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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

“ONE STEP ONE JUMP” by Joker Mnyalira

Submitted to Contest #79

“It’s good to see you again Jacquelyn.” He was happy to be back. He had so many stories from the university to tell her. Some of the stories were wild, some were tame but he wanted to share them all. He could already picture Jacquelyn disapproving of his actions in some parts of the stories. He stared into nothing remembering the day the two of them bonded...As sunny as the day was, he didn’t want to get out of bed. Every day was an internal battle of wills which quickly became exhausting. He did not feel like taking a shower so he didn’t. H...

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“Brotherhood” by Raymond Stanton

Submitted to Contest #79

Will and I met while we both worked at Walmart in Greenville, Michigan. It happened like any other time you meet a like-minded person, conversation just automatically exists. We became friends and he even helped me out with a place to stay. During this time I had been going through some pretty tough life situations. Not to mention, heading fast down a nowhere path with no idea how to get there. We had many good laughs in the garage days of our friendship. Will and I spent a lot of time in that cold concrete shell wrenching on mecha...

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“Two peas in a pod” by Alisha Ellis

Submitted to Contest #79

“The next week, we walked to school together thick as thieves, feeling immortal." I woke up that morning, tired as a dog in heat. I asked my mom if I could stay home, feigning some illness. I barely had any friends with me being new, if you call going to a school for six going on seven months new, and I didn’t feel like feeling alone in a sea of people like I usually do. She saw right through me and sent me to school anyway. Something told me I shouldn't have gone that day. To this day it is the best, and worst, decision I have eve...

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“The Girls” by Hiba H.

Submitted to Contest #79

[Loosely Based on a True Story]-1-None of us chose the other, but eventually it had to be the four of us.I remember the day I got assigned this room, Dorm 4 Room 328. I was told at the registration office that two fourth-year law students had already gotten there before me. I remember how I dreaded the dorm life just because I’d have to share my room. I couldn’t afford to rent one anywhere else though, nowhere close to the university at least, and I’d already spent my first year mostly on the road between my city and this. But this governmen...

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“Trip through Tallis ” by Priscila Del Castillo

Submitted to Contest #79

I open my eyes to the sunlight coming from the outside. In that moment I realize we were on a cargo wagon in a train. My heads hurts when I try to remember last night. I feel Thomas waking up behind me, pulling the ropes that tie our wrists together ever so slightly. He groans, trying to say something, but our mouths are covered. A man approaches us with two other men behind him. They look at us as if we are some kind of merchandise. “Good morning, did you sleep well?” said one of them sarcastically, at which the others responded with just a...

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“(Don't) laugh like there's no tomorrow” by Pomegranate Seeds

Submitted to Contest #79

Two romping figures break the early morning silence of the valley with their interminable laughter. He laughs. He laughs not because there is anything particularly funny, but because he loves to laugh. He laughs so rambunctiously that his knuckles have gone white from excessive rib-gripping. He will be saying his ribs hurt in two, three minutes, tops. His laughter never subsides as he speeds through the birch trees that surround their cottage.She laughs. She laughs not because there is anything remotely funny, but because he laughs and ...

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“Nor'easter Sunday” by James Schneider

Submitted to Contest #79

Barry opens his eyes and the day greets him with a flow of brisk air making its way up the side of the bed and under the sheets. He sleeps with a long sleeve shirt and sweatpants on but is still cold. He gets out of bed, puts on an additional sweatshirt, and moves toward the window. He peals back the blackout curtains and is shocked by an unexpected site. The sun. It is February in Buffalo, NY and the past week has seen temperatures in the teens and has been quite gloomy. The sun fills him with hope and joy. As Barry completes his morning ...

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“Space to Call Home” by Breahna Lesemann

Submitted to Contest #79

I had found Edith on the tail end of the war. This was when the fires had turned to ash and the people whose lives were taken had long been buried. The kings had settled their conflict. War, however, does not have a sudden end. Peace or victory does not erase the destruction that was wrought by battle. Edith and I were proof of the lingering effects, an orphan and a soldier not sure where to call home. Edith had the haunted eyes of soldiers who had seen battle when I found her in the wreckage of her village. She must have seen something muc...

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“Finding Billy” by Vickie Holmes

Submitted to Contest #79

Billy was the first child of four children ( born in Illinois ). Unfortunately for him the other three were girls. I am the second girl. The first 3 children were born a year apart all in February, our little sister was born five years later in August. We lived in Camp point, Illinois. My grand parents and aunt, my moms parents and sister lived in Canton, Missouri. We were their only grandchildren and therefore very close, Billy was grandma Frenc hs favorite grandchild, but yet the rest of us never felt less loved by her. So when our family ...

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“Capes” by Chris D

Submitted to Contest #79

Gus flips the sign to OPEN, and the room behind him cheers. It's been a long time since that door has been opened. After three hours of deep cleaning, and another two with the ruler rearranging the furniture, they are open for business. It would have been one, but he hadn't hired a strongman. Those types don't usually apply for restaurant work. They can make it as real heroes, instead of just heroes of hunger. He wishes he would have hired one for the day, scuff marks along the floor from scooting tables around. He also wishes he had t...

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“Brothers” by Elizabeth Clark

Submitted to Contest #79

I hesitated, fidgeting with my jacket zipper, staring at the house. I rub my left arm, fighting back the chills and goosebumps. I feel awful. I should hurry up, I can't stand the withdrawal for long, the craving will win out like it always does. I want it to stop now, all of it. I want to get better now. Clean. I don't want a repeat of two days ago. I touch my right arm, tracing a finger up and down where the scar is covered by the jacket. I shiver uncontrollably. I woke up with a pain piercing headache, not the worse I had, but a top ten....

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“Reboot” by A. Kettler

Submitted to Contest #79

He heard their voices before he could see their faces through the rapidly appearing holes in the wine rack that had served as a wall hiding him from years of unknown hardships. The dim flickering light activated his sensors, triggering his reboot sequence, and allowing for the overlapping voices to invade his dust clogged filters. As the forgein words bombarded him he attempted to reconnect his system to the Network… “Hey! I think theres someone back here!” A boy’s voice said, somewhere between excited and horrified. “Like, a person!”...

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“The Ides of March ” by Jazz Carper

Submitted to Contest #79

Mr. Boyd lived in a small two-story house outside the city; I would go up there Monday through Saturday and stay with him. Wheelchair-bound, the man required assistance. He hardly spoke, wore wire-framed glasses, and often could be found staring at the variety of photos of his late wife, who had passed quite a few years ago. As his care-taker, I would make him food and help him with his basic needs in general. Sundays, he always requested in a small, quiet voice to be left alone. He would often say, "I need you to rest, I would like a ...

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“Finding A Miracle” by Tiffany Chaplin

Submitted to Contest #79

Sarah and Matthew have made plans to take a trip to Denver over the winter break. Christmas was soon to be here and they had family in Colorado that they were desperately missing. They planned to take their 4 children along with them on their long trip. Sarah yells," Kids, it's time for breakfast! " She could hear the two girls fighting over the bathroom mirror and the two boys were already flying down the stairs.They all rush to the dinner table with excitement. Pancakes were one of their favorite things to eat f...

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“Like Father Like Son” by Jo Wightman

Submitted to Contest #79

The paper felt like cloth in his big hands. He had folded and unfolded it hundreds of times until almost every word had creases. It never left his pocket and every few minutes he found his hand crept towards it to bask in its reassurance like a cat to sunny sill. He was not one for smiling unnecessarily and his face was unused to the manoeuvre yet today he found his cheeks making a frequent journey towards his eyes. He rested his stocky frame on the bench, the muscle from years of labouring was slowly but steadily melting into fat no...

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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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