Write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both.

Posted in Adventure on Jan 13, 2023

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✍️ 59 stories

“The Escape” by Davie McGuinn

Submitted to Contest #181

Clyde had to hightail it from the railroad camps as quickly as he could. The trouble he caused at Camp Number 3 quickly caught up with him. Clyde decided that the safest thing he could do was head back home to North Cove. Clyde had to head down Pepper Creek in the dark of night and quickly if he could not be detected. He couldn’t walk directly on the Yellow Mountain road for fear of being seen, so he took a less conventional path through the creek itself, wading in its chilly waters and snapping twigs and dodging branches until the land flat...

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“Death and Dignity” by Joseph Friesen

Submitted to Contest #181

Once upon a time there were two sweet lovers named Thomas and Edith. Thomas intended to ask for Edith’s hand and so he planned a picnic of sweet rolls and honey and put out a blanket in the woods. There he showered her with beautiful words and promised her his everlasting love. I am sorry to say that before Edith could accept his proposal, the sweet lovers were ambushed by a horde of angry goblins who above all despise the cheerfulness and tenderness of two people in love. The sweet lovers ran back to their tow...

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“The Climb Within ” by Petar Hubavenski

Submitted to Contest #181

The mountain inside of her was a formidable challenge. It was made up of her fears, doubts, and insecurities. But she was determined to reach the summit, to conquer the demons that plagued her mind.She was a young woman, her spirit tested by the trials of life. Growing up in a small town, she always felt like she didn’t fit in. She was different, and the people around her made her feel like an outsider. Her parents were loving but overprotective, and their expectations of her were always high. She had dreams of leaving her small town behind ...

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“Sanctuary Peak” by Hans Kiessling

Submitted to Contest #181

The wind was gentle, rustling the leaves softly and just barely stirring the surface of the water with its touch. Birds flew on this wind, singing their melodies with a cheerful voice in the brilliance of the sun, dancing in the air with graceful wings. A bee buzzed nearby as it flitted from one flower to the next between the reeds of the lakeshore and the calls of a duck guiding her little ones through their first dip into the water sounded from the farside. Altogether came each individual song, each individual beat, to form a beautiful sym...

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“The Salvation of Jason Morris” by JJ Banque

Submitted to Contest #181

It seemed the fortunes of Jason Morris resembled a mountain that reached into the sky. At the foot of it, were his failures and self-doubt. At the peak, would be his salvation. In his pursuit of justice for a wrong committed against him, Jason would be climbing all the way to the top!The BottomIn February, thousands of people celebrated in the city of Florianopolis, Brazil. Men and women flirted, drank, and danced gaily in its streets. For it was Carnival and the start of a brand-new year. Jason Morris had flown roughly 18 hours from Washing...

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“The Peak” by David Bush

Submitted to Contest #181

I saw the Peak every day as the background of my childhood. But the allure of a large mountain to a kid was about the same as any other adventure. When you are young, any adventure is possible. Go to the park? Be an astronaut? Hang out at the pool? Fly a jet? Walk on Jupiter? When you are young, the choices and possibilities are limitless. The Peak stood in view but was never visited, falling to the wayside of childhood memories. Possibilities from our childhood fly quietly out the window without us knowing. The p...

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“Husbandly Duty” by Patrick Flanagan

Submitted to Contest #181

Contains Profanity The neighborhood, being an oval with two cross streets through the center, contained about 60 homes and was large enough to remain somewhat hidden if one desired but small enough to make that a difficult goal. It was definitely large enough to remain hidden from any neighbor on the backside of the oval especially since the neighborhood had only one entrance/exit, so those living near the front would have no need to venture to the back unless at the request of some of those rear living neighbors. The same cou...

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“Follow the Bird” by Jarod Smith

Submitted to Contest #181

Follow the bird, the bird.Tomassi’s head snapped to the side. He knew the difference between the sounds that were there and those that weren’t. Didn’t keep him from looking for them, though.His mother wasn’t Italian like his father. She didn’t know his name was spelled wrong. Did his father know him?He shook his head vigorously to clear it. Clear like the air, altitude-clear. He breathed deeply the way his doctor taught him. The phantom noises subsided, and he exhaled uneasily. He could see the high peak blue and hazy, solid in the distance....

