End your story with a character receiving a deeply meaningful gift they weren’t expecting.

Posted in Adults on Nov 18, 2022

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✍️ 66 stories

“The Purse” by Thom With An H

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #173

So here’s the thing, I want to tell you a story about a time capsule.Wait, that’s not entirely true. It’s really a story about two people and a time capsule. Oh, and by the way, this time capsule is also a purse.Don't worry, it will all make sense at the end. I promise.Kathleen, or Kathy for short, was so unique that even peculiar people called her quirky. She was proud of her name, although she wanted everyone to know that not all Kathys were alike. She was fond of saying that Cathys with a C were wimps. She always said this with a smile be...

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“A Handful of Herbs” by Suma Jayachandar

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #173

Every time I visit you, which is roughly once a year, I notice, the sharp edges of the glass, cemented on top of the high compound wall have become fewer and grown smoother.The iron gate, on the threshold of which we grandchildren sat on those summer evenings, as you called out to the passing ice apple vendor and peeled the juicy delicate fruits on which we pounced and suckled like piglets, could use a coat of paint.There is still that pomegranate tree with its gnarly branches, guava with its mottled leaves, and bushes of plantains with thei...

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“Polish Cuisine” by Michał Przywara

Submitted to Contest #173

You hand me a book I cannot read. There’s a wooden spoon on the cover, and though the language on it – your language – is impenetrable to me, I know this is a cookbook. The paper is jaundiced and brittle and the spine is bent, like yours, and loose sheets spill from between the pages like the stuffing of a disembowelled teddy bear. What could I possibly do with this book?“It belonged to my mother,” you tell me. Again. This story I know, as you’ve told it many times. It was your mother’s, and the only thing of hers you still have. The mother ...

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“A Gift from Above” by Melony Beard

Submitted to Contest #173

The strangest thing wasn’t the fact that the phone rang at midnight, but the strangest thing was that I had disconnected the home phone service a few weeks ago. The very last thing I expected on this Friday night was my disconnected house phone to ring. I jumped at the unexpected sound of the ringing phone which hung on the wall in the room next door. I know that at least briefly I must have wondered who in the world had gotten through on this line, but once the following events began to take place, I completely forgot anything that happe...

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“Alloy for Christmas” by Mackenzie Littledale

Submitted to Contest #173

It was my first time in Shawn’s apartment since he’d moved, and since our hiatus. He frequently referred to himself as “just a street kid from Miami,” so I wasn’t expecting anything elaborate in this apartment. But once I stepped into the living room with sunlight pouring in through the sliding glass doors, felt dwarfed by his flat screen TV, giggled inwardly at the tangle and stacks of tech gadgets, and took in the spaciousness, I knew he’d come a long way. His sofa was basic beige, but covered in microfiber, so it was soft and inviting. He...

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“Thanksgiving Catenation” by Wendy Kaminski

Submitted to Contest #173

My left arm is sore as I pass the collection plate, because Phil playfully slugged me again… because I look like my sister.Technically, she looks like me – I’m older – though we don’t resemble as much as we did when we were younger. Back then, we were often assumed to be twins. At my mother’s church these days, though, we are rarely seen together, and so at my annual Thanksgiving visit, I often get mistaken for her, since she’s a four-times-per-year “regular.”She and Phil must have a special relationship, and he must have vision issues, beca...

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“Kateryna and the Piano Man” by Wally Schmidt

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #173

TW: This story contains references to the impact of the war in Ukraine on childrenSome stories are both true and imagined, and this is one of them.Em,Our Ukrainian family finally arrived in Warsaw! A mother and her two little girls. It took them four days to get here. There were dozens of checkpoints along the way which really slowed things down. My heart breaks just hearing about it.Olena, the older girl, said “I thought I’d freeze to death sleeping in the car. We didn’t have any blankets so I put on all the clothes I had and it still wasn’...

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“Cassie” by Francois Kosie

Submitted to Contest #173

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“No Smoke Without Fire” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #173

I never believed my father when he said Uncle Terry burned down his own house.Who in their right mind would do such a thing? I’ve read about people setting fire to their homes to escape debt and defraud insurance companies, but my uncle wasn’t desperate for money. My father said he was never the same after Aunty Jean died. #My father wasn’t a practical sort of man and relied on Uncle Terry to fix and mend things for him. I used to go round and watch him work on his various D.I.Y. projects in his tool shed. Uncle Terry could turn his han...

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“A Crappy Day” by Terry Wayne Carpenter

Submitted to Contest #173

Cries and grunts from little Abigail fill the room. She hasn’t pooped in three days. Poor little thing. Two months old is too young to have so many problems. My wife and I have enough to worry about. With bills piling up, her inability to cope with an increasingly colicky baby, and my inability to find steady work, it’s looking more and more like there will be no Christmas to celebrate this year. It’s hard to understand the world these days. I work two jobs and can’t find enough work to make ends meet. All you want as a father is to provide...

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“The Red Fields of France” by Chris Campbell

Submitted to Contest #173

Major Terrence “Poppy” Fortescue sat as upright as he could in his army hospital bed. Located two kilometres from Passchendaele, France, his second in command, Special Adjutant Arthur “Dinky” Jenkins sat by his bedside, sharing a moment with him, before heading back to the front line. Discharged from the same hospital, Jenkins had recovered from shrapnel wounds that tore through the flesh on his right arm – the same bombardment that robbed Fortescue of his lower right leg and most of his left arm. The few shards of hot shrapnel that sliced i...

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“Kore Statue #673” by Scott Christenson

Submitted to Contest #173

In the past, people described my mother's personality as quirky. These days they would likely say she is ‘on the spectrum’. She is into puzzles, factual knowledge and has very strong opinions on many topics. Conversations with her tend to have a one way flow to them, so I’m never quite sure if what I'm saying is being heard. I will mention one thing, and then the conversation will quickly jump from topic to topic never getting back to that thing I wanted to talk about which can be frustrating.I used to be sure I was different. A ‘normie’. I ...

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“Gabriel's Horn” by Delbert Griffith

Submitted to Contest #173

Gabriel's horn (also called Torricelli's trumpet) is a particular geometric figure that has infinite surface area but finite volume. The term ‘Gabriel’s Horn’ refers to the belief that Gabriel will blow a horn as a call to judgment.**************Ruth Rendon looked around the room, amusement apparent on her face. Grandpa Gabriel Rendon’s will had just been read, and the shocked faces around the table bore testament to the odd contents of the will. Gabriel Rendon’s $131 million estate would be liquidated and ...

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“Dust Collectors” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #173

“You don’t get it, Fie. I don’t want anything.” Shoppers pushed by. Oblivious to his surroundings, Owen stood between shelves stacked high with Christmas décor. Looking exasperated, Fiona pointed to their surroundings. “Wake up!” He mimicked her and ended with an exaggerated yawn. “I have what I need.” He shook his head. “Look at this crap. Kitsch, kitsch, kitsch… Could have cornered the glitter market.” Fiona held up a gnarly gnome leaning on a candy cane. “Here, Owen. This is so cute! How can you resist?” “No more dust collectors. Simpli...

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“What Goes Around” by Ginny Moore

Submitted to Contest #173

Assault with a deadly weapon carries a one-year minimum sentence in New York, at least according to the reputable legal advice of the Google search I complete on the taxi ride to Sam’s apartment. The question the internet can’t answer is whether a wool scarf counts as a deadly weapon. I suppose it all comes down to motivation. Sharp wind blowing down 8th Avenue grabs the ends of my pea coat as I exit the cab, slipping inside the dense fabric and causing my entire body to shiver. I clench my teeth and pull my wool beanie further dow...

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Contest #173

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This week's theme: Giving, Receiving, and Return Receipts

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Ended on 23:59 - Nov 25, 2022 EST

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Title: How to Return a Book Titled "How to Improve Your Writing in Five Easy Steps" in Five Easy Steps

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End your story with a character receiving a deeply meaningful gift they weren’t expecting.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 66 stories

“The Purse” by Thom With An H

“A Handful of Herbs” by Suma Jayachandar

“Polish Cuisine” by Michał Przywara

“A Gift from Above” by Melony Beard

“Alloy for Christmas” by Mackenzie Littledale

“Thanksgiving Catenation” by Wendy Kaminski

“Kateryna and the Piano Man” by Wally Schmidt

“Cassie” by Francois Kosie

“No Smoke Without Fire” by Howard Halsall

“A Crappy Day” by Terry Wayne Carpenter

“The Red Fields of France” by Chris Campbell

“Kore Statue #673” by Scott Christenson

“Gabriel's Horn” by Delbert Griffith

“Dust Collectors” by John K Adams

“What Goes Around” by Ginny Moore

🌟 Similar prompts

Coming up with a gift idea was the easy part — getting your hands on it is another thing entirely.

Write about a character going to great lengths to return an unwanted gift.

Write a story starring a store cashier, during the busy pre-holiday season.

Write a story that includes the phrase “Thank you! It’s just what I wanted.”

Contest #173

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

168

Contest entries

79

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: