Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.

Posted in Fantasy on Mar 1, 2021

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✍️ 51 stories

“Gravedigger” by Lorenzo Lozada

Submitted to Contest #24

The sun fell over the wasteland with hardly a whimper, the last of its light extinguished by the barren wastes. Despite the darkness and fog and light drizzle that turned the dirt to mud, there remained two figures. One stood grim, cloaked in shadow, while the other worked tirelessly, digging his own grave. He had began at sunset and managed to dig through three feet before night came and the rains began. The other watched him wordlessly, only grunting when the mud slid down the grave’s borders, filling up another foot. Jedediah would sigh a...

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“The Price of a Bullet” by Jason Burchfield

Submitted to Contest #24

“High noon tomorrow boy,” he grunted deeper than necessary in front of everyone.I tried not to make eye contact with everyone staring at us, “I don’t think that has to happen. We had a discussion and I declined your offer, we can both move on now.”He spun on his heels and looked down at me, “I made your family a generous offer, and you insulted me. Come noon tomorrow I plan to draw on you. Unless you’re a coward, you’re gone draw on me. We’ll let the Lord settle who’s right and wrong.”As he walked away, I could see everyone whisper...

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“Fairies in The West” by Hannah Green

Submitted to Contest #24

As I departed the carriage that I rode in for nearly two weeks, I took a breath of fresh mountain air. It was a little hard to breathe. But what was I expecting from the elevation here in Colorado? I guess I am going to have to get used to it. I looked around for the woman who married my brother. I have yet to meet her, but my brother has told me much about her. She was, in his words, a lovely woman who was short in stature. She had a spirit about her that could rival any man he has ever met. He said in his letters that she reminded him of m...

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“A Moment in Time” by Sk Virtue

Submitted to Contest #24

Charlie bounced the ball against the side of the log cabin. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.“Charlie will you quit bouncing that ball! It is making such a racket and has woke Clara up from her nap!” Charlie’s mom yelled out the door of the cabin.Charlie sighed. Ever since his sister had been born, he had to tiptoe around everywhere. He couldn’t run through the house anymore. Clara would wake up and cry. He couldn’t pretend he was Sherriff anymore and play shoot 'em up. Clara would wake up and cry. Now he couldn’t bounce his ball against the house...

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“Carver” by Ellen Grace

Submitted to Contest #24

They say everyone’s got a bullet out there somewhere with their name on it. Which begs the question: who’s making ‘em?When I was a little girl, my brother went out one day and never came back. He’d gone to town to trade milk for money but come sundown he weren’t nowhere to be seen.Daddy found his body on the road the next day. Poor fool never even made it to town.Daddy said my brother had been shot once through the heart. What little money he had on him was gone, so was anything else of value. They even took the damn milk.Daddy called two pe...

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“The Masked Bandit” by Bruno Lowagie

Submitted to Contest #24

A man can only mourn so much.The sheriff had given me the week off after my partner’s funeral, but I reported back for duty three days later. Crime doesn’t rest; neither should I.My partner Ken and I had been chasing the masked bandit for many months. Last week, we almost had him. I could have sworn we hit him with at least one of our bullets, but the villain shot back. It was my partner who bit the dust. “I’ve found you a new partner,” the sheriff says when I show up at the office, “He’s from out of town. I’ll introduce him to you, but...

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“The Divel's Gate” by G. Miller

Submitted to Contest #24

The Devil's GateCame across the ad quite by accident in the L.A. Times."Unique opportunity to own a piece of history. Situated on 5- acres just outside Silver City, NV.'Devil's Gate' was the main gateway to the Comstock during the boom days of silver and gold.Property has house and out buildings. Anxious."I emailed the realtor and was quickly emailed photos from 1877 and today, 2019. It looked veryintriguing and wrapped the whole package up to show Alison, my wife over dinner.That evening at the restaurant I passed Allison the realtors packa...

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“Birdcage Bill” by Lo Harmsway

Submitted to Contest #24

When Birdcage Bill plays the piano, everybody listens.Some of his songs make people fight. Some put them to sleep. Some make them drink drink drink, and some make them go drown themselves in the river. Nothing at all happens when he plays The Old Gray Mule. Despite his reputation, the saloons always let him perform, and folks always come to hear.My friend Gus once told me Birdcage Bill’s piano’s keys are made from bone. We were eating supper at the Holy Hare and Bill’s plonking that day was making everybody hungry.“Cursed bones,” Gus said, g...

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“Quake In The West ” by Vivienne Stradley

Submitted to Contest #24

Emma woke up with a burning feeling in her hands. She bolted out of bed and rinsed her hands with warm water hoping it would help. The second the warm water hit her hands her hands stopped burning. She stopped thinking about her burning hands and went down stairs. When she got down stairs her mom had already prepared some waffle with a butt load of whipped cream on the waffles. The but load of whipped cream made the waffles a little soggy but Emma still comped the waffles down. When she was all done her mom asked, “Are you exci...

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“The Stranger” by Marie Persley

Submitted to Contest #24

“Whew!” Hank whipped out a hanky and mopped his glistening brow, squinting hard as the sun blazed overhead. “If this ain’t the hottest darn day…”He had just finished loading the last sack of provisions into the wagon. Bill Druthers, the General Store owner, was inspecting the mound of goods so he could tally up the bill. “That’s fer sure.” Bill agreed. “Can’t last too long, though. Way them clouds look we’re in for a squall come nightfall.” Hank lifted up his Stetson a bit, peering at the deep, dark clouds that were gathering over the distan...

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“Paid In Full” by Unknown User

Submitted to Contest #24

Utah squinted into the sun as he watched the dust cloud growing to the south. “Think that's the stage?” he asked. The comment distracted the store keeper from the frivolous small talk as he rushed through the store to stand on the boardwalk. He held his hand up to shade his eyes. “If it's the stage, then the school teacher is here. I heard rumors that she's the prettiest lass west of the Mississip.” “No one in this town has ever seen her. Why would you think she's pretty?” Utah hated the gossip. The store keeper ignored him, brushing at his ...

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“Dead End” by Carol Buchanan

Submitted to Contest #24

The streets of Hell Gate were laid out like the trails of my life, and I’d lived it as one blundering through heavy undergrowth at night scaring up would-be gunmen eager to make their name and brag of murder or righteous vengeance. This night soon turned darkest of all. When I rode in on the dun mare, I wanted only a sizzling steak and a silent whiskey, to give me rest on a mattress that wasn’t sand. The dun mare, though, was notable, what with the brown stripe connecting mane and tail along her pale back. The young cowboy knew her before I ...

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“Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon” by Amanda Van Regenmorter

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #24

The town woke to discover Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon had sprung up overnight, tacked onto the end of their only meager road in gaudy glory. The western-most, barely settled settlement of Gomer’s Gulch could only be considered a town in the most generous of estimates, but the people who lived there, mostly foolhardy prospecting men and a smattering of desperate families, called it a town all the same. They already had a saloon, of course; a handful of men camped anywhere long enough al...

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“Western Samurai Magic” by Tom Gleason

Submitted to Contest #24

“Wherever darkness persists, light inherently works to cast it out.”* * *A cowboy leans back in his chair with a cigar in his mouth. He puffs the smoke out into the warm air. The sun shines down on his silver pistol which sparkles back. He sits in his watchtower deck looking out at the town. A few run down wooden houses over, an arch symbolizes an entrance to this quiet, secluded town. The dust in front of the cowboy’s deck begins to shake. He turns his head to see a set of four horses galloping towa...

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“Trading Five Bullets” by K M Hasling

Submitted to Contest #24

Like wolves howling, the chorused voices of oo-way oh-way oo-way oh-way floated into the sky. The notes were partners with the dancers as they stomped left and right, left, left and right. The drumbeats matched the dancers and rumbled the dust with a bada-bada-bum bada- bum bada-bum. Both feet and drumsticks kicked up the dry dust with every vibration, adding to their call for rain. “Come dance, Black Cloud,” coaxed the elders. “Call to Mother Nature. Ad...

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Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 51 stories

“Gravedigger” by Lorenzo Lozada

“The Price of a Bullet” by Jason Burchfield

“Fairies in The West” by Hannah Green

“A Moment in Time” by Sk Virtue

“Carver” by Ellen Grace

“The Masked Bandit” by Bruno Lowagie

“The Divel's Gate” by G. Miller

“Birdcage Bill” by Lo Harmsway

“Quake In The West ” by Vivienne Stradley

“The Stranger” by Marie Persley

“Paid In Full” by Unknown User

“Dead End” by Carol Buchanan

“Miss Margelene’s Silver Saloon” by Amanda Van Regenmorter

“Western Samurai Magic” by Tom Gleason

“Trading Five Bullets” by K M Hasling

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.

Write a sweeping romantic tale of two lovers who must overcome the horror of being hunted by an unseen foe.

Write a murder mystery with an amateur sleuth who must navigate a fantastical world in a quest to discover the truth.

Write a thrilling adventure of a special agent who is harboring a paranormal secret.

Contest #24

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

293

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: