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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#85: City Living

There’s something deeply compelling about cities, isn’t there? Whether it’s the influencer-driven styles of LA, the laid-back sophistication of Athens, or the perfectly manicured greenery of Singapore, each one truly has its own unique soul. Those who visit are awed and at times overwhelmed, either falling in love or swearing them off forever — while lifelong residents take up a fierce loyalty that nothing can shake.

When writing, it’s often helpful to think of your setting almost like another character. Cities are an excellent way to explore this line of thinking, so for this week, pick a favorite and invite your readers in. What gives your city (whether real or imagined) its local “flavor”? And what impression do the people there give to the many tourists traipsing down their streets? Tap into your inner tour guide — it's time to travel the world!

This week's prompts

Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with.

Middle School – 153 stories

Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

Historical Fiction – 154 stories

Start your story with the line, “That’s the thing about this city…”

Adults – 283 stories

Write about someone fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better.

Teens – 44 stories

Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Teens – 34 stories

Stories

“The Barras” by Rachel Loughran

Submitted to Contest #85

The sun was setting, and the great Victorian glass roof over Glasgow Central station was glowing; washing the marble floors with gold and pink and casting a luminous, dancing light on the station clock, under which a nervous young man stood, fiddling with his pocket square and trying very hard indeed not to touch his painstakingly coiffed duck’s arse hairdo. “That’s the train fae Ayr in, Tam,” said a friend, elbowing him in the ribs for good measure. “This Mary better no be the ugly pal.”“I’m sure she’s gorgeous Billy,” Tam muttered. “S...

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“Beirut” by Celine Aoun

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city, it breaks your heart whether or not you stay. You can leave and be forever haunted by a spirit that constantly reminds you that you don’t belong or you can stay, hoping not to die a stupid preventable death and spend the rest of your life trying to convince yourself that you’ve made the right decision. Beirut, also known as the city that never sleeps, not sure if it’s in relation to the wild nightlife or the trauma-induced insomnia. Either way, you get the point.My eyes are still closed but I can feel my sub...

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“The Siege of Darkwell” by Pippin Took

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city….” Autumn said as she twirled around under the serene trees. “What?” Isabelle replied, a hint of curiosity creeping into her voice. “I do love this city.” Autumn laughed, her dark hair spilling down her back. “Well, Darkwell is a beauty, for one. The marble turrets and all the red and yellow flags waving in the wind.” “Ohhhh, I understand.” Emersyn chimed in. “And all the people selling fruit and things in those gorgeous wooden stalls on Main Street?” Autumn nodded, running a finger throu...

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“Starling” by Wren Murphy

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city. It looks as perfect as a picture, but what lies under the bright lights is just as sinister as the story behind the fake smiles you see in magazines. The tall buildings stand like enticing beacons, luring you in like a mosquito to a zap trap. The minute the city grabs you, there's no escape. You either rise to the top or you fall down, down below to the very bottom. Sink or swim, my father likes to say. Lucky me, he never lets drowning become an option.Zion sits above the clouds, and through our glass houses...

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“ANGELIC HELP” by Sudhir Menon

Submitted to Contest #85

ANGELIC HELP That’s the thing about this city. This ‘thing’, often referred to as the ‘propensity towards mutual help’, has raised the city of Mumbai to increasing levels of humaneness as it has demonstrated, time and again, its indomitable spirit of rising to the occasion and of common well-being, as being valuable tenets embedded in its DNA. The confluence of cultures with a community willing to help overrides the occasional stench emanating from the backwaters of the Arabian Sea and the sounds of the local trains, the lifeline of t...

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“The Sleepless City” by Shiza Ali

Submitted to Contest #85

"That's the thing about this city!", I pull the colorful bangles off my red henna-painted hands. Standing in the alley, at 2 at night in my wedding dress and bearing him fussing over the crowd is the last straw.The heavily embroidered dupatta falls to the dusty littered damp alley. I let my hair loose, "Ugh! this hairstyle. I have been bearing this just because of you. You get it! Could we have stopped earlier?!"He nods, ignoring my rants, busy keeping an eye on the surrounding. I let the lehenga fall. The motorbike vrooms by us. M...

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“The City Doesn't Kill You” by Maria Moore

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city… When you awaken you never know what the city or the day has in store for you. You never know if a voyeur lurks, in the shadows, of the high rises that blanket the metropolis, and you don’t know which are out to get you. I’m a voyeur, but not a Peeping Tom, which gets his kicks, spying on beautiful women. Nope, I’m the kind that lays in wait, so I can swoop in vigilante-style and save the neck of some poor sap.Trouble, with these saps, is they don’t believe supernatural beings are real...very real...and...

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“Museum” by Cassandra Durnin

Submitted to Contest #85

Dear Laura, There are many things that words can’t seem to express. Loss is one of them, isn’t it? We make up all these words to go with emotions, and some spin colors into their work, calling sorrow blue, grey, or even black. It’s transformed into the missing piece, a form of emptiness, and I suppose that’s true. Nobody could do this awful feeling justice, but I’ll be damned if I won’t try. Besides, the therapist said it might be good to write. She told me not to write to you. Ha! I used one of my many skills, and tuned her out. Just l...

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“If Walls Could Talk” by David Hobson

Submitted to Contest #85

“Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Robinson, I am sure you will be very happy in your new home. So full of character, plus you have the detached garage at the rear.” The agent gave them one of his best pasted on smiles as he handed them the keys. The young newlyweds, just back from their honeymoon, stood on the doorstep of their Victorian terraced house. Anna couldn’t control the huge smile on her face. “Oh, Colin, I’m so excited. Our own little house. I can’t wait to start decorating it.” “Well, let’s get in first. R...

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“What So Ever You Do to the Least of my Brothers” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #85

Andre Bowers was shot and killed by Langford Police when he was standing in the parking lot of a local 7-11 waving a pistol. He happened to be African American and later it was determined that the .38 snub nose was not loaded. Immediately the small community reacted to this incident creating a question: How can we prevent future incidents from happening? This question is not unique to Langford. One more factor, Andre Bowers was mentall ill. From interview with Sidney Ross, Langford City Manager: Last year about...

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“This Place Is Dead Pt. III” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city…” The early-morning light came in through the back door to Greywood 13B, filtered red. Two silhouettes wobbled there, pressed up against the glass. They smeared the blood with their fingers. It reminded Ike of the paintings his grandchildren had made for him. He’d pinned them to his fridge. Darell coughed. He lay sprawled across the tiles, leant against the wall like a drunk. Specks of blood flicked from his mouth, and a pink foam frothed at the corners of his lips. His hand clutched Ike’s wrist with suc...

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“The Golden Tile” by Joaquin B.

Submitted to Contest #85

Old Station North - 1940 The delicate song of piano keys rung out through the hall of the station as he began playing. The ceiling was gold-tiled, exquisite and undoubtedly gilded, as was the city. Grand ornate arches kept the roof up while the sleek marble floors never dried up and were constantly polished. The harmonics proved by the great curved ceiling made the notes of the piano bounce off down to ears of the crowds below who all gathered to watch him. He and his band’s train had been delayed; and so, what else was there to do but play?...

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“Love Has No Boundaries” by Danisha Plummer

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city it offers everything you need to tell your life story from job opportunities, to high class entertainments, best colleges, home of numerous celebrities but most of all a high crime rate for us black folks. Moving from New Jersey to the city hasn't been the best of Mellisa Sylvester life story but yet it still hasn't been the worst. Since graduating high school she has been struggling to accumulate just enough cash to make ends meet for her family and her while saving for college. She nervously fegited...

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“The Brave Face” by R. B. Leyland

Submitted to Contest #85

This is a short story about one of the key characters in a book I’m currently writing. Hope you enjoy!“That's the thing about this city" his mam said conversationally as she put down the basket of vegetables on the small wicker table. “It chews people up and they enjoy it, somehow.”Lucius didn’t know what to say to that, so he flashed his usual crooked smile that had gotten him out of trouble so much in the past. His mam rolled her eyes, but didn’t comment. As she was unpacking the meagre ingredients they had procured, she whistled a tune he...

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“‘A Question of Now’ - This week we look at Street Art” by Sean Hodgson

Submitted to Contest #85

The cacophonic assault of traffic, thumping music oozing from shops and half heard one-sided phone conversations of passers-by, that provided the aural backdrop of urban white noise to Brenda O’Lox’s podcast, ‘A Question of Now’, was so dense you could almost chew it. “This week I’m taking you on an audio tour of our city streets, to the places where sharp eyed urban dwellers like yourselves may still see glimpses of the efforts of a local artistic icon.” The echoes from concrete stairwells, the footsteps on unkept gritty pav...

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Ended on 23:59 - Mar 19, 2021 EST

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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.

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