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

Posted in Adventure on Nov 18, 2022

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✍️ 22 stories

“You're My Favourite Nephew” by John Steckley

Submitted to Contest #173

“You’re my favourite nephew.” “I’ll bet you say that to all of your nephews.” “You know that you are my only nephew.” “So it’s not a compliment then?” “It is. I would still say that if I had as many nephews as you have sisters and female cousins. I can see that she is happy to see me, but there is more to her face than that happiness. As I look around the living room I feel that it is filled with emptiness. And that emptiness can be best seen in the cage w...

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“Would you like some champagne and caviar?” by Madeline Honig

Submitted to Contest #173

Animals fill the room, eyes of glass and lack of bodies beyond the fur, otherwise, the four men in their short leather chairs would not be able to sit so calmly without their rifles. The smell of smoke filled the room. Half from the cigars. Half from the fire burning in the grand fireplace, the only light source in the dim room. The room is small but the decor is rich with dark green wall paper and dark wood paneling. “More Scotch?” The man with the grizzly bear behind him asks. “I mustn't, the misses ...

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“I'll Be Home For Christmas” by Natalie Schmitt

Submitted to Contest #173

I walked along the crowded cobblestone city streets on the gloomy mid-afternoon of December 24, the day everyone was supposed to be happy, supposed to be excited, supposed to be a lot of things I was not. I had a sealed envelope in my hand. People smiled at me. They hadn’t read the papers close enough. I shoved my left hand, the one not holding the envelope, into the pocket of my capelet coat and walked faster. My breath blew out in front of me in a white fog as if I were a steam engine. My ears and nose were numb, and my eyes stung w...

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“For my Very Best Friend in the Entire Realm” by Cora Weaver

Submitted to Contest #173

My very best friend in the entire realm has saved my life on many occasions. My very best friend in the entire realm has stuck by my side since we became friends. My very best friend in the entire realm is also in need of a fantastic, superb, and incredible birthday gift. (He’s turning twenty-six.). “You don’t need to get me anything, Claire.” he said when I asked him what he wanted. “I gotta get you something.” I had said. “You’re my very best friend in the entire realm. What about a new sword? Didn’t you drop yours in that chasm?” (I was r...

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“Recapturing the Joy of Christmas” by Caissa Powell

Submitted to Contest #173

Recapturing the Joy of Christmas by Caissa D. Powell It was a cloudy, cool afternoon in November and Sean stood outside looking up at the remnants of the basketball hoop in his backyard. As memories flooded back to him, he wiped away a single tear that rolled down his cheek and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He wanted this year to be different and decided that he would find a way to make this Christmas special. A few hours earlier he had seen his mom at the kitchen table paying bills. His baby sister, Abby, had walked in carrying ...

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“Lost Time” by Cece Y

Submitted to Contest #173

My dear is out running through the long grass, chasing after the last of the rain that is travelling West. She never liked parting with what has come into her life, and that includes the dreadful rainstorm that ruined our front fence. She runs to me for warmth, and I give it to her as we sit on the front porch together.“My dear, I will be going away for a short time. There is something I wish to do for you, for you are so rare and precious to me. I will be gone for no longer than a week, just in time for the first snow fall.”Her precious han...

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“By the Colour of Your Dreams” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #173

Lyric Bass blows the steam off her mochaccino. “Are you still looking for the right song for your advertising campaign?” Brice Bass closes the lid of his laptop. Taking off his glasses, he rubs his tired eyes. “Yeah, nothing seems to fit.” “What about Derry Dalrymple’s ‘By the Colour of Your Dreams?’ Great song. Great album. It’s very sentimental and sad yet uplifting at the same time. I think it fits because you’re selling the idea of a theme park where fantasies come true.” Brice’s boyish features brighten. “That’s perfect! And I love...

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

Submissions are closed

✍️ 22 stories

“You're My Favourite Nephew” by John Steckley

“Would you like some champagne and caviar?” by Madeline Honig

“I'll Be Home For Christmas” by Natalie Schmitt

“For my Very Best Friend in the Entire Realm” by Cora Weaver

“Recapturing the Joy of Christmas” by Caissa Powell

“Lost Time” by Cece Y

“By the Colour of Your Dreams” by Michael Jefferson

🌟 Similar prompts

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

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: