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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#86: Springtime Flowers

March 21st may be considered the first day of Spring by many, but Mother Nature doesn't always agree. Depending on where you live, the daffodils could be showing their sunny faces or still hibernating under frozen soil.

 

For me, it’s usually a mix. Here you can be wearing shorts one day and shoveling snow the next, but one thing is consistent: as soon as the weather warms up, I’m bursting outside to gulp down that fresh air and watch the world come back to life. This week, regardless of what the weather actually holds, let’s celebrate the season of rebirth and renewal. After all, in our imaginations the sun can always be shining and the birds can always be chirping!

This week's prompts

Set your story at a park during a spring festival.

Spring – 82 stories

Write about a character coming out of a long hibernation (either literal or metaphorical).

Spring – 158 stories

Write a fairy tale about someone who can communicate with woodland creatures.

Kids – 168 stories

Start your story with one character pointing out the first sign of spring to another.

Spring – 107 stories

Write a story where flowers play a central role.

Spring – 278 stories

Stories

“The Hunter and the Buck” by Lani Lane

Submitted to Contest #86

The Hunter crouched behind the bush and lifted his bow. He cocked the arrow, power coursing through his veins, grinning at the heaviness of the weapon in his hands. The bow was black, sleek, and curved like a deadly snake. He pointed the arrow at his target and breathed in deeply through his nose. The Buck knelt its head, its magnificent horns brushing the ground as it munched on a tuft of grass pushing through the forest floor. The Hunter stared at the buck’s slender neck, at its taut shoulder muscles. It was the biggest buck he’d ever...

8 comments 8
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“The Author” by Ellie Yu

Submitted to Contest #86

The magicfolk make no promises.For all her life, the proverb had echoed through the kingdom, no matter which way she turned. It was a scolding used on children, a line tossed out by history teachers, but most of all, a constant whispering among the commoners. Every raindrop, every crack of thunder was because of those people. The magicfolk had been exiled from the kingdom centuries ago for breaking the natural laws, and they’d lived away from society in the wild ever since.Now the words roared to life inside Natalya’s head for the thousandth...

14 comments 14
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“The Red Bus” by Estelle Westley

Submitted to Contest #86

Has lockdown made me lethargic and lazy. Has lockdown taken away my joy and energy. Lockdown is not normal for mankind. I was basking in the sun as these thoughts ran through my mind. It was about a week ago that the announcement came that international travel was once again to reopen and as an avid traveler, my first thought was Great, now is the time to decide when and where to for the next trip. That was a week ago and I have made no attempt to even Google or page through my numerous travel magazines for my next adventure. Why&nbs...

14 comments 14
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“Watch Me Wither” by Izabell Mckenna

Submitted to Contest #86

It was a warm, autumn day and Delilah the Tulip stared at the soil. The same soil she stared at for the last month of her life. She remembered how she grew from just a seed to sprout. She wanted to go back and feel the way her body stretched and pulled from the soil into the fresh air. She longed to be near the pond where she could stare at her reflection. She wanted to see her reflection for the first time in forever. Daisy and Rosie got to feel like water in their roots. Delilah looked around, hoping that someone could offer words of comf...

4 comments 4
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“A Burden to Bear” by Greg Gillis

Submitted to Contest #86

           It was a cold afternoon in late December as Ted trudged his way through the deep, wet snow. His heart pounded and his mind raced as he recalled the events that brought him to this moment.           Ted was a quiet man, though he knew that deep inside, a rage was being held at bay. That rage surfaced as Ted returned home from work the previous evening and witnessed his neighbor beating his twelve-year-old son senselessly on...

5 comments 5
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“the Significance of Calabash” by Kathleen `Woods

Submitted to Contest #86

She’d been told once by her mother, upon her fathers death, “I cursed him, I cursed him, he would be a good man. And now as all good men seem to do he’s died young.” This was only the first curse of her life. As her mother once widowed refused to curse the second man she married. Cruel as anything, she took to her chores the worst of which was his ego. On cleverer days she would call his own children the real curse, but they were truly a unit, as far as she was concerned.  The third curse was found in the least of them. To the chickens ...

1 comment 1
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“The Magnolia Tree” by Karen McDermott

Submitted to Contest #86

Trigger warning: emotional abuse, gaslighting “First sign of spring, that is.” I looked up from checking the time on my phone to see whether I’d make the bus. “I’m sorry?” I asked Leigh Street’s answer to Chris Packham, swallowing my annoyance while I watched the bus going by over the tops of the neighbours’ fences. “There, look.” I followed the direction of my neighbour’s hand. Indeed, the skeletal magnolia tree was now dotted with little oval buds, glistening with dew. “Lovely,” declared Mr Critchley, as though he’d planted th...

10 comments 10
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“Where Fairies Play ” by Marianna Mills

Submitted to Contest #86

Arabella flew around the lavender growing, delicately inhaling the calming scent of the purple flowers. It was a warm summer morning, the dew had just left and the plants were still moist, the honey bees began to do their work, pollinating and buzzing around her. "Watch out you clumsy creature, can't you share with others?" She told the bee boldly, some fairies were quite the brats you see, others were mischievous and enjoyed causing troubles. Arabella had a strong personality really, she was comfortable fluttering her pretty colorful wings ...

6 comments 6
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“The Savior” by Philia S

Submitted to Contest #86

"Tell us a story, baba," the children asked, hungry for another tale woven to lull them to sleep"The one with the rose and the beast.""No, it is too girly, tell us a story about the pirates."Their grandpa smiled benevolently over them, his smile reached his eyes, lighting his dim grey eyes, he said,"Fine, I'll tell you a story, but it is a real one, of the times when we could talk to the plants and animals, the gods and the spirits.""Pfft! it is impossible." said the elder ones, turning their noses up and looking scornfully at young ones, wh...

8 comments 8
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“The Amphibian Analysis” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #86

Michele Merchant had once read a fascinating article about Imposter Syndrome, but it didn’t take long for her to realise that reading about it was one thing, experiencing it was another. Memo to self, she thought, accepting invitations just because they flatter you, at least without any further thought, is to be avoided. But it was too late to avoid this one. She had already been scheduled, and had already had a chat with the organisers. She was going to be one of the participants in Poets in the Park, whether she wanted to or not. Oh, it wa...

4 comments 4
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“The Asphodels” by Joseph Shaw

Submitted to Contest #86

The skeleton, flat on his back beneath the shade of the elm tree, was where he had always been. Plants grew on him. Shoots of green grass rose around his spine and up to his ribcage where they fluttered, waving in the wind. Clumps of grey-purple lilies outlined him, appearing in his armpits and around his arms, cascading along the sides of him all the way to his feet. Darkened by the shade, the skeleton’s teeth curved in such a way that he looked always to be smiling. From the black hollows of his eyes two solitary white asphodels grew ta...

2 comments 2
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“Life through Maizie's Eyes” by Holly Fister

Submitted to Contest #86

The silver minivan swung to the left, each tire bumping in quick succession over a gentle curb onto the driveway.“Home!” Maizie cheered from the backseat, clapping her hands in delight.Jenn glanced at her in the rearview mirror as she pulled up to the white picket fence that edged the parking pad and enclosed their backyard. She smiled at her wiggling daughter, who glowed in the clear spring light that beamed through the window.“I have something special to show you when we get out,” she offered as a tease.Maizie gasped softly. “What is it, M...

17 comments 17
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“Fleur-de-lis and a Rose” by David Brown

Submitted to Contest #86

I quietly stepped into the Paladin’s private chapel carrying the flowers he’d requested. Inside the florist’s box were eight white lilies and a single pale rose. He’d stowed his shining plate mail armor and helm on the stout display stand in the corner, and he’d placed his great truncheon of a holy mace upon a small communion table dressed with a white linen altar cloth. A skylight above the table was surrounded by blue, white, and red LEDs whose light merged with the sun’s evening rays, scintillating across his steel mace, and blending into...

1 comment 1
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“Child of Stars” by Claire C

Submitted to Contest #86

“Things are not looking good up here,” a voice said through my comms. “But don’t wait for us. Get that thing down to the surface. With any luck, it’ll save us.” I swallowed, staring at the curve of the Earth beneath me. “Yes, sir.”I’d never gotten to see the planet in its prime. My commanders had told me stories of brilliant blue oceans and emerald continents, swirling weather patterns and vibrant sunsets. Earth wasn’t just a rock in space, it was a planet, a living thing. But even from my vantage point, Earth was frail. The c...

6 comments 6
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“Where our hearts bloom.” by Vanessa Queens

Submitted to Contest #86

“Surround yourself with people who allow you to blossom.” Cute Flower Quote Once upon a time there was an old lady who adored flowers. Such was her love that she had her own small and beautiful garden in the front of her house. She looked after it herself, she watered the flowers very often and she pruned them when the time came. The result was magnificent; the garden flowers bloomed and thrived on her love and care. She had a small variety of flowers in her garden; roses, carnations, daisies, orchids, geraniums, sunflowers and lilies. Sh...

5 comments 5
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$50

Prize money

797

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 26, 2021 EST

Won by Scott Skinner 🏆

Title: Flowering Walrus

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!

Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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Prompts | Many Hands | 2024-09

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