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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

“Through the Same Eyes” by Ellis Warren

Submitted to Contest #68

There! My favourite sight. Not the sunrise, whatever it’s doing this morning, but you. When was the last time I saw that expression… You must have been much younger, though still old. Your eyes widen, as if to say you’re seeing something extraordinary that you’ve never seen before. Your gaze darts in all different directions, capturing every shade of the sky. What are you seeing? I wonder what I seem to be missing. After all these years, today must be special. I wish I could enjoy the sky the way you do. After all, the sunrise never chang...

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“Justin's Jacket” by Carbon Monoxide

Submitted to Contest #68

“Why did you have to drag me out here?” I complained. “I was just fine sleeping.” “Wait for it,” Justin said. I turned away from him and wrapped my coat closer around me. Noticing that I was cold, Justin gave me his jacket. The one that I got him when we were an item for three months. I looked back toward the lake as the sun began to rise. “Oh, wow.” “Told you it would be beautiful. Just like you.” I felt my face flush. “Stop it,” I said, swatting his arm playfully. “I mean it,” said Justin. ...

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“A Time To Go” by Leon Moore

Submitted to Contest #68

In all the years had I come here, had I seen the sun rise so spectacularly like this. It’s as if the rays of golden light themselves would shine happiness on us. She was sitting beside me, holding me tight as we were high up in the sky, on the summit where we could see the land below us for miles and miles. “Don’t you ever get fed-up of coming up here?” Asked Rachelle. “Not really because this is the only place where I can find true meaning and enlightenment,” I replied. She gave me a little smile and t...

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“The Woods Hold Secrets ” by Ikia Ayad-Bey

Submitted to Contest #68

My best friend and I sat and watched the sunrise, and for the first time in a while I felt whole. I stared at the clock the minutes were ticking by I was sure about it, but time still moved slowly, I was waiting for my plane gate to be called it had to have been over two hours since I first got here. "Flight 280," the ground staff called out over the intercom. I rushed to grab my things, and hurriedly ran to the desk, ditching and dodging ongoers. As I made it onto the plane the stewardess greeted me, and I smiled before going to my seat....

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“My friend Jolene ” by Mashaal Raza

Submitted to Contest #68

It felt like just yesterday we were watching the sun cautiously emerge from its sleep. The sun’s soft lambent light reflected flecks of coral on the face of the lake in front of us and the birds started to sing with their mellifluous voices. A pleasant chill clung to the air around us and wispy cirrus clouds floated along lazily. The grass we were sitting on was threaded with beads of water. This made them mellow and they drooped over, forming makeshift arches for the tiny insects going about their busy day. These were the last memor...

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“Jetty” by Joseph McGrory

Submitted to Contest #68

I remembered that time we watched the sun rise over the water. We were sitting on that jetty, a blanket around our shoulders watching the light spread out until it filled the lake. I went back there recently. I stood on the spot where we sat, the exact plank I think, and I looked out over the water. The sun had already risen, it took me a while to get out of bed, but the feeling was still there. There was a heron stood out in the water, balanced precariously on one leg. It was watching the water, looking for food I presume, and I wished I ha...

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“Turns of events” by Aj Taylor

Submitted to Contest #68

“How could you!” I screamed, I walked into the gym of my school and found my boyfriend cheating on me. Everyone in the room stared at me with confused eyes. I ran with eyeliner running down my face, I started to run as fast as I could until I finally stopped at a beach. It was very dark and calming, once I calmed down, and I crawled to the shore. Feeling the water on my face was even more calming. I got back to my spot and took a deep breath of the fresh air. I could see the sun rising in the distance ”So beautiful.” I said out loud, not lik...

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“Silvestri and Dumarché - Con Artists ” by Spout 🦌

Submitted to Contest #68

As one would expect from a 1936 month of January, it was well below freezing outside. But despite that and the snow covered ground, Dumarché stood on the roof, pacing occasionally back and forth with his cigarette snugly placed between his index and middle finger. “Well, good morning Professeur Leguen” Silvestri greeted his colleague as he emerged from the rooftop access staircase. Dumarché scoffed and threw his cigarette to the ground. “Shame my mother isn’t around to hear that” he replied all while covering his discarded cigarette wit...

