Start your story with two people planting a tree together.

Posted in Short Story on Dec 2, 2022

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✍️ 50 stories

“A Family Ritual: Planting a Tree” by Tchen Self Timer Studios

Submitted to Contest #175

A Family Ritual: Planting a Tree Story by: Tchen Reaction Thomas, a war veteran, was in the middle of planting an olive tree with his son when the neighboring farmer’s boy approached them and curiously stated: “Greetings, Mr. Thomas. Hi, Kenny! My father told me to come ask you guys about this tree you are planting because he said that it wasn’t his story to tell”. “Hello Bobby, your father surely knows the story because I’ve told it to him several times.” said T...

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“Beneath The Ground They Live” by Michael Mackenzie

Submitted to Contest #175

Albert picked up the shovel laying on the grass, gripped the handle, and forced the tip of the blade into the ground.“Didn’t you hear what the realtor said?” “All I heard were ghost stories."“She said we can’t plant anything on the property. No trees. No flowers. Nothing. Didn’t you hear? I thought you were going to start listening more.”“Listening to you maybe. Not some realtor. Besides, I want to plant everywhere on the property. That’s why we bought a house with such open land. To plant.”He dug and looked at Fiona and then he dug som...

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“In Between the Silence” by Lunny Muffin

Submitted to Contest #175

It was a raining day much like today when they first planted a tree together. Jenn had just started living with him in his two bedroom apartment. The city scape was like a night mural in the dark sky. Their love a roaring thunder of exciting fervor and uncontrollable passion. Much like any young lover the nights were intense and the bodies spoke more than their words. One Saturday morning, Scott wanted to get a flower for the apartment but Jenn suggested a small lemon tree. So both in agreement went out and got a small seedling lemon...

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“Brody” by Ilona Toth

Submitted to Contest #175

The howling wind rattled the old shutters causing them to bang against the side of the house. It was a terrible day for chores but they couldn’t put it off for any longer.. Luckily, the recent rain would make quick work of what they needed to do. The man took sip out of the chipped mug, half the design worn off from use, and gazed out of the kitchen window, looking but not seeing the vast emptiness of the dying landscape before him. He glanced down at the sorry excuse for coffee in his cup and grimaced. Being this far from civilization made...

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“The Urn ” by David Nutt

Submitted to Contest #175

The urn Sometimes life gives you a devastating blow.. It is so sudden, so unexpected that it sends you reeling as if you had been ejected from a merry-go- round. My wife died early one morning from a massive heart attack quite unexpectedly. Over the next few days I walked through a cloud of misery numbed by the tragedy of her death. It was a period of gathering the family, rendering my wife to ashes. I respected her wishes. The local priest and the church's congregation were well represented at the cremation ceremony. My wife was well re...

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“M'dears Pie” by J.C. King

Submitted to Contest #175

“Today’s a new day. Today’s the day of new beginnings. Today’s the day of what them Sunday school teachers and preachers talk about every week. Ah, yes, optimism and good ol’ hope! I can feel it in my bones that today, this day, June the 10th, 1947—it will be one worth remembering. Just take one big whiff of that rich southern air? Smells like mama in there making one them pies, don’t it?” “Mhmm.” “Say, I think she is!” Alabama is one those of states that one doesn’t vacation to very often unless you’re from there or have an extensive family...

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“Far from the Tree” by Shawn Forno

Submitted to Contest #175

“I never thought of Dad as a ‘tree guy,’” Paul said. Paul’s eyes were bleary. They’d left before he had time to make coffee, and his chin rested on his hands perched atop the shovel handle he was leaning on. Puffs of misty breath wafted from his nose and lips in the early morning air. “Yeah, me neither,” agreed his sister, Elise. “But Dad always was full...of...surprises.” She timed the last few words to her breathing as she knelt to scoop out handfuls of dark soil from the bottom of the shallow circular hole Paul had just dug. A...

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“The Sweet Scent of Eucalyptus” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

Submitted to Contest #175

The Sweet Scent of Eucalyptus Nigel leaned on the shovel as he watched Katherine plant the last of the eucalyptus trees in the reserve. They had planted twelve trees by the early afternoon and would have planted a few more if it had not been for the difficult ground. It was mainly shale and Nigel had to use his pickax to dig the deep holes. He looked out over the reserve; it was green and lush after the winter rains and the young eucalyptus trees from last year looked healthy as they carefully displayed their young leaves. He smiled to him...

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“Weather” by Daniel Taa

Submitted to Contest #175

“Weather” Dear Reedsy Judges, I hate reading people’s work. I love reading, but I only love reading if I feel that I’m learning something new. Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of an English student finally getting that A or A- in English class and finally realizing that all you really had to do was open your heart about something that you really hold true and dear in your life, and somehow illustrate the importance of said topic in a creative or essay form. I mean, we might as well pl...

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“The Cherry Tree Ring” by Shannon Broughton

Submitted to Contest #175

“Betty, I’m home! Come n’ see what I’ve got for ye.” Larry stood in the doorway filled with joy and excitement. Betty had expressed how a blossoming cherry tree would look “so perfect” in the middle of the front lawn of their new home when they were looking at it a year ago. He watched as she slowly moved through the hallway, weighed down in the front by the product of their love. Her hair was sticking out all over, escaping her messy bun. The patched sundress she wore barely stretched over her expanding belly. Her tired brown eyes looked up...

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“Chestnuts” by Siri Bjerke

Submitted to Contest #175

My fingertips almost brush yours beneath the soil, the shroud of anonymity between us, a nameless witness as a hopeful sapling of American Chestnut is plunged into the ground at my feet. The soil embraces it, our carefully selected plot of dark loam at the edge of the forest already home to a cluster of optimistic siblings. Eaten to slumbering near-extinction by a fungal blight in the late 1800s, you’re captivated by the idea of giving reality to the historical forests of mature chestnuts, towering woods as deep as the sea floating in your m...

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“HELLO DOLLY” by Peter Naughton

Submitted to Contest #175

It was Sunday and Dolly was writing a short story. She was practicing to be a writer now that she and her husband were getting used to their empty nest. Here's what she had written so far- "Two people. Simon and Iris, near to each other stood when they were young and life was new. Their arms reached out and their minds entwined thus together as they grew. Their roots spread out down under the ground joining one with the other, So, from their minds in the sky to the earth-the two were joined together. Thru days when the sun was brig...

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“How to Become a Bandit” by Thomas Jackson

Submitted to Contest #175

“Shh, Ethan, they’re going to hear us.” John whispered. “It’s fine,” Ethan said. Ethan’s fourteen inch spade stabbed a patch of grass behind Mrs. Dunlap’s shambling home. John crouched over, waiting for a puddle of empty dirt, large enough to plant the baby orange tree in his hands. Ethan plowed as fast as he could, twisting his wrists like a golfer practicing putts. He fished out a sizeable chunk, and John nudged him. “That’s big enough.” Ethan backed away, and John dropped the base of the plant down. They quickly covered the hole w...

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“The Tree of Life” by Azarael Solidum

Submitted to Contest #175

*Spring 2220* Bob and Jill dug a hole and planted the seed next to a river in the Barren wasteland that was once a beautiful field covered in green. They didn’t expect much of it but at this point there wasn’t much to lose and all they could do was hope for an impossible future. They had wandered what was once the U.S. from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Mississippi River. Would their journey turn out pointless, or would this seed be the saving grace of life on Earth. All they could do was hope and believe that all the hard work th...

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“Dyami and the Unicorn container” by Sri Vi S

Submitted to Contest #175

A mighty tree – the planet Earth Or could it be just a small seed, That became one. Oh seed where do you come from? Asked the Earth – I do not know said the seed, I know I fell from the colossal tree, But how? Asked Earth again. The seed asked the Earth Where do you come from? To which she replied, They say, I come from you – The seed wondered, still wonders if the Earth Is her own child.. Was she Earths’ child? The Tree laughed – I do not know who it is that “I” am!! From the far distance, one could see two tiny figures walking. ...

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Start your story with two people planting a tree together.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 50 stories

“A Family Ritual: Planting a Tree” by Tchen Self Timer Studios

“Beneath The Ground They Live” by Michael Mackenzie

“In Between the Silence” by Lunny Muffin

“Brody” by Ilona Toth

“The Urn ” by David Nutt

“M'dears Pie” by J.C. King

“Far from the Tree” by Shawn Forno

“The Sweet Scent of Eucalyptus” by Anna Frederiksen-Washington

“Weather” by Daniel Taa

“The Cherry Tree Ring” by Shannon Broughton

“Chestnuts” by Siri Bjerke

“HELLO DOLLY” by Peter Naughton

“How to Become a Bandit” by Thomas Jackson

“The Tree of Life” by Azarael Solidum

“Dyami and the Unicorn container” by Sri Vi S

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone who volunteers to read for others at the local library, and how it impacts their community.

Write about a character who discovers something while raking leaves in their neighborhood.

Write about a professional who is called back to serve their community after retirement.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Thank you for that.”

Contest #175

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

176

Contest entries

105

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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