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#7 Scrumdiddlyumptious

Did you know: September 13th is Roald Dahl's birthday — so a "gloriumptious" Roald Dahl Day to you!

Roald Dahl was a children's book author, best known for classics like Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Gian Peach, and, well, the list of his beloved children's books goes on and on.

Dahl not only created whimsical worlds within his stories, he also created new diction, inventing words such as "gloriumptious" (pure marvelousness), "biffsquiggled" (being confused or puzzled), "churgle" (gurgling with laughter), and "ringbeller" (a really good dream).

This week, our prompts are all elements pulled from Roald Dahl's phizz-whizzing (splendid) books.

🥇 Winner

Don't Drink The Stars

Adriana K. Maxwell

Winner of Contest #7 🏆

The sky was dripping again. The grass was blue with it. Mr. Thomson was screaming about his car getting stained. Now, he would have to paint it again. Or he could wait until a good sunset dripped. The Junbergs were sitting on their porch, drinking a bottled 4:30 am August sunrise. They insisted that only 4 am sunrises were proper quality. 5 am was too bitter. And 6 am wasn’t worth speaking of. Since they were some of the few willing to wake up at that time, it was no wonder that they made the goo...

136 likes

⭐️ Shortlisted

Enlightened

Dana Schellings

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

Jax could feel all six of his legs buckling under the weight of the hundreds of pairs of horrified eyes staring at him in shocked silence. The weekly meeting was usually a boring affair where personal grievances were aired and gossip was exchanged, but every now and then someone had some exciting news about food. Today Jax was that someone, and the rest of the colony listened joyful anticipation until he mentioned the location of the new food source he’d discovered. He knew that part wouldn’t go over well, but he didn’t expect this. He proba...

22 likes

The Sun Went Down Some Time Ago

Joe Glocke

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

The sun went down some time ago, I can’t remember when. I'm still nervous, but the fire is warm. The woods beyond the campsite is reduced to shadows against the twilight. Black limbs creak, whispering to me in the wind and tickling my tent. There are things out there, snapping twigs and shifting the darkness, but for now they're at bay. The fire keeps them away. Nothing enters its circle of light. If I stay near the fire, I'll be alright. I'll sit here on my log and think about the white farmhouse with the red barn at the end of the green pa...

22 likes

Skipping Stones

Sydney Ling

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

The lake lies silver in the bright light of the noon sun, not a perfect oblong like a looking glass, but amorphous like an ink-splat on starched white paper. It is a mirror of the surrounding coniferous trees, with a surface as smooth as glass. A fresh, earthy, pine scent floats in the air. The weeping willow, the wispy clouds above, all become a Monet. The landscape is a painting of dappled, impressionist brush strokes of muted hues from snow-pea green to silvers with blue undertones. Your eyes gaze to where the sun-speckled water blends in...

21 likes

The Last Cacao

Chynna Pace

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

“Grandma? Can you tell me about…chocolate?” Katie’s face was cautious. There was something like fearful anticipation turning the brown of her eyes black, the way truffles used to look. Her question stirred decades-old memories, making my mouth water. I swallowed and asked, “How do you know about chocolate?” My granddaughter cast a furtive look at ...

15 likes

The Chase

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

Bummer!I could hear dogs in the distance. They were louder than they had been a few minutes ago. My breath came in thick gasps, pain stitching my side as I fought for air.I hadn’t run this far in years.As I ducked under a low branch the lower edge painfully scraped the top of my head. ‘Who am I kidding?’ I thought to myself, ‘I’ve never ran this far.’ I topped out the hill and slowed my pace to a walk, giving one last glance behind me before I started down the other side. I could still hear the dogs, but couldn’t see them...

9 likes

Hear my voice

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

Hear My VoiceThey’re rowing again. It never ends these days. If it’s not Brexit then it’s about his drinking. Mum stopped a few months ago, and ever since then, it’s been a constant source of arguments. He tends to get leery after a few drinks, touching and mauling her. Nothing violent but she shrugs him off, and that’s when the shouting starts. “You’re off your face, again.” “Don’t bloody start. You’re like a broken record. It was just a few drinks with Dave after his success in the local elections. He only beat the bloody Tories, you know....

7 likes

This week's prompts

Write a story with a child narrator.

