STACH Short Story Contest #24: 199 words, 5 winners, 15SBD prize pool!

in #contest7 years ago (edited)


Hello Everyone, @kingst here with the announcement for the STACH Short Story Contest #24.

What is a Short Story.

A short story is a story with a fully developed theme but significantly shorter and less elaborate than a novel. It makes use of plot, resonance, and other dynamic components to a far greater degree than is typical of an anecdote. You can read it in less than 90 seconds.


Contest Rules:

•Write a Short Story based on the topic that will be given every week.
•Write an Original Short Story (Plagiarism will be flagged and reported).
•The Story must contain no more than 199 words.
•One entry per user.
•Story should be pasted in the comment section below, no links.
•Contestants are permitted to post their stories in an article on their blog, so they also get upvotes from the @stach trail.


Winners Selection.

Winners will be selected based on the topic, story plot, number of words and delivery as determined by the selected Judge. One word above 199, disqualifies the entry.


Contest Topic.

Write a 199 words story based on ALL IS NOT LOST.


PRIZE.

FIVE winners will be selected for a share of the 15SBD. The story with the most interaction gets a 1SBD prize from @ejemai.
First Prize: ----------------------4SBD
Second Prize: ------------------3.5SBD
Third Prize: ---------------------3SBD
Fourth Prize: -------------------2.5SBD
Fifth Prize: ----------------------2SBD

Good luck guys!


Sharpen your writing skills and throw in some inspiring short stories. XO!


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Sorry Everyone.
Edit: the topic is ALL IS NOT LOST and not otherwise.

Ohhh!! I didn't saw the edit 😵😵😵

I have a nefarious purpose to contact you.....
So, I'm only upvoting you and putting this
PRETTY THUMB UP i CREATED to get your attention.
thumbsupcolor.jpg

And going to appeal to your appetite to make money by curating others contests.
plagerism.jpg

I want you to cross promote your contest by participating as a judge in a couple of mine:
"SteemIt Decathlon"

Contact me through private chat on on discord channel: Steeminati
I'm the @HumanEmotican
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Oh, such interesting Contest Topic! I upvoted & resteemed and I'll try to write)

That evening all footsteps in the village was traced to Mr Obinnas compound. He had just been discharged from the hospital uptown, where he was in intensive care from about 3 months. Everyone looked forward to hearing from the horses mouth on how he lost his leg foot.
They had been married for 5years without any child. Amidst all odds, scorn, from neighbors and even family members what kept him and his wife still married is the fact that they truly loved each other and were determined to stay no matter what.
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After 9months for the first time there was the sound of a baby in the house. This was indeed a miracle and she had been having several miscarriage before this time.
As custom he headed to the riverside to buy fresh fish to prepare a special meal for her.
Mr Obinna on his way back was knocked down by a hit and run drunk driver and that was how he woke up in the hospital. Now he cannot walk again with aids. "life may have been cruel to me somehow," he said "but I am confident of the fact that all is not lost"

This is how Tade almost lost his head. Tade left his house at Agege, that fateful evening. He had no destination in mind. He just kept walking. And walking. Like a homeless mongrel. Truth be told, he wasn’t different from one. His landlord had thrown him out to the streets. Perhaps, he would live under a bridge.

Tade walked aimlessly till he walked into a shed, “Mama Sikira’s Kitchen.” With his empty pockets. Three wraps of fufu and egusi soup. Goat meat. Empty pockets. Perhaps he was mad just as he was homeless. He ate till his stomach was close to explosion, drank the “pure water” he was served and made to leave.

This is the part where Tade almost lost his head. Mama Sikira tugged hard at his tattered shirt with shouts of “Thief! Pay me my money!” Tade clasped his hands in prayer to Mama Sikira. Her shouts alerted area boys already. Tyre was set. Petrol was on the way. Tade could see death. But at that moment the big man came in. You know all these big men that like roadside food. He paid Tades bill. All is not lost, Tade’s head would stay in place.

Recovering the Faith

George loved his wife, since his illness took a 180 degree turn, between his job, taking care of his wife and his young son, he felt overwhelmed and lost.

George's days passed slowly, he felt that every day he lost his faith. He did not understand why God had failed him. His family had always been devoted, and although they were not perfect, they always tried to help others.

George felt that every day he lost his faith in what he had always believed. His wife did not improve, and on the contrary he had little time to live. His anger with God caused him to reject his faith when his wife died.

One month later sitting in the park watching his son play, an old lady sat next to him and said: "Not everything is lost, even when a loved one dies, God gives us a new opportunity to return to love".

George looked at her and looked at the sky, remembered his wife, and understood that without her he would not have his son. He knew the happiness of marriage thanks to his wife, and it was not too late to recover his faith.

It felt like the world had fallen apart, Kike didn't know what to do. Mark had been the love of her life, she trusted him and would have done anything for him. As she drove to work, the events of the last two week came flashing back. She had tried to reach her cousin Bisi on phone, but she wasn't picking up, this was unlike her, Bisi always picked up her calls. All morning Kike tried calling but couldn't get across to her cousin. As the minutes passed, fear began embracing her gradually, "I think something is wrong", she thought. She got her keys and drove to her cousin's apartment, she got there to find her boyfriend pants down with her cousin. She was devastated. "What did she do to deserve this" she lamented

In her grieving moments, Max, her neighbor was the one nursing her. He had been in love with her since she moved in and he vowed to himself to bring back her joy. Even though Kike lost her relationship with Mark, all was not lost. True love loomed in the neighborhood, when one door closes, a larger one is opened

Really touching story you have here

I can totally relate to this story

Thank you

learning not to trust people, especially the ones who have the power to hurt one thing I've learnt.

this one's a really good story

her cousin is a traitor, a real backstabbing bitch

This is a picture of what happens in the real world

All is not lost
Come on guys, we're gonna be late, screamed Sonia. She had waited for this trip for so long and even had a calendar to mark the days. Calm down, we are coming! Alex and Vivian screamed back. They all get into the car and drove off.
We've been driving for a while now, someone please tell me we're close cos I'm tired of sitting, Vivian said. Sonia and Alex laughed at her, they knew Vivian didn't like sittting in a spot for long. She would complain till your ears got sore. Suddenly, their car broke down. Alex rushed out to see what was wrong, they had a flat tire and he ran to the boot to get a spare but there was none. Oh no! He screamed. They were in the middle of no where with no spare tire.
After standing for what seemed like hours, they saw a truck approaching and waved at it. The driver stopped and when they explained their situation to him, he decided to help them since he was heading in their direction. They were relieved as they thought they had to cancel their trip after spending so much time and money planning it.

The old man dipped his paintbrush in the white paint. Upon the dark hull of his fishing boat, he began forming letters.

His granddaughter watched, saying the letters as they were painted. “A-L-L. I-S. N-O-T. L-O-S-T. What does that mean, Grandpa? 'All Is Not Lost?'”

He put down his paintbrush. “It was your grandmother's saying. It reminds us of the times when we did not have enough. No matter how bad things got, we still had life and we still had hope. She would shrug her shoulders and say 'All is not lost!' and then buckle down and get back to work.”

“You miss her, don't you, Grandpa?” the girl asked.

Tears formed in the old man's eyes. “Every minute of every day,” he replied. “I wish you had got to know her. She would have loved your questions and wisdom.”

“But she is here! Her spirit is always here, Grandpa,” the girl protested.

“I just wish I could hold her again.”

“But you have me to hold now,”the girl replied hugging her grandfather tightly.

“Indeed, she was right.” He looked at the boat, his eyes glistening with moisture. “All is not lost!”

I liked that, sometimes it is the littlest among us that are the wisest.

Children so often become teachers. :-)
Thanks for your comment.

This is my entry for the stach short story contest. Titled,
ALL IS NOT LOST

Jerry paced up and down his room as he thought of what would happen next. Several times, he took a brief look at the wristwatch on his hand and also, the wall clock hanging. “She'll be here anytime soon.” he gasped.

For four months now, his life hadn't been as happy as it used to be. His wife caught him with another woman and since then moved out of the house with their daughter. He regretted his actions but everything he did to show he was sorry had since proved abortive. Until last week when his wife decided that she is coming back home.

A strange number called his phone.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Come to the hospital now, it's urgent.”

There has been an accident just at the entrance of the city. Everyone in the car died except a little girl; the little girl was his daughter.

He knelt close to her daughter on her bed and buried his face in the bedspread. His daughter reached out for his hands and said, "don't cry, dad. Mum had already forgiven you and you still have me with you.”