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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#93: Bringing the Party to You

For many people across the world, the beginning of May is a time for celebration. From May Day to Cinco de Mayo to Eid al-Fitr, these first few weeks of the month are a time for festivity and community. If you would usually be celebrating this week, I know it’s unlikely you’ve actually managed to gather people. So I thought I could use this week's prompts contest as a means to capture the spirit of good times that will hopefully be back with us before we can say “¡salud!”.

With this week’s prompts, I encourage you to take your readers on a festive jaunt. Whether your protagonist is the organizer, the reluctant party-goer, or the mischief maker, they’ll surely find a place among these prompts — think colorful parades, delicious food, dancing, and battle re-enactments, the bigger, the better! Of course, it doesn’t necessarily have to be all festive fun — every party has its winners and losers, or so they say — which is why I’ve thrown in some prompts that could take a darker turn as well. Happy writing (and celebrating)!

This week's prompts

Write a story about a character who gets lost at a carnival or festival.

Horror – 189 stories

Set your story at a party that has gone horribly wrong.

Horror – 196 stories

Write about a reluctant party-goer who ends up being the star of the show.

Middle School – 106 stories

Write your story about two characters tidying up after a party.

Fluff – 148 stories

Write a story about a character who’s nervous to attend a party - their first in a long time.

Adults – 156 stories

Stories

“A party gone horribly wrong” by Caroline Fonteno

Submitted to Contest #93

I was packing for a party. It was a sleepover party and we were spending the night on a boat in a lake that was dammed up. I packed some clothes, shoes, snacks, and a book. Then I grabbed my purse and put my sunglasses, phone, keys, and wallet into it. I grabbed my suitcase and purse and set out. I lived in an apartment complex so I went down the elevator and to the garage. I got my car and put my keys into the ignition. I began driving to the lake. When I got to the lake I parked my car and walked down the dock. The water was peaceful that...

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“The Path to Passive Teenage World Domination” by Charlie Murphy

Submitted to Contest #93

“This party has gone horribly wrong!” Carrie said.“Gee, you think?” Audrey replied.Tuna, eggs, butter, and other food items were scattered all over the house. Vomit delightfully ran down the walls and was in clusters on the beige carpet which Carrie will never get the stains out. A couple of beer bottles lodged themselves in the fifty-five-inch plasma screen TV and the toaster was stuck to the ceiling.“Well, do something!” Carrie urged as a couple boys knocked the other vase off the cabinet.“What do you want me to do?” Audrey asked.“Any...

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“mistaken love ” by Claire Huettl

Submitted to Contest #93

"I don't want to" I complained trying to pull my arm from Natalie's viper like grip while trying not to drop my books"it'll be fun," she said pulling me down the sidewalk towards her house "we can wear costumes and meet cute boys"I made a gagging noise "yuck""oh don't pretend you don't know a single guy in our class you like" she was totally fangirling now "ooh what about Johnathan, he's a total jock or Liam ooh Liam is sooooooo hot"I shook my head "I don't want to go to Stephanie's stupid party and I don't want a boyfriend"Nat huffed but ke...

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“Something to do” by Scott Skinner

Submitted to Contest #93

-The Toilet- My mind traps so much stress that it gives me the runs. It’s called anxiety diarrhea. I’ve had it happen before an interview; I’ve had it happen on my birthday; I’ve had it happen before sex. When I’m put in a situation where I might be judged, it just squirts out of me. Today it’s happening because of Meiling’s party. She’s a co-worker who only knows my emotional state through the emojis I place on our Slack messages. The company’s remote now, which I prefer, but there are still people like Meiling pressing the issue....

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“The Bizarre Evening” by Anam Ahamed

Submitted to Contest #93

It was a jolly evening filled with the gladness of the New Year and the entire atmosphere had become thick with the cries of the children. It was a perfect time for James to step out of the house as the clock was already ticking seven. James, a fifteen-year-old lad who always used to step out of the house with his warm and gentle mother, that day he was quite nervous and apprehensive to go to a New Year Carnival as he was not ready to spend another second of his life socializing with his type of beings, he was ready to spend his entire day w...

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“Gameplay” by H L McQuaid

Submitted to Contest #93

The chocolate ice cream liquifies quickly in the heat, squidging between my toes and staining one of my new camel-coloured sandals. I figure I have ten seconds, tops, before the pig-tailed girl switches from staring at the empty cone to sniffling, crying and ragged screaming, as only children can do, taking a deep breath before each wail.“Alice!”I turn to see who’s calling my name. It’s the pigtailed girl’s mother. “It’s okay, honey, we’ll get you another one,” she says as she takes my namesake’s hand, leading her from the side yard int...

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“Know-it-all?” by Kathleen March

Submitted to Contest #93

Emma has a prologue: She knew better, or should have known better. Should have known better because she knew she had a problem. A very serious problem. A problem that could develop into, or already was, an illness, a disease, an addiction, a cause for stress and distress. She wasn't sure, but she knew, oh she knew. She should have known. She was lost. If we had known, we might have been able to stop her. We didn't know. Emma has a plot, or a plan: She had heard about the event that took place in Galicia every May 17. They didn't do t...

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“As lost as Atlantis ” by DEACTIVATED ACCOUNT

Submitted to Contest #93

(Author's note: in comments)As lost as Atlantis I try to focus on the lights… or to at least appear as if I am focusing on the lights. I didn’t want to come. Our conversation is still stuck in my mind. But the full friend circle was coming, and I am too inferior to disrupt the completion. But… why are your words ringing in my head like this? The lights are blurring and your words, not your voice, are ringing,… like chimes. Maybe my brain wants to find a loophole? I know that I do, but I don’t think that it’s right to want tha...

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“Bloody Endings (Pick a Path)” by Chase .

Submitted to Contest #93

You can’t believe what's happened to you, you are lost in the middle of a carnival. It is completely empty and a 6 metre thick, 20 metre high concrete wall surrounds you. Everyone in the world has forgotten all about you, to sum it up, you’re trapped. As you get ready to give up you notice two suspicious looking paths, could they get you out of here? One goes under the Ferris wheel and the other goes past the roller coaster. You think for a moment, which one should you take?Under the Ferris wheel - Page 1Past the roller coaster - Page 2Page ...

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“Tear Stained Memories” by Ed .

Submitted to Contest #93

My tear stained cheeks fell towards the ground. Ava’s eyes began to close. “No!” I screamed but I knew I could not do anything about it. Her hoarse voice sounded like a drum “I…Love…You…Olivia” Those words really tore my heart forming puddles on the hard ground. I wish we had never gone to this party. Otherwise my sister would have lived. “Please don’t die!” I stammer in a sob. Then Ava breathed in a lungful of air and stopped, her whole body left motionless. She was dead and I knew it. But I was not going to give up.“Ava? please talk to me!...

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“A night to remember,” by Geethu R

Submitted to Contest #93

1 am, Crestclove street In the dark of night, the moon shone down onto the empty street and the towering houses that lined it. Owls hooted and the nightly orchestra of unseen creatures buzzed in the background of the otherwise silent vicinity. In the far end of the road where the street thinned out, a lone house stood out like a sore thumb. The canopied roof touched the sky with bright light streaming from clouded windows. A faint bass of party music reverberated through whatever crack and entrance the house had. A girl lurk...

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“Two Old Ladies at a Party” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #93

Why, thought Dora, clutching her glass of wine and giving polite smiles from the corner of the room, did people assume that because you were “good on the radio”, or even “a bit of a celebrity” then you were going to love a party. Dora didn’t. She hated them. Oh, she didn’t mind going round to a friend’s house, but this was another matter. It wasn’t even as if she was antisocial. She had spent most of her life working with the public, and could make conversation well enough. But right now, oh, how she longed to be back at her little cottage, ...

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“Fragments Of Roses” by Wild Rose

Submitted to Contest #93

She returned to her bedroom, her chest throbbing with a strange kind of pain that she had never experienced before. Her blue organdie wore traces of damp sweat, and her sweet, beautiful face was ruffled and damaged, probably due to tears. She would never, never throw a party again or be present in any type of social gathering. She was done, done with entertaining.She was not always like this. Once she had been a sweet and happy woman, with everything that a person could want. New dresses, balls and parties almost every week, a sweet hu...

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“Grape Juice” by Rae Faolan

Submitted to Contest #93

TW: TW: suicidal ideation With unsteady fingers I pushed the buttons of my vest through their holes and regarded myself in the long bedroom mirror. “It isn’t too much is it?” I asked Tangerine, the sleek orange tabby lounging on my bed. He regarded me through slitted eyes. I’d already removed and tossed the vest aside twice, only to pick it up again moments later. I’m already on the small side for a man, and I’d lost weight in the hospital. I was afraid I would look like a teenager if I came to the party in anything too casual. C...

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“Melanie” by Rajesh Patel

Submitted to Contest #93

In a month, I will be twelve. The end of my childhood and the beginning of my adolescence. The start of high school. My birthday falls on August 25th, and a week later I will be attending a new school. Luckily me, I have a few friends from last year that will be with me. That is a relief. I am a quite shy boy. Especially at first, in new surroundings. I told my parents that I did not want a birthday party at home with friends. Like we have been doing for several years now. I felt like I was too old for that. But you know how parents are. ...

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$50

Prize money

797

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - May 14, 2021 EST

Won by Claire Lindsey 🏆

Title: What’s Left

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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