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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#81: Candy Hearts

Ah, love. From the first spark of attraction to the soul-deep contentment of a long-established relationship, romantic love is a force that continues to mystify, enthrall, and surprise us.

And while there’s plenty to criticize about Valentine’s Day, it’s still a nice excuse for people in romantic relationships to stop and appreciate their partners for a day. Especially during lockdown, when quarters are tight and nerves are often frayed, it’s important to remember why we chose the person (or people) we coupled up with.

What better time for a writer to dive headfirst into romances? No matter how many times we tell a love story, each relationship is going to have its own unique joys and frustrations, and we want to feel them all. So feel free to let your sappy side out — this week we’re celebrating love!

This week's prompts

Write about two people reconnecting after a rough patch in their relationship.

Romance – 247 stories

Write a love story about an older couple who’ve been together since they were teenagers.

Romance – 168 stories

Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways.

Romance – 161 stories

Start your story with one character setting up a romantic dinner, and end it with them looking at a framed wedding photo.

Romance – 181 stories

Write about someone asking out an old crush, only to realize their crush doesn’t remember they’ve ever met before.

Romance – 159 stories

Stories

“(Un)Forgettable love ” by Lourdes Cruz

Submitted to Contest #81

Funny, they tend to say that love is unforgettable. It was for me, but for him? Not so much. Sure, it's been 10 years since we've seen each other, but am I really that insignificant in his life? Gotta say it's kind of disappointing when you meet your childhood best friend and crush again after this long. After all of this time, you'd think someone like me would have moved on. Nope! I spent my years looking back fondly, dreaming of the day that I see him again. And as I remember all of this, I can't help but wonder how I got into this situa...

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“Define 'Romance'” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #81

I am feeling very collage-like today. In case you are not clear on what a collage is because you are unfortunately not of the artistic world, this quote from Wikipedia may be of use: Collage (/kəˈlɑːʒ/, from the French: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";[1]) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. At least I - contrary to a lot of people - realize that I am a lot of things cut and torn, ...

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“8th Grade Math” by Pippin Took

Submitted to Contest #81

I look down at my textbook and sigh. I am so over this exam studying. I am applying to an after school math club that requires an entry exam. I am smart and I know the material, so why does my father insist that I study so much? I am nearing my fourth hour of studying today at the library. “Valencia, always remember to study for your exams!” He tells me all the time, his British accent crisp with every word. I am 19 years old, live in my own apartment here in Huntington Beach, California, and though my dad moved here with my Italian mother w...

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“Destined to Be Different” by Rachel Parker

Submitted to Contest #81

Step by heavy, apprehensive step, Becca walked up to the juice bar where she was meeting her blind date. Well, where she was supposed to meet him. If he didn’t show, that would be understandable in her mind. Blind dates are so strange and you never know what to expect. She almost didn’t come herself. However, the picture her coworker, Dani, had shown her was quite convincing. Flawless skin and dark brown eyes, a killer combination in Becca’s mind. Pair that with a nice smile and she knew this man would be the death of her. He hadn’t been smi...

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“Young & In Love” by Arwen Dove

Submitted to Contest #81

‘Jeanie slowly trudged along the rocky path and felt tears in her eyes. She shouldn’t be crying, today was no different to any other day. The kids in her class at school never changed. Today, even her best friend Betty hadn’t defended her. Betty had been the only friend Jeanie had ever had, until now. Today, while the other kids had thrown grass at her, Betty threw tomatoes. When the other kids mocked her and jeered at her, Betty laughed and agreed with them. If the other kids stole her stationary, Betty would scribble all over her desk with...

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“I'll love you forever” by Catherine Stevens

Submitted to Contest #81

The alarm screamed in the quiet room, jolting Jean from her brief slumber. “Mom! Mom! Cathy get the nurse!” Jean cried as her Mom thrashed back and forth struggling for breath.The nurse ran in and checking the monitor, she immediately called respiratory. She raised the head of the bed and turned up the oxygen. Jean and her daughter stepped to the corner of the room so they weren’t in the way as the medical team rushed in to work on her mother.Viola gasped frantically for breath. She saw the d...

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“Before the Shift” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #81

Jessie sighed and gave Shelly a call. Past time. They hadn’t talked for ages. Seemed like… could it actually be years? Get it done before work. Of course, he could text. ‘One of the great innovations of the new century,’ he thought. ‘Poor communication with the illusion of efficiency.’ His fingers fumbled with the number pad. Holding a ‘cell’ instead of a wall mounted phone felt strange. The device had no heft. Insubstantial, like a toy, he could throw it against a wall without a thought. He thought about this ‘cell’. Living quarters in ...

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“Forgive or forget...” by DEACTIVATED ACCOUNT

Submitted to Contest #81

Forgive or forget...The clouds are hanging from the sky; and the crickets and the wind are screeching. I am sitting in an empty park, and the wind is blowing my mousy, crinkly hair onto my face.I thrust it backwards.The evening and the metal of the park beach is steadily getting colder.Why did mom and dad bring me here? Did I really have to remember? I do remember the text book stuff, what else was important?, to them, anyway. A man walks by, his hands in his pockets. I look up and shuffle my feet. Opens my mouth and closes it, the...

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“The Postponement Potential” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #81

My first thought was, he has to be joking! I wish now I’d just come straight out and said it. Well, maybe worded it a little bit more tactfully (or maybe not) but did I really have to say “That’ll be lovely!” Perhaps it slipped out through force of habit or before I had thoroughly processed exactly what he was saying. Anyway, Leon certainly didn’t seem to detect any note of sarcasm in it and looked delighted. There are a couple of things I have to remember before I start feeling too bad about wishing I’d told him that he had to be joking. I’...

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“Ella” by Cassia Savage

Submitted to Contest #81

Prologue (Lela) There was a girl I met when I was only twelve who I fell in love with. I would never be able to forget her because she was the one who changed my life. I never knew I’d meet her again; she lived across the country from me, in New Jersey. I lived in California, in LA. And we met in Chicago, IL at a summer camp. Her name was Ella. She was the one who stole my heart and then broke it. Ella had blonde hair that rolled like waves to halfway down her back. She had blue e...

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“Between Dream and Reality” by Cathy Magden

Submitted to Contest #81

I had a love-hate relationship with school reunions. On the one hand, they allowed me to catch up with my best friend Amanda since we lived across the world from each other. On the other hand, middle school sucked, and I was in no hurry to meet the idiots who made it so. Yet here I was, fifteen years later, stuck between Hotshot Andrew and Lofty Alice. They hadn’t changed a bit.“So, tell me, Zoe…”The way Alice said my name, making it sound like ‘zoo’, raised my hackles, but I returned her sly stare with a crooked smile. I’d be damned if I le...

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“Camp” by Ally Kate

Submitted to Contest #81

The summer after sixth grade, my parents sent me to Jesus camp. Camp Towego, but my friends and I called it Jesus camp. We weren’t particularly religious. “I’m a bad Catholic,” my mother would always say. We’d go to church every Christmas and Easter and whenever my grandparents were in town and my mother would ask us not to lie, but to leave out the fact that we don’t go every week when speaking to my grandparents. But the camp was cheap and close to home and so they sent me there when I was eleven so I could have a camp experience.Camp...

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“Change had to be made” by Fernandez Mbasela

Submitted to Contest #81

Tom and Gina, a couple living down the street, were married for five miserable years. As the neighborhood would see it. Every night, plates and glasses would fly across the room while they argued over petty issues like why they would seek advice from outside or why Tom preferred being out late than with his wife, sometimes Gina would walk around in shades on a cloudy day and Tom would limp during his regular morning walks with their dog Daisy. One day they'll kill each other if they didn't seek help. One night everything was quiet it gave t...

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“In the End, He Looked Not ” by Kanden Lang

Submitted to Contest #81

I open my eyes and take my first conscious breath for the day. The scent of Dove’s cinnamon coffee floods my nostrils. Dove always smells of cinnamon, and so does our house and everything in it. I hear footsteps coming from the hall, nearing my door. “Trin, do you want some coffee?” he asks, poking his head in. I open my eyes and squint against the shockingly bright light of my bedroom. “Dove, I can’t stand cinnamon.” “I know, love, that’s why I made yours first. I assure you, it’s one hundred percent cinnamon free. Come join me, won’t y...

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“Where Do I Know you from?” by Jo-Ellen Bass

Submitted to Contest #81

It was an extremely odd reunion. There were big, round tables with four chairs each, precisely measured to ensure that the seated participants were six feet apart. The tables were twelve feet away from each other. All of the participants were masked. The room was hushed, with only a low murmur of voices. A black banner hung on one wall, listing the numbers of dead. "It is like the Masque of the Red Death," one guest noted. "Remember when we were teaching that to the Juniors?" "Oh, yes. And when they wanted to give a themed party, only...

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$50

Prize money

916

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 19, 2021 EST

Won by Molly Quinnell 🏆

Title: Golden Cheekbones and the Rising Sun

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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