Write a story about a character who’s trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 55 stories

“The Tiger and the Lion” by Harlow Jones

Submitted to Contest #108

She limped up the hill. Her feet dragged. She slid on her way down. Her shoes’ traction expired. She huffed and puffed to her car. Once seated behind the wheel, she flipped down the sun visor and saw a red face staring back at her. She flipped the visor up and threw her head back. Her panting accompanied her thoughts. How could she ever think running would be a good hobby? The one silver lining was that she managed to not twist an ankle in the crumbled foundation she called running shoes. She looked at the seat beside her and sighed. ...

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“The Elements of Production and Conquest” by Brandon Best

Submitted to Contest #108

Breathe in… breathe out. It always begins with air into the lungs. Regulating my breathing, controlling it, meant controlling my thoughts, and being in tune with myself. Staying connected, and keeping connected. That was the only way this was going to work. Taking a deep breath in, holding it for a beat, then letting it flow, releasing naturally with no degree of force or frustration, I thus began the mental preparation for what was at hand. The daily, morning practice of my Xingyiquan empty hand set, Wu Xing Lian Huan Quan. It was th...

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“The Girl With A Bird For A Heart” by Tempest Feather

Submitted to Contest #108

The Girl with a Bird For a Heart Tempest Feather As she stretched and awoke, her alarm clock rang. Ignoring it, she buried her head in the pillow. Her dream flooded back. She was running heavily through the forest, her feet pounding over the molding earth, which gave way to cracked pavement. Her sneakers slapped the concrete as she ran, fleeing from them as she skidded to a stop before her local mall complex. Ducking into one of the stores, she dropped down the wall, breathing heavily. There, before her, was a police officer checking...

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“Accept that empty space” by Nova Nite

Submitted to Contest #108

Sometimes it’s scary to think that just one moment can change someone’s life forever. One moment can turn someone into a completely different person. A woman sat in a group of ten people in an old church, her long brown hair tied up in a tight bun, her blue eyes searching for something safe and her freckled face void of any emotion. “Gal, it’s your turn.” A blonde haired woman said as the broken girl looked up to see the group staring at her. “Right.” She whispered looking down at her dry hands. One of her c...

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“Cancelled” by Stephanie Eagleson

Submitted to Contest #108

Maire said cancellation didn’t hurt. If that were true, Cara would have traded the last day full of a stiff back and migraine for an early quitting time. She floured the work surface and kneaded a lump in rhythm to her pounding temples. Only an hour or two: after that, there wouldn’t be enough of her left to suffer. It was just a matter of filling the space between now and then. She rubbed an itch on her cheek with her shoulder and didn’t see how it left a powdery smudge on her sleeve. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth; she wondere...

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“My Palermo” by Dhevalence .

Submitted to Contest #108

“We are safest among the dead.”Eyes flicker in the corner, so there must be the creature who spoke. I cannot see the figure; I can’t see much of anything, really, in the dim light of a lantern placed well away from that corner. I wish to see what that is, and for a different reason, I wish to see what’s behind me prodding at my kidneys with a pointed object.A very sharp, painful object.These beings, these many grunting beings, stopped me moments ago, stabbing my ribcage with their sticks and spears. One of those implements too could be on my...

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“One Lone Rocking Chair” by Patricia Mae Zimmerman

Submitted to Contest #108

Upon the front porch of our present residence, there sits a lone rocking chair. This rocking chair, I purchased some years ago. When I was not rocking my rand Daughter to sleep in it, my husband would sit in it with her and sing her back to sleep. The song he most often sang to her was "What A Wonderful World", by Louie Armstrong. They were so precious to watch, together in that rocker – Granpa and granddaughter. It was only a very short time we were able to spend together then, as my husband became less able to even speak any longer – let a...

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“Indian Summer on Ontario Beach” by Mo Colby

Submitted to Contest #108

You remember this. It is autumn and the days shorten. All things are red, gold, purple-gray. All things are cooling down. Wet winds and leaves blowing flat against your chest. You remember this as if from a dream. You took the child to the fair. The child is your daughter. No. Your sibling. No. The child is of no relation to you. The fair was a screeching place. Wind whistling through the Ferris wheel, children fluting high-pitched voices over the scattered candy wrappers and fire-orange leaves. You bought the child cotton candy, but she dro...

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“The empty bowl” by Lilou Recamier-Prima

Submitted to Contest #108

It was a rainy day; A Monday morning. The light in the room was already fading away from the sun hiding behind the clouds representing everybody's feelings about Mondays. The floor was cold, and my feet were making the wooden floor crackled under each movement. Mornings are like emerging from a coma; I usually don't remember where I am, even who I am. In a certain way, morning can become exciting because you get to be who you want to be for few seconds before shifting back to reality. Then comes a flow of thoughts. Most of them are related t...

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“Ready” by Hanna Levine

Submitted to Contest #108

I bit Mateo’s neck lightly and could feel his pulse with my tongue. My nose wandered up to graze the outside of his ear. His shampoo smelled like the woods behind our condo after a rainstorm. He turned his head to meet my lips. We languished like this for longer than I could afford to. My bus would come at seven-thirty-eight. I didn’t check the time but my internal alarm was already going off. He seemed to be thinking the same. He broke free from my lips long enough to say, “You have to be in at eight-thirty?”My answer was as ...

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“Void No More” by J.B. Dixon

Submitted to Contest #108

“Gimme another, Joe.” “That’s four already, Ryan. You sure you want another?” “You can cut me off after this.” “Alright.” Ryan sighed as the barback refilled his whiskey double then slid the glass over to him. “Cheers.” The musician didn’t throw it back right away but nursed it as he mused over the events of the last four days. “Bloody hell,” he chuckled. “I supposed I should be glad I got out when I did. Now I see what my friends were getting at.” He sipped the spirit, wincing at the burn. “At least they’re not heckling me about it...

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“ The Best and The Worst Decision I Ever Made” by Colin Taylor

Submitted to Contest #108

The Best and The Worst Decision I Ever Made When I was ten years old my parents decided it would be best for me to start a new school. After a year of being bullied, constant trips to the principal's office, and being surrounded by people that caused the faculty to contemplate calling 9-1-1 weekly, it seemed like the right call. I would be transferring to a private school called Coloma Christian. As an overweight and insecure fifth-grader, the idea scared me so bad my hands would bec...

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“The Space She Left Behind” by Alejandra Mora

Submitted to Contest #108

I could still see the scuff marks on the floor where the hospital bed had been wheeled away. The rubber parts of the wheels were no match for the wooden floor and yet try as I might, the dark spots only got darker, no matter how much I tried to get rid of them.The living room felt cold, as if no one had ever lived in this house at all. Viv had objected all day to having to move into the living room. But with all her body aches and those ridiculous spiral stairs that even I, in my healthiest state couldn't climb up without tripping, setting h...

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“Outpost Gamma, Escape Route Number 68” by Karena G

Submitted to Contest #108

Outpost Gamma. Escape Route Number 68 December 15, 2035 Escape Route Number 67 in T minus 20 minutes. Escape route number 68 in 428 hours. “Thanks, Clysta,” I mutter to our onboard AI. She woke me out of a dream. I was back on Earth, a child laying between the rows of tomato plants, Mom’s big rubber boots on my little feet. “Please take me back there,” I beg of my own brain, now wide awake. The moment is gone. I haven’t decided yet if I’m taking this escape route, but seeing as it’s in less than fifteen minutes and I haven’t prepared...

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“An Empty Hoard” by Nek Mihi

Submitted to Contest #108

“Not enough. Still too much, open space. Never enough. There needs to be more,” Grimswaborg muttered distractedly as he tore open yet another adventurers void space, the meagre contents spilling dejectedly in the gaping chasm that yawned menacingly a bare twelve hundred feet away from where he stood now. “Their fault, not mine. If they really cared about all those villagers, they would be helping me. Not posting their hurtfully inaccurate notices and arming their sons and daughters with pitchforks and rusty pot lids.” Something ticked ...

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Write a story about a character who’s trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 55 stories

“The Tiger and the Lion” by Harlow Jones

“The Elements of Production and Conquest” by Brandon Best

“The Girl With A Bird For A Heart” by Tempest Feather

“Accept that empty space” by Nova Nite

“Cancelled” by Stephanie Eagleson

“My Palermo” by Dhevalence .

“One Lone Rocking Chair” by Patricia Mae Zimmerman

“Indian Summer on Ontario Beach” by Mo Colby

“The empty bowl” by Lilou Recamier-Prima

“Ready” by Hanna Levine

“Void No More” by J.B. Dixon

“ The Best and The Worst Decision I Ever Made” by Colin Taylor

“The Space She Left Behind” by Alejandra Mora

“Outpost Gamma, Escape Route Number 68” by Karena G

“An Empty Hoard” by Nek Mihi

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about a voyage on a boat.

Write about a person or object vanishing into thin air.

Write a story about a team tunneling down into the centre of a planet.

Start or end your story with a house going up in flames.

Contest #108

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

202

Contest entries

207

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: