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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

Write about a character trying to heal an old rift.

Posted in Sad on Nov 1, 2022

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✍️ 43 stories

“Offering The Olive Branch” by James Grasham

Submitted to Contest #153

The chill autumn breeze blew the dead brown leaves in swirls across the path as Luthar steered Stepper over the familiar ground. He’d not set foot in this place since he was eight years old, yet the route seemed as familiar as an old pair of boots. North of Whitestar there was little in the way of civilisation, save for the occasional farmstead or small hamlet. Luthar’s destination was the northernmost village which stood at the entrance to the Frozen Pass, an old trade route in the icy mountains long since abandoned to the snows. He could s...

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“Falling for you? Little by little, day by day ” by Chelsea Mckinley

Submitted to Contest #153

Chapter 1: Sammy DannonFor Sammy Dannon being a counselor, being someone with the power to bring forth a sense of security and relief, wasn’t just a corny childhood dream of his, no. In fact, it was something Sammy swore to actively pursue. Not only to become a counselor, but to stop thinking of himself in the third person.   In a huff, he made another paper ball, and proceeded to aim and fail to score into the trash can. He realized, he was failing at achieving his dream, and was starting to wonder what he should actually do ...

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“Moments of Silence” by Austin Baker

Submitted to Contest #153

(Hey all, quick warning up front. The below story contains some mentions to mental health and topics surrounding familial relationships and grief. Please keep safe and be mindful of your own mental health!)Leaden feet carried me closer to the place I needed to go. Through the trees and the rolling hills, to the solitary figure awaiting me.He said nothing as I approached nor as I made a spot for myself in the unruly grass beside him. Normally I would’ve balked at the idea of sitting among the weeds and dirtying the nice suit I wore, but today...

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“It Was a Snickers” by Murray Burns

Submitted to Contest #153

It Was a Snickers                                                           “Every man’s conscience is a thousand swords."                     &nbs...

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“Dulcer's Canyon” by Ross Williams

Submitted to Contest #153

Trigger warning: Physical violence, suicidal thoughts.The story of Conroy McFabb always begins the same way, with blood.The walk home from school along the dusty country road wasn’t inherently dangerous, but the older boys who traveled up and down its dirt contours turned it into a battlefield from which Conroy wouldn’t always emerge unscathed. On one particular day, his fourteenth birthday, his mother had given some extra coins to buy one of those buttery corns the bag lady roasted once a week outside their school. But Conroy decided that w...

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“Destination Arcturus” by Dempsey Hyatt

Submitted to Contest #153

Initiate cryopod wake sequence… complete. Subject’s vital signs are nominal. Injecting epinephrine… subject is becoming lucid. Scanning Wernicke's area of the brain. Language center located at the posterior superior temporal lobe of Broca's area and is connected via a neural pathway. Link to remote neural implant established. Chain of command algorithm requires verbal confirmation from the Captain. Commence audio broadcast to Captain via neural implant.           “Captain Cadenza, I am yo...

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“The Cabin” by Briana Spring

Submitted to Contest #153

CW: unrealityTuesday, 5:30 P.M.The road ahead is dark, illuminated only by the dim, flickering lampposts that line the empty path. The drumming symphony of the rain is their only soundtrack as Bash slows the car down, driving into the gravel track in front of the cabin.Behind the wheel, Bash frowns; the only thing ahead of them worth noticing for miles had been the sky darkening through yellow and purple, like a bruise. Bash's eyes have been on the horizon the entire time; he doesn't know how he could've missed it when Sam pointed it out.But...

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“The Explicit Regrets of Unwarrented Love” by Ann Walker

Submitted to Contest #153

This story contains sensitive content including substance abuse, physical violence, and mental health.  Ask anyone in town what I think of seventy-six-year-old Bonnie Jennings, and you’ll get a different answer each time, and each version is correct. I’ve always made my feelings for this woman quite clear, not in a look-at-my-hatred-for-this-woman sort of way but sincerely, honestly and openly. You see, to most people, Bonnie was the sweet little old woman next door. She was kind and thoughtful, and no one had anything bad to say abou...

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“Wounds” by Ethan Schmidt

Submitted to Contest #153

I have endured decades through storm and wind. I have seen many cycles of the moon and the changings of seasons. I have witnessed hundreds of suns rise and set. Despite these many years, I have learned little, and I know little. I know nothing of what came before me, and I will never know anything of what is to come after. What I do know is limited to what is around me. I see the birds, and I feel the wind. I know the warmth of the sun and the different kinds of rain. I know nature. In fact, I believe myself to be nature. Though nature seems...

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“Magellan's Scar” by Mike Sette

Submitted to Contest #153

Ryan Elderby reversed the probe’s focus to observe Magellan’s Scar. The celestial anomaly hung ominously in the endless black void. “Status-adequate. We've sustained a-less-than-expected amount of damage. Fewer impacts than projected,” Alexi Petras said.  They were close. They had been in-transit for 20 years. During the entirety of the trip they had been awake for a total of 13 hours..  The image of Magellan’s Scar was holographically projected in front of the viz-shield. The electromagnetic rad sensors showed a warm red hue...

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“The Marples vs the Ozbotz” by WRL Battle

Submitted to Contest #153

Top Five Things I Didn't Plan on TodaySeeing a tiny car drive through a hallway. Tripping over a crystal ball.Being hit with tarot cardsStepping on a rubber shoe. Getting hit in the face with a cream pie. Now I know what you’re thinking. How did I get myself in this situation in the first place? Well, I didn’t do it on purpose. Allow me to explain. I am friends with two fortune tellers, Janice and Patricia Marple, but people called them the Marple Sisters. Every Thursday they would walk into my mom’s floral shop and invit...

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“Catharses Via Passage to the Moon” by Bailey Thomas

Submitted to Contest #153

Caleb grunted loudly and shifted in his seat, his eyes darting across the aisle over to Hannah, whose head was bent over her book. He coughed and shot another look at the woman who only moved to flip the next page in her story.       He sighed and tapped his foot on the ground impatiently, she still didn’t move.       “You’re really not going to say a word to me this whole trip, are you?” he frowned.       Hannah still did not say anything but she nodde...

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“Grandeur” by Deenur _

Submitted to Contest #153

 GRANDEUR A short story by Deenur It was past 3:00am at the Loco Bronco, as Tony sat playing darts by himself.  The country themed tavern’s neon signs, which normally provided the majority of lighting in the place, were turned off. The bar now seemed unusually gloomy, but Tony didn’t know if it was because of the lack of neon light, or the memories of earlier that evening.     As Tony reflected back on the events, his thoughts were cut into by the noise of the closing crew cleaning up. A mop bucket banged i...

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“Fishing: A Painful Catharsis” by Ian Stobaugh

Submitted to Contest #153

“I’m sorry.” The words felt so jagged when they came out of my mouth. It took me twelve years to say it, and after saying those two words, I feel empty. For those years, I had been planning and thinking of this moment–now that it’s here, how has it gone so soon? Hours before, I had decided to go fishing. It wasn’t a big event, but it wasn’t a small one either. Fishing to me is like vacationing for other people. Most people do it often, but it’s always something that requires everyone’s attention. The only difference with my fishing is th...

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“Dear Caroline: My Apologies from Prison” by Maya Mason

Submitted to Contest #153

September 1st, Dear Caroline, It has been 3 years since I have seen you or spoken with you. I miss you. I understand why you haven’t spoken to me… I put you at risk, I put your kids at risk and I destroyed your home. In your shoes, I guess I wouldn’t be speaking to me either. But I still miss you. And I guess I wanted to make sure you knew that.  Everyone here at the prison is assigned to a social worker. They are not all cut from the same cloth. I think I have one of the better ones. My SW’s name is Abigail. Abigail told me recently ...

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Contest #153

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Ended on 23:59 - Jul 08, 2022 EST

Won by L. E. Scott 🏆

Title: Broken

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