Center your story around someone who’s boiling over with anger, frustration, or jealousy.

Posted in Angst on Jan 24, 2025

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✍️ 56 stories

“When Perfume Shatters” by Alex Marmalade

Submitted to Contest #287

Spikenard lingered in his beard, sweet and accusing. Shimon bar Jonah had always said he could smell silver on a merchant's fingers three streets away, but this - this was different. This scent spoke of Bethany's markets, of exotic caravans from distant lands. Three hundred denarii worth of pure nard, its alabaster prison broken open without hesitation. Such extravagance. Such waste. The moon hung low over Mount Moriah as Yehuda made his way through the sleeping city. In the distance, Antonia's fortress cast long shadows across the cobblesto...

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“Seething Red” by Sarah Adewolu

Submitted to Contest #287

CW: Themes of death and guiltJessa Westergart has agreed to meet with the Macallen twins, Lance and Seth, at their house after school. Lance and Seth let their mother Christina, as well as their aunt and uncle Wendy and Richard, know that Jessa is coming over and they’re getting ready to tell her the truth. Christina wishes them the best of luck with the conversation with Jessa, no matter how she’ll feel afterward. They know that her anger will be justified.Lance and Seth are up in their room, doing their homework, when Christina’s voic...

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“Just Ed” by Kimberly Fader

Submitted to Contest #287

Just Ed by Kimberly A FaderEd Nelson’s given name was John, like his father, John Edward Nelson, but everyone had always just called him Ed. His brother, Jonathan Edward Nelson, was born two years after Ed but caught up quickly and, in no time, was taller and stronger. People called Jonathan “a born athlete,” bound to join thei...

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“The Most Neurotic Man in the World” by Hal Perry

Submitted to Contest #287

I met Frank for lunch today at the First Hill Diner, just up Madison from the bar. He said he needed to talk about something. His voice sounded urgent. So I told him I’d get my co-owner to cover for me and that I'd meet up with him at 1:00 pm.I think Frank is the most neurotic man in the world. That isn’t meant to disparage, because I’m rather neurotic myself. I dealt with anxiety problems after I got divorced, and Frank took to me because he seemed to know of what I spoke.Birds of a feather.But Frank boils over with anxiety, insecurity, and...

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“Something New” by Naomi Ballestero

Submitted to Contest #287

The only thing I got right was my first breath. It could have been a cruel mistake. When your existence is wrong, it’s natural to drown in disparity, bubbling over the steady heat of resentment, animosity vibrating your DNA. It’s hard to breath.“Did you hear?” David asked, pulling up a chair next to mine.“I’m working.” I muttered, annoyed knowing that he knew office gossip was a thing that never included me.“They’re giving the promotion to Lily. Better luck next time, man.” A comforting smack on the back and he rolled away.“Wait!” I cried. H...

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“Water of Giulia” by Zacharias Boer

Submitted to Contest #287

Caderra did well to marry a lawmaker. A girl from a respectable family in Naples, she moved to Rome with a man she’d known two days before marrying. Embarrassingly wealthy in terms of gold and gut, he was well-known throughout Rome and assisted in bringing potential laws forth to the Secretariat. This rendered him a very rich man, with which Caderra could live quite comfortably. However, she was accursed with the disease of cleverness, and unfortunately aware of her potential autonomy. In her youth she provided him with several c...

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“The Ghost Of Who I Could Have Been” by Jocelyn O'Neill

Submitted to Contest #287

Chandeliers swinging like the leaves on a maple tree, tear drops of pure crystal catching my eye as I step into the dinning room. The late afternoon sun chases shadows, shining light on rows and rows of engraved service plates and diamond wine glasses. “There she is, the birthday girl!” He stands up glass in his left hand, his right in the pocket of his infamous black suit. “A toast to my beautiful daughter and of course all of you for coming today.” And there he is, dad, I know him no better than I do the strangers looki...

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“MARY DID YOU KNOW?” by Latoya Edwards

Submitted to Contest #287

Trigger Warning: Some use of ProfanityMary Anne Lesure fixed her black curls and fluffed her bosom in the mirror. She twirled around in the center of her bedroom watching her dress flail open like a parachute. She was wearing her favorite powder blue satin dress with pearl buttons and matching collar broach. It complemented her golden skin very well. She had it paired with flesh tone stockings, and very demure satin Mary Jane heels she had professionally dyed to match her dress. She blew herself a kiss with her ruby red lips. She walked...

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“This Kind of Jealousy” by Vanessa Shields

Submitted to Contest #287

This Kind of Jealousy Jacey throws a glass coffee mug, (Zwilling Double-Wall Insulated Glass Mug), across the kitchen. It hits the freshly painted wall (Behr, Sweet Coconut Milk, M230), and shatters into a trillion pieces. “This is what you’ve done to us!” she screams, her voice crackling with jealousy, her manicured pointer-finger nail (Orly Cold As Ice - breathable treatment + color) jabbing at the air toward the pile of glass rubble. Blayne drops his head, his second chin hitting his chest first. “I’m sorry, babe,” he m...

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“Cathy's letter” by Amelie Thelma

Submitted to Contest #287

1989As she put down her pen, Cathy sighed, then smirked slightly. She picked up the sheet of paper in front of her and cast her eyes over her tight scrawl, concentrating, re-reading her words. Ha! she thought, almost gleefully; this would teach him. He deserved what was coming.She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. Whilst she felt satisfied that he would soon be learning his lesson, deep down, the anger was still there. Bubbling away, taking over her body. She had barely slept for the past few nights. This is why he deserved this. He had to p...

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“The Ladies' Tea Circle” by Jerilyn Kolbin

Submitted to Contest #287

(This story deals with racism.)It was late August, and the coolness of school approaching was in the air, capping the evenings shorter by the minute. In the daylight savings, evening light, the mother-housewives gathered with their chairs, blankets and cups of tea on the walk in front of the Singers’ house for their usual evening catch-up chats. Motors hummed in the background, as the father-husbands competed to having their lawns be the crispest and the greenest. Morty Singer’s was always the best by far.Johanna, and the other neighborhood ...

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Center your story around someone who’s boiling over with anger, frustration, or jealousy.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 56 stories

“When Perfume Shatters” by Alex Marmalade

“Seething Red” by Sarah Adewolu

“Just Ed” by Kimberly Fader

“The Most Neurotic Man in the World” by Hal Perry

“Something New” by Naomi Ballestero

“Water of Giulia” by Zacharias Boer

“The Ghost Of Who I Could Have Been” by Jocelyn O'Neill

“MARY DID YOU KNOW?” by Latoya Edwards

“This Kind of Jealousy” by Vanessa Shields

“Cathy's letter” by Amelie Thelma

“The Ladies' Tea Circle” by Jerilyn Kolbin

🌟 Similar prompts

Start or end your story with a character making a cup of tea for themself or someone else.

Set your story in a café, garden, or restaurant.

Write a story with a character pouring out their emotions.

Start or end your story with someone being soothed by a hug or words of comfort.

Contest #287

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

408

Contest entries

173

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: