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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of contemporary short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

150+ Contemporary Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. All the newest modern day stories to thrill and inspire, all in one place.

Contemporary Short Stories – Page 10 of 10

Moment Sculptors

Submitted to Contest #303

Manyu stepped out of the yoga studio, the lingering scent of sandalwood and sweat clinging to his clothes. He tucked his yoga mat under one arm, the cool metal of his water bottle in the other. The familiar post-workout hunger gnawed at his stomach. As he walked toward his car, the bright, inviting storefront of Flower Child beckoned. Its facade, a blend of warm wood and large, sun-drenched windows, hinted at the vibrant, healthy fare within. He recalled the Buckhead location's reputation for fresh, locally sourced ingredients and decided a ...

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JAI GURU DEV (Glory to the Divine Master)

Submitted to Contest #302

Jai was such an insufferable Devotee. He appeared, one day, at the front gate of Baba’s Ashram. Jai said Baba told him to come, and here he was.“Ram,Ram…”Jai came through the ashram gate twirling a homemade prayer wheel he made out of a used cardboard toilet paper tube, some string and a stick that he must have picked up in the Ashram parking lot. He wore a white dhoti obviously fashioned from a sheet he borrowed from a nearby hostel.( The hostel‘s name was printed boldly on it.) Jai came to the Ashram on foot, he had no possessions. He did...

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Until It Happens Again

Submitted to Contest #302

UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN “Naw, this ain’t gonna work,” I muttered. “You can’t let him disrespect you like that and get away with it.” Aimlessly, I paced from the bed to the door and back again. Tears blurred my vision, and my head pounded like a drum, full of thoughts of vengeance.“I gotta talk to someone before I do something I might regret,” I declared, my chest heaving as a deep breath escaped my lips.RING!A lump of remorse tightened my throat as I pressed the speaker button.“He-Hello?” I paused after my voice cracked, fighting back tears. ...

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The Difference between Fat and Gorda

Submitted to Contest #302

Heidi A Quechua family sits in front of us, and I spend the better part of our train ride cooing at the pink-cheeked baby peeking out from a brightly woven blanket. My husband, Eduardo, makes a funny face at the little one, then shoots me a tight smile. I search my brain for a conversation starter; something to find our way back to where we were a week ago.I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.“What did you say?” His Spanish accent makes it sound more like a line of music than a question.“Nothing.” The word rings blunt and cold in my own ...

14 likes 4 comments 4
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Clarity of Mind and Heart

Submitted to Contest #302

Prompt: Write a story with the line “I don’t understand.”Clarity of Mind and Heart My old man was a typical old-world Irishman straight off the boat.He would sarcastically say in his thick Irish brogue to my sister and I that we were living the “Life of Reilly.”Right after he would say it his mind and attention would slip away. He would start reminiscing about his former days and trials of his youth. Almost on cue, he would tear up when he reached his story about the ocean crossing and his early struggles to survive in New York City.I was...

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Father Forgive Me, for I Have Sinned

Submitted to Contest #303

Cancer is the cruelest ending to a life. All you can do is sit and watch the person you love be consumed in an everlasting cloud of misery. Everlasting until the person breaths their last breath. That describes the hell I have lived through this past year. The sunrise is bursting through the window shedding light on all that was once holy. I can hear the birds chirping merrily in the trees as I sit here in this room. This room of death watching my wife Emily struggle to take another breath. Her breathing has become raspy and shallow. ...

8 likes 3 comments 3
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Stepping up to the Plate.

Submitted to Contest #303

Lorna could only sigh, who wanted to be a mother of teenagers? These two of hers were hers alone, she had been raising them by herself for years. Their father had been one of the rat department, leaving his family in the lurch. Lorna, Tahlia and the younger one, Shelby, did not care if he ever came near them again.Tahlia was Lorna's dahl, but Shelby was starting to have her moments. Tahlia had led the way for passing her high school and her course at a local college, subsidized by Lorna. Lorna was still slaving at a lower-class job, as a da...

