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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

“HEALING” by Godwin Kirimi

Submitted to Contest #79

Blood is thicker (sic) than water, is one saying I don't find as wise. Understand this, I have no problem with anyone who thinks of it as such. It's not your fault if you fall in the embrace of your parents at the end of a tough day in school. Cuddling at granny's place, book in hand, family around and favorite snacks in supply might be your ideal Christmas gift. There would be a sizzling hot, crispy turkey maybe for dinner and that's my favorite too. Having a brother to argue with over football, fight over some girl and later play base...

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“The Arabesque Girl” by Yolanda Wu

Submitted to Contest #79

Content warning: suicide I pray every morning even though I’m not a religious woman. There is no rhyme to my prayers. I have no reason to believe that unknown deities are watching over me. Or read books discussing deep, philosophical knowledge of the universe that I will only pretend to understand. But it’s a ritual, part of my morning routine, so I keep it up. It brings me comfort, which I suppose is enough. My sister, Aubrey, is sitting on my kitchen counter, trying to fix her hair with the murky dishwater as her mirror. She has alw...

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“The Song of War” by Shallan Davar

Submitted to Contest #79

This is a small piece of what I've been working on, so I know it isn't great. Mostly because there isn't much backstory, at all, but I at least wanted to submit something this week. Sorry for the inconvenience! Enjoy! There is only one way you will wake up when at war. The sound of gunfire and detonation was what woke Asa. Men in uniform covered in ash and dirt tramped through the mud past her cot. Sergeant Brooks barked orders to Asa’s squadron as they marched. Asa sat up in her cot, contemplating the situation. She hesi...

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“Twist of Life (Klara’s POV) ” by Akshaya Sutrave

Submitted to Contest #79

Author's note: This is a collab story I did with Varsha Vimal. The link to her story in Brittany's POV is below!The rays of the early morning sun fell through the windows and brightened the dorm room, like a reminder that it was time to wake up. The others in my dorm slept on, but I crawled out of bed, careful to maintain the tranquilness as I stepped away from the others.I was ready in less than half-an-hour. I scooted over to the table beside my bed and after I got hold of my calculus book and stationery box, and went to class.I was the fi...

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“Oh, Brother!” by Stevie B

Submitted to Contest #79

In many ways, my older brother was a lot like my father: smart, strong, focused, surprisingly sensitive, upsettingly insensitive, short on patience, quick to anger. They were both Leos and both damaged. My brother and I, however, were not much alike. In fact, I’ve always felt unlike all four other members of my family. We all had blue eyes, but that’s where the similarities ended. I felt so unrelated to them that I secretly suspected I must have been adopted…or abandoned on Earth by an extraterrestrial clan that was my original family. Many ...

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“A strange war” by Radhika Diksha

Submitted to Contest #79

Tears flowed through my eyes while I clutched the letter that my mother had written for me from Venice. She was thinking there that I was serving the soldiers that were sacrificing their lives for their own nation, but I was not. Here I am seeing deep into the eyes of my victims and slitting their throats. Why? Because they were against my country. I am a spy. Serving my country in World War II. Changing my role every day, hacking into the transistor room, and if I am close to getting caught, all I do is finish the witness. The war is on t...

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“margins” by KED KED

Submitted to Contest #79

I like to think myself possessed of a certain degree of composure and poise. I work tirelessly at a law firm, dedicating myself entirely to my clients while working on their cases. I stare down grown men on the daily. Regularly repel their verbal insults to my character solely due to my gender and that I dare have the temerity to be better and often more prepared then they are when presenting my cases. I also have a 7-year-old daughter whose lively and precocious nature keeps me on my toes more than court battles and b...

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“Stolen Rage” by Daniel R. Hayes

Submitted to Contest #79

Blam! The bullet hit Alex straight in the back as he was running towards the canal. It was dark, and raining as the enemy soldiers were closing in on him. The canal was wet and muddy. Alex managed to crawl up to one side taking a defensive position. He checked his pistol and realized that he had no more bullets. He was all alone after being separated from his squad. He looked up and saw the barrels of their machine guns creeping ever so slowly across the top of the canal. There was no time to think. He reached down and grabbed his la...

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“Felicia's Fortune Chapter 1: Leaving Home” by AntMan 🐜

Submitted to Contest #79

This story is inspired by Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard, and my siblings.If you are reading this, you are most likely in danger. After you read this, burn the evidence so They don’t find you. Run and don’t look back. Pass on the story in secret, but only to others like you. My name is Felicia Quackenbush, and this is the story of how my life fell apart.🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸I walked back into the kitchen through the back door, covered in sweat for the 2nd time this morning. Every day, I had to fight off...

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“Kaiser” by Michael Boquet

Submitted to Contest #79

A road. Well lit, rarely busy. Eight o'clock at night.A still summer evening. He's walking home after work. Just over a mile total. Less than half a mile left to go. The sun is setting, but it's not yet full dark. The streetlights are on, but the sun is still brighter. Its orange glow the last warmth he feels.Ear buds in, wrapped in country music. His secret obsession. His unspoken comfort. Thoughts turned to a relaxing night in front of the TV.A car speeds down the road. Strikes him from behind. He doesn't see it coming.A soon to be hit and...

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“snow” by 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚝💙

Submitted to Contest #79

“Take it and do it. I know you can. I’m right here with you. Just do it. He has to go and you know that. Do it.” She was giving me orders. --------------- Back. The swing sounded terrible. Like the chains could break at any moment. The chains were old and had started to rust but still, we swung. Death didn’t bother us not now at least. Forth. The eerie sound of the wretched torture device didn’t stop but we didn’t care. There was always a chance that we could fall out of the seat but we never cared. We felt free. Free even with the horrid so...

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“His Apology” by Trina Ann Pion 🍀🌹🍀

Submitted to Contest #79

A distant thunder threatened to dump its impending rain and whipping winds on Montreal as I waited in the dark for the 17. While lightening excited me, standing with a metal pole to my left, and an old tree to my right, did not. I half expected to make my trip home flying with Mother Nature’s calling card lighting my ass on fire, but it never happened.The bus arrived, screeching to a halt, to rescue me from the first fat drops plunging from the sky. I adjusted my mask and assessed how many passengers were on the bus. Three people were o...

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“Trusted Family” by Carrie O'Keefe

Submitted to Contest #79

My sister Ashley had been a good person up until five years ago when our parents died. We were the only family the two of us had left. Then she started into drugs. It was always poor me I can't live without them. I got her counseling and supported her through our loss. It was a difficult time for the both of us. I find it amazing that the two of us only two years apart, growing up in the same household can turn out so differently. No matter how hard I tried Ashley wouldn't leave the drugs alone. Her mood swings got worse and she acted...

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“Thicker Than Blood” by The-Burrowing-Owl- Author

Submitted to Contest #79

Ethan winced slightly as he slid his bedroom window closed again. Most of the adrenaline in his system from the fight had dissipated, but that didn’t stop his nerves from feeling like a bow string pulled too tightly. So long as he didn’t start another fight, he could wait off the need to recharge until after dinner. Any activity that didn't involve fight or flight (or probably just “fight” if he was being realistic), was fair game. Ethan sighed deeply and awkwardly squirmed out of his school uniform and into a t-shirt and shorts, wincin...

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“VANISHED!” by Praise Abraham

Submitted to Contest #79

Year 2046Mangrone Strait, Europe.A slight groan escaped Alexia's throat as she listened to her mom's never-ending lecture about the importance of being true to one's faith. Urgh!"But mom, I only told you that my boss took me as his plus-one on an official get-together with the other shareholders," she said.She figured it would be best to help her mom save the bit of saliva that still remained. This was a bygone event. It wasn't as if she could reverse time and change things.She had come visiting, all pumped up about her great achievement. He...

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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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