone. Acting as general manager of the Great lakes First Security Bank, I know that I had so many people looking at me to always do the right thing. And here I was, ready to throw it back in their faces. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. Over the course of the 20 years I had w...

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“All Day and a Night” by Tito Silva

Submitted to Contest #68

All Day and a Night “Everyone on the ground!” He waved around a large gun like a maniac. I dropped to the floor immediately. I’ve never seen a gun that big in my whole life, and I’d seen my fair share. It looked like it could put a hole in Superman’s chest. The man in the light blue Elsa mask, whacked the decrepit security guard in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor in a crumpled heap. A small dribble of blood escaped from under the man’s cap. I felt bad for him but I wasn’t going to say shit. I just needed to...

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“Blood Bank” by Matt Edwards

Submitted to Contest #68

The plasma bags are what she is after. She has them. This, the plasma, maintains the building blocks of life; it's the binder that knits red and white cells and platelets together; a kind of emulsifier of the bloodstream but with a bigger engine under the hood; all those things and so much more. Without it you die; with it you may also suffer if it isn't working as it should. For Caitlin's brother Martin, it was the latter. Caitlin had promised Martin the ride of a lifetime as soon as he was well enough to once again venture outside. They'd...

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“The Farmhouse on the Hill ” by Tshwaro Moswatlhe

Submitted to Contest #68

PART 1 *** 28/10/1998 I don’t think I can do this. This guy Jayme wants me to help him rob some fucking jewelry store out on Main Street. It’s a dumb idea, I know, one that's likely to get us both killed. But man, what other option do we got? Ever since we lost our jobs at the Nesco Automobile Factory, it’s been harder than a virgin boy’s dick after watching porn for the first time. I tried looking for work at other places; Joey’s Burger don’t hire nobody who didn’t finish high school, and the New Durban High School don’t hire ...

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“Freedom” by Sonja V.

Submitted to Contest #68

The feet of the Carmac brothers are heard around the bank as the loud alarms blare their distress. They accidentally tripped the wire when coming in through the window. What an amateur move any idiot could prevent, but they let it go as they tore down the long corridor. Stephen was breathing hard and tore off his black ski mask, panting for air. His brother was in the same condition, but refused to risk his true identity being seen. They took another left at the corner, and could see through the narrow, slim windows red and blue lights flash...

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“Fifteen to twenty” by Philip Ebuluofor

Submitted to Contest #68

“Your hands on your heads all you and move over to that side. Get up you, move over to that side. You open those doors. All of you inside, inside.” “Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?” Everyone ignored them and one woman that was hitted on the head with butt was particularly angry with the police, was the first to reply. “You came here twenty minutes later asking about thieves that left fifteen minutes ago?. You were called long time ago from where they locked us in and you said you are on your way, what delay you for twenty mi...

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“Dare or Dare” by Leumas Llewtnac

Submitted to Contest #68

Andrew Reed waved the shotgun about the place as if he might just actually shoot someone. It wasn’t loaded. It hadn’t been loaded for as long as he’d owned the thing. But the employees of the CTC bank, that grubby little brick building under the overpass, didn’t know that. In this case waving an empty weapon was just as good as waving one with cartridges in. It held their attention. Made them sweat a little. Or a lot. Andrew was pretty sure the security guard had been sweating before Andrew had even set foot in the place. The large man ...

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“Someone's Dad” by Matthew Hummel

Submitted to Contest #68

The frigidness of the banks marble floor against Paul’s cheek was softened by short hot breaths, sweet from the waffles that he had eaten earlier. A tiny hand gave his a squeeze. He squeezed back, three times. Boots squeaked, muffled voices clamored over an alarm, an elderly woman by a fake ficus tree started sobbing.“Da?” Caleb whispered, his voice shaking.“Just keep your head down and close your eyes.”“Ok Da.”They turned their heads towards the banks floor, uncomfortably flattening their noses. Paul's t...

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“She's My Collar” by Amy Curry

Submitted to Contest #68

"It IS the kind you buy in a second hand store!" Tabitha squeals. Her and her found again bestie, marvel at their thrift store finds as they comb the streets of their home town. Both gals ended up making their way back home to their folks a few months apart, due to a split in both girls' marriages. Very different as far as scenarios go, but equally dramatic in nature. Elise and Michael met their demise in silence. They both agreed on everything mundane, but disagreed on some pretty important things. The severity of the strangeness lies in ...

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“Till Death Do Us Part” by Bee Bee

Submitted to Contest #68

This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. Lilly and Ryan Hankamer had just gotten married in front of 30 of their closest friends and family. The venue was a breathtaking scenic view on the beach. The vibrant turquoise streams and silver balloons danced with each breeze that caressed the beach. Lilly laughed and danced with her new groom on the dance floor. When it was almost time for the evening to end, Lilly's father and mother strolled over to the happy couple one more time to speak with them about their future plans. She r...

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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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