Your character picks up a fallen leaf and can’t believe what they discover underneath it. What happens next?

Posted in Fall on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 38 stories

“Not To Point Fingers..” by Mackenzie Allen

Submitted to Contest #118

Very much {gore/death/swearing/blood/weapons/you get the gist} warning- if you don’t like, don’t read. I appreciate constructive criticism! 2:46 AM, December 18th. The police lights were turning my skin awkward shades of blue and red. On this cold night, I stood outside the caution tape, just wondering what the officers were thinking, what they were seeing. They’ve got the middle of the road blocked off, what about the cars? Taking steps toward the caution tape, I could f...

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“The Surprise Of The Fallen Leaves” by Lisa Neuvelt

Submitted to Contest #118

The Surprise Of The Fallen LeavesThe Continuing Story Of Maddie-Rose(Read about Maddie-Rose in my story: “Singing in the Rain”)When we last left Maddie-Rose she had just returned home after being abducted by her father. Rainy season was over, but that was okay with Maddie-Rose. She always loved playing in the rain but now has discovered a new obsession. Playing in piles of leaves. Since they had a huge tree in their backyard, there were plenty of leaves.“Please, Mommy,” Maddie-Rose cried. “Can I just play outsi...

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“Echo Lake” by Liam McIntyre

Submitted to Contest #118

"Echo Lake," he thought to himself, "what a cheap gimmick." Then again, this was exactly what he needed. Echo Lake spans almost 16 acres in the state park of Carroll County, New Hampshire. Legend says there are exactly two points opposite each side of the lake where a sound as quiet as a whisper on one side can travel to the other. Only true lovers can find them. "Will you find yours?" Calix stood looking at the tourist board, plastered with bogus testaments and amateur photographs of the lucky ones, the true lover...

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“The leaf and the prayer” by Ruth Zschoche

Submitted to Contest #118

The lawn was a deep green with the sun creating dark shadows where the trees went over the grass. It was a small patch bordered by the tall row of maples on one side and the house and garden on the other. Further down at the bottom of the lawn was another garden with bushes to hide it. There was a small man-made stream and berries that might be poisonous. A Mother Mary hung for prayers at the center of space in the garden, hidden from view. Benches surrounded this altar. The large eucalyptus tree in a bottom corner waved like a tired lover b...

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“The Roses That Bloomed in Auschwitz” by Penni Warford

Submitted to Contest #118

The Roses That Bloomed In AuschwitzSavoring a moment of solitude, I meandered along the park’s edge admiring the luscious layers of color that bulged like impasto paint on a canvass. A blanket of leaves covered the sidewalk like a mosaic of golden honey and rotting lemons woven into a patchwork quilt that warmed the earth below. As I kicked at the decaying beauty that swallowed up the path beneath my boots, a solitary burnished red maple leaf caught my eye. It was out of place amid the golden blanket of American Elm leaves and the glowing tu...

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“A SECOND CHANCE” by Julia Corliss

Submitted to Contest #118

The storm had been fierce. All about trees both large and small lay upon the earth like fallen soldiers on a battlefield. All over the village itself leaves were thick upon the ground. Yet, the stone houses of the villagers were still standing intact. Every edifice of wood was blown to bits. Slowly the villagers emerged from their stone houses to greet the new day that had dawned revealing to them the changes wrought upon their corner of the world. Generations ago the Elders had shared a prophecy about just such a storm that would come one...

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“Life in a Leaf” by Linda Logdberg

Submitted to Contest #118

Life in a Leaf I’d always been too tall, that’s the short of it. My mother liked to joke about how it felt to deliver me: like trying to suck in a piece of spaghetti that just keeps on coming and coming and coming until you know you can’t swallow it all. Except in reverse, of course. All through school, I towered over all the girls and most of the boys. Jokes like “Gee, I’d love to ask you out, but I can’t shout loud enough up there to ask you” and “Has anyone seen Lucy’s face lately?” got old pretty quickly, and I took re...

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“Jack” by Jenny Donovan

Submitted to Contest #118

Jack made his way up the steadily inclining trail of Mount Willard in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The leaves proudly showed off their vivid colors of reds, yellows and oranges. He navigated the few small streams he had to cross and rocky ledges before he finally made it to the top. He loved it up here. There were higher mountains in this range to climb but none offered the view that he could sit and stare into for hours on end. He would put his faded wool blanket on the giant boulder at the top ...

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Your character picks up a fallen leaf and can’t believe what they discover underneath it. What happens next?

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“Not To Point Fingers..” by Mackenzie Allen

“The Surprise Of The Fallen Leaves” by Lisa Neuvelt

“Echo Lake” by Liam McIntyre

“The leaf and the prayer” by Ruth Zschoche

“The Roses That Bloomed in Auschwitz” by Penni Warford

“A SECOND CHANCE” by Julia Corliss

“Life in a Leaf” by Linda Logdberg

“Jack” by Jenny Donovan

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with “Today’s the day I change.”

Write about a character, animal or human, who is reborn as something totally different.

Write your story from the perspective of an outsider watching something or someone change.

Set your story during a sudden change of season.

Contest #118

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

205

Contest entries

140

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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