Send your characters on an unforgettable quest to find an essential object.

Posted in Adventure on Sep 20, 2024

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✍️ 37 stories

“Remote Control Reality” by Bob Faszczewski

Submitted to Contest #269

John pressed his microphone button and said “evening news” into his television’s remote, expecting to get connected to a report on the latest bloody news and casualty reports from the war in the Middle East. As he looked on in amazement, the walls in his apartment opened up and he found himself transported into a recently bombed-out section of Beirut. After shaking himself out of a state of shock, he ran for what remained of a nearby building to shelter him from the second wave...

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“The NeuroSynapse Chip” by Ronald John MacLennan Jr

Submitted to Contest #269

The woman, gasping for breath, ran down the wet, deserted alley, her heels clicking on the pavement. The rain fell hard, splattering onto the puddles around her, but she hardly noticed. All she could think about was getting away from the men in the bar. She slipped and almost fell, catching herself on a dumpster before regaining her balance. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked back at the bar's entrance, half-expecting to see them emerging any second. But it stayed dark and silent. Maybe they bought her story. Maybe they ...

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“No Man's Land” by Brice Bailey

Submitted to Contest #269

It is incredibly taxing to recount all of the pertinent events of our history, let alone the full account of mine without mentioning some horrific details I had only discovered this month. My memory has been rather hazy due to severe shock and trauma throughout the past few months. I suppose I should begin there while I have my faculties. Part One: TravailWe had set sail on a journey across an ocean that had not been traversed for generations. Our entire community was blighted with an affliction causing the population to dwindle to just us m...

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“The King of Stones” by Vanessa Vestena

Submitted to Contest #269

Finn stricken the flint against the fire-steel until a small sparkle landed in the fire pit, starting the bonfire. As soon as the tiny ember hit the bunch of straws it lit up, roaring to life. When some warmth reached his face, he leaned back against the tree behind him, stretching his sore legs from the long journey. His eyelids growing heavy with sleep. It has been a long journey from Reinfield, his hometown. Two years ago, he would have never imagined that he will find himself in the dark lands of Dún Na Gaar, looking for a stone th...

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“The Thief's Lucky Charm” by Keleigh Hadley

Submitted to Contest #269

I didn't mean to steal Mrs. Abernathy's cat. Honest. But when you're known as the neighborhood's most nimble-fingered "collector of misplaced items," sometimes things just... happen. And Mr. Whiskers happened to be wearing a very shiny, very pawnable collar. "Ruby!" Mrs. Abernathy's shrill voice cut through the humid Harlem air. "You bring Mr. Whiskers back this instant!"I peered down from my perch on the fire escape, the fat tabby purring contentedly in my arms. "Sorry, Mrs. A! Looks like he wanted a change of scenery. Can't blame him,...

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“Bosom Companions” by Sharon Cabana

Submitted to Contest #269

BOSOM COMPANIONS It wasn’t supposed to be like this. When Anatoly took the assignment from Gio Giordano, the godfather of the Giordano family, it was supposed to be an easy “in and out.” Get the archaeologist, drop him in the middle of jungle in an undisclosed location in Central America, find the breastplate, and then fly first class back to his house in the Philadelphia suburbs with pockets approximately five hundred thousand dollars heavier. Called “The Ax” by those in the business, Anatoly was true to his name. He broke into the a...

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“Greed to Redemption” by Hesandu Vinuwara

Submitted to Contest #269

As the dull evening sun shot beams of light through poorly made attic window Sean continued to run through his late grandfather’s old boxes of stuff. Sean’s life had become almost as miserable as their poorly maintained residence in Louisiana, sagged under the weight of neglect, passers by on the street in front of it would assume that it had been forgotten by time itself. It’s windows which were once clear portals to the world beyond, were now just mere pieces of shattered glass. The smell of aging wood dominated the surrounding atmosphere ...

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“Quest for Tears” by Brianna Conner-Lewis

Submitted to Contest #269

Coughing and groans came from Seth as he was nearly motionless in his bed. Serena was making him soup to try and get him to eat. It’s been years since the magical diseases began covering their land and when her twin brother became ill months ago, she knew it was up to her to stop the sickness from taking him like it did their parents in the very beginning. But she has yet to find a medicine or herbal remedy to heal him and he progressively has been getting worse. “Here, Seth. I made your favorite. Potato soup.” Serena pulled a chair to...

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“The Fetch Quest: A Tale of Three Dogs” by Hillary Quilico

Submitted to Contest #269

The Great Fetch Quest: A Tale of Three DogsThe afternoon sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the sprawling backyard. It was the kind of day that felt endless, where the air buzzed with possibility, and the smell of freshly cut grass beckoned adventure. For three determined dogs, this day would be one of legend. Their beloved toy—a tennis ball, worn and muddied from countless games of fetch—had just been thrown into the great unknown by their human. What was once a simple, playful toss had now transformed into something far mo...

