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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

“Bittersweet Musical” by Donnelle Halls-Alexander

Submitted to Contest #68

The battle between light and darkness was evident in the sky, as the sun fought to penetrate its light through the thick black clouds. But as predicted the sun would presented itself triumphantly, blinding the remaining dark clouds. The morning was glorious and the cool tropical morning breeze swirled in victory as the yacht gently floated on the Caribbean Ocean. Jesse stood looking at the grand splendor and inhaled deeply. She stood outside the yacht watching the seagulls swooping down into the water in hopes of catching breakfast. She envi...

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“Anniversary” by S Smith

Submitted to Contest #68

Hannah and Jax looked at the rising sun, blowing out frozen breaths and dangling their feet on the roof. They were damn tired, but it was worth it. The sky was beautiful at 6:30 am, November 20th. Hannah snuck a look at Jax, who had his eyes closed and had started humming to himself, breaking the silence. She looked at him in confusion. “I don’t recognize that song. What is it?” Jax didn’t meet her eyes as he said, “It’s a new one I’ve been working on. It’s- nothing.” Jax shook his head, messing up his pla...

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“The Importance of Names” by Sienna Baker

Submitted to Contest #68

On the edge of a cliff one Spring in Maryland the wind was calm and the air was pleasantly cool, smelling of anticipation for humidity but being in the sweet spot of not being quite there yet. The morning was just beginning, and the Woman sat by an art installation reading I propose that we meet here once a year until one of us can’t or won’t. She put a cigarette to her lips and gently inhaled. “That’ll kill you, you know.” The Man said, sitting down beside her on the cliffs edge and leaning back on his palms. “And I suppose you’ll never di...

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“Don't Let Go” by April Lectrice

Submitted to Contest #68

Climbing up the final rung, I reached the roof. The stars shone over me, fading out into early morning. I held out my arm and my owl, Nova, landed on my forearm. I looked over to where I normally sit in the morning but was surprised to see there was someone else waiting for the early morning rays. I walked over to them. To my surprise, the man who was sitting there was somehow familiar. I couldn’t place from where, but I knew that I had met him before. He looked up and smiled. “Hello. Have you come to watch the sunrise too?” He asked. His v...

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“Bonnie and Clyde” by Bentley Jones

Submitted to Contest #68

Milan Ellison stands on the small, cramped balcony of his run-down apartment, leaning heavily against the insubstantial-looking wrought iron railing. A person with more concern for their own life would think twice before putting the weight of their entire body against it, but Milan doesn’t think twice. The muggy air is nearly still, barely moving against his sticky skin. It’s that hour of the night where it’s neither late nor early, or perhaps to some, either too late or too early. Everything feels too still. Fake. Imagined. Make-bel...

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“Paper Snowflakes” by Candice Cain

Submitted to Contest #68

“Did you know I was on a jury that sentenced a man to death?”Isabel paused, halting her movement. She stood on the counter in the small, convenience store. It wouldn’t be open for another twenty minutes, and she was rushing to stick paper snowflakes to the ceiling. Christmas was around the corner, and tacky winter decorations were already expected of the business. Isabel had not worked at the convenience store for long, only a few weeks. She was seasonal help. Most people who worked at the convenience store were seasonal help. No one st...

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“Little Pieces” by Melody Milano

Submitted to Contest #68

Neila’s POV “Yes, I did it,” I answered Amelia, she’s my friend. The only person I would consider a friend. We’re not as close as other friends but she’s the only person I’m closest to, except for my boyfriend, Noah but everyone knows that that won’t go anywhere. She messaged me ten minutes ago to meet up in the park. I didn’t know why she wanted to at first but I understood when she asked me the question, did you do it? “What? Why? How? When?” She asked. I can see in her eyes that she’s freaking out. Why is she freaking out so much...