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“Buried Deep” by N Baker

Submitted to Contest #68

Every morning the desert toad would wait for the sun to rise. He would bask in the gentle warmth along side his one and only friend. The skull had been there all of Toad’s life; it was tanned from years spent in the sun, and the tips of its two long horns were burned to almost black. It was chipped in the front but otherwise intact. Two large and empty eye sockets watched the sunrise every day as Toad, who was cold-blooded, warmed himself. Toad and the skull faced east that morning, waiting for the day to begin. The sunrise was special to To...

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“Beach Day” by Aly Logan

Submitted to Contest #68

I looked down at the bottom of the hill as I rolled out the blanket. The crisp air hit my face as I looked up at the sun starting to peek over the hill. I grabbed my dad’s hand and sat down on the blanket. He sat next to me. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the sunrise,” I said, quietly, resting my head on his shoulder. The cool breeze reminded me of spending time at the beach with my mom. “It sure has, pumpkin. You’re mom and I used to walk up to this hill every morning and watch the sunrise. Until we...

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“Reflections” by Alex Bricco

Submitted to Contest #68

It was dark on the dock in Fish Creek, Wisconsin. The cool waters of Lake Michigan lightly lapped on the shore. At 4:45 in the morning, the two men stood on the floating wood planks staring off into the calm lake. Behind them was a forested campground barely lit by the coming sunrise. Finally, the sun made an appearance, its rays glinting off of the vast expanse of water in front of them. The light seems to ripple along with the lake, it glints off of the handcuffs holding the men together. The man on the left is shorter, stocky...

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“Celestial Reflections” by J.B. Dixon

Submitted to Contest #68

The sun rose slowly over the green country as two people watched, one leaning on the other. The Halloween party, which ended a few hours ago, had been a huge success despite the resident ghost paying a visit. The pair were exhausted but found they couldn’t sleep yet and decided to watch the sun come up. They could sleep on the way home after everything was cleaned up. “Did you ask Ryan to drive?” Terry asked, shielding her eyes as the yellow ball rose higher. “I did. He said he’d have no problem doing so. Just let him sleep until it’s ti...

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“Moonshine” by Abelard Lormond

Submitted to Contest #68

“Relax mom. I’m gonna be home later tonight. Just please make sure to take your medicine and try not to move around too much.” “Sweetie, how am I gonna get anything or go to the bathroom if I can’t move around?” “Mom, that’s what the maid is there for. Ask her for anything if you need it. I’ll be home later, I promise.” “Okay. Be safe out there Trevor. And have fun on your little date.” “Haha, I will. Talk to you later, love you.” Beep. My mother is very sick. She has be...

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“No Light in the Cave” by Tulliver Lines

Submitted to Contest #68

NO LIGHT IN THE CAVE Dedicated to Jake Massee The new sun was a goldfish, more natural-looking reaching toward the shore of its deep blue tarn than higher in the overrosy sky. We must have been there, at the summit, for hours to make that observation. We were surrounded by concentric circles of forget-me-not and snowdrops, grass in our hair, and hair in what we thought was our grass. Jake said, well maybe it’s not worth remembering, but he said that we should go down following the stream, through the shoe-swallowing peat, and that we sho...

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“Change” by John Laird

Submitted to Contest #68

CHANGE The bartender finished tending to the customer at the end of the bar and ambled back, a dish towel draped over his left shoulder. “So, Andy, you out slumming tonight, or what? No hot date?” Andrew winced. He didn’t like the name Andy but gave Sam a pass since the bar was his frequent refuge. He looked down, concentrating on standing a quarter on its edge. Fortunately, the bar’s surface was somewhat level and the quarter new. It joined its two upright companions. “Yeah, Sam, taking a break. Recharging the ol’ batteries, so to spea...

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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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