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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#92: Chiaroscuro

A meteor's dazzling burst of light, a sky faintly illuminated by a crescent moon, or a sidewalk lined by long afternoon shadows, the world is infinitely more interesting for chiaroscuro — the contrast of light and shade. More than that, the binary between light and darkness is one that holds great symbolic power (think yin and yang, Nyx and Erebus, good and evil).

With that in mind, this week’s prompts invite you to reflect on the way light influences a story’s setting, plot, or even its characters. Whether darkness means comfort and privacy or creepy echoing corridors, and whether light reminds you of clarity and safety or of blistering intensity, I’ve chosen prompts that give you freedom of interpretation. Happy writing!

This week's prompts

Write a story that begins in the light and ends in darkness, or the other way around.

Horror – 383 stories

End your story with a truth coming to light.

Horror – 184 stories

Set your story in a countryside house that’s filled with shadows.

Horror – 170 stories

Write about a character who thinks they have a sun allergy.

Summer – 117 stories

Write a story set in a city where the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness.

Horror – 187 stories

Stories

“WHAT SHE DARED TO FIND” by Tamara Kenosi

Submitted to Contest #92

“What I take and giveth to those who lack the power to express their needs is not crime but freedom to set the world straight.” Edwin Case’s Law of Gratuity (A quote By Tamara Kenosi)Rhyme Taylor sat in her office going through a case report. She had been assigned to take over a case after the Central Mattson Police failed to identify a source that was turning the entire government upside down. The president of Botswana made a special request to the director of Lane Federal Bureau Investigation team to assign Rhyme on the case. She was well ...

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“Hidden in Plain Sight ” by Somtoochukwu Benedict Ezioha

Submitted to Contest #92

Your alarm pinged, jolting you from your wonderful sex-induced sleep. You searched blindly with your arms, hoping to switch off the insistent piece of technology without fully waking up; but it was as if you were playing hide-and-seek with your phone—it was nowhere near. Your partner on the other side of the bed stirred and grumbled about the disturbing sound. Then your left hand located the phone under the foam. You brought it close to your face and mistakenly snoozed the alarm. Then you noticed the message notification. You opened it, and...

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“Gray Matters” by Mark Wilson

Submitted to Contest #92

It seemed as if he’d been waiting forever already, and it had only been a little over an hour. It was 10:47pm according to the dim red glow of the digital clock radio on the nightstand. His hands were shaking like a leaf and his eyes were burning red with wretched tears, dilated and blurred at the pale-yellow disheveled light that lunged at him, as he blindly felt along the wall to find the small switch; it was surreal, as if he were walking through a waterfall of dancing shadow. As he reached for the sink to steady himself, h...

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“Solar Urticaria” by A.J. Constantino

Submitted to Contest #92

Dylan’s log Day 1: It is with great sadness and reluctance that I begin this log to document a life that is both cursed and tragic at once. You see, I have been diagnosed with an illness that I, until recently, believed to be merely hypothetical. A thought experiment that I had devised in order to remain absent from a monotonous and fruitless pedagogical endeavour has unfortunately been actualized. I began this day, however unfortunately, besmirching my own name with a fabrication. A fabrication that had been immaculately devise...

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“Light is Stronger” by Nora Friesen

Submitted to Contest #92

Kartion Trenim- Present It hadn’t always been this way. Dark, I mean. Once, the land of Briennaya had been known as Light of the World. But that was before the Unlluminated came. They stormed the Castle of Shining and killed the Glowing Queen and my brother, who was a guard in the Castle of Shining. The Darkest then sat on the throne of Light, corrupting its beauty. That’s when all the Light in Briennaya disappeared. Never to be seen again. Or at least that’s what people think. Hi. I’m Kartion, Wielder of the One Radiance...

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“Cuppa Joe” by Lyric Monroe

Submitted to Contest #92

Darkness broke as soft morning light filtered through the cafe windows. Alicia hummed softly to herself as she began opening up the aptly named "Cuppa Joe" cafe. She prepped the oven, brewed coffee, and set up the snacks in their case. She grabbed a stool from the back and wrote the menu out on the chalkboard, adding her favorites as the daily specials. She glanced at the clock that sat above the front door. Eight minutes until the shop officially opened. She wiped the counters down and moved to wipe down the different tables. Th...

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“Goodbye, mom” by Kylee Haverty

Submitted to Contest #92

Crying, I look up to see the face of my mom. She stares down at me with heartwarming, kind eyes. ¨ Don't let bullies take you down. Hold your head up, ok?¨ ¨ Ok ¨ I say, but my voice comes out hoarse from crying so much. I was about to tell her that I will be strong for her, but then she frowns. ¨ Sweetie, go inside and tell your father to come out here. But, once you have told him, go to your room. Please.¨ I linger, confused about why I have to tell dad to come outside and then go straight to my room. ¨ Why?¨ ¨ Just please g...

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“Smiley's Revenge” by Laura Austin

Submitted to Contest #92

Sometimes you just can’t catch a break… My name is Smiley. Yes, Smiley. I am a humpback unicorn with no real reason to smile, yet that is my name. My friends call me Smi and my enemies call me “The One-Horned Camel”. Well, they do until I run my one horn where they least expect or want it. My body is the pure white of most unicorns, and my mane and tail are a beautiful cream. My one true flaw is my back. I don’t know why it has a huge hump. I wasn’t born with it and no one in my family has ever had one or heard of one. It...

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“A place of shadow” by Ron Arthurs

Submitted to Contest #92

A massive place, this historical building. It was originally owned by the church, now it is a boarding school for naughty boys. A place where parents can safely ignore their responsibility to their offspring, and then, later in the child’s life, blame the school for all his faults, crimes and whatnot. The main block has 2 floors and an attic level, converted to bedrooms for unruly boys. Each floor has 6 to 8 rooms. It is situated in the English countryside, not far from the border of Wales, in Herefordshire. The surrounds are 26 acres of...

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“A CHANGE OF HEART” by Jennifer Claire Pulling

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #92

She moves along the ward, straightening a pillow, checking a water carafe is filled. She switches off the dim reading light above Mr Edwards’ bed, he has fallen asleep over his book. As she reaches the end of the room, she pauses, gazing along the rows of beds, alert for any sound but there is none except the tick of the large clock above her head. She returns to her table, picks up her pen and starts on her report. She loves this time, it never bothers her to be ‘on nig...

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“Shortcuts” by Roberta Weeks

Submitted to Contest #92

Carla was driving in torrential rain, down an old muddy country road. The wind started blowing the car back and forth as she reached down and turned on the windshield wipers and lights. She checked to make sure she turned them on high, in the hope of seeing the road more clearly but it didn't seem to help. Carla was in a hurry for her interview in Grafton, which was in the next town over. Even though the interview was the next day she wanted to get settled in and rested. She was starting to regret her decision to take this shortcut.Carla had...

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“My Older Sister, Elaina” by Aurora Spencer

Submitted to Contest #92

A/N: I don't want to include a spoiler, but you can read my comment on this story if you don't mind :) The first time I saw her, I remembered nothing but blinding brightness and light. I was hardly a few hours old, swaddled in soft blankets, and brought to my older sister, Elaine for her to see. I was just getting used to the outside world, yet, I remember the smile that lit up her face when she saw me. She was only four, but she promised to be the best sister to me. She was there for me from the very first second. My older sister Elaina...

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“Enemies Turned Friends” by Ash S

Submitted to Contest #92

The Entertainment Capital of the World, Sin City, City of Lights.Yes, I’m talking about the one and only Las Vegas.Every year, millions of tourists from all over the world visit this place. The weather here is phenomenal and there are endless options for entertainment, shopping, and dining. In a nutshell, this city is spectacular. Even the workaholics quit work, come here and relish this city.I was a huge Disney fan growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina. There isn’t a movie I haven’t seen, and I own nearly all of the Disney merchandise. To b...

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“Life is truth coming to light” by Opher 51 2022 REYES

Submitted to Contest #92

During her discussion with The Undefeated's Kelley Carter, Day talked about encapsulating the notable craftsman and the meaning of the film acquiring acknowledgment during grant season, among different points. The entertainer is assigned for an Academy Award for best entertainer for her depiction of Holiday in the Lee Daniels-coordinated film, a job for which she has effectively brought home a few honors. She won the Golden Globe grant for best entertainer in a movie dramatization in February and the honor for best entertaine...

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“My Two Obsessions, My Heavy Truth ” by Emmanuelle Shemko

Submitted to Contest #92

When I turned three, my mom bought me my first real doll - a cabbage patch girl with flaming red pigtails. She came with a birth certificate. Born: April 4th, 2004. Named: Dolly. I loved her, she was my best friend, and she went everywhere I went. Daycare. The park. My grandparents' house. I took care of Dolly like she was my own daughter. When my sister Zella was born, I watched intently how my mom took care of her. I copied what she did with Dolly. When she changed Zella's diaper, I changed Dolly's. When she fed Zella, I fed Dolly....

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$50

Prize money

1051

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 07, 2021 EST

Won by Nina Chyll 🏆

Title: On the Origin of Shadows

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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