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“Golden Girl” by Danielle Burke

Submitted to Contest #68

“He was coming back to you.” Bronwyn, the golden girl I had played with while my mother performed her housekeeping duties, spoke quietly as she lay in a crumpled heap, unwashed and apparently unassuming, her face turned to the wall. I had been in the room for ten minutes. The first three of those were spent in silence; I know because I had trained my eyes on the analog clock that spun out the hours with no thought to those who were living and dying in the course of those passing moments. The next seven were filled with Bronwyn’s tears before...

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“Memories” by E M

Submitted to Contest #68

It had been years. Years since her memories had been reality, but somehow those memories seemed to grow more real as more time passed each day. It was hardest when she was alone, or when she would have a glass of wine in the evenings to ease the tension of the workday. These situations seemed to give the memories permission to slip out and weave themselves into her thoughts without her acquiescence. When her husband was around, she could easily leave the memories where they belonged, tucked away like the Cosmopolitan magazines full of sex ti...

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“A lie She told” by Ranyhia White

Submitted to Contest #68

It's a normal day on a Tuesday. I was not planning on going anywhere besides hopping in bed . I heard a ring ,so I picked up my phone . It was my friend Tessa. She sounded so upset and horrible . I am just thinking about what Tessa wants now ! Tessa is so needy . AS I try to listen to her . Tessa was talking too fast ,but all I heard was "I need you ". I rushed over there as fast as I could . On my way there I have a strange feeling . Something doesn't feel right but I continue to keep walking .I am finally there , I knock on the door. Some ...

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“You were Poison” by Dani Kay

Submitted to Contest #68

You were Poison - inspired by Horus "I love you.." She pressed deeper into his arms, hardly believing she'd actually said it. All this time her love for him had festered and grown, waiting to escape, til now. Yet somehow she didn't feel sweet freedom, sweet release, telling him this. What if she'd said it too soon? Why should there be a time on love anyways? Her mind raced as she justified her confession to her constant audience; her self. He hugged her tighter, held her closer, til she could feel his heart beat matching her ow...

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“YOU'RE SAFE NOW” by Emma D

Submitted to Contest #68

YOU’RE SAFE NOW I’d promised myself that no one would ever know. No one could ever know. But his eyes, so wide and gentle, begged me to tell him. To trust him. I did trust him, he just couldn’t see it. I’d told Rayan more than I’d ever told anyone, I just wasn’t too open with anyone, really. I wasn’t very good at talking about myself. I didn’t like talking about myself. “Tell me.” Rayan wrapped my hand in his, filling me with the light that shone through the window and gave his soft green eyes a magical glow. “I’m afr...

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“The Ringleader” by Joe D

Submitted to Contest #68

“Hey, sonny,” the old carnival worker called to Hunter, who had asked his mother to bring him to the carnival the day after his ninth birthday — “come over here and I’ll let you in on a little secret. If I tell you, you have to promise ... you won’t tell anyone. If you do and they find out” — he motioned towards the ticket booth with a nod of his head — “they’ll fire me. Here’s what you do,” he said, cocking a bent finger at the empty milk bottles of his display, fifteen feet away — “Don’t aim for the rims, aim for the space b...

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“The Green Fairy” by Andrew Carter

Submitted to Contest #68

“Two stiff drinkers fertilize the olive grove,” Sallow says, dropping his guard after a night-long bender. Sallow knew it was foolish to imbibe in his own product. “What?” Cash exclaims. “We don’t need dead bodies. Could be risky.”“Easy pal,” Sallow chides. “The first threatened to put us in for bootlegging five years back. Sniffing for the free product. The second tried it on for a share in the business. Both got a taste of the “The Xtra Green Fairy." I boiled and dried their body parts, put them in a bone crusher, and dried the mixture int...

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“Paul's plan” by Sundaran .

Submitted to Contest #68

“Janice,” Paul’s voice had taken on that extra degree of sharpness that he presented only before his wife, only during his most vulnerable moments. “Do you remember that time we went camping, sometime soon after our marriage?” Janice looked up from her book, her merry face masking her annoyance at the interruption. She waited for him to go on, widening her pretty doe eyes to encourage him. “You remember surely, that old camping site where I used to go with dad… “Willow Creek” it was called, right?” She gifted him a pleasant smile before repl...

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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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