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“Jian” by Patrick Druid

Submitted to Contest #269

JianThe world was in turmoil and leaderless without the benefit of a king. Hundreds of warriors gathered support of farming communities and other warriors and some veterans of war, all in a bid to claim the throne. Sir Robert of the Lowlands, a burly man that could swing his axe so hard that it would fell a tree in one stroke, was often favored to win the crown, but he was held back by the last contender for the prize, Sir Kay a close friend. Their armies fought each other on the battlefield many times but every battle ended i...

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“A Kaper of Kobolds” by Robin Schadel

Submitted to Contest #269

Strix and Squirt stood at the entrance of their cavern at the base of the Tengar Hills, the misshapen clay jugs they used as an alarm hanging a foot over their heads. The once narrow forest trail, now beaten by armored feet and burned by torches, stretched wide before them. Their red scales glinted in the morning light. Kobolds, as everyone knew, weren’t the most imposing of creatures. These scaly dragon-kin stood about the height of a ten-year-old child and had twice the squishiness with beady eyes and brains that kept them alive but little...

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“I'll Never Do That Again” by Burton Sage

Submitted to Contest #269

I’ll Never Do That AgainbyBurt Sage “You want my most embarrassing moment?” I ask. “Yeah,” Fred says. “I thought it would be a good way to get us going tonight.” Our next door neighbors, Fred and Susan, are over for our regular Saturday night get together. Every other Saturday night they come over here; on alternating nights Karen and I go over to their place. We have dinner and then talk about the old days, current events, etc., but never politics. The visiting couple gets to choose the initial topic of conversation, and for tonight Fred a...

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“Fear the Crimson Tear” by Walter Bingham

Submitted to Contest #269

In the dimly lit corner of a bustling New York City tavern, a young man named Henry Gilbert nursed a pint of ale with a look of quiet resignation etched into his gaunt features. His eyes, once lively with the excitement of academic discovery, now bore the weight of defeat and despair. His frayed shirt and disheveled hair spoke volumes of his recent misfortune, a stark contrast to the well-dressed patrons who chuckled and clinked glasses nearby. A linguist by trade, Henry had once held a prestigious position at the local university, his offic...

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“Dreamweaver's Nightmare ” by Rene Grandon

Submitted to Contest #269

Dreamweaver's Nightmare The morning sun filtered through the windows of Dreamspire, casting long beams across the polished stone floors. The high, rounded towers of the grand castle stretched toward the sky, their walls lined with books, tomes, and cascading streams of magic sand, each one flowing in different colors, symbolizing the dream and memory magic coursing through the realm. Sandman stood in the grand hall, his thoughts still tangled from the previous night. Something had felt off, though he couldn’t place it. He stirred his c...

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“A Hill to Live On” by Robin Butterworth

Submitted to Contest #269

The roads were quiet, and the Alabama sun still young in the sky, when my friend Dylan turned down the radio and released the full cry of the Cougar. I didn’t know cars, didn’t care to, but normally the sound of that engine climbing the ridges of my spine would make me at least a little hungry for Dylan’s next gear change. But today was not a normal day. And even though the Cougar’s black hood gleamed with the promise of a fresh dawn, there was nothing that could have lifted my spirits to meet it. Tomorrow would be the day I buried my dad. I...

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Send your characters on an unforgettable quest to find an essential object.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 37 stories

“Remote Control Reality” by Bob Faszczewski

“The NeuroSynapse Chip” by Ronald John MacLennan Jr

“No Man's Land” by Brice Bailey

“The King of Stones” by Vanessa Vestena

“The Thief's Lucky Charm” by Keleigh Hadley

“Bosom Companions” by Sharon Cabana

“Greed to Redemption” by Hesandu Vinuwara

“Quest for Tears” by Brianna Conner-Lewis

“The Fetch Quest: A Tale of Three Dogs” by Hillary Quilico

“Jian” by Patrick Druid

“A Kaper of Kobolds” by Robin Schadel

“I'll Never Do That Again” by Burton Sage

“Fear the Crimson Tear” by Walter Bingham

“Dreamweaver's Nightmare ” by Rene Grandon

“A Hill to Live On” by Robin Butterworth

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about an object that changed everything for a character.

Center your story around a character who is obsessed with an object.

Write a story about an ordinary object that becomes magical (either literally or figuratively).

Show how an object’s meaning can change as a character changes.

Contest #269

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

312

Contest entries

122

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: