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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#79: The Family You Choose

They say blood is thicker than water — but is it always?

The truth is that not all families offer healthy relationships to each other, and sometimes the harsh act of cutting them out of your life may be the best course of action. Fortunately, we can still meet people who love us no matter what and become our new families. Not to mention adoptions, blended families, and all the wonderful ways people connect with and support each other, regardless of whether they share any DNA. It's fair to say that family is a lot more than blood!

This week, we’re going to turn family life upside down and examine all the ways that family succeeds — and fails — for our characters.

This week's prompts

Write about someone who decides it’s time to cut ties with a family member.

Sad – 260 stories

Your main character is approached by their long-estranged parent who wants to reconnect. How do they react?

Dramatic – 193 stories

Write about someone who discovers the only family member they have left has just betrayed them.

Sad – 160 stories

Write about two characters who’ve gone through something so intense they now feel like family.

Adults – 190 stories

Write about a “found family” who are finally able to get together again after a long time apart.

Fluff – 100 stories

Stories

“Marriage Can Be Murder” by John Cusumano

Submitted to Contest #79

It was a cold, rainy night in Laurel, Maryland. The fire was blazing in the fireplace. I had some brie wrapped in prosciutto inside a Pillsbury grand rolls, aged sharp cedar, blue cheese, Italian bread sticks, with two glasses of white Zinfandel on a small table. With smooth jazz playing it was going to be a perfect evening. My love would be home any minute. Tonight was our one year anniversary. My heart skipped a beat as Charles entered. He kissed me lightly on the lips as he handed me roses. "I have wine and cheese in t...

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“My Brother's Keeper” by Brittany Vance

Submitted to Contest #79

When I was growing up, my mother and father always instilled in us kids the importance of family. "Family will always be there", my father would always say after our Sunday meals. Mom would always cook big meals on Sunday with some of the best desserts you could imagine. I believed him. My dad stood about 5 6", not a very tall man, but his voice deeper than the ocean. His words thundered through our home which usually kept all the kids in line. When I grew older, I always kept that thought that family would always be there closer to my heart...

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“Useless Loyalty” by Shaneka's Intuitive

Submitted to Contest #79

I had let my sister live with my because she had a son and I felt obligated since we came out of the same womb. It was nice and pleasant having company anyway. I loved my nephew and he was very mature to be just 8. My sister, Annie, said she wouldn't be long before finding her new home. I was glad to accept her in since we agreed on monthly payments of $600. She was paying on the regular or even before at times. I was happy and felt I can really count on her. She made me proud since she was a bit on the wild side. She started asking me to...

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“You Know I Love You, Right?” by Brya Wallace

Submitted to Contest #79

Lane heard the stumbling footfalls of his intoxicated mother advance up the stairs of his house. He silently started begging to anyone who would listen for her to put herself to bed, and save him from her drunken torment. A feeling of trepidation shivered through him, hearing her approach his door rather than continue down the hall to her room. A little tap assaulted his bedroom door and it didn’t wait for an answer before slowly creaking open and giving way to his Mum’s silhouette peeping around the doorway, “Are you still awake?” Asking a...

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“The Multiverse and Hash browns” by Michael Sattout

Submitted to Contest #79

Slouched in his leather sofa, sucking on an ice block, Jimbo Timbo had to break it to his family that he was needed on an inter dimensional, multiverse quest to save reality. They didn’t take it very well. Simon, Jimbo's dad, folded his thick arms while Becky, Jimbo's mum, scratched Jimbo's back with concern. It was all a drag, they always made a fuss about everything.Jimbo had one ear phone in and rocked his head softly to some Guns N’ Roses. His family sat awkwardly on a sofa opposite Jimbo that barely managed to fit the four of them....

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“A Black Sheep Among Wolves” by Shayla Linden

Submitted to Contest #79

*Authors note* (TRIGGER WARNING, Themes of violence and abuse.) The sun is a pale yoke in a creamy cloudless sky. As it sets behind the icy mountain peaks, the yoke breaks and nighttime spills over the world. The midnight gem rises and bathes the snow in gentle beams of moon kisses. This is the time when my family and I awaken. We stretch our legs and dig our claws into the frostbitten dirt as we arch our backs. A smile is forced onto our faces as all of us inhale the Sitka Spruce scented air and exhale with a whimpering yawn. I step into ...

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“Same Old Same Old Wildflowers Dying” by Velinda Daniels

Submitted to Contest #79

Our lives are like wildflowers. Here today gone tomorrow. Some people are the wildflowers, but some people are like the grasshoppers eating the wildflowers. Vicious, ravenous hungry creatures that only stop when there is nothing left. The earth shattering sound of a gunshot went off behind me. I could practically feel the cold sharp pain of a bullet between my shoulder blades, or at least that is how I imagined it would feel, and my ears were ringing with alarms and red flags. My heart skipped more than a beat and for a moment death seeme...

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“But For The Grace” by Amanda Parrott

Submitted to Contest #79

Enclosed in the booth, his isolation emphasised his position as the focus of the room. The glass forming the walls from waist-height upwards was unnaturally clean, except for an oval-shaped smear in front of his mouth. He wore black; black suit, black tie, with a white shirt. Helen had no idea whether the outfit was a ten-a-penny Primark effort or a carefully-sourced investment – how could they tell, she’d always wondered, when someone described a suit as ‘beautifully-cut’? “Court rise.” Thirty seconds later the raised desk at the ...

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“Good Morning. Goodbye” by Marwa Abdeen

Submitted to Contest #79

On the better days, I dream of being a little girl again; my six-year-old body slightly shivering with the cold breeze of Amman’s summer nights. I’d be half-asleep but pretending to be fully unconscious. My father—my ultimate hero back then—would pick me up and carry me down to our basement-like apartment to put me in bed. I always loved it when he did this. But today isn’t a good day. I woke up in the time I’d designated for myself, finding out I’d been crying in my sleep again. My jaw muscles felt too tense, and my teeth were again so ...

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“How I Cut My (Ex)Brother Out Of My Life” by Roxie Piatigorski

Submitted to Contest #79

I had an older brother once and he was one of the most evil people you would ever meet. By evil, I’m actually talking pure evil. After all, he did so many horrible, evil things to me that no other (older) sibling ever should. He had always hated me since I was born would always reject me, even hitting me whenever I got too persistent to leave him alone. He also always told me to shut up for merely existing because he thought that I should just be seen and not heard (and sometimes not even). He also used to have horrific fantasies about mur...

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“Just Stranger” by Floraine Thwin

Submitted to Contest #79

One fine day of November, Veronica was going to market for buying stuffs. She was a pregnant but she didn’t worry this month yet because her due date wasn’t coming soon. She used to go to market buying stuffs and then head back to home. When she was backed home, her womb started aching so she called her husband who worked at hospital. Then an hour later, he arrived home and take her to hospital where he worked. Two hours later, a baby girl was born. She was so tiny to carry wit...

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“The ties that bind” by Vakula Surendar

Submitted to Contest #79

The Chellapas were the best family you would find around the town, by far. They were well-known about the place, and they had a reputation as clean as a fresh tissue. A Chellapa was always a bright, upstanding citizen, the kind that had a lot of money and paid taxes on all of it. They were handsome, they were intelligent, and most of the time they were the talk of the town. When you were a Chellapa, people respected you. It was to the Chellapa’s house that Ani was going now. It was the sort of day that pretended to be warm when it was really...

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“Silenced” by Sol Mondschein

Submitted to Contest #79

Ethan woke up in that huge dark room. Even though he had been sleeping for hours, he was too tired to even move, so he just stayed still, laying in his bed while looking at the rooftop. It was always dark there since he would never open his curtains or windows and his room often made him feel really lonely because it was so quiet that he could even feel his breath. After a while, Ethan decided to get up. He made his bed and slowly walked towards his desk. He sat there and turned on the lights. There were quite a lot of books placed in o...

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“Sword of Mercy” by Ryan Bush

Submitted to Contest #79

Katarina walked through the cool halls of her home, listening to her slippered feet fall softly against the stone. She glanced at a tapestry on the wall, depicting some ancient, terrible battle, and felt her throat catch. Her father never called for her at this time of day unless something was very wrong. Had someone died? She couldn’t think what else might merit this unexpected summons. She hurried through the enormous manor, passing throug...

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“A Family Affair” by Joyce Schook

Submitted to Contest #79

He did it again. Showed up to another family affair loaded off pills and booze. My parents were mortified, my sister cried and I had all I could do not to knock him out right in front of everyone. How much more of this am I suppose to take? I have had it with my brother. He just cant seem to stay out of trouble. Its drawn to him like a magnet or is it the other way around? I just cant tell anymore. This was supposed to be a glorious day. After all a wedding is about two lives joining as one. My sister Emma was head over heels in love with ...

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$50

Prize money

905

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 05, 2021 EST

Won by Reha A 🏆

Title: Puzzle Pieces

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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