Write a story about someone who is constantly being put into a box by others.

Posted in Angst on Jul 21, 2023

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✍️ 40 stories

“Wyoming Style” by Sue Leather

Submitted to Contest #208

Friday nights, the diner filled up quickly with locals in from the week’s work. Melissa didn’t mind it; the time went quickly, and the tips weren’t bad. ‘Give me a beer and one of those rib eyes, Melissa.’ ‘Sure thing, Don.’ Melissa wrote the order down on her pad and walked towards the kitchen, high heels clicking on the tiles. Melissa had been a server at the Buffalo Diner for two or three months now. It wasn’t bad as jobs go, and at least it was paying for some of the treatment. It was an expensive business, the hormone therapy, bu...

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“Action Maxx!™ ” by Dilettante Shultz

Submitted to Contest #208

I never belonged in the toy box, this must be some kind of mistake on Sam’s part. Sam, a plucky preteen boy, a better owner an Action Maxx!™ couldn’t ask for. Every one of us figures deserves to be with the most courageous, adventurous boys and I think I must have got the best. I’ve been Sam’s favorite since he first opened me all those years ago; spent every night on the pillow next to him keeping an eye out for any villains that may skulk in the night. At least, I used to. My post eventually became standing on the nightstand, then ...

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“Breaking the chains” by Banana Graham

Submitted to Contest #208

Nikki sat in the dimly lit room, surrounded by the shadows of her past. As they reminisced about their childhood the walls seemed to whisper secrets of a life she once thought was perfect. But the truth was unraveling. Nikki glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She saw a young woman who looked strong, but the pain in her eyes revealed a different truth. Kelly saw it too, and she wondered if she appeared the same. Nikki could no longer ignore it. Kelly stood nearby, filled with a mix of pain and determination. They had been through so muc...

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““Pretty; Not Smart”” by A. M. Conger

Submitted to Contest #208

I was born April 5th, 1971, I think. Akin to Barbie, I was “well-proportioned with blue eyes and a blank look.” Like my mother, I was “a fair-haired girl with a vacant stare.” This was my beginning, at least that is what I was told. On the rare occasion that my father spoke to me, I was informed that my mother “must have screwed around” because I looked nothing like him, and “it’s a good thing you’re cute because you sure are dumb.” My memories of him were an empty spot in the bed each morning, a dirty breakfast dish in the sink, and a roy...

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“sourdough” by Victoria Shellady

Submitted to Contest #208

Elizabeth Moore had dinner on the table at 5pm, like she did every other weeknight. That night's creation was a new recipe torn from the pages of the latest edition of Better Homes and Gardens. The Best Pot Roast You Will Ever Have, the article claimed. Elizabeth bought a chuck roast, potatoes, celery, and carrots the night before. She set the chuck in a bag of mysterious but delicious juices so it would be at its most flavorful. When the dish hit the table, a cloud of fragrant steam created a fat plume of smoke in the cool air. Her husband,...

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“Normal, as Defined by Her” by Sierra Wilson

Submitted to Contest #208

My dad always told me, “Jessie, no matter what people tell you or how you are judged, you are normal.” I was his perfect little daughter, the star student, faultless. The first time I felt different, I was in middle school. Her name was Claire, a new girl. She was beautiful. Short, a round face, the perfect image of someone who could break my heart. When I came home and told my dad, he shrugged it off. “Jessie, it’s just a silly school crush, you’ll grow out of it.” But the next day, the first time Claire held my hand, I tingled. I f...

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“Livin' In A Box” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #208

The voices are muffled. Always muffled. I hear them well enough. I’ve learnt to hear beyond that dull quality that would obscure all meaning. I understand the meaning well enough. My world is small and smaller still. I do not venture beyond the confines of my world, I am dragged from it. I do not go willingly, but neither do I kick or scream. If I were to scream, it would be muffled. It would be misconstrued, and even then, it would not be received well. Even outside the small world that is mine, I occupy a small sp...

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“Delilah in Bloom” by Kat Z

Submitted to Contest #208

"Shall we start at the beginning?" My therapist, Dr. Amy Carter situated her glasses on the bridge of her nose. Smoothened her crisp skirt, and sat opposite of me on the coffee colored chair. "Can't I start at the end?" I humored, receiving a pointed look from her. "Humor is a coping mechanism for you," She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "All of our past sessions are nothing. They mean nothing." I had felt like the walls would close in with every tick of that damn clock on her desk. "How could they mean nothing if I tol...

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“The astounding Captain Radiance and the matter of the Super Goo” by Lisa Miller

Submitted to Contest #208

Captain Radiant hovered over the oak tree. A small calico kitten trembled, clinging to a branch, its round belly and back legs hanging in the air.The kitten looked mistrustful of the masked man. The cat hissed when he plucked it up off the branch.The caped wonder landed back on the ground. He pried the cat’s small claws from his yellow glove. The cat made a low feline growl. Captain radiance handed the angry fur-ball to its owner.“Here he is, ma’am safe and sound, just like I promised,” he smiled down at the twelve-year-old pet owner...

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“Pieces of a Broken Puzzle” by Beatrice Gomes

Submitted to Contest #208

The alarm sounds at 6:30 in the morning, just as it does every single day for Ella. She needs to put her costume on before showing her face in her office: a blush-colored blazer and skirt set, a crisp collared shirt, and low pumps with a pointed toe. Every piece was perfectly architectured to cause maximum discomfort to the wearer. This uniform keeps employees moderately unhappy at all times, united in their contract to experience no joy for a minimum of eight hours each day. She gets to her desk and her boss is standing over her before sh...

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“Connection. ” by Lara Deppe

Submitted to Contest #208

Connection. Acantha Ida Baily cathunked down the cement stairs from the back entrance. The scraping sound her feet made on the aged concrete did not faze her at all. She was no longer aware of the sounds her body made as she made her way to her cubicle. Her routine was solidly without deviance, and she always arrived at the entrance exactly at 7:22 a.m. to the chagrin of her fellow employees who came in the back door in varying shades of frenzy every morning. Melanie was the office manager and while dependable in almost every way, she was...

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“Smashed into a box” by Howdle Gavin

Submitted to Contest #208

The scientific community call them anomalies that occur in space. Some scientists sometimes call it outer space when the physics just won't make sense until a bright spark ays, "Maybe it's collapsed black hole". On Earth, an anomaly is known as a paradox. Finally, the busy assistant nurse approached Craig, who was in the hospital bed or something similar. Things seemed very surreal to him, is this reality or what? There was a strange smell in Crag's nose, though how was that true? He was wearing an oxygen mask. The nurse that stood next to ...

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“Oreo” by Patrissha Booker

Submitted to Contest #208

Note: The story is about high school bullying and makes references to suicide attempts, but no details. It is also is about spells and revenge. Oreo I was one of the unfortunate students bullied in junior high and high school. Known as the black-white girl, and the ugly duckling who never had a date, boyfriend, or a sexual experience, not even a kiss. So I was thrilled to be going to my 10-year high school reunion. Because the never been kissed ugly duckling virgin black-white girl whose classmates made me feel like a loser were in for a s...

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“I Want Out” by Ja Ju

Submitted to Contest #208

"I want out! Why won’t they let me out?" Katie cried to herself with tears streaming down her face, moving across her bedroom wearily. She was drained. And the thought of having to carry on any longer pierced her. The weight of everyone else’s expectations was substantial, pushing her into a state of turmoil she had never experienced before. It all started in May 1986. Katie was finishing her Junior year in high school, which was heavily focused on making sure she was prepared to be THE debutante. She worked hard all throughout high school t...

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“Between Me and The Wall” by Mikel Montgomery

Submitted to Contest #208

Trigger Warnings- Arguments between Family / Mental Health "We only want what's best for you." I could feel my chest tighten and my heart drumming faster with each word they spoke. My voice wanted to prove them wrong, but my mouth wouldn't open, no matter how much I willed it to. The look of false empathy in their eyes only made me far more upset than I was. Time and time again, they would act as if they understood my sorrows. Being handed such sweet words of reassurance as comfort for a situation they put me in left a sour taste in my t...

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Write a story about someone who is constantly being put into a box by others.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 40 stories

“Wyoming Style” by Sue Leather

“Action Maxx!™ ” by Dilettante Shultz

“Breaking the chains” by Banana Graham

““Pretty; Not Smart”” by A. M. Conger

“sourdough” by Victoria Shellady

“Normal, as Defined by Her” by Sierra Wilson

“Livin' In A Box” by Jed Cope

“Delilah in Bloom” by Kat Z

“The astounding Captain Radiance and the matter of the Super Goo” by Lisa Miller

“Pieces of a Broken Puzzle” by Beatrice Gomes

“Connection. ” by Lara Deppe

“Smashed into a box” by Howdle Gavin

“Oreo” by Patrissha Booker

“I Want Out” by Ja Ju

“Between Me and The Wall” by Mikel Montgomery

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story about someone living vicariously through someone else.

Write a story where the characters start to realize that they are, in fact, just characters.

Write a story about a character who finds a childhood toy that brings back memories.

Set your story in a rosy-pink world where everything is rainbows and unicorns… until it isn’t.

Contest #208

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

238

Contest entries

85

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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