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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#98: Origin Stories

Every year, on the fifth day of the lunisolar calendar’s fifth month (which happens to be this Monday!), the Dragon Boat Festival commences with gusto all across China. Within three days of celebration, people attend dragon boat races (as expected), eat sticky rice dumplings (zongzi), and hang aromatic plants around the house to ward off evil spirits.

The origins of the festival are obscure: some say it commemorates the death of a poetic and patriotic official who was exiled from the ancient Chu state. Others say it celebrates a filial daughter who lost her life searching for her father, who fell in the river during the organization of a boat race. While father and daughter were reunited in death, their misfortune connects to yet another alternative origin story for the festival: the fifth day of the fifth month was considered the unluckiest day of the year, and the festivities are carried out to keep this bad energy at bay.

Taking inspiration from these fascinating stories, and from their multiplicity, I present to you the prompts for this week! Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the festival itself: since the tales behind this occasion are so diverse, there’s something for everyone.

This week's prompts

Write about a family with a long-standing tradition, whose members all have conflicting origin stories for it.

Thanksgiving – 58 stories

Start your story with a character having a premonition, but no one believes them.

Dark – 147 stories

Write about someone who’s desperately trying to change their luck.

Teens – 101 stories

Set your story on (or in) a winding river.

Middle School – 122 stories

Write a story involving a character who cannot return home.

Angst – 320 stories

Stories

“Shadow and Blood” by Hannah B

Submitted to Contest #98

TW: graphic violence The boat meandered down the coiling river, heading towards the Vaharan camp that Lantuven was at. He had sent word that he was unable to meet them halfway as promised, and that he was busy training a new unit of recruits. There were Vaharans toiling about the deck, their amulets glittering in the dark and their feathered wings pinned against their backs as they weaved around the small deck. All were mumbling about being on the boat and not up in the skies on such a clear night—however, between each little speck of...

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“Fitting in with the Family” by LM Konkel-Dixon

Submitted to Contest #98

No matter how hard he tries, Madoc still couldn't manage to fit in with the Goya family. Despite his relationship with Wesley being in a good place, he hasn't managed to reach the same level of eccentricity it takes to fit into his family. They were loud, out-spoken, brazen, and weird. Every reason was part of why he loved them all so much. From an outside perspective, the Goya family was a regular Addams family, but to him, they were the family he always wished he had growing up. So when the biggest family event arrives, Madoc knows the bes...

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“.-- .- -. - . -.. (Wanted)” by Carson Craig

Submitted to Contest #98

“.-- .- -. - . -..” The staccato tapping brought Eugene Belgrade, the telegraph operator, out of his daydream. Leaving the shade and comfort of the rocking chair, he made his way inside to his pad of paper and pencil and began to write. “WANTED: Buck Leiter. For Stage Robbery and Murder. REWARD: $2000.00. Last seen heading northwest towards the Llano Estacado.” He responded in acknowledgement and after a brief exchange of the who's, when's, and why's, Eugene ran the note down to the Ector County sheriff's office...

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“Won't Back Home” by Aein 07

Submitted to Contest #98

The night sky was covering the whole town,as the civilians asleep.It was the middle of the night,yet there were still some citizens who hadn't asleep.One of them was Lilac Leilani,a girl with raven black hair and a pair of greyish eyes.She looked as busy as a bee. She lived in a small apartment in the outskirt of London.Who was she?Where was she from?Or,Where were her parents?She won't answer those questions.She was busy typing something on her typewriter,which she buy it for herself using her own money. She came here from her hometown w...

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“Rebound” by Marianna Mills

Submitted to Contest #98

Six months earlier: Ahhhh, let's talk about a virus that shut the entire world down, just like that, it seemed. No large crowds, no going out to restaurants, nothing, get what you need and go home and stay home. That was the message the Government laid out for everybody. The one thing that was allowed at the beginning, was travelling. It was a time of panic, a time of fear. Julian decided to go on a little family holiday. He and his soon to be ex wife Vivian decided on joint custody - between themselves to save the expense of lawyers a...

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“Run, little sister, run” by Ciara Schipper

Submitted to Contest #98

“It’s all going to come crashing down. Everything you have worked for, everything you take pride in is going to burn around you and there will be no power to stop it.” Coming out of the dazed state that I had been in, I look around to see the rest of my family giving me apprehensive looks. “What? What happened?” I ask, gaining confusion by the minute. “You zoned out Lily,” my mom says to me, her eyes show worry in them. “What do you mean I ‘zoned out’ ?” “Your eyes rolled up, your head fell back, and you weren’t answering to ...

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“The Prodigal Expat” by David Brown

Submitted to Contest #98

Two hundred years ago, as Earthmen were first attempting to colonize the Red Planet, the Empyreans chose to reveal themselves. From the first expedition log of Lieutenant Barbara Brooks, the sole crash survivor, it was evident she encountered two of these “alien angels” and helped them to survive prior to her disappearance. The second and third expeditions established a foothold on the fourth planet, but when the fourth expedition force arrived, it was met by a contingent of the flying aliens; apparently they already had a flourishing c...

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“Outrunning Evil” by Marcia H.

Submitted to Contest #98

Evil has many shapes and forms. The thing about evil is that you never see it coming. It has many disguises but when it shows its ugly face some people will not even notice it until it is too late. Evil is here. I am evil. I live in the souls of many people. But, today I am coming out through many souls. This is the last day people will have calm in Cotton Valley. Their peace will be destroyed and so will lives. Evil has been awakened in this tiny town. If you are smart you will run, and run fast and pray that I don’t catch you...

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“The Time Exile” by Tom D

Submitted to Contest #98

Bernard had never been born, to begin with. Or, rather, he had - just not yet.It would be another hundred years before Bernard’s birth - on 9 January 1987 in the maternity ward of an unremarkable Kent hospital - and he would not be around to see it. By 9 January 1987, Bernard would be long dead.Bernard could never go home.Bernard would never again sip a Pumpkin Spice Latte in his local Starbucks. Bernard would never again order headphones for next day delivery from Amazon. Bernard would never again email, nor download, nor stream, nor channe...

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“Luck is fickle. Luck is fated. Luck is not real.” by Clinton Siegle

Submitted to Contest #98

I am one of the least luckiest people in the world. I am also one of the luckiest people in the world. How can that be? I had my business stolen from me. HUD did not pay for their tenants for seven months and I lost 43 rental units. My health deteriorated from there and my career as a professional auditor/scheduler went down hill. I lost my right ankle to zombie bacteria. Meaning my ankle died for 17 days and no one knew it and I was hurting and they finally cut it out of me. I was fired due to that experience. Went to work as soon as I coul...

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“Where did it all go wrong? ” by Leanne Spencer

Submitted to Contest #98

From time to time, everyone needs that bit of luck, whether it be just to have a day out without it raining or the car getting through the MOT, to more serious situations like seeing a loved one get through a difficult situation. But what happens when everyone around you seems to be having all your share of that luck, the good luck and you have a dumpster full of the bad type. Well such a thing seems to be happening to Reese. You would not believe what she went through. It's now Thursday night, so I will take you back to the beginn...

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“Wings in Azure Skies” by Anje Campisi

Submitted to Contest #98

She gazed up at the azure sky. White wisps twirled around the endless depths, reflecting the amber hues of the setting sun. Below her feet, she curled her toes in the moist ground, feeling the dirt squish between them. Little sprouts of evergreen grass tickled her heels. She knelt and ran her long, supple fingers along the edge of the tree root that jutted out of the fresh soil. A crisp scent of pine and jasmine mixed into her inhaled breath. Slowly she closed her grey eyes and tilted her head, conc...

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“A Thousand Tears Flowing” by Karmissa Ariadne

Submitted to Contest #98

Be thankful for it. Worship it. On it goes, without a care in the world. Swirling and pushing through the earth itself, reflecting life and enchanting all around it. Unforgiving and endless it surpasses even my own lifetime breaking anything in its path. It is clever, though, for it is gentle in its breaking and its subtlety often goes unnoticed. It treks the mountains and grassy plains, winding around the landscape like a snake, yet in all its movement I sense it does not really move at all. For its heart does not beat like ours and it ...

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“The Vanilla Candle” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #98

“How difficult would it be to screw all my furniture into the floor?” Samantha contemplated while washing the dishes for the third time. "Maybe glue would be better." Gawking at the clock, she moved on to fluff each pillow twice. She then lit her eucalyptus-spearmint candle. It was made for stress relief but was probably just a placebo. Rushing into meditation was counterintuitive, but her definition of productivity prioritized quantity over quality. Legs crossed and eyes closed, she repeated, “Have fun. Have fun. Have fun.” Last week, she...

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“Warriors of the Red Cave ” by Kay (:

Submitted to Contest #98

The mountain air fresh in my lungs, the wind blowing softly through my hair. The cold rock is hard under my feet. My heart longed to be back with my friends and family. I thought back to the thousands of others who traveled this path before me, not knowing what lies ahead. My heart thudded with the sound of the unknown and my task that lies ahead. Let me start from the beginning. My name is Dhara Apala, and I’m the eldest daughter of Bodhi. I never knew my mother, she was sent on this journey just like her, I hope to find her in th...

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$50

Prize money

751

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 18, 2021 EST

Won by Mary Sheehan 🏆

Title: Blessed Home

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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