Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Posted in Angst on Oct 26, 2022

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✍️ 170 stories

“When The Cradle Falls” by Jana O'Dell

Submitted to Contest #57

The holiday is right around the corner which means nothing to me other than chaos, confusion and panic. Everyone stays stressed, I have to rush to pack for my trip home and I have to scramble to get all my work done before heading out of town. Every year it is the same thing- stress! My name is Brooklyn and I am an unmarried artist following my dreams in New York City. I add that I am unmarried because trust me, once I head back home and you meet my mom- she will make sure you are very aware of that fact. At least once a month she tries to...

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“Stone-Carved Truth” by Maahi Shah

Submitted to Contest #57

"Hey! I am Natalie Lopez." At least that's what I told her. I am Veronica Heathers, the daughter of Victoria Heathers and Liam Heathers. Heathers is my dad's surname. It comes from my ancestors who appeared to own the town of Heatherville, back in the day. Now it was run by the city's Mayor. My mom's last name was Lopez, she was Spanish, though her family and my dad's belonged to Heatherville. Since nobody knew our family from the name 'Lopez,' I was told by my parents to keep it going that way and to replace my honour to Lopez, temporaril...

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“Dropping the Torch” by Debora Cutshall

Submitted to Contest #57

“What?” Came an incredulous response from behind the partially closed bathroom door. “She...” the rest of Paul’s question was drowned out by the running water as he finished brushing his teeth and rinsed his mouth. “Paul, please.” Lilly coaxed through the door. “I didn’t say she won’t go, I said she doesn’t want to.” Looking up she mouthed I could use some help here! Exiting the bathroom in his work pants and t-shirt Paul sat on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes. “Our kids are the fourth generation that have had the privilege of ...

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“Upheaval” by Vishakh Padmakumar

Submitted to Contest #57

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. It was handed down from generation to generation since time immemorial. Whatever the circumstances, we stand together and we stand free. But today I made a choice. One that will forever alter the fate of my family and a choice that will be synonymous with my name for the rest of time. Tomorrow, for the first time in as far as any of us can remember, the leader of the Pride will decline the Blood Oath. Would my father and grandfather understand my decision? In my heart of hearts I know the answer and that slowly g...

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“Godslayer” by Ari .

Submitted to Contest #57

There was a warrior house in Coyo’an whose only daughter was chosen to pay the debt of blood we owed to the gods. Her name was Quetzalin, meaning Plume, and all were willing to give her up but for her elder brother. He was a bitter man, selfish and spiteful and not so fair to look upon. A blow from a nightsaw had cleaved off half his face, reducing it to rough meat and half-grinning teeth. His name was Huitzilin, meaning Hummingbird, and behind his back he was called Ghoul. When they had reached the Red Temple, Quetzalin accept...

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“Crossing the Horizon” by Khagesh Mahanta

Submitted to Contest #57

“It’s OK, brother” I gently hugged the palms of his hands with those of mine. With the hand gloves, it was difficult to guess the actual feelings. But, I could see that Rick was gazing at me with the teary eyes of regrets. He wanted to express his gratitude, by all sincere means and said “A big Sorry again; but, I promise that I will never repeat such an act, in my life.” I forgave him despite of his thievery of valuables from the Arcadia Children Foundation. Actually, I decided to forgive him not because of the fact that I sponsored his bad...

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“MODERN CASSY” by Merina Ainomugisha

Submitted to Contest #57

Cassy was from the Kampire family and in her family, there was a long known family tradition which was that whenever a girl from the family wanted to get married, she would have to spend the night before her wedding day in her parents' home as it would be marked as the very last time she stayed there as a single lady. Ms. Cassy Kampire was going to get married to Dr. Peace Paul Akani. She was the only daughter of her parents', Mr. Jonathan Kampire and Mrs. Cathy Kampire. She had one brother who was Jessy Kampire and she was older than him. H...

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“Football First” by Wendy Cohen

Submitted to Contest #57

CJ Garnett had long since given up on the game. Even the fans were morosely quiet: 42-7 with three minutes to go. They had come to watch what should have been a close match. Instead they were watching a routing. Garnett imagined fans across the country gathered in front of their televisions feeling gypped out of a good game. God, what a jerk Cummings was. Resentment flared leaving the taste of bile. It was a shame coach had been forced into putting Cummings in when their first-string quarterback, golden-boy Dillard, had blown out his one goo...

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“The Crown” by Nayeli Aguilar

Submitted to Contest #57

King Henry the Fifth was nothing like his namesakes. He was bold, independent, and absolutely mad.Or at least that's what the people were told.See, King Henry the First had been a boring man. Nothing significant happened during his rule. All he was remembered for was being the first. His son, King Henry the Second, was a bit more interesting.During his lifetime, he managed to have six wives. All of them eventually left him. However, near the end of his life, he found his true love. She was a friend of his since childhood, but he had never ha...

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“For Love” by Sam W

Submitted to Contest #57

My family has, for at least ten generations, directly, indirectly and invariably, always married for love.But now that I’m walking up to the altar, none of those lovely people bothered to show.So it’s seventeen-year-old Henry’s arm that I lean on as I walk in time to the hymn towards Mr. Daniel Grün, his affluent older cousin. My fiancé of about three or four weeks.Yikes.I have to admit: right now, in this ridiculous dress and killer heels, in front of all these people, it does seem like a terrible idea. That’s what my mam told me: when you ...

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“Sarah” by S Smith

Submitted to Contest #57

Sometimes a story does not start. Sometimes it was always there, like the hope that you’re born with, the traditions you’re born into. Sadly, hope will die easier for some people more than others. Tradition can be harder to break. Sarah came from a perfect family. They’d always excelled at everything, whether it was finishing a project first or beating everyone else in an election for mayor. Ah, yes… mayor. Her father was the mayor for as long as he could be. And her grandfather. And every other great- som...

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“The Lament” by Mario Cavett

Submitted to Contest #57

How much could one of my stature be worth? My Father was a chimney sweep. My Mother was a chimney sweep their Parents were covered in soot until their dying day. My fate could only be that of a loathsome toad crawling upon the earth searching for devices, to subside the feeling of his apparent failures. They say that one’s past is the voice of future events. Could my fate be that of a monster looking upon a mountain filled with waving ancestry covered in fine black powder? How much must a man suffer to break traditions of poverty second gues...

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“Through Her Love Poems” by Warrior C

Submitted to Contest #57

It was too painful for her to just having a long stare from her window, seeing nothing but the clouds in the horizon, amazingly admiring the beauty of the sky. She was thinking on how she could go to Visita Iglesia ( a traditional church visit during Maunday Thursday in the Philippines) and could see her most loved man if the virus was still giving chaos to people's lives?It was a busy morning of community enhanced quarantine in her place. Maris was cooking breakfast while asking her Dad who was very busy reading news on his laptop- if ...

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“The Open Mind” by Sword Moonblood

Submitted to Contest #57

Joshua was sitting in the mahogany chair set apart in the dark library, in front of him. A fire blazed igniting the room in a dreary light. He sat in wait with the lonely howling of the wind, and the pounding of the rain. "Tick, tock, tick, tock," said the grandfather clock as the chimes rang for twelve o'clock. He heard a noise coming from the western door below the haunted picture of his great-great-grandfather, Fergad the Fourth. He always hated that picture. For he was the one that started it. He was the one who made hi...

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“The Way the Sea Looks at Me” by Aditya Jain

Submitted to Contest #57

I curled my toes toes in the cold, monsoon fed seawater as my feet waddled gently against the rising tide. The sun was about to set through the violet water into the ominous deeps of the Andaman Sea, crashing down below drowned land bridges and coral reefs, facing whales that covered the moon and the stars, and finding its warmth dilated from the luminosity of the squids and other aquatic life. There were grey clouds trailing the wind in the sky, crossing countries and borders, fishing villages and old uninhabited settlements in the Andama...

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Write a story about someone breaking a long family tradition.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 170 stories

“When The Cradle Falls” by Jana O'Dell

“Stone-Carved Truth” by Maahi Shah

“Dropping the Torch” by Debora Cutshall

“Upheaval” by Vishakh Padmakumar

“Godslayer” by Ari .

“Crossing the Horizon” by Khagesh Mahanta

“MODERN CASSY” by Merina Ainomugisha

“Football First” by Wendy Cohen

“The Crown” by Nayeli Aguilar

“For Love” by Sam W

“Sarah” by S Smith

“The Lament” by Mario Cavett

“Through Her Love Poems” by Warrior C

“The Open Mind” by Sword Moonblood

“The Way the Sea Looks at Me” by Aditya Jain

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a humorous story about the descendant of someone remembered for an insignificant act.

Write a story about someone who’s famous for something they never actually did.

Write a story about someone who travels to the future, and isn’t happy about how they’ve been remembered.

Write a story that starts with someone writing their will — one they know people won’t like.

Contest #57

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

676

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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