Menu

Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog
Directory
Contests
Magazine
FAQ

Include in your story a scene about a family's last meal before a significant change.

Posted in Dramatic on Dec 8, 2023

Submissions are closed

Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or use an email address:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 58 stories

Cooking Lessons

Winner of Contest #228 🏆

“That’s it petal, just push down a smidge more and it should cut right the way through it.” Mam’s standing above me as I’m trying to hack through the biggest potato the world’s ever seen. I’m sweating bullets at this point but she’s having none of it. “Can’t you just do it, Mam?” I’m absolutely knackered. I’ve been stabbing at this thing for (no joke) fifteen minutes but she just will not take it off me. I’m not sure why this isn’t working ‘cos usually when I’m doing stuff wrong, she’ll tell me she’ll just do it herself in that mardy voic...

104 likes 33 comments 33
Read story

Words

Submitted to Contest #228

Words Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in a land far away there lived a band of brothers. Well, some of them were actually brothers by birth, the others all brothers by beliefs. The group started out very small but eventually grew to thirteen plus others that were like-minded but didn't necessarily travel with the core company constantly. Mostly they traveled together but sometimes they broke away and ventured out separately or in twos or threes. They were a peace-loving lot, however, out of necessity, some would still keep a weapon...

27 likes 27 comments 27
Read story

Cabbage Soup

Submitted to Contest #228

“What’s this on the table, Barb?” “Colin, we’re turning Pescatarian.” “We’re what?” “We’re now Pescatarian.” “I didn’t realise we were religious, babe.” “We’re not.” “Are you sending me back to my Scottish roots?” “I don’t follow.” “Well, Presbyterians have ties to the Church of Scotland. Or are we turning Catholic with birth control?” “That’s Episcopalian, and no, we’re not turning religious.” “Then, what’s a Pescatarian when he’s at home?” “It’s someone who doesn’t eat red meat or poultry, but eats other things like fish, dairy products, e...

27 likes 30 comments 30
Read story

The Last & First Meal

Submitted to Contest #228

At first, it seemed like a normal Saturday…one that I would usually spend on my PlayStation 7 or roughhousing with my little brother, Hunter. I had planned to go to the new holocade that just opened downtown to hang out with my friends and play Mortal Kombat Death Toll X, but the moment I heard the screeching right outside our front door, my plans were upended. I knew something was wrong.My mom was making a big commotion out on the porch right in front of the entrance. When she stepped inside our huge wooden front door, I saw what I nee...

20 likes 5 comments 5
Read story

Not Mary

Shortlisted for Contest #228 ⭐️

The unnerving chorus of cutlery scraping porcelain echoed throughout the room. Tension hung thick in the air, palpable enough to reach up and slice into it with my steak knife. Beside me, my sister sniffed. From my periphery, I could see her red-rimmed eyes staring blankly at her untouched plate. I cut into the slab before me, crimson juices forming a greasy puddle. I took a bite, relished the tenderness. The peas encroached into the sea of mashed potatoes like invading soldiers. “Would you please pass the potatoes, Mary?” Mother asked f...

20 likes 9 comments 9
Read story

White Sofa

Shortlisted for Contest #228 ⭐️

I could tell my drink intimidated her. Vodka and pineapple juice in its squat, masculine glass convinced her of preconceived inadequacies. “Shall I order you one?” I offered.She considered my question as she raised her water with no ice and no lemon to her mouth and took a dainty sip. That plum-colored, matte lipstick, the only makeup on her perfectly symmetrical face, left no hint that her lips had touched the glass. Her smooth, mahogany skin, radiating in the afternoon sun, gave her an angelic glow, and I wished then that I had chosen...

19 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

The Feast of Change

Submitted to Contest #228

The air was thick with tension as the Thompson family gathered around the dining table for what would become their last meal together before their lives changed. The aroma of roast chicken and freshly baked bread filled the room, but the delicious scent couldn't mask the unease that hung in the air. Theodore Thompson, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, carved the chicken with precision, trying to keep up the appearance of normalcy. His wife, Sarah, set the table with their best china, her hands trembling slightly as she placed the ...

19 likes 5 comments 5
Read story

Changing Nature (inspired by Dinosaurs)

Submitted to Contest #228

The oven gave a gentle roar, like a purring kitten. The fire crackled. Outside, an iIcicle snapped but made no noise as it punctured through a mound of snow. The rhythmic wagging of Sir Bently’s tail against the hardwood floor syncopated with the ticking clock. Though no one noticed, a man fell to his knees across the street.  Lauren took a sip from her warm cider. It was taking forever. Just when she thought it couldn’t be any longer, the timer went off. Mother opened the oven and pulled the roasted turkey out. She was wearing her ...

17 likes 1 comment 1
Read story

Don't Eat The Mashed Potatoes

Shortlisted for Contest #228 ⭐️

TW: explicit language, spousal violence, mention of suicide There’s nothing like a mother’s hug to make you feel like a child. I nestle my face into her shoulder and breathe deeply, savoring the hints of lavender and roasted meats. She’s deep into making Sunday dinner and the aroma lingers around her, even standing on the windy sidewalk.  “My baby,” she coos as she brushes my hair. “I’m so happy you’re home. Are you sure you don’t want to transfer to a closer school?” It’s the same question she’s asked every time she’s seen me for t...

17 likes 5 comments 5
Read story

A Sunday Recipe: A Grandma's Secret

Submitted to Contest #228

The house smelt like pinecones, just how Micah always remembered it. Memories flooded her mind as she traced her fingers along all the picture frames edges, remembering as many faces as she could before heading back into the dining room.  She stopped at a picture of a woman with frizzy blond hair. “Aunt Moony,” she laughed to herself, her favorite aunt and clearly her grandmothers favorite daughter. Everyone knew it but never mentioned it out loud. Micah’s mother knew very well to which ends of the earth grandma Whitney would go for...

16 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

Jeremy

Submitted to Contest #228

I can still smell them. Sloppy Joes. The simple combination of sauce and ground beef. The steam rising off of the stovetop. Sizzling beef, cracking and popping, my mouth still waters at the sound. It was a Thursday. Payday. Sloppy Joe night. They were a family favorite. We didn’t have much. Mom was raising three kids all on her own. She did her best on a teacher’s salary. The money was stretched to its limit. We never knew. The mark of a great parent. Your kids may not hav...

14 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

The Divorce

Submitted to Contest #228

It all started on a perfect Christmas Eve. The lighting is right, the table is beautiful, the wine glasses, the fork, and knife. Everything is perfectly placed. The dining room is like a photo in a magazine. Mother cleaned the house all day long crying. We are all waiting for Dad to come back from the store, last minute shopping he said. Mother waited for him all day long, she made sure to let him know she wasn’t happy about the shopping. I think there something else, ornaments are flying everywhere and breaking on the bed room wall. Usua...

13 likes 11 comments 11
Read story

Have a Nice Day?

Submitted to Contest #228

Twisting the phone cord around my finger, I didn’t know what to do. I stood still for longer than I would have liked before I decided to dial the number. “You ok?” My mother’s voice sounded breathless as she answered.  “Yes. Fine.” I heard her exhale. “Ok. Good.” “I’m just scared.” “Aww I know.” “Can you come over? I’m afraid to be alone.” “Sure. How about I take you to breakfast?” “That sounds great. Thanks!” *** Sitting in the tight booth at IHOP I felt anxious but safer than...

13 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

Dinner on the Red Planet

Submitted to Contest #228

Yemasi set the table for her Mother. She could tell her Mom was trying to hide her true feelings. Yemasi looked out the window at the red dust. They had been living on Mars all her life, which was sixteen years. "After dinner, Can Omari come over? He has a new communicator to show me." Yemasi's Mother frowned at her. "No, this is family time. You can see him  tomorrow after." Her Mother didn't finish the sentence. "Dad knows how to care for himself," Yemasi assured her Mom. As if on cue, her Father came through the front door. He h...

13 likes 4 comments 4
Read story

1898 - Campfire Meal in the Lighthouse Cave

Submitted to Contest #228

Elsie's grey eyes took a last look at the snow falling on the lighthouse as the bright beacon rotated, lighting the shores and ocean. She tucked the dark, shaggy puppy back inside her heavy brown coat, pulled her hat down tighter over her dark hair, and ducked back down into the cave from the opening in its ceiling.Tomorrow everything would change.Aromas of spicy fish, beans and herbs simmering in a stew over an open campfire floated through the cave, along with the distant voices of her family. Elsie felt the emptiness in her stomach. She t...

12 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story in a bustling street food market.

Narrative – 24 stories

Write a story in which a character eats something that they shouldn’t have eaten.

Mystery – 63 stories

Write a story in which a certain food makes your character travel back in time.

Character – 51 stories

Write a story in which a character cooks up something to impress someone.

Romance – 34 stories

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

How to Write a Novel