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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

“Dear Mama” by Tia Love

Submitted to Contest #79

Calliope brushed her hand over the personalized invite and exhaled a heavy breath. Her mother’s name, Patricia Matthews, was scrawled across the top in neat, cursive writing. It was lettering she’d hired a calligrapher to create for her and Brandon’s wedding ceremony. The allure of it was simple but elegant, much like Calliope. But as she thought about the intended recipient, she felt anything but elegant. Her mind and her heart raced while she contemplated putting the invitat...

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“Mister Man's Daughter” by Ruth Andrews

Submitted to Contest #79

Mister Man’s Daughter Daddy says the first thing you do when you get out of prison is find someone to marry. Mama is his number eight. If you put Mama next to Dolly Parton you couldn’t tell them apart, as long as they kept their mouths shut. Too bad for me I take after Daddy. We used to play catch or maybe go fishing when Jim Beam gave him the day off. Daddy taught me to sing harmony. Once when we was in the backyard singing I’ll Take You There Mama said, Take you where? You...

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“Your Path” by Tyler Ard

Submitted to Contest #79

“Alright class, before you go remember that Monday is bring your parent to workday. Have a good weekend!” The teacher barely got his words out when the entire class jumped up and began to rush out of class. “Hey, Jimmy! You want to come to Nate’s house and check out his new game system?” Jimmy looks up to the boy. “Sorry, Tom, but I got to get ho...

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“Letting Go That Which Was Lost” by Calista Lisky

Submitted to Contest #79

They say that blood is thicker than water, but is the blood in my veins thicker than the tears I shed every night? ~Vera Vera clicked the end of her pen and set it on her desk, she sighed and slouched back into her computer chair. Memories of the previous night replaying in her head, how can she stand her ground if the one person she loved most wants to bury her beneath it? All Vera wants in this world is for her mother to love her back, why is that so wrong? Getting up, she headed to the kitchen, glancing at the clock only to see it...

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“Not Now, Maybe Never” by Lauren Mayer

Submitted to Contest #79

Not Now, Maybe Never “Dad, have you seen my history book?” Charlie asks his father, who he presumes is in the other room. “Why would I have your history book?” His father, Arnold, yells back. “I’m just asking if you’ve seen it.” Charlie hears the thud of a bottle hitting a table and footsteps approaching. “I don’t steal shit. Got that?” “I wasn’t--” “Oh yeah? Then what were you accusing me of?” Arnold takes a step closer toward Charlie. “Nothing! It was just a questi--” Arnold interrupts, “I’m missing the game because of you, you kno...

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“......... La Famiglia è Tutto...........” by Ronald Gagnon

Submitted to Contest #79

The wrinkled old newspaper swept drunkenly down the street... A victim to the winds vagaries... Had it eyes.... It may have noticed the two darkened figures in the shadows of the alley across from the steak house... Cucina Raffinata.... That had sitten on the same spot since Capone took his sojourn to Alcatraz... and it still "catered" to the underworld crowd. Had the tired old paper drifted closer to the darkened alley... It may have seen the figures.. One tall and skinny with a dark fedora... The other, Short, rotund... wearing a c...

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“Dead End” by Marcelo Medone

Submitted to Contest #79

The young man makes his way through the multitude of patients and staff lining the corridors of the clinic, until he reaches the area named INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. He pauses for a second in front of the sign, looks around, and turns to a veteran nurse who's going through some forms behind the counter. "Excuse me, I just got here. They told me my father was admitted to this place. He came today." "Name?" The nurse asks, without looking up from the forms. "Mine? George Jenkins." "No, your father's." "Ah! Sorry. Oliver James Jenkins." "Oh yeah! Th...

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“The Garden Sentry” by Clarice Shepherd

Submitted to Contest #79

Daisy sat neatly on the cold stone floor, legs tucked between the ancient earth and her own warm body. She cut at imaginary tendrils with stubby scissor-fingers while Mama used the giant garden snippers to trim up the tall sentry topiary, manicured into a tidy stack of spheres, except for the top. Daisy wiggled and hummed while she worked. Mama sighed. “Daisy,” she said, rubbing her gray eyes with grayer fingers, “please, play somewhere else. I need to work.” She returned to the topiary. “No!” Daisy screamed. She scrambled to grab her moth...

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“No More Chances” by Stephen Venuti

Submitted to Contest #79

It was over. He didn’t want it to be but it had to happen. He will always have a brother. Just one he will never see again. He gave his brother so many chances to change. Each time he would believe him when he said how and when he would commit to changing and the disappointment would hit like a punch to the gut when that change never came. Now, a brother he loved so dearly, has to go. What will happen to him? Where will he go? These are questions that ran through his mind every time he thought about cutting him off. The answer to tho...

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“The Regulator” by Anthony Baldwin

Submitted to Contest #79

Wheezing fitfully, he struggled to claim just one good breath from the oxygen and other tubes curling and entwining themselves about his wheelchair like the kudzu that slowly devoured the family’s land. Travis stared at the old weathered barn, its boards grayish-black and half rotted with time, carefully listening as his father labored over his words. “You know how we take care of such things. We tried talkin’ to him. Didn’t do no good.” He drew a slow rattle of a breath and continued, “In the barn, near the door, behind the old &nbs...

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“Old man Jack” by Janine Ann Bothma

Submitted to Contest #79

Somewhere in the middleAnna didn’t know how she got herself into this situation. Her so-called self-proclaimed father had his old wrinkly hand down her shirt while she cringed from the inside out.Poppa James, as Anna used to call him had always made sure to comment on how perfect her tiny nipples were which made Anna loathe those moments even more.Anna knew that someday and somehow she would get herself out of this reality she had created for herself.&n...

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“Let Me” by Roni Tong

Submitted to Contest #79

Emily Choi, I know you’ve been ignoring my calls and I’m not going to stop until you call me back. You know you can’t avoid me forever. I will personally stand outside your apartment until you answer me if you don’t call me back right now. As I begrudgingly drag myself across the cold and miserable road, the sky has turned pitch black. Tiny droplets of rain have started falling, almost like a warning of the doom ahead. It will be pouring pretty soon and still, I would rather be dripping wet with my hair all messed up, than meet the devil i...

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“She Knows ” by Butterfly Red

Submitted to Contest #79

Hammer pounding and knife stabbing. That is what it felt like. I can only imagine how it felt for her. There was a time when we were as thick as thieves, as our mother likes to say anyway. We would tell each other anything, we would defend each other against everything. Despite me being five and her being eleven, we would even wear the same clothes. She was more than a sister, she was my best friend. Then one day she wasn’t. I can’t really say that I didn’t see this coming. It wasn’t really a, “and then one day” situation; ...

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“Family code” by Vini Campbell

Submitted to Contest #79

She hadn't found it yet. A formula for people for understanding them and interacting with them. Sonata liked formulas, variables leading to an end result like hydrogen + oxygen equals water, she liked such easy steps to follow and easily fell in love with her dog Mars once she found a formula for him too—first scratch behind the ear, then back, stomach then rub his temples and he was joyful mess seeking to please. She'd found one for her coworkers too, it involved polite greetings, friendly waves and altogether dancing around the fine...

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“Moving Out” by Alai Agadulin

Submitted to Contest #79

“Today is the last day I’m hiding from you.”Celestine whispered to herself as she stared out of her bedroom window, secretly watching her older brother Christian who just walked out of the house. He came by again today to visit them—their parents, their youngest sibling Clara, and her, of course. He didn’t live far; his house was just a fifteen-minute drive where he lived with his wife.And just like the last time, Celestine didn’t come out of her room to meet her brother. None of their parents nor her sister bothered her, to her relief. She ...

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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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