A forgotten photograph tucked away somewhere is the catalyst for an unexpected journey.

Posted in Adventure on Jul 5, 2024

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✍️ 88 stories

“Love Knows No Bounds” by Sandi Torrini

Submitted to Contest #258

Sarah was only thirteen when boys started noticing her. She was a beautiful girl with long auburn hair and mesmerizing green eyes. Her parents said she had to wait until she was fifteen to date. She agreed and decided to focus on her schoolwork and other interests. She studied hard and pursued her interests in art, drama and music. She developed her artistic talent and made a lot of friends. She became a beautiful young woman with a wild independent spirit that refused to be broken. During her senior year Zach Whitherspoon, th...

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“Moved On” by Monetta Little-Ragan

Submitted to Contest #258

Warning: Death of a child occurs Janelle Greer swears she can hear her blood pumping through her body loudly in her ears. The nightmare that changed the whole trajectory of her life five years prior came rushing back. To her complete surprise, she had the evidence pointing to the culprit in her possession since the first week of the incident. While cleaning out her attic and trying to move on as best she could, Janelle had accidently knocked over an envelope exposing the evidence that led to her current situation. The...

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“Returned” by Jonathan Jacobs

Submitted to Contest #258

A man in his mid-thirties sat in a car, trees whipping back as he pushed the gas pedal—accelerating to seventy. Soft music played on the radio as he neared his new home. He sighed. “Moving’s never easy…” He gently pressed the brakes, bringing the car to a smooth stop, and turned into his new driveway. “Get yourself together, Noah. You need this.” He parked his car outside his new home; the house was a stunning sight, made from polished logs with a deep green-colored door, a vast window on the left side, and two windows placed from where the...

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“Saint Holly” by L. Keith

Submitted to Contest #258

The sky is a lovely shade of pink, and the way it mixes with the blue makes it look like cotton candy. I can almost taste the sugar on my lips. I stare at the sky to keep my eyes busy. To keep myself from staring at a moment lost to the past. The rectangle feels heavy in my hand. I tap my thumb on one sharp corner before running it over the smooth surface. For a moment, I can pretend that I can touch the image trapped forever on paper. Pans bang together downstairs. My mother is undoubtedly working overtime, desperate to create a diner tha...

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“Worth More Than A Thousand Words” by Raven West

Submitted to Contest #258

Worth More Than A Thousand WordsByRaven West Hannah Levy rushed through the front door of her family’s home. The official notice to report to the IDF on her eighteenth birthday the following week clutched tightly in her hand. She didn’t know if she was more excited to join the Israeli army, or to finally be free from under the scrutiny of her overly protective parents. As far back as she could remember, Hannah never went anywhere without one or both of them tagging along. Hanna...

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“God's Gift” by Alex McColm

Submitted to Contest #258

As he lifted the last bulging cardboard box on to the kitchen table with a sigh , Sean lamented his late wife's knack for hoarding memories like a squirrels acorns. 'Once they're gone , they're gone' she would always say. That was certainly the case now as , after a lifetime planning for retirement and what they would do together , cancer decided to intervene. Jean had been buried three months but the world around Sean was a haze since then. Three months , and he got to the last of the photos now. He sat at the kitchen table clutching the ne...

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“The Man In The Portrait” by Anna Emm

Submitted to Contest #258

Ronald Davis started out as a humble carpenter back in Glasgow. He worked hard, got one or two lucky breaks along the way, and within a few short years he ran a successful furniture business. He spent his time making bespoke pieces for the rich, as well as fitting out shops for every important retailer in the city. But with the increase of wealth and success one often sees a good man turn into an arrogant fool. And that was exactly what happened to Ronald Davis. As his riches grew and grew, so did his selfishness. He was cruel to his workers...

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“Things are Not as they Seem” by Kyle Kaye

Submitted to Contest #258

“Hon, you hoarding the spray in there?” I call from our client’s living room. “Yeah, babe hold on,” he says as he leaves the kitchen with the ant spray in hand. “What do you need the spray for? You’re vacuuming.” “I saw a bunch of ants crawling around behind the couch. Look there’s some on the floor.” John passes the ant spray and I coat the bottom of the windowsill as he wipes up the few on the floor. “Mind helping me undress the couch so I can vacuum it?” “Yeah, no problem. What time are the Chiperskis getting home ...

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“From Shame to Desire ” by Elise Marquez

Submitted to Contest #258

I’d routinely go through my old belongings like clockwork. This time it was specifically because I’d be moving to New York for college soon. Birthday card after birthday card ranging from ages 13 to now 18. Never ending piles of letters from family members in Mexico. Papers thrown around my carpet floor catching lint have created a big wall around me from my hips to the ends of my feet. As I lifted one of the letters written by my grandma I saw it there, a strip of photo booth photos with a girl. In the photo I was around 14 years old and th...

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“The Missing Chronicle” by Richard Hutchinson

Submitted to Contest #258

While Garth was on his way to school, his attention was caught as he noticed that through the strong gust of wind, a piece of what appeared to be paper, flew across from his face and into a bush. Normally there shouldn't be any sort of reason or concern to check on what exactly it is but nonetheless he was intrigued. He goes over to the bush and takes out the paper between the leaves. To his surprise it looked to be a photo. There was something strange with this item though. Garth tried his best to rationalize that the photo he had picked up...

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“The Runner” by Claudeen Krause

Submitted to Contest #258

The Runner Jessica drapes the new scarf around her mother's shoulders and notices the slight twitches at her mouth corners suggesting a smile. The only time her mother's eyes light up nowadays is when she sees the porter, Charles, who often stops by her for a friendly chat. He also doesn't seem to mind that she calls him Steven. A car accident, just over a year ago, left her mom with seemingly permanent memory loss and claimed her father's life. Jessica's weekly visits to the care facility often serve as a reminder of how little sh...

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“The Mysterious Man in the Photograph” by Laura Lockridge

Submitted to Contest #258

I am dog-tired as I stretch my aching legs before me on the chaise lounge. It is already 6 o’clock and I have not even thought about supper yet. I consider my achy bones and bunched-up muscles as I ponder whether making dinner for one is worth it. As I procrastinate, images of refrigerator contents float through my foggy brain. I could always warm up some left-over Lasagna and those Italian Green Beans my mom gave me from her perfect, oversized garden. Unconsciously, I groan as I make my unsteady way to the darkened kitchen on the other side...

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“The Tablet of Souls” by Michael Robinson

Submitted to Contest #258

“Where did this come from,” I asked, looking up from the grainy pict displayed on the hololith to Anna, my Intelligence officer. Light from the overhead lumens glittered off the lenses of her augmented eyes. “I found it in an old data packet I was about to delete. It appears to be from Lysander.” That caught my attention. Anna and I had been part of his entourage before I was made a full Inquisitor. Six years ago, he had been declared rogue by the Inquisitor Silas Ventus, who accused him of Chaos corruption. I didn't believe it, Lysander was...

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“A Mysterious Photo” by Bruce Hunter

Submitted to Contest #258

Dave and Susan were sitting at the dining table. They were discussing a trip they were about to embark on. A trip to Dubbo. Their son Mark was now living there with his fiancée, Caroline, and they were getting married in a week. Susan’s phone beeped letting her know she had just received an email. It was from Mark; he had sent several photos. One of the photos was of Mark and Caroline standing in front of a large weather board house. “Oh, this a great picture of the Mark and Caroline.” Susan said as she showed the phone to Dave. Dave looked ...

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“Monochrome Monarch” by C.T. Billups

Submitted to Contest #258

Dear Reader,This story contains: Mental health, Substance abuse,Gore, and Suicide.- C.T.As I sprint through midtown the star-filled skies fill the back alley with interstellar light. The smell of airborne dust and rotten garbage fills my nostrils.I pass a large trash receptacle pushed against the cement block wall.A fire in my chest signals the finish line is near. My legs grow heavy. I inhale a lungful of air through my nose and turn to face my pursuer.Out of the corner of my eye, I see the shadow fade into the night. I watch its hot breath...

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A forgotten photograph tucked away somewhere is the catalyst for an unexpected journey.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 88 stories

“Love Knows No Bounds” by Sandi Torrini

“Moved On” by Monetta Little-Ragan

“Returned” by Jonathan Jacobs

“Saint Holly” by L. Keith

“Worth More Than A Thousand Words” by Raven West

“God's Gift” by Alex McColm

“The Man In The Portrait” by Anna Emm

“Things are Not as they Seem” by Kyle Kaye

“From Shame to Desire ” by Elise Marquez

“The Missing Chronicle” by Richard Hutchinson

“The Runner” by Claudeen Krause

“The Mysterious Man in the Photograph” by Laura Lockridge

“The Tablet of Souls” by Michael Robinson

“A Mysterious Photo” by Bruce Hunter

“Monochrome Monarch” by C.T. Billups

🌟 Similar prompts

Center your story around two strangers who bond over their shared love of photography.

Write a story where a photograph could change the course of history if it’s delivered to the right (or wrong!) person.

Start your story with someone who has lost everything but finds solace in photography.

A photographer captures an image of something unexplainable. What happens next?

Contest #258

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

289

Contest entries

88

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: