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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#71: Sugar and Spice

One of my favorite parts of the holidays is baking cookies. Or, to be more honest, eating cookies — but you can’t have one without the other! From peppermint to gingerbread to iced sugar cookies, there are so many mouth-watering choices, and that’s just in my own culture. The flavors get even more varied and delectable as you head around the world.

But whether you’re a professional pastry chef in real life or someone whose cookies turn out looking more like lumps of coal, in stories our desserts can be whatever we want them to be. So get your imaginations preheating, because this week we’re going to be exploring all the different reasons and flavors that drive people to pick up the mixing bowl.

🥇 Winner

“The Craving” by A.dot Ram

cw: miscarriage This could not wait till morning. The craving came on so sudden and intense that resisting never even crossed her mind. For some reason Claudia needed fudge. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe it was the fact that she finally had an appetite. But she needed fudge. Not the kind she usually made this time of year, melting chocolate chips in the microwave. Claudia needed the heavy, silky fudge her grandma used to make—the kind you made in a saucepan with a candy thermometer. Did you need a doubl...

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⭐️ Shortlisted

“Serve Warm” by Rin Smit

The smell roused me from my sleep, pulled me from the many sunken levels of my dreams. Same dream every time. I saw up over the bed and rubbed my eyes. Sighed and looked over at the journal on the desk, the pen with a full amount of ink. Who was I kidding? I haven’t written anything since he died, not for myself, not anyone, so why would I write a letter to him, he who could not read my letter anymore, h...

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“The Pinched Piquancy” by David Brown

The cobblestone streets of the town of Glastonbury bustled with market activity in the late morning Wales sun. Peddlers of every sort sold their wares for coppers, shillings, and quid, or bartered to make fair and equitable trades. The smell of home-fires burning was in the air, mixed with the scents of perfumes, leather, fish, meat pies, and other freshly baked goods. The sheriff’s protuberant nose caught another less appealing odor too, and he stumbled to avoid a mountain of horse manure. He steadied himself and continued striding towar...

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“The Other Side of the Door” by C. D.

The door to Diana’s room has been closed for days now. I sometimes hear tiptoeing on the wooden floors at night, the creak of the refrigerator door, the toilet’s flush. I might be lying on my bed, engrossed in a book, and hear the muted sounds of life, like a mouse rustling through the apartment. “Hold on, Mom,” I’ll say, “I think I hear something.” And I listen to the little noises while my mother pou...

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“Italian Scallions ” by Joe D

Anthony looked down at the charred crust of his latest pizza. He took another bite opposite the burnt end and evaluated the flavor. Take the temp down about five degrees, he wrote in his notebook. Change the schedule to have the birch wood go in every ninth pizza. Put the first two rounds of mozzarella on cheese cloth. Anthony put down his pen and looked up at the afternoon sky. The clo...

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This week's prompts:

Write about a group of people determined to win an award for making the biggest cookie ever.

General – 69 stories

Write about someone investigating a break-in at a bakery. The only thing missing? A very secret ingredient.

Mystery – 116 stories

Write about two people who run rival bakeries, but fall in love during their town’s annual holiday festival.

Romance – 152 stories

Write about someone trying to recreate a grandparent’s signature baked good from memory.

General – 180 stories

Write about someone hosting a cookie exchange as a cover to hide the true reason for inviting one of their guests.

Dramatic – 163 stories

Stories

“The Craving” by A.dot Ram

cw: miscarriage This could not wait till morning. The craving came on so sudden and intense that resisting never even crossed her mind. For some reason Claudia needed fudge. Maybe it was hormones. Maybe it was the fact that she finally had an appetite. But she needed fudge. Not the kind she usually made this time of year, melting chocolate chips in the microwave. Claudia needed the heavy, silky fudge her grandma used to make—the kind you made in a saucepan with a candy thermometer. Did you need a doubl...

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“For Ever, Sugar” by Alex Allison

The lanterns flickered their malevolent flames as Sugar beat the eggs into a foamy sea. The fire in the grate melted her aching muscles enough to continue working for the eleventh hour.Twenty-six years old and she was already exhausted, pink dress twirling between kitchen counters and cupboards. Her petticoats protected her modesty and the pencil holding her savory colored hair protected the food from contamination.She'd baked enough bread, on to the biscuits.'You work too hard...' Bailey chimed as he grabbed his jack...

125 comments 125

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“Cinnamon Is For Remembering” by Zilla Babbitt

Dear Mom, Hi. It’s hard to start a letter like this. You’ve been gone for a long time now. After I finish writing this, I’m going to burn it. I’ve been reading this book, and writing letters to dead people and burning them is supposed to be a good thing for your soul, or something dumb like that. You probably have no sense of time wherever you are, but I’ll spare you the boredom of listing what’s happened. I’m sure you know this, but Warren’s dead. Car crash. He was t...

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“For Once and For All” by ⭐ jennie ⭐

First story at Reedsy!Each year the Sorenson's held the most flamboyant cookie exchange in all of Durinsville This was partially due to the fact that they were the most well-known bakery in all of Pennsylvania. Of course, there were certain people who were not invited each year, and they had a most horrid time, since Durinsville was a small town, and the Sorenson's inhabited the biggest house (or mansion as we shall say?) which of course...

583 comments 583

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“How Much You Love Us” by Zilla Babbitt

Marta carried pieces of scrap paper in her pockets when she walked down city streets. She said it was in case she thought of someone she loved; she’d write their name down and fold the paper and later she’d call them and say, stuttering and heartfelt, I thought of y-you. To say how much they meant to her. She tried to be sweet but she always ended up tripping over her own feet, making mistakes, saying the wrong thing, stuttery and slow. The cities she walked in were always tall and grim and dark. They were windswept and busy but ...

104 comments 104

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“The Case of the Missing _____” by Nainika Gupta (temporarily inactive)

There are chocolates scattered over the marble tile. Each one is a perfect sphere dusted with fine cocoa powder, but several lie cracked on the floor, revealing peaks of caramel or rum truffle in the middle. DI Orson Blair halts halfway through the kitchen so as not to tread on a stray piece of chocolate and stops to take in the scene. An engagement ring of white gold and diamond perches in a small black box, and ...

166 comments 166

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“Quarantine Competition (a Reedsy-Cast Short Story)” by 𝔸𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕟 ℝ𝕖𝕓𝕖𝕔𝕔𝕒 ❤️

Note: Hey, all! Here’s my long-overdo Wrirate short story. That means this story features a Reedsy cast! A lot of my Wrirate friends have made this kind of thing (check out Zilla’s, B.W.’s, Amany’s, Rhonda’s, and Orenda’s!) so I decided to write one. Sadly, I can’t have as many main characters as there are close Wrirate friends, so there’s main characters, a secondary character (Bri, which is something B.W. has said I could call her [Hope is also a nickname, so there’s actually two props to my good friend B.W.]), and a bunch of m...

152 comments 152

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“Cookiesplosion” by Litlover .

"Out of my way!! I'm from Guinness, out of my way!!" The cameras were crowding the bakers, swarming them as if they were sprinkles on a cupcake. They tried to get to the door, tried to sneak their way into the bakery, but the cameras were there too. Eventually, they started throwing cupcakes at the cameras. Through the power of pastry, they banished them to worlds unknown and slunk inside. "Jeez, all...

137 comments 137

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“Marrying a Tree” by Zilla Babbitt

Tiffany and Greg are arguing again. This time it’s worse than before: Tiff, who thinks herself above name-calling, has likened Greg to a tree -- “shady, too tall, broad, stupid, releases carbon dioxide all day long.” And Greg in return is too offended to correct her science. This is the last time they argue. This is the last time they voluntarily share a roof. Tiff leaves first. She fills her suitcase and kicks the door open. Before Greg can...

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“A Touch of Cinnamon (Part 1) ” by Nainika Gupta (temporarily inactive)

“And a cherry on each of the custard creams, as well as a sprig of mint on the lime tarts!” I nodded as my assistant, Sadira, ran around me with a clipboard full of notes for my desserts. I went to the pantry and pulled out the tub of cherries and mint, and walked around the dozens of trays that were displaying my creations for the ball tonight. The kingdom was hosting a ball to celebrate the coming of age of Princess Ve...

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“Kiss the Cook(ie) ” by Nainika Gupta (temporarily inactive)

“LOOK OUT!!!” Melesa roared. I barely hesitated, diving out of the way as the giant roller barreled toward me. I hadn’t realized what I was diving at, pure adrenaline and fear were controlling me, so it was quite a shock once I fell into the vat that we had used to churn our butter. Luckily the vat was turned off, or I’d be staining it a very bright red. Sputtering and wiping the unsalted goo out of my eyes, I managed to make my way over to the edge of the vat and climb out.“What the hell was that?” I demanded as Melesa ran over. I...

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“To Catch A Killer” by B. W.

Begin Log 1: Well um, I don't really know why I'm doing this though here I am. But this is what he told me to do for a while, I think he said it was to remember the plan or something? I don't know, my memory is terrible. I don't even remember the plan, to be honest...I think that's why he decided to do all this so I check up on everything. I guess he knows that my memory is terrib...

161 comments 161

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“Unfinished Business” by Deidra Lovegren

Five days after Yom Kippur, David Jacob Tomaschewitz counted on Sukkot’s challah sales to ensure his foundering bakery made a profit for the year. Although business had been brisk for Rosh Hashanah, the weekly sales of his bread for Shabbat had consistently diminished as other Jewish bakeries in Boca Raton had far more offerings—cookies! pastries! cakes!—than his meager shop. David’s father had opened the bakery decades prior, making only traditional Jewish breads, including mountains of bagels his loyal customers bought by th...

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“A Moon Rose” by 𝔸𝗆𝕓ᴇ𝗋 𝔼ᴠ𝕒𝗇𝕤

A woman dressed in a black rain jacket wanted to scream at the clouds and the torrents of rain sending her curly hair into a wild frizz. But sending a tangled wail of thoughts into the angry sky would attract attention, so for this reason, she preferred to remain silent. As the downpour continued, the woman pulled a hoodie over her head, trying to keep herself; and the package, safe. Two more blocks un...

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“Fool’s Tears (A Touch of Cinnamon Part 2) ” by Nainika Gupta (temporarily inactive)

*Nainika’s note* It is OK to hate Morgan. (like more than ok to hate him) He's an arse. But I haven’t ever written a story from a…villain? I’m gonna call him a villain because he deserves it…but I’ve never written a short story from a nasty person’s perspective, so I hope it’s turned out good!! Also, I included A TON of background information about the setting, so this story is a teensy bit wordier than what I n...

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$50

Prize money

726

Submissions

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 11, 2020 EST

Won by A.dot Ram 🏆

Title: The Craving

Winning stories will be featured on our website and in our weekly newsletter. For more information, please consult our terms of use.

Submissions will be approved and published within 7 days of the contest closing.

Please keep your submission between 1,000 - 3,000 words.

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