Kids – 37 stories

Write a story that mixes everyday situations with surreal surroundings.

High School – 26 stories

Write a story where a chocolate cake plays a significant role.

Funny – 34 stories

Write a story about a person longing for family.

Angst – 44 stories

Write a story infused with dark humor.

Funny – 15 stories

Stories

Don't Drink The Stars

Adriana K. Maxwell

Winner of Contest #7 🏆

The sky was dripping again. The grass was blue with it. Mr. Thomson was screaming about his car getting stained. Now, he would have to paint it again. Or he could wait until a good sunset dripped. The Junbergs were sitting on their porch, drinking a bottled 4:30 am August sunrise. They insisted that only 4 am sunrises were proper quality. 5 am was too bitter. And 6 am wasn’t worth speaking of. Since they were some of the few willing to wake up at that time, it was no wonder that they made the goo...

136 likes

The Comicbook Kid

Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #7

1Ralph’s parents were never the same after they died. They didn’t need to eat anymore, which was a bit of an issue. It meant they often forgot his meals, so that he had to learn to cook for himself. The food was a bit… dodgy, at first, and the kitchen had almost gone up in flames on more than one occasion. But Ralph was getting better at it.They could also walk through walls. And float upwards through the floor. Or out through the ceiling. When they were talking to him, they tended to disappear beyond a physical boundary mid-sentence, leavin...

55 likes

Living Bomb

Cam Croz

Submitted to Contest #7

So many people take advantage of life's many pleasures. Accepting all the gifts they are given without really opening them, without really appreciating them. People here have a love-hate relationship with pretty much anything that really matters in our world, and they don't even realize it."My family is so weird. I wish my parents were like yours," They'll say, when really, deep deep down they would never trade their family for anything.Of course, they don't realize this. In fact, I'm not sure they ever will. Not for a long time. To them fam...

33 likes

Pills

Erin Green

Submitted to Contest #7

The bottle of pills is brown, with a yellow label on it covered in tiny black writing, probably all warning me against the thing I am preparing myself to do. My hand is steady as I tip the round white pills out into my palm. My heart shudders at the sight of them. They are enormousI think. Look at the size of them! I can just see them blocking up my whole windpipe, top to bottom!It’s a bit of an exaggeration I suppose, but if anything suffocation would probably be faster. Still, it’s going to be a struggle. &...

26 likes

Annoying Homework

Holly Pierce

Submitted to Contest #7

Leigh Alvarado startled awake, her dog Willow jumping all over her. The mechanical dog stood stiffly and the robotic voice said, “Homework due today. English essay, five paragraphs. Two more paragraphs must be finished.” Leigh groaned I frustration. She had totally forgotten to do her homework. She twisted in her bed to strap herself down and flipped the gravity switch. Leigh grabbed her homework off the ceiling, and pressed the purple button on her bed. It zoomed to the kitchen, where Leigh slowly lowered herself into her electronic le...

25 likes

Dreaming Reality

Submitted to Contest #7

Greg and his family are at an ice-cream place. Mary, Greg's daughter, and his eldest child, is the first one to order, "I'll have a chicken-flavored potato chip and roasted pig combo please.""Alright," the waitress replies, "what about you?", she asks Nick, Greg's son."I'll have a...", he thinks about it, "a...""He'll have a pickle and pineapple duo. It's his favorite." says Nita, Greg's wife."And what about you, mam?""Are you out of worm-flavor?" Nita asks."No." the waitress replies"Okay, I'll have that," she says, "Oh, and one more thing.....

23 likes

Enlightened

Dana Schellings

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

Jax could feel all six of his legs buckling under the weight of the hundreds of pairs of horrified eyes staring at him in shocked silence. The weekly meeting was usually a boring affair where personal grievances were aired and gossip was exchanged, but every now and then someone had some exciting news about food. Today Jax was that someone, and the rest of the colony listened joyful anticipation until he mentioned the location of the new food source he’d discovered. He knew that part wouldn’t go over well, but he didn’t expect this. He proba...

22 likes

The Sun Went Down Some Time Ago

Joe Glocke

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

The sun went down some time ago, I can’t remember when. I'm still nervous, but the fire is warm. The woods beyond the campsite is reduced to shadows against the twilight. Black limbs creak, whispering to me in the wind and tickling my tent. There are things out there, snapping twigs and shifting the darkness, but for now they're at bay. The fire keeps them away. Nothing enters its circle of light. If I stay near the fire, I'll be alright. I'll sit here on my log and think about the white farmhouse with the red barn at the end of the green pa...

22 likes

Skipping Stones

Sydney Ling

Shortlisted for Contest #7 ⭐️

The lake lies silver in the bright light of the noon sun, not a perfect oblong like a looking glass, but amorphous like an ink-splat on starched white paper. It is a mirror of the surrounding coniferous trees, with a surface as smooth as glass. A fresh, earthy, pine scent floats in the air. The weeping willow, the wispy clouds above, all become a Monet. The landscape is a painting of dappled, impressionist brush strokes of muted hues from snow-pea green to silvers with blue undertones. Your eyes gaze to where the sun-speckled water blends in...

21 likes

A Blazing Beginning

Lourdes Cruz

Submitted to Contest #7

A tall,curly-haired, handsome boy walks into a meeting room filled with pre-teens and teenagers. He radiates strength, not showing any signs of anxiety or fear. "That's him. I can't believe it's him." Whisper a group of girls, as he passes. He flashes them a blinding white smile, triggering excited blushes and squeals. He makes his way to the front, walking confidently to the platform set up by the other six that had come before him. He stepped up, turning on his microphone, inhaling slowly. The room went silent as he opened his mouth to spe...

21 likes

Lollipop

Holly Pierce

Submitted to Contest #7

I looked around the grocery store and saw a giant lollipop. It looked super good, and I tugged Mommy’s hand and pointed at the lollipop. All my older sisters had bought them, and I really wanted that lollipop. “Please can I have it? Please?” “Lillie, you know we don’t have enough money for that, and you haven’t had your lunch.” Mommy said. “For after lunch, pretty please?” “Lillie, you are not getting this lollipop unless you buy it with your own money.” “But I don’t have four-nine-nine dollars.” “It costs five dollars Lillie. Sort of expens...

19 likes

The First Date

Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #7

“Reservations under Tom Metzger.” “Perfect. This way Mr. Metzger.” The host led the couple to a small table covered in white linen. A short candle illuminated the table in a romantic glow. Tom pulled out the chair for his date and she meekly thanked him and smiled shyly as she watched him sit down and pull his own chair in closer. They smiled at each other, but the tension was surely unbearable. A restrained clearing of his throat finally broke the silence.“So,” Tom focused on maintaining eye contact with the woman across from him...

19 likes

A Killer Friendship

Courtney Langevin

Submitted to Contest #7

John had been driving home from his class reunion for hours, and though he would never admit this to his wife, he had somehow gotten himself completely lost. He had very little sense of direction as it was, and he relied heavily on his phone’s GPS to get him just about anywhere. The current problem was that the GPS just kept rerouting and rerouting and taking him down so many side streets and backroads that he was now driving down a winding road surrounded by endless trees on either side. He knew for a fact he hadn’t driven down a road like ...

19 likes

My Afterlife

Sally Lee

Submitted to Contest #7

You would think that after a lifetime of working hard that I would finally get a chance to rest once I'm dead. Well things don't always go as expected. Like my life or I should say my past life. I didn't expect to die at 34 alone in my office from a damn heart attack. I was healthy enough to you know live a little longer at least. But now I'm stuck here in what they call "limbo" giving therapy sessions to restless souls so that they may have the chance to move on or go into the light. I was told that by doing this I will learn the reason of ...

18 likes

The Sword of Mord Thal

Ryan Lieb

Submitted to Contest #7

Yolric rested his chin on his hand and heaved a bored sigh. The elf’s shop had been empty all morning save for his dwarven assistant, Patsy, who was painstakingly cleaning the floors. On one side of the shop were shelves lined with spellbooks, on the other an assortment of jars which glowed various colors. The middle of the shop contained tables filled with vials of multiple shapes and sizes. Many had signs in front of them that read things like “Powerful Love Potion, Use Sparingly” and “Very Deadly! Ask for Assistance.” Under the counter on...

15 likes

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Contest #7

This contest has ended. Thank you for your submissions.

$50

Prize money

156

Entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Sep 20, 2019 EST

Won by Adriana K. Maxwell 🏆

Title: Don't Drink The Stars

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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