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A Christmas Redemption

Submitted to Contest #302

‘My mother used to say, “Stone remembers.”’Standing by her grave, I trace my fingers over the carved letters of her name, the cold seeping into my bones. Behind me, my daughter Aoife places a small wreath of holly and ivy beside the teddy bear she left her granny, its bright red nose a stark contrast to the sombre grey.‘A graveyard’s no place for Christmas decorations.’I don’t need to turn to recognise the voice. Michael O’Brien’s tone, as cold and cutting as the headstone frost, is unmistakable. A shiver runs down my spine, though not entir...

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TALK ABOUT ME

Submitted to Contest #302

The yearlong lawsuit between Josie Jean and Lawny Day has been dropped, but questions are still rising. What began as a heated dispute between the two podcast moguls has simmered down into lukewarm, over steeped tea – bitter, musty and maybe, brewed on purpose. Let’s rewind. It all started on Episode 91 on the podcast TALK ABOUT ME, which aired on February 21, 2020. For the first time, the duo that has always given the impression that they are nothing short of best friends, gave us a glimpse at a crack in their relationship. A weak point....

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The Misguiding Cajun AirPort Saga

Submitted to Contest #302

Tee Gav was a country boy through and through. He didn’t have much city sense, but he knew he was mighty smarter than the average country boy. Though, he would argue that country boys were smarter than your average city dweller. He knew absolutely three things. 1. He was the Lord’s through and through. 2. He was a fine, meticulous carpenter who could play the accordion as if the Devil was on his heels, and 3. He was confident that he could get around anywhere without a map.One day, Tee Gav received a letter from his friend Derrik. In the let...

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She'll Never Know

Submitted to Contest #302

I don’t understand—how could anybody hate her? She is perfection in human form. Nothing could compare to her. The way the sun hits her eyes highlights those golden flecks she thinks nobody notices. The way she smiles with her eyes before her teeth. The way she chews on her pen cap, no matter if she’s writing on paper or online. How her eyes light up when someone remembers something about her—even basic things, like her birthday.Gosh—who hurt her?The way she can read people like a book, adjusting her tone if she senses something is wrong. How...

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Cheers!

Submitted to Contest #303

Cheers! Well, OK, I had had alcohol. I was back from a happy hour gathering so of course I had had alcohol. But I had been very reasonable. No abuse, that’s for sure. Anyway, as a regular drinker, I don’t feel the buzz anymore. The fact is, rain was mainly responsible for all this. Puddles on the road that act as mirrors to reflect the beams of oncoming vehicles and literally drive you blind. Hard falling rain so strong that wipers can’t work properly. Furthermore, traffic jams were so numerous that night that ther...

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Beneath the Surface

Submitted to Contest #303

It all started on a rainy Thursday afternoon. Amy Grey stood under the overhang outside Maple Hill Elementary, the final bell ringing in the background as small feet thundered toward the parent pick-up zone. She adjusted her cardigan—cream-colored, like most of her wardrobe—and smiled warmly at the kids as they disappeared into cars and buses. “Ms. Grey?” one of the secretaries called from the front office. “Lucas DiAngelo’s uncle is here for pickup!” Amy tilted her head. That was new. Lucas was usually picked up by a nanny who rarely spoke....

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Halleluiah

Submitted to Contest #303

Halleluiah! The post I received said we are to write about something we don’t understand…or believe we don’t, or simply prefer not to. You can’t get more inclusive than that. Sitting here in this coffee shop surrounded by people who, if asked would tell you that there are endless things they do not understand. Gravity, orbits, string theories, politics, government, religion, the color pink; endless possibilities to prove to ourselves that we not only don’t know everything, but are better off because of it. A friend ...

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Deinstitutionalization for the Rest of Us

Submitted to Contest #302

Everyone stared as Lorraine Ravensworth burst into the homeless day program with her red lips wide open and tongue protruding. She couldn’t control her tongue to form words, but her panicked eyes said it all, and Sarah, the program social worker, called 911. This inhumane tardive dyskinesia side effect of old-school antipsychotics is hard enough to handle in the privacy of a home, but it’s torture if you live on the streets. That’s one more reason Lorraine took advantage of the gaps created by deinstitutionalization to evade mental health tr...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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