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“Everest” by Dylan Patrick

Submitted to Contest #181

Add mountaineers to the groups of people who count science as their natural enemy. Imagine how much their lives would be if there was no gravity, no climate, no natural disasters? The process would be so much faster if they could moonwalk to the literal moon. Then again, the struggle is part of what makes each person’s journey worthwhile. Nobody brags about climbing a hill in the park with their kids. What is a mountain, though, if not a hill with teeth? Mountaining-extraordinaire Sora Skylar had been climbing mountains since he was young, ...

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“Happy Birthday, Evan” by Mae Lynn Wallace

Submitted to Contest #181

*Sensitive Content Warning: This story contains references to an infant death caused by medical negligence. There are no graphic accounts or details included.*Today is my dead nephew’s birthday.Some years this day only hits in the respect that I worry about how my sister, Tara, is doing. In the years when she’s doing especially badly, it breaks my heart for her. But today I had the revelation that I’ve spent so long worrying about how she is dealing with it that I may have displaced my own grief out of concern for hers, which is so much vast...

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“An Olympian Feat” by M K Bernard

Submitted to Contest #181

Hades rubbed his temples as he watched the boulder roll down the mountainside, yet again, and somehow, Sisyphus was surprised it happened. Again. As if it hadn’t been happening for the last… two thousand years? He had lost count, honestly. What was the point anyway? “What is it, darling?” Persephone asked as she approached him from behind, running her hands across her husband’s shoulders. “I don’t understand him,” he said, pointing in Sisyphus’ direction. “Every so often, he makes it up the mountain, and then he stumbles, or the boulder ge...

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“Walk over the Mons” by Sri Vi S

Submitted to Contest #181

When did she stand tall !!When she was on the Mountain orWhen she stood on the beach,When on the Earth.Space nor Time was the Matter –She rose.Which mountain did she want to climb,Yonder or Near !Within or without,Reflection or the ShadowEverywhere or Nowhere !!She rose.Was there a mountain,It was just the other dimension.Eelin had decided to climb the mountain in the green valley - Mt. Zenith. She hesitated to venture alone for it felt a million years away. She wondered if she could ask Aari to accompany her? She smiled to herself at the th...

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“The Final Step” by Nataliia Stempkovska

Submitted to Contest #181

She stared intently into the light-grey, sad eyes of a young woman who silently stood in front of her, afraid to move. The brown flared trousers, washed almost to the bald spot, were neatly ironed and slightly concealed her unhealthy thinness. Under a plaid jacket two shades darker than the trousers hung a white blouse, under which thin protruding collarbones were slightly visible. The black, tattered pumps were out of color scheme, even though Mom always said black went with everything. Her thin hair, just below her shoulders, was pulled ba...

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“Tungsten Mine” by Josh T

Submitted to Contest #181

Aaron paused, breathing heavily as he scratched the itch on his chest. The small red envelope felt unnatural in his breast pocket. He still hadn’t opened it, he wasn’t sure he ever could. He had intentionally left it lying on the nightstand, but his wife had run after him making sure he brought it along. Meg had been surprised when he told her about his plans for the 3-day trip alone into the cascade mountains. Hell, he had surprised himself. He wasn’t the fit college athlete he once was. At 45, and some 30 pounds heavier, he resemble...

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Write about a character who’s climbing a mountain, whether internal, external, or both.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 59 stories

“The Escape” by Davie McGuinn

“Death and Dignity” by Joseph Friesen

“The Climb Within ” by Petar Hubavenski

“Sanctuary Peak” by Hans Kiessling

“The Salvation of Jason Morris” by JJ Banque

“The Peak” by David Bush

“Husbandly Duty” by Patrick Flanagan

“Follow the Bird” by Jarod Smith

“Everest” by Dylan Patrick

“Happy Birthday, Evan” by Mae Lynn Wallace

“An Olympian Feat” by M K Bernard

“Walk over the Mons” by Sri Vi S

“The Final Step” by Nataliia Stempkovska

“Tungsten Mine” by Josh T

🌟 Similar prompts

Write about someone who realizes they're on the wrong path.

Write a story about someone who has to “move mountains” to get what they want.

Write about a character who, for whatever reason, retreats to a remote cabin.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “Let’s go for a walk.”

Contest #181

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

278

Contest entries

125

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: