Start your story with the line, “That’s the thing about this city…”

Posted in Adults on Oct 25, 2022

Submissions are closed

Sorry, we are not accepting submissions for this prompt as it is not part of an active contest. Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy Prompts account.

Or create a new Reedsy account:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 283 stories

“The Patient” by Rich Hosek

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city… although it looks and feels like any other city you might have visited—there are homes and shops and streets and parks—it's what isn’t there that makes it stand out.There are no people.Not a soul.But—and this is a pretty big but—there are—how shall I put this?—traces of people. For example, there are cars parked everywhere, but each day some of them have moved, or there are different ones in different places. There are some streets marked with “No Parking This Side On Mondays,” and sure enough, on Monda...

1 comment 1

Read story

“Wonderment” by PK Spice

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city mom, it welcomes you, draws you in and accepts you as its own. I swear it was as if Chicago itself decided I belonged in Old Town and it was going to make sure that’s where I ended up . . . well, with a little help from Moffat,” Sarah grinned as her mother wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, then adjusted Sarah’s veil. “Tell me again how you met Davante,” her mother sighed as she looked at Sarah’s reflection in the mirror. She’d never seen her daughter as happy as she was at this moment, looking so b...

2 comments 2

Read story

“No Pets, no Joy” by Morgan Douglas

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city, no pets allowed under any circumstances,” explained Janice, the very peppy realtor. “Are you serious? I have never heard of a town that didn’t allow pets in,” replied Harris as he looked over at his wife. “I am unfortunately telling you the truth.” “Well, I wish you would have told us that before we bought the house,” mentioned Willa. “I am sorry, I didn’t think it was pertinent information. Most people who move into Garrison are aware of this stipulation.” Janice then handed the keys off t...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The City (The Search – Part 2)” by Redd Herring

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city. He scans for movement. It wants to kill me. He takes another look at the crumbling building. He cannot see anyone, or anything, but that is no guarantee. He waits behind the dune, just to be certain. He knows he should not be here. No choice. The sun crawls higher. He unzips his pack, checking his inventory for the third time – dried lizard, flashlight, knife, net, four water jugs. He is more prepared this time – better at finding lizards and water. I need to find some meds, and some batteries would be nice....

6 comments 6

Read story

“The Crooked Connection” by Nicholls Nicholls

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city, downtown Chicago was a magical place and someday I’d be heading straight to the top. It was 1925 for goodness sake, everywhere you looked we were building and enterprising the way to the future! Whirring electric trams and flashing neon lights glowing through the haze of cigarette smoke and cars honking as they rattled through the busy streets, it never felt like you were alone in Chicago. No matter what Bert Stone said, I was gonna be somebody. I’d been pedalling his newspapers for a while now and I was goo...

3 comments 3

Read story

“I Like to Drive” by John K Adams

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing with this city… if you don’t have a ‘place for your stuff’, if all you have is your body, you’re a nobody. With no place to stand, you have no standing. You ain’t got a castle, who are you? So, being homeless, unless you call my car a home, I wanted a place to lay my head besides my steering wheel. I drove into the camp to check things out. Little kids wandered like stray dogs. No one cared. I slammed my brakes and yelled a blue streak out my window when a pack of them ran into the road. Last thing I needed, to run some kid ...

5 comments 5

Read story

“Tintin & Chicken City ” by Kirrtanaa Thanesh

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city,”“Huh?” asked Zero.“It’s just so… great,” continued Chips.“It’s the city’s 100th anniversary today! We shouldn’t be here, talking! Let’s go see Patty!”“Oh yeah!” ️️️“Hello, there!” said Patty cheerfully.“Hey, fatty Patty!” joked Chips.“Oh shut up Chips,” said Patty annoyed. “I know I might have put on a few pounds but yo...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Two Birds with One Stone” by Ashley Slaughter

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city. It stinks. Literally—it smells terrible. Between the massive landfill along the interstate and the old papermill across the river, the stench of pollution and hard-earned money from both sides ride on the wings of the wind through the streets, whishing between the tall, dilapidated buildings of downtown. Good old Monroe, Louisiana. The city used to be a big deal back in the early- to mid-1900’s. The infamous Bonnie and Clyde hid in one of the old hotels, the first bottles of Coca-Cola were produced here, and...

11 comments 11

Read story

“Oh, Timeless New York” by Day Goncalves

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city, y'know. People come. People go. Buildings are built, some are demolished. Oh New York, how you steal my heart. I came here, some 50 years ago, I was probably your age, how old is you? -seventeen -yeah we're seventeen well, I was a bit younger than you then haha, ah God how time flies, now I'm old, just like you New York, you oh great jungle of buildings. Where was I going with this, kid? I must have gotten lost in the way. -emm yes don't worry bout it, the next question we have is why you came here? Oh yes! ...

0 comments 0

Read story

“The Broken City” by Sonja V.

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city… it’s not the normal one you stumble across while driving on the interstate. It’s… a little different than your human ones. The buildings are two or three times higher than yours, double the size, and a big white dome surrounds it all, like a shield protecting a broken city. The people have hover cars, and small cubicle apartments where they set down their families for the rest of their lives. The buildings take over all different shapes, some with a pointy roof while some are laid on top of one another. Inst...

4 comments 4

Read story

“Doors, Closing.” by Aisa M

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city. It’s so loud and it never seemed to sleep, yet at dawn, it shows its mellow side. The streets are still almost empty, the train platform desolate.The first train of the day crawled towards me like a giant yellow caterpillar. Sleepy-eyed, I pulled my luggage and entered the wagon, inhabited by few sleeping passengers. I sat on that long, empty bench beside a luggage area. The train's announcement was played, mentioning the next station followed by the Arabic and English versions of the phrase, Doors Clos...

0 comments 0

Read story

“Infinity” by Malisa Ray

Submitted to Contest #85

That's the thing about this city. With its melancholic star-studded sky, imperfect strangers rushing by with thoughts of collateral beauty and dreams of touching the horizon, and flickering neon lights illuminating the bustling streets. It was home, and yet home became less about four walls and a roof and more about a person. Home was the beautiful woman with the afro, a smile touching her maroon painted lips as she swept through the crowd, photographing Times Square. It was the man hurrying to catch the train at 6:04 PM, his one hand gras...

2 comments 2

Read story

“Family Traditions” by Leane Cornwell

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city, there’s more than one reason it earned the nickname Sin City. You can’t write about Las Vegas, Nevada without giving credit where credit is due. Most of which belongs to the caginess of one very large, very extended east coast based family. That family and it's role in building such a mega-glamour capitol from desert sand captured my imagination and was the sole reason for my sixty year intrigue with the city.By the time my own extended family discovered that ill-gotten electric city in the 60s, Vegas w...

7 comments 7

Read story

“My dearest Buenos Aires (1)” by Mariana Del Rosal

Submitted to Contest #85

That’s the thing about this city: either you love it or you hate it. Or well, you are like me, together with ninety percent of its inhabitants and you are somewhere in between. I live in the city of tango, the city of the Obelisk, the city of big theatres and European ambitions with a mixture of ethnicities, origins, and aspirations. The city of big gaps: River or Boca (our big soccer teams), mate or coffee, Peronists or Antiperonists, pizza or barbecue (“asado”), national street rock or reggaeton… In Buenos Aires, y...

2 comments 2

Read story

“The City That Kills ” by Paula Dennison

Submitted to Contest #85

“That’s the thing about this city, you gotta’ stand up too it yah hear me?” “It will chew you up and spit you out into tiny pieces like that recycling plant.” Not realizing he was almost yelling Jimmy Armado said this to the young man walking with him as part warning and part prediction. Although he himself didn’t know what a prediction it would be. Jimmy gestured with his thumb jutting out his fist over his shoulder to the recycling plant that was billowing thick grey and black clouds of smoke from the incinerator. Nathan shuffled a...

0 comments 0

Read story

Load more stories

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with.

Middle School – 153 stories

Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

Historical Fiction – 154 stories

Write about someone fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better.

Teens – 44 stories

Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Teens – 34 stories

Contest #85

Enter our weekly contest!

This week's theme: City Living

$50

Prize money

671

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Mar 19, 2021 EST

A winner will be announced soon.

View details

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

We'll send you 5 prompts each week. Respond with your short story and you could win $250!

Menu

CONNECT

BLOG

APPS

TOOLS

ABOUT

Start your story with the line, “That’s the thing about this city…”

Submissions are closed

✍️ 283 stories

“The Patient” by Rich Hosek

“Wonderment” by PK Spice

“No Pets, no Joy” by Morgan Douglas

“The City (The Search – Part 2)” by Redd Herring

“The Crooked Connection” by Nicholls Nicholls

“I Like to Drive” by John K Adams

“Tintin & Chicken City ” by Kirrtanaa Thanesh

“Two Birds with One Stone” by Ashley Slaughter

“Oh, Timeless New York” by Day Goncalves

“The Broken City” by Sonja V.

“Doors, Closing.” by Aisa M

“Infinity” by Malisa Ray

“Family Traditions” by Leane Cornwell

“My dearest Buenos Aires (1)” by Mariana Del Rosal

“The City That Kills ” by Paula Dennison

🌟 Similar prompts

Set your story in a major city that your character has a love-hate relationship with.

Write a story that takes place in the same building but in two very different time periods.

Write about someone fighting to change their city neighborhood for the better.

Write about someone fighting to keep their city neighborhood the same.

Contest #85

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

671

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: