Start your story with the arrival of a new person in a town full of gossips.

Posted in Adults on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 41 stories

“Small Town Rats” by Allison Lau

Submitted to Contest #131

Whisper. It felt like they had arrived in a ghost town. There was no one around, except for the wind, but Adeline could still hear their whispers. Like rats scuttering around her brain. Evelie dragged her suitcase down the gravel street. She had always loved what she called ‘small town charm.’ A gust of wind below the map from her hand, and Evelie jumped to catch it. She dropped her suitcase handle, and Adeline grabbed it before it hit the floor, continuing to pull it without Evelie even noticing she had dropped it in the first place. ...

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“The Profits of Gossip” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #131

The Profits of Gossip After operating one of the most successful and popular taverns in Annapolis for 30 years Johnny Spertulla was happy to “hang it up” and retire to the quiet Eastern Shore resort town of Snow Hill. Little did he know that a group of his new neighbors would attempt to dash his hopes for a laid-back lifestyle filled with weekend mornings of fishing the Atlantic and whiling away his afternoons in minimal stakes poker games. On his first day in town, Johnny stopped by the local grocery store to pick up a few “ne...

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“9B” by Kari Larsen

Submitted to Contest #131

She was referred to as the woman in 9B. She had a perfectly nice name, but no one in the building bothered to ask her what it was. The gossip started soon after she moved into The Alden at 2 East 75th Street. She lived alone in apartment 9B which was the first thing to raise eyebrows. “Why does someone who lives alone need a three bedroom apartment?” “How can she possibly afford it?” “The woman in 9B had a visitor today.” “9B had an unusually large delivery today.” The woman in apartment 9B was far too busy to notice the curiosi...

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“A Bittersweet Sunset ” by Camille M

Submitted to Contest #131

Author's noteI took inspiration from the character le Survenant in Germaine Guèvremont's novel Le Survenant to create Jonas, the new person in town in my short story. They are similar in the sense that they are both strangers whose origin remains unknown.*****Honeyhill was like any other washed-out town of the countryside. The old pastel houses stood like lonely scarecrows in the dry wheat fields that lined the cracked roads. The winters there were long, dreary and dark whereas the summers plunged the townspeople into a sort of comatose stat...

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“The Girl With The Blue Sweater” by Malik Coley

Submitted to Contest #131

The plane had just arrived in New York at John F. Kennedy airport. Following my arrival, my eardrums began rupturing to a maximum extent. What was more painful than this? Maybe, being "mentally" and "physically" forced by my bossy mother, to leave my small hometown in Afton located in Lincoln County. The state of Wyoming, couldn't have been a better home to me, for the last seventeen years, as my "antisocialness" agreed with me as well. Wyoming didn’t have many people, as my life was pretty peaceful.I wasn't familiar with New York City, but ...

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“Gossip Town” by Lea Isamolea

Submitted to Contest #131

After a long drive, he stopped in front of a damaged, rusty sign that said “Gossip Town.” The navigation had stopped giving him meaningful information few days before, so he had to use an old map. He placed the map on the passenger seat and looked at the town in the middle of nowhere, which seemed as if it was built around a local circus from old scrapes. "What should I tell him?", he said. "Small town, or better: a mixture of different styles of architecture and grotesque gargoyles that lie around, combined with fairy-tale houses and crooke...

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“La Maestra” by Franca McManus

Submitted to Contest #131

Midday. A forgotten cigarette curled bluish-hot smoke from its perch in a faded melamine ashtray, while a persistent fly played toccata e fuga with Gennaro’s bushy lughole. He didn’t wince, concentrated as he was. Next to him, Mario, aka “O Capitano”; across the table, Piero “O Communista” Esposito, and on his right, the one whose name no-one ever recalled – he usually answered to Lorenzo, would also accept Vincenzo, but generally went by Coso (Thingy.) Gennaro exhaled as he played his hand; with an almost boy-like glee he scooped up the S...

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“Renovations” by Bettina Karpathian

Submitted to Contest #131

As Stella bent down to pick up her glove, a shove from behind almost pitched her headfirst into the soup can display.“Sorry, love, couldn't see where I was pushing the cart,” said a familiar voice. “Are you alright? It’s these darn bifocals. Can’t seem to get the hang of them. Here, let me help you up.”It was Mrs. Jones, the large, shortsighted lady who came to clean Stella's house every week. She reached down and yanked Stella up by the arm with the strength of a stevedore.“Say, did you hear about the old Miller place?”“What?” said Stella, ...

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“Lake View Court Living ” by Bill Richter

Submitted to Contest #131

Barry and Jeanette pulled into the driveway precisely at noon on a Wednesday in April. It was beautiful out, eighty degrees and light wispy clouds seemingly etched into the bright blue sky. The breeze from the lake two blocks away brought a touch of coolness that kept the sun from feeling too hot. They got out and looked around the cul-de-sac that would be their immediate neighborhood for the next six months as they housesat for their friends Julio and Kathy who would be spending those months with Julio’s parents in Sevilla, Spain. Julio and...

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“Welcome to Rumorville” by Rebecca Hackney

Submitted to Contest #131

The wind blew hard and Jessie’s hair whipped around her face so she tucked it under her hat. The rain didn’t help either, she was drenched from head to toe but she had to keep going. According to the road sign she passed it was only a few more feet until she reached the town and she needed to get out of this storm. Jessie wrapped her coat tighter around herself and kept walking because she saw lights in the distance. Andrew finished wiping the counter when the door burst open. A tall figure leered in the door, dripping water on the welcome...

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“ALMOST LIKE AN APPARITION” by Mara Masolini

Submitted to Contest #131

ALMOST LIKE AN APPARITION No doubt that she could not go unnoticed. Her long straight platinum blond hair, they moved, remaining long straight, to the almost regal pace of her steps. A tall black domed hat stood out (towered) on her head, increasing her already remarkable height. She had a tall, slender, supple figure ( physique). She was elegantly dressed, yet at the same time you were struck by the extravagance of her clothing. Over the long coat of classic cut, tight on the shoulders and which widened like a bell, ...

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Start your story with the arrival of a new person in a town full of gossips.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 41 stories

“Small Town Rats” by Allison Lau

“The Profits of Gossip” by Bob Faszczewski

“9B” by Kari Larsen

“A Bittersweet Sunset ” by Camille M

“The Girl With The Blue Sweater” by Malik Coley

“Gossip Town” by Lea Isamolea

“La Maestra” by Franca McManus

“Renovations” by Bettina Karpathian

“Lake View Court Living ” by Bill Richter

“Welcome to Rumorville” by Rebecca Hackney

“ALMOST LIKE AN APPARITION” by Mara Masolini

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about two characters whose first impressions of one another are wildly inaccurate.

Write a story that includes (or subverts) the enemies-to-lovers trope.

Write a story about a group of sisters, or a group of brothers.

Set your story in a drawing room.

Contest #131

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

185

Contest entries

128

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: