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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.

11200+ 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 699 of 747

The Request

Submitted to Contest #72

Cecilia’s hands trembled where they clenched the steering wheel of her 1990 blue Porsche. It was the first car she’d ever had—a gift from her Mom for graduation. They hadn’t been able to afford one when she turned sixteen and got her driver’s license, but Cecilia was alright riding the bus back and forth—even though most kids her age already had their own vehicles by that time and could go wherever they wanted. Still, it was a wonderful gift, especially since she knew her mom couldn’t have afforded it. But now that she had a job working...

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THE ETERNAL INHERITANCE

Submitted to Contest #72

 Candy knew this had to be a joke. She had never heard of Cody Davis. How could she have an uncle she had never heard of, but this telegram said she did. Even more unbelievable it said he had died and she was his heir. The heir to his estate worth ten million dollars. Someone had a good sense of humor, but she really wasn’t that amused. She walked over to the sofa and sat down. She read the telegram again, it still said the same thing. Candy Wright was the heir of the Cody Davis estate. Well if it wasn’t a joke it had to be a mistake. P...

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Grant the Grammar Guy

Submitted to Contest #72

Grant the Grammar GuyI DON’T KNOW if you can call a man a wallflower, but there he stood against the wall. No one approached him or even waved in his direction. His suit fit a little big, and his hair looked unkempt. His beard went under his chin and down his neck. She hated that and grimaced.“What’s wrong with your drink, Lily?”      “Nothing Louise, why?” Lily asked her sister.      “Well, you just took a drink and wrinkled your nose.”      “Oh, it’s ...

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Dream Vacation With Benefits

Submitted to Contest #72

I didn’t realize how long it has been since I wrote anything for Reedsy. I have been in a writing funk between Covid and the holidays. I haven’t even been able to read or work on my WIP. Last week, one of the prompts caught my eye but I didn’t get it written in time. Hopefully, this is the end of my writers’ block. ~ StephanieIt was raining again. It was cold again. I pulled my hood up over my head and ran into the liquor store. Between the gloomy weather and this whole Covid lockdown crap, I just wanted to go home and drink. As I was decidi...

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Jardin d'hiver

Submitted to Contest #72

This is a sequel to Maybe it's time and Sweeping Sun that you can find on my page.Clotie had rehearsed the call four times already. Now was the time to try - she took a deep breath and dialled the number."Hi, hello, hi. I was calling regarding the receptionist role.""We already have receptionists.""I know, I came for an interview three weeks ago and I haven't heard back from you. I was wondering -""And you're calling only now?" She laughed and hang up.Clotie sat on the misty edge of the fountain. Looking at the palm trees, ivy and ferns that...

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A STEP FORWARD

Submitted to Contest #72

Zenachi woke up really tired. Checking her time, it was past 8am in the morning.  Oh my God! She exclaimed, jumping up from the bed and running towards the bathroom like someone who has seen a threat.  She rushed her bath, got dressed immediately and headed for the road to the office.  As she drove out of light estate, her phone began to ring. What is it Rachel? She asked.  The representatives of Sonas company are here ma.  OK, I will be there in 30minutes she said and hang up.   Driving really quietly on t...

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Kickstart My Heart (Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence)

Submitted to Contest #72

Tessa took off running. She didn't want to be in the club anymore. She decided that being a Nomad's daughter left something out of her life that staying in wouldn't allow her. Her father, Duke "Razor" Simmons, headed up the Nomads chapter in Syracuse. All Tessa wanted was to escape. New York City's massiveness gave Tessa a chance to disappear. One night after "Church", Tessa's mother, Clary, came to Tessa's room. "Baby," Clary said. "Yeah, Mama?" "I want you to get out of here. Don't do what I did." Tessa looked concerned. "What's going on, ...

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Damn you, Mr. Sinclayre

Submitted to Contest #72

         I stared at the letter in my hand. It was handwritten, rare for our era. The paper was soft under the palm of my hand, and I guessed that the sender hadn’t been afraid to spend a few bucks on quality gloss paper, which added further to the unbelievable quotient.Dear Miss April Hummings,           You must be wondering who I am, and why I’m writing to you. My name is Aravy Bethellhem, and I’m the executer for Mr. Aravin Sinclayre. I ha...

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UNEXPECTED BUT AMAZING- THE FIRST JOB EXPERIENCE OF MAYA

Submitted to Contest #72

 I, Maya Sharma ,was there. Finally, I was there standing in front of the gigantic twenty storey building in which I had to appear for a job interview. Like the cautious and boring early comer I was, I arrived half an hour early and stood in front of the huge construction which I would call my personal hell, in other words, my work place if everything went well and I succeeded in impressing the interviewers. Although never been to an interview before, I had certainly heard that job interviewers were handpicked judgy people who would hav...

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Inheritance

Submitted to Contest #72

I’m lying on my couch, watching TV, when I hear the doorbell ring. This, in and of itself, is extremely unusual. I never really get visitors apart from my two closest friends, and they know to just walk straight in. I’m a bit scared, to be honest, mainly due to the fact that I use a good portion of my free time to watch those true crime documentaries- you know, the ones where the single women living alone get abducted and thrown in a serial killer’s basement. I pause, for a moment, cursing myself for not moving into an apartment with one of ...

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With a Catch

Submitted to Contest #72

Viv was a city girl, living in a fast-paced world. She worked hard, went partying most nights, and (truth be told) she’d go home with just about anybody. She lived her life like there was no tomorrow. To call her a hedonist, would be understating it just a bit. She’d plan her holidays months in advance, so she could do as much in, and get as much out of, the time she spent away. If she was going to fly, it was business class. The sooner she got to her destination, the more she could pack in to her break. And it wouldn’t hurt if she met som...

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Ambition

Submitted to Contest #72

It’s the guardian’s job to protect. Each person lives and dies by the dates of the Creator. Those times are hard on us, but it’s a necessary part of the job. My girl’s time is coming. I can only watch, invisible at her window, as she sits in bed with an IV in her arm, and some friends surrounding her. Claire’s become so frail that she’s trapped here in the hospital. She’s wearing a hospital gown and a pink bandana to cover the hair loss. “They still don’t have a diagnosis?” One friend asks. “No,” she responds. “They think it’ll kill me if I’...

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Magnificent Mile

Submitted to Contest #72

“Lastly, Scarlett Bowen, Jack Cesto bequeathed ownership and sole proprietor of the social media platform, SelfiCesto under certain stipulations he has procured. You must relinquish your smartphone, laptop, tablet or anything that ultimately has a screen. You are to not post anything on social media whatsoever. You are to live in one of Mr. Cesto’s condos locked from the outside main entry door in Chicago, Illinois on Michigan Avenue. If you can abide by these stipulations for 30 days, SelfiCesto and it’s entire entity will be yours to do wi...

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A Dream Crashed…

Submitted to Contest #72

When he was in school, he always dreams that one day he will be a teacher of one of the well reputed institution of the country. He always noticed the teaching styles of his teachers and kept notes that how could he become a good teacher. He has to take good marks for achieving his dream. He always completed his homework and learned all his lessons by heart. He was a good student in school always achieving first position in class. Whenever he was free he was always enjoyed living in his imaginary world where he was a teacher. He putted al...

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Emily

Submitted to Contest #72

The mist was like a pea soup. So thick that Detective Donaldson could barely hear the sound of the oars as he dragged them through the calm ocean tinged green. The locals had informed Donaldson that there was an island out there somewhere, barely visible on a clear day. The detective was trying to find it in the middle of winter. It was an impossible task but one that Dan Donaldson was desperate to achieve. He hoped he was going to find land soon. The tiny rowboat continued to slide through the water until after what seemed like hours the hu...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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